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Qwest Still Not Interested in IPTV
CEO chats up FTTN/ADSL2+ project
Despite being one of the early pioneers of telco TV (they just recently shut down their VDSL-based IPTV service ChoiceTV), Qwest continues to insist they have no interest in being a TV company. "I believe over time there will be a significant number of people that will be ambivalent on how they get their video, and a big chunk of it will come from the Internet," Qwest CEO Ed Mueller says. "We’re not on the IPTV mission, but we do think there will be potentially ad-based video with QoS and high def signals and you won’t care if it comes via cable or Direct TV or the Internet."
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me1212
join:2008-11-20
Lees Summit, MO
·Google Fiber

me1212

Member

So, they don't care where their sucribers got their TV from.

So? They are content with the money they have now. And its one less company pressuring its costumers into a bundle. Which usually cost more than getting them separately ie. comcast HS, dish tv, and VOIPo costless, here anyway, that getting the comcast triple play. Now they just need to make comcast HS available at my house.

IMHO
@PHNX.QWEST.NET

IMHO

Anon

Re: So, they don't care where their sucribers got their TV from.

Fine the real answer is the management is doing everything correctly. Should layoff some more and cut back expenses. Pay off the debt then go from there. Deserve decent pay for doing great work.
ashworth7
join:2001-10-06
Pittsburgh, PA

ashworth7 to me1212

Member

to me1212
This guy has to be the biggest corporate nimrod ever. Let me understand... Qwest has no wireless and doesn't want to do TV, so what do you have ?? A semi-worthless landline business and VDSL with no IPTV. I don't get it ?
me1212
join:2008-11-20
Lees Summit, MO

me1212

Member

Re: So, they don't care where their sucribers got their TV from.

Maybe their network isn't strong enough for it yet, and they want to strengthen it before they go IPTV so it won't crash.

imho
@PHNX.QWEST.NET

imho

Anon

Layoffs and bonus checks

They can reduce headcount. Keep up the same old copper just barely. Put in some FTTN and reduce the workforce.
Bonus checks all around. Resell everything. They would resell cable internet and Tv if they could.
Maybe a merger or someone picks up at a fire sale. More bonus checks . Yea Ed. father of notebaert. father of the fall guy whose predecessor move to Australia and the Godfather is Anschutz .
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Layoffs and bonus checks

No Qwest could pick up Muni cable companies that are small if they wanted in the TV business. the same as Cinci Bell did. Bought a cable company, expanded into a new area with not only the TV business but also Digital Phone and Cable Internet. Now they run head to head with TWC.
Lyserjic
join:2002-07-02
Houston, TX

Lyserjic

Member

Maybe they are on to something

Perhaps Qwest should take up the position of simply providing a quality "dumb pipe" by improving their network, doing fiber rollouts and offering competitive high speed data packages.

If they really want to compete in service areas where they have cable competition, uncapped high speed internet is where the future will be. With more and more online TV and movie media options out there (Amazon, Netflix, etc) the cable co's are going to be enforcing data caps like never before.

A company that can offer uncapped high speed internet access will represent a major threat to the cable co's.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Re: Maybe they are on to something

I would rather have fiber telco TV. Satellite has limited bandwidth.
travelguy
join:1999-09-03
Bismarck, ND
Asus RT-AC68
Ubiquiti NSM5

travelguy to Lyserjic

Member

to Lyserjic
said by Lyserjic:

Perhaps Qwest should take up the position of simply providing a quality "dumb pipe" by improving their network, doing fiber rollouts and offering competitive high speed data packages.
As long as the financial weenies and wall street analysts see that as a low margin business, it's not going to happen. Look at the so called "content" players - i.e. cable companies: year over year price increases, crying crocodile tears about the evil sports & entertainment companies taking advantage of them, all the while laughing to the bank.

Compare that with the dumb pipe providers who have one discriminator: speed, who have to invest each year in bumping up that speed to offset some of the pressure to reduce prices on that dumb pipe.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

1 recommendation

Transmaster

Member

I Know Where Qwest got their Business Model

questionable1
join:2005-10-18
Phoenix, AZ

questionable1

Member

IPTV

I'm going to miss my IPTV it rocked and was cheap!

iansltx_
@spcsdns.net

iansltx_

Anon

They can't do TV

Over ADSL and provide anything close to decent quality. In reality, they only have 17ish Mbps of bandwidth to work with close to the node on their new FTTN system. Farther away, they only have 10, or less.

I gess this is smart. By not trying to offer TV over their own infrastructure, they don't have to upgrade said infrastructure, especially in less profitable areas. They don't have to condition their copper, and they can provide TV service to the vast majority of their customers without any customer service headaches.

I mean, they have enough on their hands trying to stay alive, right? No money to innovate.

175 per customer in upgrade costs for FTTN. That's nothing. They can pay that off, and then some, over the course of a "price for life" 12 Mbps (erm...more like 10.2 Mbps) contract.

If Qwest actually had FastPath on all possible lines, and overprovisioned to deliver what they say they are, I wouldn't bash them so much. In reality...meh.

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

dvd536

Premium Member

Qworst - Qwest is. . . .

not interested in ANYTHING that might be 'next-gen'
after all theres nothing wrong with tired old DSL and tired old PPPoE/A that gobbles 15% of your bandwidth.
rims
join:2000-10-22
Phoenix, AZ

rims

Member

Why invest in cable TV?

If broadcast is your model, wireless TV has the cost advantage. If IP is your model, why sacrifice your bandwidth in order to provide broadcast?