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To: Poet who wrote (71651)	5/9/2000 7:09:00 AM
From: William Hunt	Respond to of 152472

Sprint Starts Fixed-Wireless Service To Challenge Speedy Internet Links By DEBORAH SOLOMON Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Sprint Corp. launched its high-speed "fixed wireless" Internet service in Phoenix and detailed plans to offer it in 10 to 15 additional markets this year. The service, known as Sprint Broadband Direct, will compete with other superfast Internet connections, such as digital-subscriber lines and cable modems. Sprint, Kansas City, Mo., plans additional offerings including local phone service using the technology, which relies on microwave signals to send and receive voice and data. The service is similar to one AT&T Corp., Basking Ridge, N.J., has been testing in Texas. But the long-distance giant has been slow to get its offering -- dubbed Project Angel -- off the ground, and analysts say that could give Sprint an advantage. AT&T, which announced Project Angel three years ago, finally launched service in Fort Worth, Texas, in March. Danielle Perry, an AT&T spokeswoman, says the company is "on track" with its rollout and will be in additional cities in coming months. While Sprint provides digital-subscriber line service through EarthLink Inc., an Internet-service provider in which it owns a minority stake, fixed wireless is a way for the company to reach customers who may be unable to get DSL for technical reasons. It is also one of the main ways the long-distance company, which is in the process of merging with WorldCom Inc., plans to offer local phone service. With fixed wireless, Sprint can avoid striking costly -- and often contentious -- agreements with the Baby Bell local providers to use their networks for voice and data transmission. And the company can reduce the risk of losing customers by offering them a bundle of Sprint-branded local, long-distance, Internet and wireless-phone service at a discounted price. Sprint officials said the service should be available later this year in cities such as San Francisco, Houston, St. Louis and Chicago, as well as smaller markets including Fondulac, Wis., and South Bend, Ind. Tim Sutton, president of Sprint's broadband-wireless group, said the company plans to target rural areas that have been left out of the high-speed boom. But while the technology could reach more people than DSL, which has distance limitations, fixed wireless has problems of its own. The diamond-shaped antenna, whose sides are a little more than a foot long, attaches to a customer's house and must be in the "line of sight" of a cellular tower that is no more than 35 miles away. Mountains, trees and buildings can get in the way and interrupt the signal. Mr. Sutton said Sprint is working to improve the line of sight and said the current technology is capable of reaching about 85% of customers in the Phoenix area. The service will cost $39.95 per month, plus $99 to $299 for the hardware depending on terms of the contract. A typical modem using regular dial-up lines can access the Internet at about 56.6 kilobits per second. DSL, cable and fixed-wireless services can be as much as 100 times faster.

To: Poet who wrote (71651)	5/9/2000 8:48:00 AM
From: jmanvegas	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 152472

Poet: Are you suggesting we are still in dead money range? Ooops - can't mention that term here - I'll awaken the FUD patrol. jmanvegas

To: Poet who wrote (71651)	5/9/2000 10:09:00 AM
From: waverider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

GOD! How do you do it? I almost sold some May 130's last month but couldn't pull the trigger. The fear of some huge Q deal would keep me from sleeping at night. Quite an interesting perspective. Good luck with your strategy. Mr. Market pulled away this morning and went back to his car without kiss or need for mouth wash. It was close, but still looks like he don't have enough guts. Q closed the door and smiled...to be continued. <H>