Originally Published: 2002-12-22

This boy in front of me has created a company that, less than one year after its incorporation, is worth at least half a billion dollars. His name is Franco Lofranco, 31, a Canadian of Italian heritage. He had a dream: creating a company as strong and important as Bell Canada. In a little less than 11 months he succeeded, and today Stream Intelligent Networks Corp., of which he's cofounder and CEO, is one of the most interesting Canadian companies in the field of digital communications on optical fiber networks.
This means high speed and top reliability in transmitting great quantities of data, which is what banks, public boards, and private companies are looking for, and in fact they form the core of Stream Intelligent Networks' customer base. Moreover, five months ago Bell struck a deal with Stream, to the effect that Bell will be supplying its customers an integrative service via Stream's cable network.
This is how Franco Lofranco's dream came true, and quite fast, since now Bell and Stream are partners busily building the future. "Yes, the future," says Lofranco. "It's here, in these glass fibers as thin as hair, where light, not electricity, is carrying the voice of people speaking on the phone, TV images, or the huge amounts of data computers can handle."
While he's saying so, almost with gratitude, his hands play with a small piece of cable.
Considering your dream came true, where do you go from here?
"First of all, I'll go and lay down cables in Toronto and then in all major Canadian cities. Then I'll take a look at the sky, or rather, I'm already doing that."
What do you mean?
"I mean that Stream bought a license for Canada-wide data transmission worth 22 million dollars. We're the only company owning such a license. So, if a new company wants to offer cellular telephony in Canada, we are in a position to offer it the necessary services."
Like Bell Canada did...
"I'd say yes. Bell closed the deal with us because we demonstrated our reliability and competence."

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