Sonic Interested in Video Streaming Service

California Franchise Application Indicates Future Plans

by Karl Bode Thursday 08-Sep-2011 tags: Video · competition · business · alternatives · SONIC.NET

GigaOM has spotted a Sonic.net video franchise application with California’s Public Utilities Commission that suggests the company may be interested in a streaming video solution. Sonic.net currently partners with DirecTV to offer a bundled broadband and satellite "triple play" offering, but has previously surveyed customers about whether they would pay for a low-cost local TV service streamed to an Internet-connected device like a Roku box. "The DirecTV triple play gives us a compelling multichannel lineup, while the franchise application moves us toward offering local channels over IP," says Sonic CEO Dane Jasper. The company has been busy deploying their own ADSL2+ and fiber to the home services in select market, and has partnered with Google to deploy fiber to the home service to a limited number of trial participants in Stanford, California.

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Sonic Interested in Video Streaming Service

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elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA	Much Ado About Nothing If the service doesn't compete with existing Pay-TV offerings, there will be a collective yawn from the public.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 11:40:21 · ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	And that will be the end of Sonic. Getting too big too fast and the customers will see the affects very soon. TekSavvy had/s the same issue and their customers note it on a daily basis on their board.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 11:54:50 · ·

Gbcue P.E. Premium join:2001-09-30 Santa Rosa, CA kudos:8	Re: And Too fast? Sonic has been around since 1994.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 12:26:31 · ·

hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

Re: And

and it will grow like wild fire with TV being added and support will go down hill. Just because you've been around since '94 and have adopted to technology doesn't mean by adding a product such as this you won't grow to fast. Add too many new products at once and something is bound to fail. Also when being at the mercy of T for the last mile copper- you're also bound to fail at some point.

permalink · 2011-09-08 12:31:38 ·

NormanS Premium,MVM join:2001-02-14 San Jose, CA kudos:9 Reviews: ·SONIC.NET ·Pacific Bell - SBC	Re: And said by hottboiinnc: Also when being at the mercy of T for the last mile copper- you're also bound to fail at some point. So why bother trying? You are saying they should just throw in the towel right now? -- Norman ~Oh Lord, why have you come ~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum
	permalink · 2011-09-08 12:59:04 · ·

hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

Re: And

nope. They need to get off the T last mile and focus on building out their own network from start to finish instead of worrying about getting into IPTV now and still have the last mile copper thats 100+ years old.

Who wants to watch TV on a copper line that's never going to be upgraded and fully depends on T? If your TV service goes out with Sonic not only are you at the mercy of them to submit the ticket for the line; but you also have to depend on T to fix that line and when they get around to it. T can and they do service their own customers first before 3rd parties.

One would think instead of building out a IPTV network they'd focus on their FTTH network more and more and allocate that $$$ to that and maybe bring in another provider to offer the TV.

permalink · 2011-09-08 15:04:24 · Print ·

NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
kudos:9

Reviews:

·SONIC.NET

·Pacific Bell - SBC

Re: And

said by hottboiinnc:

What is up with this 100+ year-old stuff? The house I am in isn't even 50 years old. There was no copper her until the house was built.

Who wants to watch TV on a copper line that's never going to be upgraded and fully depends on T? If your TV service goes out with Sonic not only are you at the mercy of them to submit the ticket for the line; but you also have to depend on T to fix that line and when they get around to it. T can and they do service their own customers first before 3rd parties.

But I am not really interesting in wireline TV, not even from Comcast. DirecTV is more than sufficient.

One would think instead of building out a IPTV network they'd focus on their FTTH network more and more and allocate that $$$ to that and maybe bring in another provider to offer the TV.

My biggest concern would be that they want to get into content delivery at all. That seems to bring about a change in the way a company sees matters. Now they will be having to dance to the tune of the Entertainment Industry, including support for that ill-considered bit of legislation, the "IP Protect" Bill.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

permalink · 2011-09-08 16:03:59 · Print ·

gruntlord6 join:2010-06-10 Barrie, ON	said by hottboiinnc: that will be the end of Sonic. Getting too big too fast and the customers will see the affects very soon. TekSavvy had/s the same issue and their customers note it on a daily basis on their board. Except Teksavvy is totally different from sonic, and will rebound in a few months. Sonic runs thier own fibre, where as teksavvy wholesales the last mile.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 21:03:25 · Print · ·

Skyrunner8 join:2002-01-10 San Francisco, CA	Refreshing It seems like they currently don't have any experience in content distribution, but I would be interested to see how this goes. Dane has a refreshing view on most tech items and I would be interested to see how it plays out. I would not look forward to a service like this eliminating Sonic.NET though... -- -Jeff
	permalink · 2011-09-08 12:30:14 · ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: Refreshing He can partner with a number of companies that provide this. A couple are in Ohio and others are large IPTV providers that small telcos and HOAs work with.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 12:32:28 · ·

Skyrunner8 join:2002-01-10 San Francisco, CA	Re: Refreshing Such as? -- -Jeff
	permalink · 2011-09-08 12:41:31 · ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: Refreshing »www.cniteam.com/ (small ohio based with HUGE $$$$$) »www.matrixstream.com/ are just two of them.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 15:05:38 · ·

iansltx join:2007-02-19 Golden, CO kudos:2 Reviews: ·Verizon Online DSL ·RoadRunner Cable ·Comcast	The point isn't to compete with DirecTV. The point is to offer real time content that people want (local stations/content) and other options don't provide, or provide for too much cost. Sonic has said that it doesn't want to hitch its wagon to traditional payTV. I'd expect a $10 per month service usable on a Roku box to come of this.
	permalink · 2011-09-08 13:22:57 · ·

dvd536 as Mr. Pink as they come Premium join:2001-04-27 Phoenix, AZ kudos:4	There goes the no CAPS of sonic.net As soon as you move away from dumb pipe to offering something you'll have to protect!
	permalink · 2011-09-08 14:56:45 · ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: There goes the no CAPS of sonic.net as always
	permalink · 2011-09-08 15:05:58 · ·

gruntlord6 join:2010-06-10 Barrie, ON	said by dvd536: As soon as you move away from dumb pipe to offering something you'll have to protect! I doubt they will ditch caps to protect local television.....
	permalink · 2011-09-08 21:01:11 · ·

ConstantineM join:2011-09-02 San Jose, CA Reviews: ·Google Voice ·Junction Networks ·Callcentric ·T-Mobile US ·AT&T U-Verse	Roku-sized IPTV box will rule the world! Sounds interesting! I hate that huge AT&T U-verse IPTV box that wastes so much space and is so slow through the UI. Setting a precedent on offering something the size of Roku with a comparable channel line up as U-verse TV and others, would be a very welcome addition to the market! Dane Jasper seems to be the best CEO after Steve Jobs! (-:
	permalink · 2011-09-08 21:35:48 · ·