| Killer App Will Kill the Cable Modem? I think Time Warner Cable's effort to traffic shape is truth in the limitations of the technology. If Cablelabs and the cable companies only inteded us to use cable modems to surf the internet, then life is great. 50 times faster than dial up to do a search on Google!
However, if there ever is a killer app that uses REAL broadband speeds, Joost takes off, Slingbox/Slingcatcher takes off, Apple iTV takes off, or the unknown... Cable modems will be in a world of hurt!
They can either block the services, throttle them, or upgrade their networks.
My guess is that they will block and throttle (band aid) users, and start investing in a better technology when customers leave for providers that offer service that are't hindered.
When 400 people in the node use a cable modem to check e-mail and surf CNN for news, everything works great! Just don't use broadband for broadband! What happens when half or even 20% of the people in the node are using Joost, or some unknown killer app?
Are they going to split the node to 50 users? Get rid of analog? Bond 10 channels for broadband? Invest in FTTH? |
