In some cases, the overbuilders have an edge. For instance, certain components of the telephone business, such as customer call centers and installations, are easily transferable to cable and have proven to be of value in building plant and customer service strategies. What overbuilders are finding is that cable TV and telephony are surprisingly identical in many operational areas, while miles apart in others. But our real challenge has been ramping up and training people. And as an overbuilder, we are a competitor 100 percent of the time.
Operations is a very important dimension to overbuilders.
How they build and define the product is crucial. A crucial advantage for Ameritech and its plant construction, Mahachek continues, is the blank page with which it begins. When we build out our network, we have the luxury of starting with a new piece of paper. We lay out our entire service for the area through clustered sections for good scale, like Chicago. GTE is overbuilding TCI, Jones Intercable and others in southern California.