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---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2000, 2:29 PM -0400
From: Faulkner Mail Server <mailserver@faulknerinfo.com>
To: ???
Subject: Faulkner Com Flash 05/16/00 - (Part 1 of 2)

TOP OF THE NEWS

	 * AT&T Wireless' IPO Reaps $10 Billion 
	 * One 2 One to Sue Over UK Spectrum Auction
	 * FCC Auction Ends with $410 Million in Bids 
	 * ABC Black Out in Millions of Homes 

======================================================================

Alliances/Joint Ventures 
	 BellSouth took a major step toward its goal of providing a single source
for both telecommunications and entertainment. A long term satellite service
agreement with GE Americom gave BellSouth the capability of delivering
digital TV and interactive information to over 14 million households in
current markets and potentially 50 million households in neighboring states.
Service rollout for the Southeast was slated for the first half of 2020.With
this agreement, BellSouth became the first regional phone company to compete
with satellite services. Currently, its digital entertainment package serves
11 metropolitan areas and offers subscribers up to 160 channels.
      BT and Halifax Group, a UK-based mortgage firm, announced an alliance
by which BT Cellnet will give free WAP-enabled phones to the first 150,000
people who secure a credit card and a salary-funded current account with
Halifax.
	 Deutsche Telekom and Infonet came to terms of an agreement that will allow
the German telco to offer Infonet's entire portfolio to customers around the
globe. The services will be sold under the Deutsche Telekom brand. The
three-year agreement is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
	 Deutsche Telekom is seeking for a partner for the upcoming
	 third-generation wireless license sale in France. There will be four
licenses auctioned, but French regulators are yet to decide whether they
will be auctioned or sold through what is called a beauty contest. DT
secured a license in the UK auction, lost one in the Spanish sale, is
participating in the German auction, and teamed up with Jazztel for the
upcoming Portuguese sale. Motorola, along with Texas Instruments, joined
	 the Broadband Content Delivery Forum, which was formed to develop
architectures and improve user experience for broadband networks. The forum
is made up of 50 companies including AT&T Broadband and Internet,
Hewlett-Packard, Qwest, and Nortel Networks.
	 SBC Communications and Cisco Systems formed a multi-billion-dollar
strategic marketing and sales alliance to package Cisco's equipment with
SBC's voice, broadband data, and network integration services, giving the
two companies an advantage with customers who need complete, end-to-end
network products. Through the agreement, Cisco became SBC's preferred
provider of data networking equipment for five key platforms - DSL,
Enterprise VPN, VPOP-DAS, Broadband Capabilities Gateway, and ATM services.
	 SingTel announced two joint ventures. PointAsia Dot Com, a unit of Thai
carrier Loxley, agreed with SingTel to form a joint venture that will
provide Internet services throughout Southeast Asia. Also, SingTel Yellow
Pages inked a deal with DealTime.com that will bring a version of DealTime's
online service to the directory's Web site.
	 Telekom Malaysia said that Khazanah National, the investment arm of the
Malaysian government, received a proposal from NTT concerning an alliance
between the two telcos. Telekom Malaysia has made it clear that it needs to
sign a partnership with an international firm to be successful.

