Lucent Leans on Wireless

Lucent Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE: LU) fiscal second-quarter earnings saw a significant boost from the strengh of its wireless business, compared to a continued decline on the wireline side.

That's driven the company to restructure -- again -- around its wireless business (see Lucent Converges, Jobs to Go). But the big question is: Can the networking vendor continue its winning wireless streak into 2006?

For the quarter ended ended March 31, Lucent reported revenue of $2.34 billion, flat sequentially and up 6 percent from the same quarter a year ago. The firm's net income was $282 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with $68 million, or 2 cents a share, in the the same period last year.

Lucent's mobility business contributed $1.2 billion to the top line for the second quarter, up 4 percent sequentially and 24 percent compared to last year. In contrast, the wireline business produced $589 million in revenue, a sequential decline of 9 percent.

In short, Lucent needs its wireless business more than ever if it is to continue posting a profit.

Learn more at Unstrung.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung