81.   Various other players, large and small, are also building metropolitan fiber networks to compete with the Baby Bells for local phone and data services.

82.   Xo began its life as Nextlink Communications, a developer of fiber optic networks to provide phone and data services to business customers.

83.   Worldcom Inc., which has reached a deal to acquire MCI Communications, owns or is building high-speed fiber optic networks across Europe.

84.   You really need to have this fiber network installed.

85.   But neither the trading nor the demand for fiber optic networks lived up to expectations.

86.   Each has constructed national and international fiber optic networks and developed sophisticated systems for handling millions of customer accounts.

87.   Global TeleSystems operates a fiber optic network across Europe.

88.   GTE also completed its private high-speed fiber network during the year, which Lee said will give the company an edge over data-service competitors.

89.   Lucent said last week it would split its optical networking group into separate units focusing on long-distance and metropolitan fiber optic networks.

90.   Related projects, including the laying of a fiber optic network and mining rights near the Chinese border, will ultimately bring in more cash, he said.