Broadband Networking 
	 AT&T Cable Services launched its AT&T@Home Internet service in Boulder,
Colorado. 
	 With AT&T's Headend In The Sky, Motorola's Broadband Communications Sector
made HITS2HOME available to cable operators. HITS2HOME provides digital
cable and satellite services to small cable operators, which can add 140
digital channels to their services.
	 Comcast unveiled the official launch of its multi-million dollar
fiber-optic upgrade project in Prince George's County. The $120 million
project will provide customers with a number of benefits as well as deliver
future groundbreaking services in Prince George's County including Comcast
Digital Cable and Comcast @Home's high-speed Internet service via cable
modems. The project is currently on schedule and will be completed in the
coming months. 
	 IBM business Tivoli Systems launched Tivoli Cable Data Services Manager,
which allows for the automation of the deployment of cable modems and
services. Since the Cable Data Services Manager automates the configuration
and cable modems, it reduces the need for technicians to visit the customer
premise. The service will eventually be enhanced to handle the deployment of
services on telephony equipment and set top boxes.
	 Ilotron, an optical networking start-up based in the UK, is working on an
all-optical router that the company claims will be ready for widespread
deployment by the beginning of 2001. According to the company, the router
will be able to evolve to optical packet switching. The router will also
possess the ability to scale to petabit, or one million Gigabit, capacity.
	 The Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies unveiled a chip that the
company claims doubles the channel density of Asymmetrical DSL Internet
access. Lucent's DSP16470 system-on-a-chip is designed for use in DSLAMs. It
can simultaneously process eight channels of ADSL transmission in any
combination of G.DMT, G.Lite, and/or American National Standards Institute
T1413 Issue 2-based connections.
	 In other news, the Microelectronics Group introduced the CelXpres ATM
interconnect chip. The series includes a single device with 64 physical
layer interconnects. This allows for up to eight times the number of users
to receive ADSL Internet services from a single digital line card.
	 Also, Lucent Technologies introduced a new suite of voice and data over
	 DSL equipment dubbed the CellPipe IAD family. The IADs provide voice,
video, fax, Internet browsing, Web hosting, file transfers, and e-commerce
services. They are designed for use with Lucent's broadband access and DSL
products such as the Stinger and the firm's DSL MAX 20 Access Concentrators.
The CellPipe suite can be used with both wireline and fixed-wireless
applications. Since the Lucent IADs are ATM and Frame Relay-based, they
offer the QoS needed to deliver high-quality voice services.
	 Motorola began offering its IDSL solution for broadband Internet access.
The IDSL uses ISDN technology, allowing access to IDSL lines through
existing ISDN equipment and provides 144K bps of bandwidth. In addition,
Motorola's IDSL solution includes the MC145572 transceiver.
	 In addition, Motorola and Microsoft demonstrated digital cable television
offerings at the National Cable Television Association show. The service,
called the Microsoft TV Access Channel Server, is aimed at cable network
operators and is based on the Microsoft platform and Motorola's DCT-2000 and
DCT-5000+. It provides digital services such as Internet, e-mail, and
interactive entertainment.
	 A two-year-old start-up called Novalux developed a laser that it claims is
much smaller than existing lasers but twice as powerful. The Novalux "pump
laser" is embedded in a fingernail-sized chip. The company said that its
laser can fire 300 to 500 milliwatts into a fiber, while all other existing
lasers can only manage 100 to 200 milliwatts.
	 Novell and Texas Instruments released broadband services gateway
	 technology that will speed the delivery of next-generation Internet
services to homes and businesses. The service will allow providers to
provision,
differentiate, and add digital services using an intelligent broadband
services gateway device. The technology used by the service was built upon
TI's programmable DSP technology and ADSL expertise, as well as Novell's NDS
eDirectory. This will simplify the management and control of a network.
	 At the National Cable Television Association show, Scientific-Atlanta
demonstrated its Explorer 6000 set-top, which can be used as a gateway for
broadband services, including Internet, e-mail, and voice through wireless
devices. The Explorer 6000 is also compatible with Bluetooth technology. In
addition, Scientific-Atlanta is demonstrating its DOCSIS cable modem, which
provides always on capabilities and instant broadband access.
	 Telia awarded Lucent Technologies with a supply contract that is worth
	 $200 million over three years. Lucent will supply the Nordic carrier with
DWDM equipment that will be used to boost capacity on its Viking Network.

