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Technology Stocks : The *NEW* Frank Coluccio Technology Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (18267)	12/8/2006 12:56:26 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46821

I didn't intend to send the previous post out at the time that it shows posted. In fact, I don't even recall executing send. In any event, I also wanted to note that, from a social benefit standpoint, communities that have up until now received "broadband" services (which I prefer to call high-speed Internet access, or HSI) may have enjoyed a momentary advantage over their neighboring communities that still don't have it. During the ramping stages this has been a determining factor for businesses seeking to relocate their data centers, circumstances centering on work at home capabilities, new-found capabilities for so-hos and SMBs, etc. But as the nation, indeed as the rest of the world, fills out with comparable levels of HSI, a new norm is set, and the differentiating factors then become those of higher "relative" speeds and other enhancements. [[Also, as a side thought, while some of the latter capabilities may indeed be on the drawing boards today, it's interesting to note that an inordinate amount, IMO, of the investment dollars that are being spent on buildouts today do NOT address the interactive capabilities of HSI that would benefit the end user and his surroundings, but are focused on adding cable television-like capabilities (whose days and popularity may well be numbered, facing increasing threats from Web-based alternatives) and areas of voice and wireless where a plethora of vanity (and dare I suggest, frivolous) services are being developed and implemented, instead. While the latter non-HSI features may very well be profitable to the service providers deploying them, hence making them fair game in the earlier part of this discussion where the profitability of service providers was discussed, they do not at the same time fall under the category of improving the economic conditions of the end user, the communities they serve or anyone else except the service providers.]] Obviously, if the same least common denominator level of HSI is available to all communities, then merely having HSI assures that a community will only be able to stay abreast, and no more. In other words, it's no longer an advantage, per se, but simply a license to hunt. It then becomes a matter of attaining higher relative speeds and other enhanced features if the objective is to use technology for further advantage, whether those mean ubiquitous wireless capabilities, fixed-mobile convergence, in addition to higher speeds, and other approaches aimed at facilitating information handling that have yet to evolve. It's not too early to begin discussing this phenomenon, because there are parts of the globe that are already onto the next plateau, with some getting ready to make yet the next step up. This means that, in a global context, communities that have only recently received their first generation HSI are already behind the 8-ball, even if they think quite the opposite, and don't know it yet. ------

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (18267)	12/13/2006 2:03:03 AM
From: axial	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46821

ECTA publishes 2006 regulatory scorecard: highlights a ‘patchwork picture of liberalisation’ "The ECTA Scorecard is a barometer of how effectively each EU member state and its regulatory authorities have created a fully liberalised telecoms environment. ECTA says the results of its 2006 study send a clear message to governments and regulators alike that more must be done to create a ‘pro-competitive environment for telecoms’ where real and tangible results will flourish. It goes on to say that in the broadband arena, a strong correlation exists between the measures put in place to encourage a sustainable ‘ladder of investment for competition’ and broadband take-up, citing France, the UK and Denmark as countries which have acted quickly to ensure that ‘competition can develop,' and where as a result, broadband penetration is running well above the EU average of 15%. By contrast, Poland, Greece, the Czech Republic and Ireland, where effective and appropriate regulation is less evident, have all lagged behind in broadband take-up." telegeography.com Frank, there are some interesting disparities in different reports (though generally, they align). tinyurl.com "** The OECD statistics for the "Other Broadband" category of the Czech Republic include a large number of fixed wireless broadband connections provided over mobile networks. Broadband subscriptions over 3G networks are not included for other countries but an exception was made for the Czech Republic because the connections make use of "fixed" equipment in a home and offer speeds greater than 256 kbit/s to individual users. The Czech market is particular due to the high number of these wireless broadband connections as a percentage of total connectivity. It is important to note that there is continuing debate in international circles as to whether this type of wireless connection (numbering 188 000 in CZ) should be included in international broadband comparisons." Jim

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (18267)	2/27/2008 6:57:09 PM
From: axial	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 46821

Hi Frank - We've been discussing the benefits of HSI and broadband for years - with the admitted qualification that such discussions were hypothetical, since nobody had quantified those supposed benefits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "On specific dollar amounts, I'd guess we need further research. But after studying similar "top down" (ie., policy-driven) initiatives in Sweden, the Netherlands, Iceland, and more recently the UK, I can state with confidence that all players are enjoying various degrees of profitability. To be sure, they're not being allowed the rake-off that was enjoyed by former incumbents. They're not being allowed into the content game. Some players are simple bit-carriers. But as they say, "It's a living". The final question being evaded is Intangible Benefit. By that I mean societal gains. The general proposition being advanced by people like me is that there IS a benefit in improved communication within national entities, specifically, increased throughput at reasonable cost. This is aside from, but related to the question of profit. If you like, it's a different kind of "profit". The premise is that increased throughput can or will benefit the education, governmental administration, the arts, cultural and national homogeneity, commerce, and so on. That premise is the justification for subsidization: simply put, it's the Infrastructure Premise. Proponents of "bottom up" should be asked to what extent the companies they support are engaging in that kind of public-spirited expansion of communication. We already know the answer. And we already know, from history and experience, that every advance in human communication has had benefits. On what basis is that decided? Simple: communication is fundamental to human coexistence. Trivially or consequentially, humans communicate. The easier you make it, the more they do it. The more they do it, the more they share, know, understand, learn, interact." Message 23082470 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So what does that mean in dollars? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally connectednation.com Jim