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Technology Stocks : WCOM -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (10627)	6/13/2002 10:27:13 PM
From: BEEF JERKEY	Respond to of 11568

Hmmmm Can Q go after the Neighborhood? I'm not sure that's a given yet especially considering of the five states you mention, four have to be among the least populated, so far it's a small victory. Actually I wouldn't worry much about Q or any of the baby bells - I doubt they have the set up to compete with WCOM right now - even if they had the regulatory approval. WCOM does have the UUNET back bone and MCI long haul proprietary networks. I think this is a distinct advantage over anyone trying to offer similar to "the neighborhood" using a piecemeal cobbled together system over variously owned networks. I'm quite sure that one of the things that enables WCOM to offer this service nationwide is simply the size and capacity of their networks. I'm quite sure ATT and FON will go after WCOM here in this space but it remains to be seen if they can compete at the level set by WCOM. Even if they can it would take quite a while to catch up, regulatory approval, capex, etc. and it seem that "first mover" will be a big advantage here. Once someone is signed up for a "neighborhood" type service I should thing you would have to be able to save at least $5 to be motivated to switch. Here WCOM has a huge lead. They could sign up 6 - 10 million subscribers over the next 18 - 24 months possibly even more. This is something I am looking forward to knowing more about tomorrow.

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (10627)	6/14/2002 5:28:32 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 11568

Looks like Qwest is going after the neighborhood- "Qwest Asks to Offer Long-Distance in Five States Where it offers Local Service" Looks like WCOM isn't happy about Qwest's move.......... ____________________________________________________________ WorldCom Says Qwest is Asking Far Too Much, Way Too Soon The FCC Should Reject Qwest's Bid to Provide Long Distance Service DENVER, June 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Background: Today, Qwest filed its first application with the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority to provide long distance service in (Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota). Under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, regional Bell monopolies such as Qwest are required to show that they have irreversibly opened their local phone markets to competitors on a state-by-state basis before being allowed to offer long distance services. The following statement should be attributed to Jim Lewis, WorldCom (Nasdaq:WCOM) Senior Vice President of Public Policy: "Qwest is asking far too much, way too soon. The fact is tests show Qwest's region-wide local phone systems are not ready to perform at commercial volumes. Couple that with the exorbitant rates Qwest charges its competitors to access its public phone network and you might as well be telling Qwest's customers their ability to receive lower local phone prices and better service is just not a priority. In the end, if Qwest doesn't open its markets to fair local competition before it gets into the already competitive long-distance industry everybody suffers but the big monopoly. "It's now up to the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission to force Qwest to fix its problems before it gets into long- distance. WorldCom certainly welcomes competition. But competition at the expense of consumers is just not how the game should be played."