Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: JF Quinnelly who wrote (3701)	12/14/1997 1:16:00 AM
From: Novice Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10227

Hey Arnie: Found some great CDMA and TDMA stuff, I am reading up on enhanced TDMA as well. I find it hard to believe Nextel would not consider that over CDMA. Read this: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CDMA Flaws Although the features of DS were discussed at length, DS was never really adequately defined. The capacity of CDMA systems was not well presented. The effective (Eb/No) formula demonstrates the once-limited nature of the system, but more than one factor in that formula is affected by the number of users, making it hard to gauge how performance degrades as a function of users. The advantages of CDMA were qualitatively and not quantitatively presented. Is the added complexity worth it? >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have read on several sites comparing TDMA to CDMA that as the number of users increases CDMA system performance goes down (spread spectrum characteristic). There has also been many references to the additional cost of the hardware for a CDMA site ($300,000) -vs- a TDMA site ($80,000). TDMA does have multipath interference problems which CDMA handles a little better, but it is not a significant problem. But the main success of Nextel amongst its users is clearly the direct connect feature. The niche market that Nextel has gone after are business users, these users typically had a cell phone, a pager and a two way radio system. That was quite an expensive array of gear to carry around and finance. I use to sell those two way radios, and the prices started at $500., and the range was very limited (compared to the Nextel system). When Cellular came out, it had little effect on the two way market. The same would be true for digital PCS as to its effects on the two way market. Nextel, on the other hand, having targeted this market has also picked up people that were in between that were poorly addressed by Cellular but could not get the coverage needed with a two way system (nor could justify the cost of a two way system). Who wants to dial a number when they can push a button. Also, when people push the button, they are using a 6 to 1 format (6 conversations, one 30 kHz rf carrier). Nextel, in the direct mode, gets 6 time slots on a channel (rf carrier) (2 slots are needed on the RF carrier for each full duplex (cell type) conversation). Robert

To: JF Quinnelly who wrote (3701)	12/14/1997 3:20:00 PM
From: Arnie Doolittle	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10227

"While this may be anecdotal information, it's probably as good as our bear friends' apocryphal objections." JF, in that same vane, my sources tell me that customer adds continue to increase month-over-month, even in locations that have been open over a year. What this all means is that we're seeing why NXTL decided to speed up the rollout of the national network: CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE WAS EVEN GREATER THAN THEIR ORIGINAL EXPECTATIONS. I understand that NXTL redid their adds goals twice in 1997. How many ratchets up will they have in 1998? Remember, NXTL has always exceeded street expectations since McCaw-Akerson et al took over. As far as CDMA is concerned, even if NXTL wanted to switch (which they've given no hint that they want to), they wouldn't spend $4+ billion on their existing system and then abandon it. It's a wacko idea, designed by OJ, oops, I mean PT, to throw doubt on NXTL's excellent adventure. It ain't gonna happen before we see $100. Arnie