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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JGoren who wrote (18772)	11/25/1998 11:48:00 AM
From: Gregg Powers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

Coverage I don't want to hold myself out as an apologist for Sprint or any other carrier for that matter, but I think a little perspective is in order. There has been a dead zone in GTE's analog coverage between Naples and Tampa for more than five years. Having traveled this country back and forth for many years now, I run into analog dead zones all the time...and these are ostensibly mature networks. Now along comes Sprint, and in a twenty-four month period the company has attempted to deploy a nationwide network. Good luck. The Swiss cheese coverage is a pretty incredible accomplishment under the circumstances when one considers all the topological, environmental and logistical issues faced by the company. I think it is very important to consider the "price paid for quality received", i.e. Sprint's rates are very attractive and to a significant extent these tariffs are offered as compensation for coverage issues. Moreover, Sprint's rate competition has prompted a competitive response from the 800mhz carriers, and other PCS providers, that was probably the causal factor driving ATT to its OneRate plan. Viewed from a big picture standpoint, QC shareholders are better off because of Sprint's strategy. The performance problems are not CDMA-specific, while the competition has accelerated U.S. wireless penetration and hastened the displacement of analog by digital. While Sprint's coverage will improve steadily, the cost of wireless service is unlikely to increase with this improved quality...so we will all get a better product, at for a lower cost, as time progresses. This economic reality will hasten the displacement of wireline service by wireless, leading to more infrastructure and handset sales and a larger economic opportunity for QC, LU, NT and so forth. Yeah...its annoying to get a blocked call or to drive through an area with inadequate coverage. Compared to rotary dial, fixed mount phones of twenty five years ago, it ain't so bad though. Compared to smoke signals is pretty damn unbelievable. So much for the good old days. Happy Thanksgiving! Gregg