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

To: PAUL ROBERT ST. ONGE who wrote (3990)	1/8/1998 12:06:00 AM
From: George Weiss	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10227

Paul, you wrote, "Data applications will finace e-mail interface, telphone communications, two way radio type communications, and the list goes on & on. Everyone, on every post tends to focus on how everything is set-up today, not a year from now or five years from now. All these big bulky devices we use now, will shrink down into -truely active personal digital assistants, that we can wear or carry in the palm of our hand. Remember the first cell phones, the one's with the the bulky battery pack the size of a car battery. Look at them today, with e-mail, two way radio, etc., voice activated etc. etc." Most of us on this thread share your enthusiasm for the future growth of wireless applications. I think Paul Franztis (sp) mentioned the numbers of Motorola engineers who are working on enhancements for iDEN. The Phones ARE getting smaller, with more talk time, more features, etc. One feature which I recently heard about is the ability to save the numbers of people who have been trying to reach you via "Direct Connect". This feature allow you to scroll through peoples names, and then return their call. Since we don't know exactly what the technology will be that Motorola/Nextel is developing, we can't very well spend much time discussing it. I don't quite get what you mean by, "data applications will finance..."? I would like to know more about Nextel's data features. At this point I think Bubba mentioned the 19.2 capability, I assume for fax or modem use? This would be called in telecom parlance "circuit switched data" When will Nextel have REAL data capability, i.e. CDPD, or some other form of packet. Since we don't know the technology that Motorola/Nextel is developing for iDEM, we can't very well spend much time discussing it on this thread. "In plain terms, you will eventually be able to call anywhere, recieve information in ways we can not even imagine today. Just look at the last three years how the cell industry has changed. Part of the $1.50 cost is based upon a limited population using the service. Roll the population of Nextel, onto a premium satellite service per use, or as a competitive end all for the competition. Before you know it, those costs fall like a rock, and so do the per call charges. Just the same way they have over the past few years, more user's equal lower costs." What is the point of discussing this issue at all. Using satellite for most forms of LD on Nextel phones just won't make economic or practical sense for years and years. Domestic LD rates continue to fall, and International rates are expected to go down over the next five years by 50% or more. It may happen, and there may be data and voice demand for Teledesic, Globstar, Irridium, but as of yet no one posting has made a case for it. Besides, all of the LD on the Nextel system is probably 5% or less of the total revenue. George