Sam, the cost savings would be through sharing regional resources - local servers (news, mail, proxy), server and other central site administration, the pipe(s) out to the Internet, and customer support (ordering, billing, problem resolution). For a small system all of this "stuff" could make it prohibitive. Is what you are getting at that cable modem service might prompt further consolidation in the cable industry? I think it quite likely will.
Presumably, Cox would need to install optical cable between El Cajon (where I assume the central site is) and each regional center anyway, to carry the TV signals. (Or, they would lease fibre from MFS, Pac Bell, etc.) The data would just piggy-back on this cable. |