Carriers and Carrier Services 
	 The Telecommunications Resellers Association challenged a petition filed
	 by Bell Atlantic</a>-New York for authority to transfer assets to Bell
Atlantic Network Data. The TRA contends that the transfer should be
approved only if BAND if required to offer advanced service to competitors
through resale in accordance with the Telecom Act of 1996. In a report
filed with the New York Public Service Commission, the TRA argued that BAND
will not be held to the same interconnection, network unbundling, and
resale standards other incumbents have to abide by.
	 In other news, a new prepaid long distance option from Bell Atlantic
	 allows consumers to buy time in advance with either cash or credit cards.
SmartTouch will be available in New York and nine other states outside Bell
Atlantic's 13-state service area. Its rate will be eight cents per minute
for state-to-state calls made from the customer's home. 
	 BellSouth offered a new electronic gateway and user-friendly user
	 interface to small and medium size CLECS. Its RobotTAG software
streamlines processing time and provides real-time data tracking. CLECs
need not create their own front end GUI in order to obtain such large
carrier capabilities as address validation, telephone number reservation,
appointment availability, service and feature availability, and access to
customer service records. With its new Call Waiting service, BellSouth
	 allows its customers to surf the Net without missing an incoming phone
call. A pop-up screen will list the caller's name and number as the call is
received. The net user can answer the call, transfer it to voice mail, or
forward it to any designated phone. 
	 BT said it will spend $47.9 million to expand Farland, its pan-European
fiber-optic network, into five additional countries in Europe. The project
will bring the network into Norway, Sweden, Ireland, and Spain. The network
will serve as a backup to Ignite, BT's broadband unit.
	 Two unrelated fiber cuts on Cable & Wireless Optus' network temporarily
closed the Australian Stock Exchange, shut down a number of ATMs, and
silenced some radio broadcasts. Both cuts occurred along the part of the
network that connects Sydney and Melbourne. The first was caused by a
landslide in Gippsland, while the other was caused by contractors working on
the network of an undisclosed company. Other Australian carriers that help
handle traffic in the event of an emergency experienced heavy congestion due
to cuts.
	 Embratel activated Atlantis 2, a submarine cable system that connects
Brazil and Argentina with Africa and Europe at 40G bps. Embratel was the
lead player in the 25-company consortium that deployed Atlantis 2, investing
$100 million of the $370 million spent.
	 At the annual shareholders meeting, SBC Communications' CEO Ed Whitacre
said that the company expects to secure FCC approval to enter the Texas long
distance market by July 4. He attributed the company's confidence to the
backing of the Texas Public Utility Commission. Whitacre said the company
plans to offer long distance services in the other 12 states where it
operates in a couple years.
	 Sprint is offering 20 percent off international long distance rates from
anywhere in the 49 top international travel destinations. Through the YOU
service plan, consumers, regardless of whether they are a Sprint customer,
can use their credit card to place calls on Sprint's network. 
	 Also, the Texas Public Utility Commission awarded Sprint a five-year
contract to provide Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) for the state's
deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blink, and speech disabled consumers. Sprint
operators will serve as intermediaries between standard voice telephone
users and users of text telephones. The operators will handle about 400,000
calls per month.
	 In other news, Sprint ION is offering its Distance-Free Voice service to
large businesses customers' branch office and telecommuters. The plan
integrates local and domestic long distance into a single voice service on a
single bill. In addition, business can add data bandwidth to the bundled
service.
	 Time Warner Telecom targeted Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Columbia, and
Denver as markets it will enter by 2001. Time Warner Telecom plans to enter
12 new markets by 2002, and this announcement is the first step in that
expansion plan.

