wheels: I guess that, for me, it would depend on what you mean by "the tech works". The only claim being made now is that it is faster and farther than any existing technology.
The big question for me is how much faster and farther. If it is, say, 10% faster and farter, then it will be competing very heavily with existing technology in a depressed market. Telcos and suppliers will be unlikely to pay a large premium for a 10% gain. In this case, I doubt that NVEI would succeed, and my buyout price would be quite low. In fact, I would liquidate at market if I found this to be the case.
If the technology is twice as fast and far, then competition dwindles, and NVEI can command a significant premium over existing products. There would still be competition in some markets, but the overall market would be very big. I would like to see about $40 for a buyout.
On the other hand, if the technology is 10 times faster and farther, then NVEI will be in a catagory of its own and the demand will be huge. There will be zero competition at all. In this case, as long as the NVEI premium was significantly less than the cost of trenching fiber, they can write their own ticket. In this case, I would probably not settle for less than $100.
These are all my WAGs and are worth exactly what you paid for them.
