"In late '99 and early 2000, some of the telecom providers that are having the biggest problems and are in the most distress now were being touted as New Age telecom companies with innovative management and state-of-the-art networks," he said yesterday in a telephone interview.

A17 Data can be transmitted much faster over communications lines made from the new generation of superconductors than today's state-of-the-art networks, scientists said a small prototype device has shown.

Building a whole new state-of-the-art network is a laborious and expensive process that Verizon says it must undertake to fend off rivals like Comcast and Vonage, which are moving fast into the phone business.

"We have a state-of-the-art network set up," said Mike Russell, a spokesman for the group.

The city's emergency communications system, which proved unreliable during the October crisis, has been replaced with a state-of-the-art earthquake-resistant network.

C1 Verizon Rewires New York Verizon is building a new state-of-the-art network in New York City, in an effort to fend off rivals like Comcast and Vonage.

Equipped with a state-of-the-art network of computers, multimedia devices and software tools, the CDF allow team of experts to perform design studies during working sessions.

The company was set to bring together the state-of-the-art fibre-optic networks of the two partners and the Internet services expertise and customer base of EUnet International.

"It's a niche market with its own state-of-the-art fiber-optic network," Mr. Wynne said in a telephone interview.

Mr. Slaughter predicted that Mr. Li would keep his gaze on Global Crossing's assets, which include a state-of-the-art network of high-speed Internet and telephone lines.