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story category Cable Giants Ponder Wireless Phones
Cox, Comcast, Time Warner & Sprint
(old news - 03:27PM Monday Oct 24 2005)
tags: business · wireless · cable
A consortium of cable giants Cox, Time Warner Cable and Comcast are in talks with Sprint to provide re-branded wireless phone service to their customers, reports the Financial Times. "Since there are few, if any, opportunities for cost savings associated with the joint provision of cable and wireless services, the economic basis for a discounted offer is tenuous at best," says one analyst in the article.

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Forums » Cable Giants Ponder Wireless Phones
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Post a:

gkong

join:2001-10-06
Edmond, OK

Mmm...

I guess Sprint has the most benefit (financially)
joshpo

join:2002-09-24
Philadelphia, PA

Re: Mmm...

And what do sprint customers get? Nothing but more congestion on their network.

Are the cable companies serious though? Their brand names are not exactly synonymous with excellent service etc. Would you really want a Comcast cell phone? I think some kind of bundling agreement is more plausible, like what Verizon has with DirecTV, offering and billing their service at a slight discount.

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast

Re: Mmm...

said by joshpo See Profile :

And what do sprint customers get? Nothing but more congestion on their network.

Are the cable companies serious though? Their brand names are not exactly synonymous with excellent service etc. Would you really want a Comcast cell phone?
I would. If I had a want or need for a cell. My Comcast services are great! All of them.

Seeing as they are talking to Sprint(Nextel), this would be bad... how?
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera

Nanoprobe
Crunching in subspace
Premium
join:2003-05-11
Crab Nebula
clubs:
A Comcast cellphone? Can anyone else hear the twilight zone music? Can't speak for others but I'd have to pass on that one.
--
Never look back.Something might be gaining on you.

insomniac
Oh Yeah
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL
clubs:
·AT&T Midwest

Re: Mmm...

said by Nanoprobe See Profile :

A Comcast cellphone? Can anyone else hear the twilight zone music? Can't speak for others but I'd have to pass on that one.
I wonder if it stops working during DNS outages...
--
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

Re: Mmm...

said by insomniac See Profile :

said by Nanoprobe See Profile :

A Comcast cellphone? Can anyone else hear the twilight zone music? Can't speak for others but I'd have to pass on that one.
I wonder if it stops working during DNS outages...
We'll cox's DNS it my only real beef with them, if its not down its slow/sluggish at best.
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth

grapkoski
Premium
join:2004-05-28
Washington, DC
it would be COMCASTIC!

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Mmm...

comcr@pstick

ss4vegito7

join:2004-07-24
Cranbury, NJ

said by joshpo See Profile :

And what do sprint customers get? Nothing but more congestion on their network.

Are the cable companies serious though? Their brand names are not exactly synonymous with excellent service etc. Would you really want a Comcast cell phone? I think some kind of bundling agreement is more plausible, like what Verizon has with DirecTV, offering and billing their service at a slight discount.
How about more revenue and more people using the networking giving them a reason to built out thier network more, complete upgrades and roll out EVDO faster.
--
»www.rockinthebury.comhttp://www.···pair.com
bmn
? ? ?
Premium,ExMod 2003-06
join:2001-03-15
hiatus

said by joshpo See Profile :

Are the cable companies serious though? Their brand names are not exactly synonymous with excellent service etc. Would you really want a Comcast cell phone?
Indeed, after the way Cox handled their phone service here after Katrina, in a largely undamaged parish, I wouldn't want to get anything telephony related from them, even if they are just reselling Sprint service...
--
This space intentionally left blank...

imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·WOW Internet and C..

said by joshpo See Profile :

Are the cable companies serious though? Their brand names are not exactly synonymous with excellent service etc.
Neither is Sprint, so it would be a match made in heaven.
DarkSly

join:2004-12-10
Danvers, MA

Their ads claim that the network can handle up to 230 million customers... I don't think they have 230 million lines at this point.

