shhhhhhhhhhhlllllll INCOMING!! Consumers unmoved by cable gizmos
Online households aren't very interested in upgrading to cable modems, according to a study released Wednesday at a cable-industry meeting in Los Angeles. Cable World magazine reported 73 percent of some 300 respondents said it was "not at all likely" or only "slightly possible" that they'd pay $40 for Internet access at a connection speed 50 times faster than their current set-up.
Matt Stump, Cable World editor-in-chief, took the view that cable modems' benefits must be seen to be sold. "I think the cable guys feel that if they show people how fast it is, then people are hooked on it," Stump told CBS.MarketWatch.com. "It is true that the people who have it don't 'churn out.' It's like driving a car that goes 60 vs. 20. You don't go back to your Model T after you've driven a Corvette." He also said the survey didn't seem to rattle cable industry execs attending the Western Cable Show. Stump said, "They have a lot of other things to worry about, like whether their systems have been upgraded, whether they can find competent installers for cable modems, and whether they have enough customer service personnel."
Participants in the survey on average spend just over 8.5 hours online a week, and their most common online activities are e-mail, research, news, downloading software and surfing for entertainment, the study found. They spend an average of 13 hours a week watching television, which has not changed since they went online.
Stump...a warrior no doubt. |