Financial News 
	 ACT Networks posted third quarter 2000 revenues of $12.6 million, compared
to $15.1 million a year ago. Net loss was $465,000, or $0.04 per share,
compared to a net loss of $612,000, or $0.06 per share last year.
	 Adelphia Business Solutions reported that total first-quarter revenues
increased 22 percent over results from the same quarter in 1999 to $82.1
million. Net loss was $59.8 million, or $0.85 loss per share, compared to
$43.6 million, or $0.79 loss per share.
	 Adelphia Communications' revenues for the fourth quarter were $69.3
million. Net loss was $58.8 million, or $0.85 per share, compared with $43.6
million, or $0.79 per share in the prior year.
	 For the first quarter of 2000, AT&T's profits, excluding one-time items,
fell 13.1 percent to $1.73 billion, or $0.53 per share, compared with $1.72
billion, or $0.61 per share a year ago. Net income jumped 42.1 percent to
$1.74 billion, or $0.54 per share, from $1.08 billion, or $0.38 per share.
Pro forma revenues were up 5.8 percent to $15.8 billion from $15 billion in
1999. 
	 In other news, AT&T closed the sale of 360 million shares of the tracking
stock for AT&T Wireless. The initial public offering for the wireless group
raised $10.6 billion. Share price rose from $29.50 at the beginning of the
IPO to $35.00 at the closing of the offer.
	 Cable & Wireless HKT reported that its net income for fiscal 1999 dropped
90.1 percent over results from fiscal 1998 to HK$1.1 billion, or HK$0.10
gain per share. Revenues slid 12.7 percent to HK$28.3 billion. Of these
revenues, international telecommunications dropped 29 percent to HK$11.1
billion, local telecommunications rose nine percent to HK$10.2 billion,
mobile services decreased 15 percent to HK$4.9 billion, and Internet and
multimedia services rose 66 percent to HK$1 billion. 
	 Cablevision reported revenues of $1.05 billion for the first quarter ended
March 31, 2000, compared with $934 million in the 1999 quarter. The net loss
was $0.67 cents per diluted share, compared with a loss of $1.57 last year.
	 Comcast reported first quarter revenues of $1.859 billion, a 35.3 percent
increase from $1.374 billion in 1999. Net loss was $199.0 million, or $0.24
per share, as compared to $73.5 million, or $0.10 per share in the prior
year quarter.
      Computer Associates reported that its fourth-quarter results would be
in line with Wall Street expectations. CA said that in response to investor
and analyst requests, it would report its March fourth quarter and fiscal
year end results after the market closes on Monday, May 15. The consensus
for the fourth quarter is a reported earnings of $1.13 per share, compared
with 90 cents per share a year ago. This quarter reported quarterly revenues
of about $2.1 billion, and shares closed up 7, nearly 16 percent, to 51 1/2.
	 ECI Telecom reported first quarter 2000 revenues of $288.2 million,
compared to $269.7 million last year. Net income was $61.6 million, or $0.66
per share, compared to a net loss of $62.1 million, or $0.64 per share.
First quarter 2000 results included a gain of approximately $31 million from
the sale of ECI's Terayon holding.
	 Extreme Networks reported third quarter fiscal 2000 revenues of 67.3
million, up from $29.1 million in fiscal 1999, an increase of 131 percent.
Net income was $9.1 million, or $0.16 per share, compared with a net income
of $0.4 million or $0.01 per share.
	 France Telecom said that consolidated revenues rose 17.4 percent over
results from the same quarter the previous year to 7.4 billion euros.
	 For the first quarter of 2000, Global Crossing's revenues were $1.12
billion, a 5.1 percent increase over fourth quarter 1999 results. Data
revenues for the company were up 27 percent to $519.2 million and
telecommunications revenues came in at $860 million, a seven-percent
increase, when compared to the previous quarter. Net loss for the quarter
was $279.4 million, or a per-share loss of $0.36, compared to a loss of
$151.7 million, or a loss of $0.20 per share in the fourth quarter of 1999.
	 GST Telecommunications reported that revenues for the first quarter rose
five percent to $63.7 million. Net loss was $40.2 million, or $0.70 loss per
share, compared to $52.3 million, or $1.44 loss per share.
	 Also, GST Telecommunications stated that it may have to seek shelter under
bankruptcy laws. The company said that its cash balances fell faster than
expected thanks to delays in network construction projects. Other avenues
GST is examining include refinancing, selling certain assets, or selling the
entire company.
	 ICG Communications reported that revenues for the first quarter increased
51 percent to $157.2 million. Net loss was $121.6 million, or $2.52 loss per
share, compared to a net gain of $106.7 million, or $2.29 gain per share.
	 Intermedia Communications reported that revenues for the first quarter
