Birck takes some comfort from the fact that the bulk of Tellabs' flagship Titan 5500s manage local traffic, where the new world of packet switching is not yet a big threat.

FORBES: Survival technique: paranoia

Floyd founded Efficient in 1993 with the idea of using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), an industrial-strength packet technology, to route data around local area networks.

FORBES: Above the fray

The Conservative AM added: "Mid Wales is suffering from a general wage packet downsizing which inevitably means a knock-on loss of spending power from the local economy and an end to any ideas of owning a house for many more local people".

BBC: Inside the Floform plant (library pictures)