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: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (3880)	5/25/1999 10:42:00 AM
From: steve worthington	Respond to of 12823

Frost & Sullivan The 1999 Market Engineering Product Innovation Award was presented to Osicom for its ability to adopt new technology, to develop a well-designed product family and make significant contributions to the industry in terms of product performance. The introduction of the GigaMux has set Osicom apart from the rest. prnewswire.com

To: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (3880)	5/25/1999 11:15:00 AM
From: Darren DeNunzio	Respond to of 12823

PRIMUS and Global Crossing Announce Reciprocal Agreement PRIMUS Telecommunications and Global Crossing Announce Reciprocal Satellite And Fiber Capacity Purchase Agreements MADRID, Spain, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- At the annual International Global Crossing conference, PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated (Nasdaq: PRTL - news), a global facilities-based telecommunications company, announced a reciprocal capacity purchase agreement with Global Crossing Holdings Ltd., a subsidiary of Global Crossing, Ltd. (Nasdaq: GBLX - news). Under the terms of the agreement, Global Crossing will purchase up to $25 million of services on the global satellite network operated by PRIMUS, and PRIMUS will purchase up to $50 million of fiber capacity from Global Crossing's fiber network. ''This agreement underscores PRIMUS's commitment to expand the capacity of its global fiber network, which already is one of the most extensive networks in the world. Global Crossing's agreement to purchase services on PRIMUS's global satellite network validates PRIMUS's strategy to construct a dedicated broadband satellite network,'' said K. Paul Singh, chairman and CEO of PRIMUS. ''PRIMUS's global satellite network extends to places where fiber coverage is not feasible, provides fully redundant capacity and offers unique broadcast capabilities. Thus, we believe that true global Internet and data carriers will need to offer both fiber and satellite network solutions to be a credible player in today's market. Through our Internet and data subsidiary, iPRIMUS.com, we are already well positioned to offer customers an integrated network solution,'' he continued.

To: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (3880)	5/25/1999 11:26:00 AM
From: Darren DeNunzio	Respond to of 12823

US West works on national DSL strategy The sprawling local phone firm says it can use its pending merger with Global Crossing to transform itself from a stodgy Baby Bell into a technology company on the cutting edge of communications. Its first move, the company said, will be to head a national rollout of high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access. "We believe we could be in the market in 6 months or less with a superior offering to those companies who are already in place," said Joe Zell, president of the company's Enterprise network division and advanced service offerings, in a News.com interview. Company executives have been frustrated at seeing industry newcomers like Northpoint Communications and Rhythms NetConnections soar on Wall Street, albeit with risky investment strategies and negative returns, while their own stock and investment campaigns have remained relatively flat. US West claims it has the ability to act as quickly as its smaller competitors--if only its stockholders would allow it. But like with other Baby Bells, US West's shareholders have demanded stable, consistent growth, and have frowned on riskier investment strategies, executives say. With 35,000 DSL subscribers, the company has been ahead of the curve in rolling out high-speed Internet services, Zell noted, although SBC Communications and Bell Atlantic are now beginning to catch up. The company also has been investing in trials of other experimental services such as VDSL, which can bring cable TV-like service over phone lines, as well as high-speed wireless data and mobile Internet services. But with the exception of the DSL rollouts, the company's advanced service projects have been stuck in trial markets. By merging with Global Crossing and creating a new tracking stock dedicated to these riskier investments, the company will finally be able to realize its ambitions with data and video, Zell said. "One of the reasons we need to do a tracking stock is because investors want us to stick to our knitting instead of going into this new $4 billion [video] market," Zell said. "What we're really doing is unlocking the ability for us to go and do this as if we were a start-up." The first sign of this new US West could be a joint venture with Frontier to roll out DSL Internet access to big markets around the country. Zell said that this could be structured so that it wouldn't violate any regulatory barriers, and could take advantage of Frontier's backbone and Web hosting centers. The executive stopped short of saying the company definitely planned this tack, but said it would be "illogical" not to do this as soon as US West and Frontier sat down to work out the details. "For us this would be nothing other than a geographic expansion," he said. A deal questioned Many analysts and investors have been skeptical of the US West-Global Crossing deal, saying that their prospects aren't as compelling as mergers between AT&T and cable companies, or the other corporate marriages between big local phone companies. But the expansion of US West's data business along more entrepreneurial lines, despite the reticence of the company's traditional stockholders, makes good sense, some say. "It's not only feasible, but smart," said Jeffery Kagen, an independent telecommunications analyst based in Atlanta. "There is a first-mover advantage in the escalating battle between DSL and cable modems," Kagen added. "If a joint venture would allow them to capture more market share more quickly, then it's a smart move." The tracking stock would also give US West the "air cover" needed to roll out VDSL video services across its 14-state area more quickly, and even into Frontier's service areas after the completion of the merger, he added. The company is as committed to retaining control of its high-speed Net brand as it is to expanding its services, Zell added. Bell Atlantic and SBC Communications have signed agreements with America Online to let the online service offer its content directly over their DSL lines, essentially giving up the front doors of their service to AOL. US West is reticent to give up that control, however. "We're not actively in discussions with AOL," Zell said. At this point, the company prefers the cable TV model, in which customers access the Web through its US West.net service, and then get AOL service on top of that, he said. "Our business model is not to be just the dumb pipes for other providers," he said. US West was trading at 53 at midday Friday, down nearly ten points since the word of its pending merger broke a week ago.

To: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (3880)	5/25/1999 11:32:00 AM
From: Darren DeNunzio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Phone fee fight may threaten Net subsidies By John Borland Staff Writer, CNET News.com May 24, 1999, 12:20 p.m. PT URL: news.com A federal court decision has thrown billions of dollars in phone charges into uncertainty, and could threaten plans to increase the amount of money subsidizing Internet connections for schools and libraries. The court ruled Friday that the Federal Communications Commission had not adequately explained its decision to reduce fees that long distance companies pay local firms like Bell Atlantic to complete telephone calls on their networks. These "access charge" regulations translate into billions of dollars paid by the long distance companies every year, costs which are ultimately passed through to consumers. Analysts have estimated that up to 40 percent of the cost of an average long distance phone call goes to paying these charges. Avoiding these access charges has been one of the chief goals for long distance companies in recent years. AT&T's multibillion-dollar acquisitions of Tele-Communications Incorporated and MediaOne were motivated in part to establish its own local phone network, thus avoiding the need to pay local phone companies to complete its customers' calls. The court ruled that the FCC does have the ability to cut the charges, but that regulators had not adequately explained how they had arrived at its fee-cutting formula. Under the FCC's original regulations, access charges are slated to drop annually. This year's reduction would have kicked in July, and would have totaled close to $1.1 billion. The FCC will ask the decision to be stayed while it files an appeal, a spokeswoman said. The complex decision could derail a new round of funding for school and library Internet connections, analysts noted. This so-called "e-rate" program is also funded by small surcharges on telephone bills. Critics of the program have called the system a tax, and have lobbied to dismantle or scale it back. The FCC's scheduled increase in the program's funding was expected to be offset by the reductions in the access charges. But if the access charges stay at their current rate, the "e-rate" funding could translate into slightly higher phone bills after all, prompting criticism from consumer groups and congressional opponents, analysts said. "If the charges don't decrease as planned, then we will be more likely to see an increase in consumer phone bills," said Peter Jarich, a telecommunications analyst with the Strategis Group. "It has to come from somewhere." Several legislators have already written to FCC chairman William Kennard, asking him to postpone a scheduled May 27 vote to increase the schools' Net subsidy funding.