Fast Facts Infrastructure: February 5, 2001

Refocusing

Williams Communications, hoping to focus its attention on its 33,000-mile fiber-optic network, will sell its enterprise services business unit, Williams Communications Solutions, to Platinum Equity Holdings. “Our decision was prompted by a need to meet the growing demand for broadband network services,” says Williams Chief Executive Howard Janzen.

Good News, Bad News

Jupiter Research reckons that about 87 percent of employees, or about 55 million people, will have broadband connections at work by 2005 — up from about 24 million now — which is music to the ears of Web advertisers, especially. Sorry to say, though, technology constraints will keep the average connection speed on shared networks about the same as it is today. Offers Joe Laszlo, Jupiter senior analyst: “Companies deploying broadband content . . . must tailor their offerings to fit the time of day and usage constraints. This means short-form content, unobtrusive applications and programs that will appeal to the at-work multitaskers.”

Cable Talk

Gear maker Tellabs says the $181 million acquisition of cable modem company Future Networks will help it stake out its position in the growing cable telephony market. The all-cash deal improves Tellabs technology portfolio, letting it offer best-in-class, end-to-end Internet Protocol solutions to new and existing customers. The transaction should close this month.

Caps Off, Please

The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association is hoping the Federal Communications Commissions Notice of Proposed Rulemaking indicates the panel is about to relax — or remove — rules limiting the amount of spectrum companies can own in each market. Noting that wireless carriers in some of the largest markets have already hit the spectrum wall, the trade group says removing the spectrum caps is only a temporary solution to the scarcity issue, workable until the panel identifies third-generation spectrum.