Browse past tech stock questions and answers in the Ask Matt archive . The company, which connects users to the Internet at high speeds using cable lines, didn't sign up as many new customers as expected. Management blamed the new customer signup shortfall on a fire at a cable modem factory. But this debacle only caused a shortfall of 50,000 modems, not explaining why the company missed the customer signup number by 100,000.
Analysts expect additional disappointments.
The company will have to boost its membership at double its normal rate to meet its 2000 membership estimate of 3 million subscribers, Blodget says. That's a tall order for any company.