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Technology Stocks : The New Qualcomm - a S&P500 company -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: foundation who wrote (12287)	6/14/2000 6:29:00 PM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13582

It's always a good idea to put these statements in perspective. First, any good corporate executive knows better than to be overly optimistic, especially when speaking at an analyst conference. That's partly because it is against the law to make forward looking statements without mentioning good and bad points. Second, as to G, the main point, which has been made before but often forgotten, is that it is the only viable satellite based system that can connect anyone anywhere in the world (well, almost anywhere). Because of its inherent security, it will become, in my view, the technology of choice for small size military, paramilitary, or even terrorist operations. Of course, it will also be the technology of choice for journalists and corporate executives who want one phone to handle all possible needs. Will they get enough customers to make reasonable profits? No one knows, but the uncertainty is no greater than for many other situations. As an example, many years ago the city of Cleveland decided to build an extension of its rapid transit system, connecting directly to the airport, making it possible for those even in the rich eastern suburbs, such as Shaker Heights, to reach the airport without the need of private transport or taxi. No one could predict whether the number of riders would allow the project to break even. Once it got underway, the number of riders far exceeded estimates, and the overall convenience of the facility contributed to a building boom within the city and the surrounding area. QUALCOMM has about 6 percent ownership of G and is one of two handset suppliers (Ericsson is the other). If this were such a poorly thought out technology, I hardly think a company like Ericsson would bother with it.