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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (1657)	7/24/1998 7:43:00 AM
From: MikeM54321	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

From Bay's Press Release: "The widespread availability of toll high quality IP voice communications over cable gives cable operators the opportunity to pursue competitive local loop business and a wider range of services. Businesses and consumers benefit from the bandwidth and cost-efficiencies, as well as the convenience associated with using one packet-based broadband network for both voice and data." Ken, and DenverTechie, Hiram, others, Yes Ken, it adds quite a bit. What you found was something I was going to go look for. You saved me some time. Thanks. NT/Bay happen to be one on my "ideas" on investing in the "bandwidth" or "last mile" game (both terms are becoming interchangeable lately). Anyway, thanks to Hiram's research, I found out that NT had an investment in voice over cable technology for a while now. It was through a joint ownership with Antec Corp (another investment idea). As we all know, NT announced it was going to buy Bay Networks. Well a few weeks after the deal was announced, along comes this deal Bay made to purchase Netserve. Since I knew NT already had voice over cable products, Bay's purchase of Netspeak didn't make any sense to me. I was totally puzzled. Well now, thanks to DenverTechie, it makes more sense. Now here is what I figure. NT and Antec created a joint venture by the name of, "Arris Communications." Well they have only one specialty. And that is voice over HFC. So when NT agreed to purchase Bay, it made no sense for Bay to still purchase Netspeak. From what I gather now, Cornerstone(Arris' voice over HFC product) is not a packet-based voice technology. It's pretty much what DenverTechie explained earlier. It's voice delivered over a cable network, but is a souped up version of POTS. So it appears, Bay is getting very serious about voice over HFC BUT, developing IP packet voice products. Hence their purchase of Netspeak. So when Bay made the Netspeak announcement, I'm positive that NT previously knew about it. It may have even made it more enticing for NT to purchase Bay. You see, NT (along with all the other traditional telecom equipment suppliers) is positioning themselves to be able to offer packet switched equipment to the carriers. Well the NT/Bay combo is not only going to be able to offer this, but also, in the future, offer a packet voice solution as well. They will offer voice products that will work on an HFC, last mile, network. So NT has a, "here and now" voice over cable solution. It's called Cornerstone, from Arris Communications. A souped up version of POTS made to work over HFC. AND, with the purchase of Bay, they are also doing what DenverTechie alluded to previously. They are clearly positioning themselves to develop IP voice products that work over HFC. Geez. The above sounds terribly confusing. Believe me, it is/was hard to figure out. I may have some of the facts wrong, but overall I've got the right idea (IMHO). I'm guessing Northern Telecom is one traditional telecom equipment supplier that is betting heavily on HFC being a, very important, last mile solution. All IMHO and from memory, MikeM(From Florida)