Where the rubber meets the road
By Carol Wilson
One of the most compelling early experiences of my life as a telecom reporter was the 1988 fire that consumed an Illinois Bell Central Office in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, Ill...
Why can't we get along?
By Carol Wilson
Last week's column from Telephony's Broadband Reality newsletter sparked more than a few responses from both sides of the aisle...
Municipality merits
By Carol Wilson
The telecom world is finally taking note of a trend that has actually had its humble beginnings in the mid-1990s--municipally owned broadband networks...
IPTV: Microsoft jockeys for position
By Steve Hawley
There’s little question that most people using a desktop computer, a laptop or some other mobile information device will encounter a Microsoft product very early in the day. Even us Apple users have Microsoft Office...
When merger is madness
By Carol Wilson
The best time to score against a good basketball team is when their starters are on the bench. Whether the big guy's in foul trouble or the point guard just needs a breather--either way, their absence represents an opportunity. Winning teams takes advantage of such chances...
Betting big on sin?
By Vince Vittore
On the occasion of Fat Tuesday, a day to celebrate gluttony and clogging of the arteries, it seems only appropriate that today's topic focuses on another of the deadly sins...
Not so fast
By Carol Wilson
Consolidation within the U.S. telecom industry is inevitable and even necessary--but that doesn't mean consumers have to like it...
Seeing the new future
By Carol Wilson
If big deals are like bad luck, and always come in threes, Chicago need to brace itself for something stupendous...
The convergence comeback
By Jason Meyers
The concept of "convergence," a term once so hackneyed and tied to anticipated trends that didn't materialize on time that it became almost taboo, appears to be coming back into fashion these days...
Can cable capitalize?
By Carol Wilson
A new PricewaterhouseCoopers study advises cable companies to move quickly to capitalize on the two-year advantage they currently have on telephone companies...
Sure you can
Carol Wilson
One byproduct of the telecom bubble is residual cynicism about any new technology that purports to be disruptive. It's not usually the technology itself...
MAADD as hell
Tim McElligott
In typical Chicago fashion, a local interest group last week stuck its hand out in front of a company's large investment and development project and asked...
Good news, bad news
By Carol Wilson
According to today's headlines, the telephone companies are doomed, and there's little they can do about it. According to last week's news, they are still...
Consumer retorts
By Jason Meyers
The week of that gadget-lovers' Mecca known as the Consumer Electronics Show seems an appropriate time to address some of the paramount issues service...
SBC opens door to home invasion
By Vince Vittore
In chaos is opportunity. As some axiom about business goes. If you believe in that kind of stuff, there's plenty of opportunity awaiting telcos and vendors...
The Bell companies as innovators?
By Carol Wilson
Well, here's something that will clear those post-holiday cobwebs from your head: The Bell companies are being described as innovators. At both the upcoming...
CLEC defense prompts strong reaction
By Carol Wilson
Last week's missive on CLEC survival clearly touched some nerves. Along with a few general pats-on-the-back for a short, balanced commentary came several...
No big Bell surprise
By Carol Wilson
It shouldn't come as any surprise that the three Bell companies which have announced a broadband access strategy--BellSouth, SBC Communications and Verizon--have...
Coming home
By Carol Wilson
With all due respect to Thomas Wolfe, you can go home again. You just may not recognize the place when you get there. Last week, I returned to the Telephony...
