September 14, 2001 The market for voice and data commodity trading could be worth more than $18 billion in 2006 according to a report by by Analysys (www.analysys.com), entitled The Bandwidth Exchange: Herald of a New Carrier Age. The report examines the views of carriers, investors, and resellers on bandwidth exchanges. It also looks at why carriers might resist using them.

"The carrier market is at a watershed," says lead author Tamsin Pert. "Change is needed to revive short-term fortunes, and to create long-term stability and confidence throughout the communications market."

The report indicates that "significant rewards" await players in the telecommunications industry by 2006. These rewards will come as the market becomes more flexible, according to Analysys.

"There will be significant rewards for the successful. The value of a commodity-style trading environment will be felt throughout the telecoms supply chain, as the market becomes more flexible and transparent, and less high-risk," says Pert.

Analysys has offices in Cambridge, London, Glasgow, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, San Francisco, and Washington DC. For more information on the report, call Analysys Research at 44-1223-341300 or e-mail the company at [email protected].