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Technology Stocks : America On-Line (AOL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: im a survivor who wrote (14807)	5/5/1999 9:21:00 AM
From: Lee Martin	Respond to of 41369

It seems that WCOM is trying to grow its wireless business while T is growing its cable business. AOL/NSCP/LU/NOK all seem to be making progress in making wireless internet access available via a number of non-pc devices. Somewhere down the road might these leaders work out a deal where T gets open access to WCOM's network and AOL gets access to T's cable? If I'm way off base on the above, then other than gov't intervention(which is a pipe dream) what type of incentive might cause T to open its cable lines to AOL? In other words, what does T need that AOL has? 18-19M customers maybe? Does T think that they will get all of these customers to pay double the $22 AOL fee and change their email address, buddy list etc. to switch to a service that they say has a lot more speed but nowhere near the content offered by AOL? Maybe they will all switch, overwhelm the @home infrastructure, cry and complain that they are paying double for slower and less reliable access, and wind up switching back. I read an article from this thread a week or so ago that said that was happening already. I'm asking these questions because I had previously thought AOL had a handle on the broadband situation and there was no need to rush into a bunch of deals in a service which is still in its infancy. The UMG deal seems to have brought the broadband question front and center. Does anyone think T will stop with UMG? The way they are headed T will eventually own or partner with every single cable co. in the world. What does AOL and others wanting broadband access do then? The only pipe I know that is fatter and better than cable is FTTC (fiber to the curb). A combination of DSL and FTTC may be the only way to keep T from dominating the broadband world. Right now T has its hands full trying to upgrade TCI etc. to enable broadband so the RBOCS, AOL, WCOM etc. have some time, but they had better get busy. OK- enough of my speculation, I want to hear from folks that have some answers. Regards,Lee