EXHIBIT 10.2

Effective as of:
January 1, 2001

The Alpine Group, Inc.
1790 Broadway, Suite 1500
New York, NY 10019-1412

    RE: Services Agreement dated as of October 2, 1996 by and between The Alpine
Group, Inc. and Superior TeleCom Inc. as amended and extended to date (as so
amended and extended, the "Agreement")

    This will confirm our agreement in modification and extension of the
captioned Agreement as follows:

1.Section 3(b) of the Agreement (as previously amended by letter agreements
dated May 1, 1997 and May 1, 1999) shall be modified such that the fee for the
service period commencing January 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 shall be reduced
from $5 million to $4.0 million; and further amended to provide for an
additional fee of $1.0 million to be accrued and paid upon completion of the
June 2002 Repayment Event (as defined in Amendment Number Five dated as of
June 30, 2001, to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of
November 27, 1998 by and among Superior Telecommunications Inc., and Essex
Group Inc. as Borrowers and the Guarantor parties, and the Lender parties
described therein).

2.Section 9 of the Agreement is amended so that the automatic termination date
stated therein shall be June 30, 2002.

    As modified hereby, the Agreement is hereby expressly ratified and
confirmed.

    If the foregoing conforms with your understanding of the Agreement reached
between us, kindly execute a copy of this letter so indicating.

    Very truly yours,
 
 
SUPERIOR TELECOM INC.
 
 
By:
 
/s/ STEVEN S. ELBAUM   

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Steven S. Elbaum     Its:   Chief Executive Officer

Agreed to as of the date first hereinabove
set forth    
THE ALPINE GROUP, INC.
 
 
By:
 
/s/ BRAGI F. SCHUT   

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Bragi F. Schut
 
  Its:   Executive Vice President    

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