Shotgun Weddings in Network Market

This column was originally published on RealMoney on June 19 at 11:16 a.m. EDT. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers.

The mobile network market waited about half a decade for its first major merger, but the second arrived in a snap. Just two months after Lucent(LU Quote) and Alcatel(ALA Quote) hooked up, Nokia(NOK Quote) and Siemens(SI Quote) are creating a joint venture housing their infrastructure units.

All of a sudden, the infrastructure market has acquired a new shape.

There are three megavendors: Ericsson(ERICY Quote), Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia-Siemens. ...