increased 28 percent to $261.7 million. Net income was $709.7 million, or
$9.02 gain per share, compared to a net loss of $117.6 million, or $2.84
loss per share. The company attributed the large change in net income to a
restructuring and stock sale of its Digex subsidiary.
	 Iridium's satellites are still in orbit since Motorola is still looking
	 for a buyer to save the bankrupt company. Motorola is looking while
keeping the satellite network operational. None of the offers from hotJump,
Merit Studios, or the Constellation Group 2000 were seen by Iridium as
viable. MATAV announced that total revenues for the first quarter rose 19.2
	 percent over results from the same quarter the previous year to HUF105.1
billion. Net income was HUF 20.1 billion, compared to HUF 17.1 billion.
	 MCI WorldCom began trading under the new name WorldCom on May 4. The
	 ticker symbol is WCOM.
	 Mitel's revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2000 were $372.7
million, up 13 percent from $329.1 million in 1999. For Fiscal 2000,
revenues reached a high of $1.4 billion, up 7 percent from $1.31 billion in
Fiscal 1999. Net income for the quarter reached $42.6 million, or $0.37 per
share, up 177 percent from $15.4 million, or $0.13 per share, in Fiscal
1999. For Fiscal 2000, net income improved by 49 percent to $119.3 million,
or $1.01 per share, compared to $80.2 million, or $0.67 per share, for
Fiscal 1999.
	 N.E.T. reported fourth quarter revenues of $47.1 million. Net loss was
$20.6 million, or $0.96 per share. Total revenue for fiscal year 2000 was
$225.7 million, compared with $263.8 million for 1999. Net loss for fiscal
year 2000 was $40.1 million, or $1.86 per share, compared with loss of $7.0
million, or $0.32 per share.
	 PairGain Technologies reported first quarter 2000 revenues of $60.7
million, compared to $60.9 million last year. Net income was $189.4 million,
or $2.46 per share, compared to $4.2 million, or $0.06 per share, a year
ago. First quarter 2000's results included a $329 million gain from the sale
of PairGain's microelectronics group, as well as expenses related to its
proposed merger with ADC Telecommunications.
	 Paradyne Networks posted first quarter 2000 revenues of $64.5 million,
compared to $54.1 million for the first quarter in 1999. The company points
to a 44 percent increase in broadband product sales as a major factor in
this increase. Net income was $2.5 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to
$2.4 million, or $0.09 per share, a year ago.
	 Proxim reported revenues of $2 million for the first quarter, compared to
revenues of $15.1 million in 1999. Net income was $2.1 million, or $0.14 per
diluted share, compared to net income of $754,000, or $.06 per diluted
share.  RCN reported total revenue increased 11 percent to $88.1 million.
	 Net loss was $138.1 million, or $1.95 loss per share, compared to a net
loss of $67.8 million, or $1.03 loss per share.
	 Sprint bought 26 million shares of EarthLink for $431 million, raising its
stake in the ISP to 26.7 percent. In a separate announcement, Sprint
reported that EarthLink Sprint is providing service for Sprint Broadband
Direct. Telia reported that first-quarter revenues rose 5.5 percent over
	 results from the same quarter the previous year to 12.86 billion crowns.
Net income was 2.39 billion crowns, compared to 480 million crowns. Net
income for this year includes 1.5 billion crowns from the divestiture of
its Norwegian assets. These figures should help the company when it
initiates its IPO later this year.
	 Teligent announced that first quarter revenues were $23.1 million,
	 compared to $1.5 million in the first quarter the previous year. Net loss
was $155.8 million, or $3.02 loss per share, compared to $108.1 million, or
$2.05 loss per share.
	 Revenues for Time Warner Telecom's first quarter ended March 31, 2000 were
$100.1 million, a 110-percent increase from last year's first quarter
revenues of $47.6 million. Net loss for the first quarter was $2.9 million,
or $0.03 per share, compared to a net loss of $24.6 million, or $0.30 per
share in 1999.
	 US LEC reported net revenues for the first quarter of 2000 of $25.4
million. Net loss was $39.6 million, or $1.44 per share, on 27.5 million
shares outstanding. The loss was attributed to a non-cash charge of $55
relating to the North Carolina Utilities Commission order of March 31, 2000
that relieved BellSouth from reciprocal compensation payments to US LEC.
Expansion of long distance service and high-speed internet services was
announced as the company met the milestones of providing service to 2.300
business customers.
	 On May 4, Vodafone AirTouch $3.75 billion worth of 18-month floating-rate
notes. This corrected number was less that the $4.25 billion originally
reported. The company will use the proceeds for corporate purposes and
financing third generation telecommunications licenses.

