Optical fiber (almost) at home

Article Abstract:

Fiber optic cabling has almost replaced conventional copper wire for long distance communications, but its high installation costs may still prevent it from reaching the home for some time. Replacing copper wire in the domestic market is worth $6 billion annually and $9 billion overseas. The high costs are because of the need for a separate box of optical and electronic devices that would be required for each domestic residence, in order to turn light signals into electric impulses necessary to be seen as data on a computer screen, or a voice on a phone. The local companies maintain that to subsidize the expense they will need permission from regulators to market more than just standard telecommunication services to the domestic market. Opponents of the idea argue that the local companies could monopolize the market too easily if that happened. A number of major companies are competing for this developing fiber optics market, including AT&T, Raynet, Alcatel of France, and Fujitsu of Japan.

Planning, Laws, regulations and rules, Technological forecasting, Industrial research, Fiber optic networks, Fiber optics, Networks, Research and Development, Telecommunications, Economics of Computing, Government Regulation, Future of Computing

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Centel critics force close merger vote

Article Abstract:

Holders of Centel Corp stock opposed to management's plan to merge the company with Sprint Corp voted in large enough numbers to prevent the immediate announcement of a victor. Votes from the special shareholders' meeting are still being tallied, but Centel CEO and Chmn John P. Frazee Jr expresses confidence that the merger proposal will win. Sprint shareholders attending a special meeting vote overwhelmingly to approve the merger, in which Centel shareholders will receive 1.37 shares of Sprint stock for one share of Centel stock. Centel is one of the nation's largest providers of cellular telephone service. Moran Asset Management, a Centel investor that has led the resistance to the merger, says the proposal is worth about $31.25 per Centel share. Moran officials believe Centel is actually worth $50 to $60 per share.

Radiotelephone communications, Holding companies, not elsewhere classified, Mergers, acquisitions and divestments, Cellular telephone services industry, Cellular telephone services, Sprint Corp., Cellular Radio, Merger, Market Value, Centel Corp., CNT, Stockholder Accounting

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