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

To: Keith Feral who wrote (23166)	2/21/1999 2:05:00 PM
From: John Stichnoth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

We didn't have much of a discussion, actually. We'd talked off and on about what our Q investment represented, then she decided she needed a new phone and went out and bought one--which turned out to be the att/ericcson/tdma phone and service. My point is pretty close to yours, I think. People don't know from the phone's specs. They want the service and a small phone that works well. As much as the technical details are discussed in SI, they're unrecognized by about everyone walking into a store. On ATT/tdma: Does there have to be a world standard? Can ATT support tdma long enough, and retain/gain over 50% share of the US wireless market long enough, that it can improve its bargaining position or cdma patents start to expire, or they develop some of their own key patents? Also agree that Q seems the winner. But, that's different from the battle being over. Ericcson is thrashing around, like a fish in a pail, trying to find an alternative to paying big bucks to Q. But are you sure they are committed worldwide to a cdma variant? For instance, ericcson is currently accelerating activities in China, I understand. They're not doing that with GSM, are they? (Yikes! They're worse than I thought if they are!) js

To: Keith Feral who wrote (23166)	2/21/1999 5:07:00 PM
From: Peter J Hudson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

Keith, I don't think you are representing AT&T's position accurately. >>ATT is the only major telecomm provider in the world betting on TDMA.<< AT&T is not betting on TDMA. The TDMA buildout was underway when they bought the system. AT&T has done a beautiful job of demonstrating that marketing is often more important than technology. >>Until recently, ATT had no wireless competition in the US.<< There has always been competition in the US wireless market. Until relatively recently ATT wasn't even a player. AT&T will not be embarrassed by backing the wrong technology. When the time comes they will move to the next generation and they won't have to borrow money to build it out. I am not a fan of the old AT&T, but under Mike Armstrong it is now a very different company. AT&T is still a huge money machine. Now it has a vision. Watch Out!! Pete