 |
 | 
calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
| Not everybody wishes Big Ed luck, but we understand .... I'd say that Big Ed made a very smart move, unlike Bob Allen at ATT in the '90's.
Both found much success and acclaim for successfully navigating their companies through turbulent times.
Allen, however, stuck around too long through a new period of increased competition, diversity of service & product offerings, and consolidation of companies, leaving a stumbling (old) AT&T under a cloud in '97.
Whitacre, taking over SBC post-divestiture, navigated multiple difficult battlefields and has made the very wise decision to step aside at a high point.
One of the significant differences, if not the key difference, has been Whitacre's ability to develop and keep a strong bench of very qualified and loyal execs ready to take over. Stephenson is one of these. Allen didn't have the strong bench, and when the board started to press on finding a successor, he went outside the company (and, realistically, outside the industry) to bring in John Walter, a publishing company exec whose closest connection to telecom was printing yellow pages. (Cynics attribute this to Allen's fear that a strong successor-in-place would hasten his departure, but it didn't matter--Walters got pushed out after nine months as heir-apparent and Allen soon got chucked as well.)
Stephenson faces the difficult double fronts of increased competition and transition to a wireless world. Only time will tell if he can continue the transition of SBC/ATT from lumbering monopolist to nimble competitor.
calvoiper
--
VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! | |
|
| Matthew
Premium,VIP
join:2001-08-03
Emmett, ID | Re: Well I wish our new leader luck It has been fun so far, hoping to stick around here for awhile.  | |
|
| 
Ronnie1055
Premium
join:2004-06-25
Carrollton, TX
| Well... having had SBC for a customer for over ten years and then working for them for four years... I do wish you the best of luck!!! I have had the pleasure of meeting both men... really wasn't that impressed with Randall but I think he will probably do a good job.
I left about six months after the acquisition of AT&T... at least in Texas... they didn't handle the consolidation very well.
Good luck to you guys!!!!
--
My pbase Gallery | |
|
tpac_man
join:2007-02-27
Riverbank, CA | Lucky Him So he's now going to be rich as long as he can do what Ed was doing. | |
|
| 
GilbertMark
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ
 ·Cox HSI
| Re: Lucky Him He's ALREADY rich. There is no going to be about it. He probably got a 5 million dollar signing bonus just to agree to walk through the lobby one time. Don't forget that golden parachute clause that is all too common with executives these days.
--
Got a V3 or a V3i or an L7? Want to get the most out of them? Check out my sites »hacktheV3.com and »hacktheV3i.com and »hacktheL7.com
| |
|
elijha35
join:2004-11-09
Independence, MO | FTTP anyone? Anyone wanna bet they scrap the fttn for fttp? Makes more sense, especially if they want to blow the big bad cable companies out the door. | |
|
| 
ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA | Re: FTTP anyone? Nope, the average consumer wouldnt know the difference and they wouldnt have a need for it. | |
|
| | blips
join:2001-04-17
Addison, IL
| Re: FTTP anyone? said by ninjatutle  :Nope, the average consumer wouldnt know the difference and they wouldnt have a need for it. Why does everyone think we don't need more bandwidth. 
"1.5MB is enough. This is not the bandwidth you are looking for."
What a joke. | |
|
| | | |
| | Dan15k
join:2004-02-03
Wyandotte, MI | But why wait for our needs to exceed our current technology? Verizon and the cable companies haven't. AT&T is just cheap....The 3/6 tiers have been around for years while everyone else has slowly raised their speeds. | |
|
| | jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
USA
| What are you talking about it. Anyone with half a brain will notice! Not to mention the ability to watch mutliple HD streams at one time. Not to mention being able to watch on HD shows and record any other show at one time.
Geesh, you do the average user a disservice. | |
|
| |
calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
| said by ninjatutle :Nope, the average consumer wouldnt know the difference and they wouldnt have a need for it.
I would point out that this is the same thought that Western Union had when it turned down an offer from Alexander Graham Bell to buy all the patents for the telephone for $100,000. They dismissed voice communication as unnecessary.
calvoiper
--
VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! | |
|
| | | 
Old_Grouch
Don't just sit there silly DO something
Premium
join:2004-05-26
Greenwood, IN
clubs:
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Re: FTTP anyone? said by calvoiper :They dismissed voice communication as unnecessary. calvoiper Said calvoiper using the latest in keyboard technology to communicate.  | |
|
|
calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
| Is Ethernet relevant Somewhat "off-topic", but WTH?
I ran across a piece which implied that U-verse would be better than FiOS because of its fairly extensive use of the Alcatel 7450 ESS, which has extensive Ethernet capabilities.
I'm not seeking input on the Ethernet vs. IP as technology for "going forward", but rather just on the question of whether U-verse might be superior to FiOS IF Ethernet is someone's (or everyone's) desired technology.
(In part there is a philosophical/historical basis behind this question because the technological focus in telecom has constanatly shifted from advances in the "cabling" arena to advances in the "switching" arena, and back again, with alternating improvements in capacity and cost for each.)
So, to focus the question again, "Is U-verse better than FiOS for Ethernet?"
calvoiper
--
VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! | |
|
| jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH
1 edit | Re: FTTP anyone? said by elijha35 :
Anyone wanna bet they scrap the fttn for fttp? Makes more sense, especially if they want to blow the big bad cable companies out the door.