Internet 
	 Some of GTE's DSL customers lost their high speed internet connection for
several hours on May 9, 2000. GTE warned customers via its Web site of
problems with "connectivity issues." Outages in Washington and California,
especially the Los Angeles area, were blamed on router and hardware
problems. Sprint began taking advantage of the MMDS spectrum it bought last
	 year with merger partner MCI WorldCom and launched its Broadband Direct
Service in Phoenix markets. The fixed-wireless service provides consumers
with two-way, high-speed access to the Internet without the need for a
second phone line. The service costs $39.95 per month, and according to
Sprint, offers downstream rates of 1-2M bps. EarthLink Sprint will provide
the Internet service. The fixed-wireless technology uses a stationary
digital receiver set up at the consumers' home or business that receives
signals from the radio transmission tower. The towers can send and receive
Internet data to customers as far as 35 miles away. The combined
Sprint-WorldCom plans to offer broadband fixed wireless service to 60
percent of the households in the US by the end of 2001.
	 US WEST moved into SBC Communications territory, introducing a business
focused, high speed net service in Sacramento, CA. Expansion to San Diego,
San Francisco, and San Jose was slated for later in 2000 while 21 other US
figure in US WEST's expansion plans for 2001. 

LAN/Intranet 
	 Efficient Networks released its SpeedStream 5251 SDSL LAN modem, a
standalone external DSL modem capable of delivering symmetrical data rates
of up to 2.3M bps over a single twisted pair telephone line. The 5251 is
compatible with all Ethernet-based networks and protocols. The 5251 replaces
the SpeedStream 5250, which delivered a maximum symmetrical data rate of up
to 1.1M bps over a single twisted pair telephone line.

Legal News 
	 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied a request from Bell Atlantic and the
state PUC to re-instate the Commission's authority over an earlier ruling
ordering Bell to split itself in two. Bell Atlantic reached an agreement
with some, but not all, of its competitors. Jurisdiction now resides with
the courts. Bell has termed the PUC ruling illegal while competitors feel it
was inadequate and would not provide additional access to Bell's extensive
network. All appeals of the PUC ruling are to be heard by Commonwealth Court
on May 17, 2000. The PUC is expected to defend its original order.
	 African-American employees who claimed they experienced racial taunting
	 and pay discrimination filed two lawsuits, one on behalf of salaried
employees and one on behalf of hourly workers, against Lockheed Martin.
	 One 2 One said it plans to sue UK Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen
Byers over how the recently ended auction for third-generation wireless
licenses was run. One 2 One, which is controlled by Deutsche Telekom, said
that the government favored Vodafone AirTouch in the auction by allowing the
company to defer payment of its bids. By working on a different payment
schedule than the other firms that won licenses, Vodafone stands to save as
much as 360 million pounds in interest. One 2 One said it will still deliver
the 4.004 billion pounds it owes the government for the license it secured,
but it wants all of the money received from the auction frozen until this
issue is resolved. BT also expressed its disfavor with how the government
treated Vodafone, but it has not decided what course of action, if any, it
will take against the government. The incumbent said it is in talks with the
Trade and Industry Ministry over the issue.
	 Guatemala's President Alfonso Portillo said his government will soon
announce plans to either cancel or renegotiate a 1998 sale of Telgua. Telmex
was initially the only company interested in acquiring Telgua when the
government tried to privatize it in 1998. When the government thought
Telmex's offer too low, it turned around and sold the company to Luca, a
group of private investors, for $700 million. Luca, in turn, contracted
Telmex to manage Telgua, and the Mexican telco exercised rights associated
with that contract that allowed it to buy 49 percent of Telgua. The
government now claims that the sale was illegal because it was not made with
the public's consent.



---------- End Forwarded Message ----------



Missy Harvey
Computer Science Librarian
Engineering & Science Library
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA  15213

http://www.library.cmu.edu/usr/missy/

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"Golden retrievers are the best alarm clock 
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