Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-12 Thread ML

On 4/11/2011 10:13 AM, William Allen Simpson wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html


The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
$6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help reduce
the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
Co.

“This is what telecom has needed for a long time,” said Denver-based
Jaegers, who recommends buying both stocks. “You have way too many
players.”




If L3 merges GBLX in as well as they did Broadwing...the little guy 
stands to do pretty well.




Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread William Allen Simpson

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html

The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
$6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help reduce
the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
Co.

“This is what telecom has needed for a long time,” said Denver-based
Jaegers, who recommends buying both stocks. “You have way too many
players.”




Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Jay Ashworth
- Original Message -
 From: William Allen Simpson william.allen.simp...@gmail.com

 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html
 
 The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
 $6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
 about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help
 reduce
 the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
 year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
 Co.

Let me see if I have that straight.

We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go up for 
customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.

Cheers,
-- jra



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Dorn Hetzel
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Jay Ashworth j...@baylink.com wrote:

 - Original Message -
  From: William Allen Simpson william.allen.simp...@gmail.com

 
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html
 
  The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
  $6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
  about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help
  reduce
  the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
  year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
  Co.

 Let me see if I have that straight.

 We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go up
 for
 customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.

 Cheers,
 -- jra

 Well, maybe they're just admitting it will slow the rate at which prices go
down :)


Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Jay Ashworth
- Original Message -
 From: Dorn Hetzel d...@hetzel.org

 Well, maybe they're just admitting it will slow the rate at which
 prices go down :)

Cause L3 and GBLX are Too Big To Fail, right?

Furrfu.

Cheers,
-- jra



RE: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Mike Walter
I find it amusing that the article says - The deal will combine two 
unprofitable companies  

So I guess the thinking is that two negatives make a positive?  

-Mike

-Original Message-
From: Dorn Hetzel [mailto:d...@hetzel.org] 
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 10:26 AM
To: Jay Ashworth
Cc: NANOG
Subject: Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Jay Ashworth j...@baylink.com wrote:

 - Original Message -
  From: William Allen Simpson william.allen.simp...@gmail.com

 
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html
 
  The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
  $6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
  about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help
  reduce
  the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
  year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
  Co.

 Let me see if I have that straight.

 We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go up
 for
 customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.

 Cheers,
 -- jra

 Well, maybe they're just admitting it will slow the rate at which prices go
down :)



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread David Coulson

On 4/11/11 10:41 AM, Mike Walter wrote:

I find it amusing that the article says - The deal will combine two unprofitable 
companies

So I guess the thinking is that two negatives make a positive?

-Mike
Since they will be saving a whole $40mm annually, profitability is 
pretty much guaranteed - right? ;-)


Wasn't there a telco CEO who would blow that much in strip clubs? Savvis 
springs to mind, but I don't remember.


David



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread harbor235
combining the companies will allow them to maximize efficeinecies by the
elimination
of overlapping functions, hopefully paving the way to profitability.

Job cuts here we come 


Mike

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 10:41 AM, Mike Walter mwal...@3z.net wrote:

 I find it amusing that the article says - The deal will combine two
 unprofitable companies

 So I guess the thinking is that two negatives make a positive?

 -Mike

 -Original Message-
 From: Dorn Hetzel [mailto:d...@hetzel.org]
 Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 10:26 AM
 To: Jay Ashworth
 Cc: NANOG
 Subject: Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

 On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Jay Ashworth j...@baylink.com wrote:

  - Original Message -
   From: William Allen Simpson william.allen.simp...@gmail.com
 
  
 
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html
  
   The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
   $6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
   about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help
   reduce
   the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
   year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
   Co.
 
  Let me see if I have that straight.
 
  We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go up
  for
  customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.
 
  Cheers,
  -- jra
 
  Well, maybe they're just admitting it will slow the rate at which prices
 go
 down :)




Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread mikea
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 02:41:18PM +, Mike Walter wrote:
 I find it amusing that the article says - The deal will combine two 
 unprofitable companies  
 
 So I guess the thinking is that two negatives make a positive?  

They may lose on every subscriber, but now they'll make it up in volume. 

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mi...@mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin 



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Mark Kent
Well, this will be the third time that Level3 has purchased my primary
upstream provider.  Maybe this will be different than with Genuity and
Wiltel, but Level3 needs to either stop using the word legacy or
educate their employees so they know that legacy is good and not bad.

-mark




RE: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread George Bonser
 Let me see if I have that straight.
 
 We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go
 up for
 customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.
 
 Cheers,
 -- jra

I don't think it means so much that prices will go up, just that it will slow 
the decline.

But having said that, it appears that we are in for a spate of inflation 
generally and the prices of everything are going to rise fairly quickly, 
starting about now.

That would be across the economy as a whole and not anything specific to the 
telecommunications sector.




Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Justin M. Streiner

On Mon, 11 Apr 2011, David Coulson wrote:

Wasn't there a telco CEO who would blow that much in strip clubs? Savvis 
springs to mind, but I don't remember.


I seem to recall several dot-com-era CxOs spending very lavishly on 
themselves, or getting their employers to give them large 'loans' that 
were never paid back.  Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Bernie Ebbers, Gary 
Winnick, Joe Nacchio, etc...


The story of former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski spending $2 million on his 
wife's 40th birthday party springs to mind...  Tyco paid for half of it, 
under the guise of the party being a shareholder meeting...


jms




Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Wayne E. Bouchard
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 08:55:05AM -0700, George Bonser wrote:
  Let me see if I have that straight.
  
  We're *admitting* in public that the result will be to make prices go
  up for
  customers?  Wow... Justice is going to have a field day with that.
  
  Cheers,
  -- jra
 
 I don't think it means so much that prices will go up, just that it will slow 
 the decline.

