Chris 313
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1 edit | reply to Matt
Re: The Future
said by Matt  :said by Chris 313 :With them being able to basically offer any speed/content they want with a few equipment upgrades, things make me wonder how Cable will compete. Cable will be fine for years to come as well. It's AT&T and Qwest you should worry about. Coax has a ton of life left in it and cable has the ability to run FTTH if necessary. While some cable operators are experiencing a bandwidth crunch, it's nothing like the crunch other providers are experiencing and technologies like DOCSIS 3.0 and Switched Digital Video will help. You have to remember, when cable did their HFC upgrades 10-15 years ago, their last-mile network put their competitors to absolute shame. I would argue that aside from Verizon's FiOS product, it still does. Something few people also mention, is that by the time cable (or even AT&T) decide to run FTTH, Verizon will have blazed that trail so the costs of entry will be substantially lower. All one has to do is look at how rapidly Verizon's cost to pass a home with FiOS have plummeted since it was rolled out to realize that in 5 years, it might make financial sense for the MSOs to roll out their own FTTH product. Sure, but I was talking about in the long term. Say like 5-10 years when cable has been pushed to it's max in terms of equipment and all. What will they do? Run FTTH? Do you think providers like Comcast will have a FTTH plan on the desk as a backup plan or a possible prototype in an area or two?
Aside from that, I do believe cable will be fine for a while, though I'll always want faster, faster. Until you hit a button and have it there already with no waiting, it's never fast enough. I also believe D3 and SDV will help as well. I've seen and read all that Docsis 3 is doing and will be capable of thus far and I'm drooling for it.
I agree with you about how cable's last mile puts most providers to shame, aside from Fios, but they could also do a bit better since it is fiber.
I have AT&T here, and aside from Verizon cell service, there is no FiOS here and probably never will be. I'm not worried about them and think their U-Verse efforts are pathetic when Comcast can easily outdo them with Blast! and other speed tiers. Not to mention services like phone that they seem to be doing so well vs people like AT&T.
As for MSOs like Comcast running their own FTTH product, you bring up a funny thought. If Verizon's work drives down the cost of Fiber anything, Comcast is doing the same with Docsis 3, wouldn't you agree? |
