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

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (3436)	4/24/1999 2:50:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 12823

--O.T.-- What's in a name, you ask? Here's something to consider, from Wired Magazine. I picked it up on the NANOG List. You wondered what all the noise was about, when it came to the new auction services on the 'net? Why, they're there to auction off Domain Names, what else? Talk about self-fulfilling... From: wired.com Making a Mint on Wallstreet.com by Craig Bicknell 3:00 a.m. 23.Apr.99.PDT A Venezuelan online casino doled out more than US$1 million to buy Wall Street -- dot com. Players Sportsbook and Casino, based on tiny Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela, had the US$1.03-million winning bid in an auction for the rights to the wallstreet.com domain. "I'm shocked that this kind of value exists for a domain name, but I'm overjoyed, too," said Ehud Gavron, owner of the flashy Web address since 1994. Gavron, the 32-year-old president of a Tucson, Arizona-based Internet service provider, will split the loot with two other co-owners. Players Sportsbook outbid a slew of competitors, including several financial firms, in a blind auction run by broker New Commerce Communications. The bidding started at $300,000, moved slowly up to $500,000, then made a sudden leap to seven figures, according to Tom Millitzer, president of New Commerce. "That's a pretty aggressive price to pay for 13 letters of the alphabet," he said. "$97,000 a letter is a damn good bid." The piece of prime Net real estate was worth the price and more, said Players Sportsbook. "We plan on making a return on this investment in six months," said Patrick Carter, a manager at Simpson Bay Limited, the corporate owner of the casino. The plan is to set up a Web site that lets people place wagers on stock movements without actually investing in stocks themselves. "We'll say, where do you think the stock will close at the end of the day, where do you think it will close at the end of the month?" said Carter. "You'll be able to bet on stocks, options, futures. It's already been done with great success in the UK. Now we'll bring it to America." In this market, that's a bit like gambling squared. Whether it proves popular remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the sellers have some winnings to spend. "I think I'll fix up the kitchen and put a Jacuzzi in the back yard," said Gavron. "I'm planning on reinvesting it in the stock market," said co-owner Matt Grossman, a 24-year-old Unix administrator who followed his parents to Tucson from Albany, New York, five years ago. "I'll be blunt -- I came out here for free rent." For its part, New Commerce Communications will have some hot new domains to auction off. "We're getting lots of calls from people looking for our services," said Millitzer. That has Net industry experts a touch concerned. "I'm sorry to see domains go for these prices," said Ellen Rony, author of the Domain Name Handbook. "It really fuels the domain name-speculation fire." Related Wired Links: Domain Name List Is Dwindling 14.Apr.99 Wallstreet.com Up for Sale 8.Apr.99

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (3436)	4/26/1999 12:33:00 PM
From: MikeM54321	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 12823

I wrote, "Pretty amazing. AT&T is laying it all out on the line for HFC being the way for them to solve the last mile bandwidth problems AND their local access problem." Ken and Thread, Just in the FWIW category, this morning on CNBC there was a four-way discussion with a WSJ telecom expert who was talking about AT&T being able to execute. It was funny because the guest host (not the WSJ reporter), though he is a technology investor, didn't realize what AT&T's plans were. He thought AT&T might spend some money on twisted copper upgrades! Well that is off the subject. Then they wanted some figures out of the reporter, and for some reason she didn't even give a range? But we all know AT&T is going to be spending in the BILLIONS of $$ on the cable plant upgrades. But this is the important point they were discussing. Is AT&T, after doing all these TREMENDOUS aquistions and deals, going to be able to execute? She sited AT&T has not one cable telephone systems working yet. She sited the Femont California problems. I've heard it before, so I'm guessing the TCI-HFC Freemont network is not doing to well. Now more importantly, I don't believe the WSJ reporter was aware of this, but there are cable phone systems currently working (POTS over coaxial and not packet based) and have been working for a few years now. I believe one system is in Japan. And some others in South America. So I don't feel like it is going to be a problem for AT&T to provide local telephone access at some point. It's just a matter of how much money it will cost and how much time. But I really don't see any large institutional investors bailing out of AT&T because of the failure to execute concerns. I would be exetremly disappointed (as would a lot of last mile investors) if Armstrong ever got booted out of AT&T. I knew this issue would start to come up, but am surprised it is coming up so early in the game. I think it will die a quick death as the two-way HFC networks come on line. Telephone service may take a little longer, but I think with increasing broadband revenues, the market will have more patience. Just thinking out loud. MikeM(From Florida)