[MLUG - DISCUSSION] all your fiber are belong to us?

[Jonathan King <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

OK, so about 2 years ago, an outfit that changed it's name from
"pf.net" to Velocita (ooh, spiffy!) started laying fiber like crazy
across the US (and along AT&T's right-of-way in Columbia) as a
partner to AT&T, who was rebuilding their optical network.  In any
case, a *lot* of fiber went in, as I posted about here at the time,
and eventually 14,000 of a planned 20,000 mile network got built,
the company rang up $850 million in debts and...wait for it...went
bankrupt.

So AT&T bought out their partner for $37 million, avoiding having to 
pay about $300 million they would have had to pay if Velocita had 
finished on time and in one piece.

So now, as far as I can tell, a truly huge amount of fiber now runs
through town that will never see light because:

1) AT&T owns it all, and now has more than it could possibly use. 
2) Nobody else is willing to pay what AT&T would want to switch it 
   on.
3) Columbia is a tertiary market now primarily served by other 
   people.

I just mention this because for a brief moment back there, they had 
me going...

jking



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