Oh, trust me. I fully believe it will make prices go up. Anytime you
take a major competitor out of the ball game, the negotiations shift
towards center mass. That's just the way things go.

The only saving grace may be that it opens the door for one of the
little guys to get a bit bigger and start drawing cash away from the
behemoths out there.

-Wayne

---
Wayne Bouchard
w...@typo.org
Network Dude
http://www.typo.org/~web/



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread David Coulson

On 4/11/11 12:24 PM, Justin M. Streiner wrote:
I seem to recall several dot-com-era CxOs spending very lavishly on 
themselves, or getting their employers to give them large 'loans' that 
were never paid back.  Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Bernie Ebbers, Gary 
Winnick, Joe Nacchio, etc...



This is what I was thinking of - Awesome photo too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9750948/ns/business-small_business/

The story of former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski spending $2 million on 
his wife's 40th birthday party springs to mind...  Tyco paid for half 
of it, under the guise of the party being a shareholder meeting...
Wish I could have been a fly on the wall during the meeting when someone 
suggested that idea.


David



RE: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Holmes,David A
Way too many players ... means that the telecom marketplace is good for the 
consumer, with competition keeping prices low. Many network users feel that 
prices are still way too high, particularly for high speed circuits and dark 
fiber, areas in which Level 3 and Global Crossing have specialized.

-Original Message-
From: William Allen Simpson [mailto:william.allen.simp...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 7:14 AM
To: NANOG list
Subject: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-11/level-3-agrees-to-acquire-global-crossing-in-deal-valued-at-1-9-billion.html

The deal will combine two unprofitable companies with total revenue of
$6.26 billion as of last year, and cut annualized capital spending by
about $40 million, according to the statement. It will also help reduce
the pressure on prices, which have declined by as much as 30 percent a
year in the industry, said Donna Jaegers, an analyst at DA Davidson 
Co.

This is what telecom has needed for a long time, said Denver-based
Jaegers, who recommends buying both stocks. You have way too many
players.



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Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Richard A Steenbergen
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 03:49:43PM -0700, Holmes,David A wrote:
 Way too many players ... means that the telecom marketplace is good 
 for the consumer, with competition keeping prices low. Many network 
 users feel that prices are still way too high, particularly for high 
 speed circuits and dark fiber, areas in which Level 3 and Global 
 Crossing have specialized.

Cute theory, but unfortunately this has no basis in reality. Users can 
feel any way they'd like, but the truth is that the current market 
prices for wholesale IP transit, in which Level 3 and Global Crossing 
specialize, are far below cost and are impossible for any carrier to 
sustain long term. I'm not saying that either L3 or GX runs a completely 
optimal network (infact I'd say that GX may well be a case study in 
failure to do so :P), but a simple analysis of the costs of routers, 
colo, power, crossconnects, optical gear, etc, makes it abundantly clear 
that the current rush to the bottom pricing cannot possibly be 
supported even under optimal conditions and ignoring other overhead. The 
situation isn't significantly different for high-speed longhaul 
capacity, the revenue these these circuits generate at current market 
prices is barely offsetting their capex on the optical gear at this 
point. Anyone who told you that there is a cash cow in this particular 
market is woefully mistaken, any serious money to be had is coming from 
enterprise customers who can only be reached via unique metro assets.

I have no doubt that there will be some modest reduction in competition 
following the acquisition, but I honestly don't think it is anything to 
get too worried about. Unlike L3's previous acquisitions (such as 
Wiltel, Telcove, Looking Glass, etc), it isn't really possible for them 
to disappear the assets from the market following the purchase. GX's 
longhaul fiber footprint is mostly still owned and operated by Qwest, 
they were never a big player in IRU dark sales to begin with, and they 
don't have much in the way of metro fiber assets to speak of. The two 
companies also not really in any danger of being able to stop the 
current tide of market transit prices, since this are being driven by 
many other companies. And L3 has already learned what happens to their 
market share when they try to alter market pricing by themselves, which 
is what led to their current Comcast debacle in the first place.

The best case scenario that I see here is L3 being able to provide some 
technical leadership to significantly reduce GX's overhead, and 
hopefully fix some of their other problem areas too. But personally I'm 
not convinced that L3 is the technical or market force they used to be, 
and thus I question whether they'll be able to get it right themselves. 
Remember, it taks a LOT of work for a big telco to put all the pieces in 
place correctly, and any mistakes on their part will open the door for 
smaller carriers to show off the advantages of being nimble. If there is 
any significant reduction in competition that comes to either carrier, 
it will do exactly that. Infact, I encourage them to try, it will 
probably be good for my business. :)

-- 
Richard A Steenbergen r...@e-gerbil.net   http://www.e-gerbil.net/ras
GPG Key ID: 0xF8B12CBC (7535 7F59 8204 ED1F CC1C 53AF 4C41 5ECA F8B1 2CBC)



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Jeff Wheeler
If I were a large tier-2 with SFI to one, but not both, of Level3 and
GBLX, I would see this acquisition as an opportunity to squeeze
peering out of the other network, or eventual combination of both, in
trade for not stirring the pot with regulators.  Perhaps AS3356 will
carry AS6939 IPv6 routes soon, etc.

-- 
Jeff S Wheeler j...@inconcepts.biz
Sr Network Operator  /  Innovative Network Concepts



Re: Level 3 Agrees to Purchase Global Crossing

2011-04-11 Thread Valdis . Kletnieks
On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:27:44 EDT, Jay Ashworth said:
 - Original Message -
  From: Dorn Hetzel d...@hetzel.org
 
  Well, maybe they're just admitting it will slow the rate at which
  prices go down :)
 
 Cause L3 and GBLX are Too Big To Fail, right?

Yes, but the *real* question is - will they be able to depeer Cogent? ;)


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