Sprint has been doing this for years with Companies like Conxus, Virgin Mobile, etc..
»conxuswireless.com/
»www.virginmobileusa.com/

From my understanding the product isn't really designed to turn a huge profit for the MSOs, but to take core business from the RBOCs that offer wireless (SBC/Southern Bell w/ Cingular)(Verizon w/ Verizon Wireless). Also, providing 4 products that pretty much everyone has (Cable, HSI, Home Voice, and Mobile Voice) will provide a bundle that should "stick" to the customer...
I mean who wants to go through the hassle of finding a new company for all 4 products when you can get the top of line/innovative products from one company...all on one bill...with a nice bundle discount...

insomniac
Oh Yeah
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL
clubs:
·AT&T Midwest

Re: Mmm...

said by DarkSly See Profile :

Their ads claim that the network can handle up to 230 million customers... I don't think they have 230 million lines at this point.
The statement is:

"Sprint PCS built the largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide network from the ground up, reaching more than 230 million people."

This is not saying that their network can handle 230 million customers; it's saying that their PCS coverage reaches 230 million people, which is definitely not the same thing.
--
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
DarkSly

join:2004-12-10
Danvers, MA

Re: Mmm...

my understanding of that statement is that PCS has the ability to cover up to 230 million people...what is the use of making the statement that your network is available to 230 million people when your network is not available to 230 million people?

That would be like a satellite company claiming they can reach 6 billion people...

ohcellphones

@cdw.com

Re: Mmm...

Yes, it is pretty much the same thing as that...well, sort of. It's a marketing way of saying that Sprint PCS covers 90-odd percent of the geographic area in which people actually live. All carriers make similar statements in varying ways, the point of which is essentially: If you don't live in Wyoming, you'll always have service! In my opinion, it's not especially misleading, perhaps simply because it's a common advertising tactic for these types of services.
kendall4

join:2006-01-10
Indianapolis, IN

I'd love to have a Comcast cell phone. I have Comcast cable TV, Comcast VOIP phone service and Comcast high speed access. The Comcast service I've received is unbelievably good, far better than any service provider I've ever used, including Direct TV, AOL, electric, gas, AT&T, SBC, etc.

EvelKub
Kitty is crazy
Premium
join:2002-03-17
Phoenix, AZ

But in Phoenix, where Cox provides cable, Qwest already sells resold Sprint PCS... and in Las Vegas, Sprint and Cox compete directly on the local level for customers. Would areas like this get different terms or be excluded? It seems that Qwest would have thought of that when they made their deal with Sprint since this kills their lead in offering the most bundled services.
bronkx1

join:2001-04-05
Warminster, PA

Re: Mmm...

I guess no one remembers comcast metrophone?It was taken over by Cell 1 and then by cingular.Comcast has money in cingular dont they?I know I saw some thing about cingular and comcast in the news.

CO_Chris
Premium
join:2001-08-28
Broomfield, CO
·Comcast
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
·Comcast Digital Vo..

Re: Mmm...

said by bronkx1 See Profile :

Comcast has money in cingular dont they?I know I saw some thing about cingular and comcast in the news.
cingular = SBC

djrobx

join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA

Re: Mmm...

Cingular = SBC + BellSouth

-- Rob
the niTz
Premium
join:2004-07-05
Sahuarita, AZ
·Cox HSI

at my work we use qwests rebranded service if we went straight to sprint we could have had free incoming free sprint to sprint calls and no roaming charges with qwest we get .50/min roaming calls were under a biz plan which shares 6000 mins with 6 phones, and incoming isnt free
--
its official everyone in sahuarita is a spy u cant even post with out somebody calling the authorities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ponderingman



