The rumor that will not die
We're heard it before, that AT&T and British Telecommunications are in talks to merge. This week, the rumors were reignited. Is there any reason to think the deal might be a reality now?
Stories by Jason Krause
Blinded With Science
After an awful nine-month stretch in which almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong, there's finally some good news at Lucent Technologies Inc. The one-time king of the telecom equipment business last week confirmed plans to spin off its fiber-optic division in what promises to be a bonanza payday. Next week the public offering of Agere, its microelectronics group, is expected to bring in US$6.5 billion, making it the second-largest IPO (initial public offering) in history.
Lucent is stripping itself clean
Lucent Technologies Inc. has a problem: It hasn't got much of itself left to sell. The once high-flying telecommunications equipment maker confirmed Wednesday that it is trying to unload its Atlanta-based Optical Fiber Solutions division, a move that had been rumored for weeks
Pulling Lucent back from the brink
It's probably hard for most people to imagine misplacing nearly US$700 million, but that's just what Lucent Technologies Inc. did, and now the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the company's accounting practices. And that's only one of the problems facing Lucent and its relatively new CFO, Deborah Hopkins.
Will Xerox Shut the PARC?
Yet another titan of American capitalism is teetering near the brink of breakup. Following weeks of speculation that phone giant AT&T is planning to spin off various business units, the nearly bankrupt Xerox is reportedly considering selling off parts of itself, including the world-famous Xerox PARC research center in Palo Alto, California.
In Flat Market, ISP Says "We're Not Dead Yet"
It's hard to remember now, but just a couple of years ago, being an Internet service provider was an unproven, intriguing new business model.
Giving It Away Is Not Enough
ITXC began life in 1997 as a networking company that carried phone traffic for cheap prepaid calling cards. By late last year, its service had became good enough for second-tier carriers to begin putting some of their international traffic on ITXC's networks, since they were cheaper than old-fashioned phone lines. Now the Princeton, N.J.-based company claims that 13 of the 14 largest U.S. carriers, along with a host of international players, send phone traffic over its networks.
Verizon's $5 Billion Power Play
Verizon Corp. filed Thursday to issue up to $5 billion in common stock in an initial public offering of its wireless division, marking the latest chapter in the high profile and volatile history of this young company.
Cracks in Inktomi's Content Bridge?
Content distribution is the buzzword, and Inktomi Corp. (INKT) and AOL are the new kids on the block. The question is whether they can catch the industry leader, Akamai.
WorldSpy Shuts Off Free Net Service
While Web businesses are failing left and right, the free Internet access model has, contrary to many predictions, managed to survive - and even to thrive in a few cases - until now. WorldSpy, one of the most interesting upstart ISPs to offer free access, has shut off its services.
MCI WorldCom Will Go It Alone
Bernard J. Ebbers, who emerged from Mississippi to go on a decade-long acquisition spree to assemble a global telecom powerhouse, has, like Bill Gates, finally met his match in the Justice Department. And for the Internet Economy, that may be a good thing.
Xerox Keeps It in the Family
It's a tale that has become Silicon Valley legend: Steve Jobs visited Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research Center in the early days of computers and was shown the prototype of the Alto computer.
AT&T Forges Ahead in Its Quest for the Holy Grail
AT&T Wireless Inc.'s IPO - the biggest in U.S. history - was a huge financial victory for the company. But it's just one step in the telco giant's master plan.
NetZero's New Tack
Qualcomm's investment in free Internet-access company <company id=264345>NetZero.com on Monday wasn't just a big boost to NetZero, it was a boon to the free Net-access movement in general. So far, free access has been relegated to dialup accounts, but NetZero, thanks to Qualcomm, is trying to push into wireless and broadband, as well.
Telecom Comes Bouncing Back
One of the remarkable aspects of the market gyrations of past weeks is the way everyone, regardless of their prospects, got hammered. But if any sector is poised to bounce back strong, it is telecommunications.