Ken,the cable companies are not monolithic entities. There are exceptionally well run cable companies like UMG's Continental Cablevision in the Boston area. THe RBOC's are also not monolithic,there are very good ones like Southern NEw England(SNG) which is leading edge applications such as there new remote access Doctor's visits accross fiber. There are potentially great services for cable like @Home and TWX's Road Runner. Rogers cable in Canada is a class act,and in England Cable & wireless is making great strides. Psuedo-monopolistic RBOC's charging by the minute at extremely expensive rates for ISDN and ADSL are killing the goose that potentially could lay the golden egg. In Europe I hear that ISDN service is actually less expensive than regular POTS service. The RBOC's will never go for HFC systems,they can't find a way to charge by the minute,and they are not fully secure. Have you looked at TWX earnings and cash flow,and the quality of their content and service? They are pretty well run,and could be a formidable competitor in both content and service. They are working on telephony over HFC networks and they are stunned by its quality. I would not count Cox,UMG(US West) nor TWX out,they have an installed base and infrastructure. TCI is a dead dog,that dog won't hunt and Hindery and Malone are rich idiots,the gang that can't shoot straight.
Hiram |
