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Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jules Shear who wrote (2837)	5/31/2000 5:32:00 PM
From: JMD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3175

Hi Jules, well if we're going to have a discussion we'd better find more to disagree with one another about! :-) Your comment: 'I think VOD's vision is to have the ability for consumers to use a single device anywhere in the world on both 2G/3G networks (preferrably VOD's network) which is much more simple with a GSM/3G device (Nokia and Ericsson are agressively developing) than having to develop some strange quad mode/quad band device (analog/cdmaOne/GSM/3G plus multiple frequency bands) which is really not technically feasible." is one I can only partially quibble with. Quad mode/quad band is indeed unworkable but Qualcomm is evidently set to roll on tri mode/tri band which would go quite some way down the road as an interim solution. You are of course correct that the European carriers will max out their GSM infrastructure investment for some time to come (though it pains me to admit it--much rather see them rip it all out and go straight to CDMA/HDR but what else would you expect a Q shareholder to say?) I have recently picked up on the phrase 'last mover advantage' which seems applicable here. Just as the Japanese steel industry re-built after WW2 with a vastly more technologically efficient plant and then promptly proceeded to deliver an almost death blow to the rest of the world's steel producers, I think the United States coming very late to the party in wireless will have a similar effect on the GSM world. Realism compels me to admit that Europe's vested interest is too great to ignore and that the GSM forces will hardly roll over and die without a whimper. That's why the real action is in Asia and South America with so-called greenfield installations. To me, VOD is the odds-on choice as the preeminent wireless carrier worldwide. I'm prejudiced as hell but have to believe that VOD won't make the same mistake that AT&T did and squander their opportunity by choosing a bankrupt technology platform. GPRS is an improvement only relative to the 9.6kbs data speed currently available. EDGE is vapor ware (and if it did work would suck batteries dry in a flash). Europe really has only one choice (ditto China) but there will be a whole bunch of hootin' and hollerin' before it's over. best, mike doyle