The Angriest CEO In Telecom

from the why-won't-the-government-protect-my-business-model dept

I spent much of the day today in a room with a bunch of folks from a variety of telecom-related startups - mostly in the VoIP space. Much of the conversation was focused on dealing with the big old telecom companies that are preventing VoIP (or other related technologies) from really catching on, while at the same time trying to figure out how companies are going to make money in this new world. Now Fortune is running a profile of Ed Whitacre of SBC, who has been the loudest of the Baby Bell CEOs in yelling about why the government needs to prop up his failing business model. The interesting thing about both sides of this debate is that, basically, every side wants the FCC to regulate things in their favor. It always seems like a dangerous strategy, though, to have to rely on a government to do anything to help your company out. A smart business figures out a business model that minimizes the risk from such factors. Focusing on ways to build products that your customers (whether end-users or enterprises) actually can use makes more sense than whining about what the government (or some other business) is doing to prevent you from achieving your revenue goals.
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  • identicon
    alternatives, 31 Mar 2003 @ 8:33pm

    SBC won't sell DSL

    I have tried to buy DSL from SBC.

    They won't sell to me because I'm not a SBC customer, I get my SBC service thru McLeod.

    Yea, turn down a paying customer. Then Whine about how tuff business is.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Kevin K AKA EMC Guy, 1 Apr 2003 @ 7:30am

    SBC is a really bad business

    OK I admit it I once worked for SBC. I worked for PacBell and only stayed for another year after SBC took over. I'm sure Mike doesn't want this to get to crazy but needless to say I have never seen a company so determined to screw over its customers and employees.

    If there is a more ethically challenged company out there it would have to be Enron or the The State of California. Granted I have only been working for and running my own businesses since 1992 but I have really never seen anything like SBC. Customers are catching on and I don't doubt SBC will lose even more business as time goes on.

    I would recommend everyone to stay far far away from these thieves from Texas...

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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