Suspect the synergy

I think it would be more beneficial to wirless companies such as sprint to introduce services such as voip over cell phone mode that doesn't use your 'minutes' for say $5, or free text that uses your wireless router. There are ways to make these services value-added synergies. But, as far as saving companies money, nah.. the wireless providers would be the clear winners here.. they get more customers whom are more interested in product that provide added value to their lives. For example, sprint can give services like free unlimited email and text messaging to customers whom bundle. Not necesarily take money off the bill, but not add on to it either for services which people use at home.. just making it more convenient. As of now there's not really much to keep sprint customers loyal besides Verizon's huge restrictions on the use of their services, (particularly data, and application usage-- the key issue is pay per service ie downloads to the phone, etc vs customer access to a phone THEY OWN) that's about it, my friend, otherwise its coke and pepsi here

oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA

No cost savings?

I see Sprint/Nextel commercials 24-7 and those aren't cheap. If course there is cost savings. And with cable operators, they have their own free venue for advertising. They just sub a few digital phone and HSI commercials on their cable stations with cellular ones and both them and Sprint win.
--
WAR HAS NEVER SOLVED ANYTHING, except ending slavery, facism, communism, Nazism....

woody7
Premium
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA

hmmmmm.....

Why?
hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

News?

Haven't cable providers been talking about this for a couple years now with Sprint?
ebubman

join:2002-01-17
Enola, PA
·Comcast
·Vonage

comcast cell phone?

for those of us who booted our stinking verizon landlines out the front door (3 yrs ago in my case), a cell phone is essential. the downside is that comcast is not particularly well known for low or even mid-range pricing structures. i could see them offering 100 peak minutes for $50, 250 peak for $75, and perhaps 400 peak minutes for $90. bub
gpancner

join:2001-09-27
Nine Mile Falls, WA

areas where cell sucks

maybe comcast is going to use their infrastructure to fill in cellular dead zones?
ccnorwalk

join:2005-11-01
Norwalk, OH

Re: areas where cell sucks

Cell service in New London, Ohio is a dead zone. Will Verizon admit this? No. Their answer, "upgrade to a better phone" well, this doesn't work. Why is thier no signal when there is literally a tower in my back yard? Who does it belong to? Verizon won't say. How much more than $80 does one have to pay to get cell phone service. How long will verizon keep saying, "upgrade" before they say, "sorry you are in a dead zone, cell phones won't work where you live"

truedalife

join:2003-01-10
Brooklyn, MD

Just my Comcast cent here.

I work for Comcast. Please keep your comments to yourself. I am one of many hard working men and women that go above and beyond to service our customers in the Baltimore County area.

Everyone is forgetting the big picture here. Comcast wants a wireless network, to be able to provide Comcast branded content outside there networks.

There is already talk going around with our engineers about a network connected together providing video on demand, retrieve voice mails from Comcast Digital Voice (land phone service), video mail that links to the set-top box.

The other thing everyone forgets is Comcast is investing big in redesigning our network to provide the future set-top devices. Were only spending Millions and not Billions to do this. DOCSIS 3.0 100 Mbps UP/DN for example (coming soon). There is a set top box coming out soon that will have a EMTA (VOIP)for phone service, DOCSIS 2.0 High speed modem, and a digital video record that networks it's video up to three set top boxes in the home.

What? With Tivo even! It won't be long until Comcast owns Tivo too.

Our Credo: We will be the company to look to first, for communication products and service that connect people to what's important in there lives.

Comcast, Cox, TWC and others are not worried about the Bells fiber projects. We just wish they would stop cutting our network all apart with all there digging.

While the Bells try to get that piece of shit Microsoft IPTV to work for the first time, Comcast and others will be launching NGON (Next Generation On Demand). It will provide games on demand with two way interactivity allowing uses to play other subscribers. Web on demand that connects all your services like video mail, voice mail, e-mail and more. Of course video on demand and HD on demand.

The Bells will be spending billions on infrastructure upgrades while the cable companies reduce there spending (our networks are already upgraded)by creating partnerships to share content and services across many networks and platforms. Imitators never win!
Forums » Cable Giants Ponder Wireless Phones


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