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Technology Stocks : AUTOHOME, Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (10493)	6/5/1999 4:32:00 PM
From: Rippletum	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 29970

Well the athm stock dropped precipitously so many felt that the Portland case was negative for Athm. But my questions are: 1. What is the likelihood of a competitor being able to build out a similar Athm network. And, would that be the likely outcome (like a Covad in DSL space) or would Athm be required under the open access to lease access to AOL over Athm's network? And, how quickly can a competing Athm type network be built out? 2. Doesn't the ruling strengthen Athm's bargaining position when dealing with an MSO? After all, if everyone is permitted in, that includes Athm too, and this has been a questionable proposition when it came to TWX's lines and others who had not previously signed with Athm. 3. As for the negative of increased competition to Athm, isn't it more likely that the answers to my first question above, will bear on this, i.e., if the cost of recreating an Athm system is prohibitive and there is a substantial lag time for such a competing service to be built. If I am correct in my assumptions, it would seem that Athm would have a substantial advantage if it is the first to market. Not to mention the fact that it will be in the participating MSO's interest to favor Athm because at least they will share in Athm's success. As a result, I am still trying to understand why this is such a negative for Athm. The only thing that I see from this point (until my questions are answered) is that the MSO's could simply delay the roll out, but I understand that that roll out was well on its way and that by the end of the 1st quarter of 2000 MSO's would have vast heavily populated geographic areas built out.