Unless this guy really see's it as a profitable thing, no. See Om Malik's inverview. For companies, it's not whats good for the people, it's what's good for the shareholders.
I just can't wait to see AT&T loose a lot of subscribers in the future when many seek faster speeds. Telling their customers they don't need any faster speed may fly with many now, but in the future I think it will cause a huge problem for them. I just switched to a faster cable speed from AT&T DSL and the AT&T rep kept going 'It isn't FAST enough?' Well, they clearly lost my sale.
--
- "Techie" Jim | |
|
| |
calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
| Re: FTTP anyone? said by jimbo2150 : ....I just switched to a faster cable speed from AT&T DSL and the AT&T rep kept going 'It isn't FAST enough?' Well, they clearly lost my sale.
At heart, they're still monopolists who think they determine what customers want. Some things never change.
calvoiper
--
VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! | |
|
| | |
| | | jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH
| Re: FTTP anyone? said by djrobx :That said, as much as you and I enjoy premium internet speeds, I think we (and most of the other members of this site) are a minority. While you may be right, I still want some faster speeds. Not JUST because other countries far outpace us at this point (but it is one reason), but also because of my needs. I have my own website where I am working on programming projects as well as uploading photos and content to my blog (which require the faster upload speeds). I also like Vuze because it's like YouTube but with HQ content. I bet Vuze take up about 10x the bandwidth of YouTube, but the fact is the companies should be bending to the people's demands not the other way around.
With companies moving so slowly and offering the very least I don't know if high-quality video will ever become mainstream in the U.S. At least not until companies start offering faster speeds... faster, stop with the limits (I'm sure they make up and then some for bandwidth hogs with bandwidth floaters), and stop blocking P2P bandwidth. Yes, P2P can be used for transmitting copyrighted works, but at the same time the amount of legit free or paid content is growing as well. This means they (ISPs) are then limiting innovation of media/entertainment outfits.
--
- "Techie" Jim | |
|
JazzJRabbit
join:2003-09-27
Wheaton, IL | FTTH? Yeah, maybe ATT will finally start deploying FTTH. 3/6Mbps is not enough already. | |
|
| 
MarkyD
Premium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| Re: FTTH? said by JazzJRabbit :Yeah, maybe ATT will finally start deploying FTTH. 3/6Mbps is not enough already. They already are, to new developments. However, the same speed tiers are in place even on FTTP. No higher speeds than 6/1 on my AT&T FTTP.
--
-Put this in your profile if you know someone who is fighting, has survived, or died from ninja attacks. | |
|
NowVOIP
In the beginning there was POTS
join:2006-03-05
Round Lake, IL
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| The new emperor Empire music plays...
A long time ago, in a corporate office high above the clouds a man named Ed Whitacre took control of the "deathstar" and vowed to create a world of IPTV for all.
Now in the year 2007, Emperor Whitacre has retired to be replaced with Emperor Stephenson. What will become of the "deathstar" now? Will FTTP become a reality or will the "deathstar" implode under its own weight, because of its nearsightedness and penny pinching tactics will keep it going down the path of doom (FTTN)
--
The revolution will be televised! | |
|
KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | Sounds like he's holding a candle for wireless ....
FTTP? /sigh.
"Meet the new Boss!"
"Same as the old Boss!"
--- The Who | |
|
| 
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Sounds like he's holding a candle for wireless Well, if he's holding a candle for Wireless, then at least he knows that POTS is obsolete. FTTN is a bandaid, and MUST be followed up with something else between the node and home, or be run out of business.
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
|
| | DslTrblShoot
join:2004-09-23 | FTTN Only Temporary? Why do you assume that they will stop at FTTN? Maybe FTTN is just a stepping stone to get more people on board as fast as they can to start supplementing the cost of rebuilding the network. | |
|
| | |
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: FTTN Only Temporary? Exactly... FTTN will eventually be surpassed as demand is needed, and funding is available. If FTTN was the finished product, at&t's stock would be sinking like the Titanic. Wether there's a newer VDSL, bonded VDSL, fiber, or something else, it won't be in this round.
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
|
| | | 
spg
Grrrr
join:2001-10-31
NOT Texas!
| We finally have a winner! We ALL know POTS is dying. (No it is not dead. Far from it; but the writing is on the wall)
FTTN is a stopgap to deliver product and generate revenue while the next step is deployed. AT&T does not have the big price tag looming over it that Verizon has. FIOS can deliver more, but it's going to need a lot more takers than FTTN to generate a positive cash flow. And if the flow is not there, bye bye shareholders.
AT&T (T) is not a stock held by little old ladies with purple hair anymore. There is no long term loyalty anymore; perform or perish! | |
|
pepperxn
join:2001-02-21
| fttp what would happen to the vrads if they move to fttp soon?
at&t's revenue/profits should be a lot higher after this year, since now it's combined with bellsouth's revenue/profits. The revenue/profit should be a lot higher than vz, so at&t could definitely afford to go fttp. | |
|
|
|
|
Stephenson Takes Over As AT&T CEO
·
·
