Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (7051)	5/21/2000 11:17:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 12823

See the bolded portion of this ATHM Thread post, thanks to Solid. Message 13746717

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (7051)	5/22/2000 3:36:00 AM
From: lml	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Thanks for the accolade, Frank. I thought about fixed wireless, but either I'm still ignorant of this technology, or it just doesn't seem real to me yet. Perhaps such technology might be deployed by RCN in the future instead of laying coax the last 1000' to the home. In more densely populated areas where line of sight is not an issue, and the economics of penetration into the home do not warrant an investment in coax, wireless nodes might do the trick. RCN is in-fact working with the electric utility companies. About 6 months ago, in a newswire, RCN announced plans to enter the "greater LA" market after acquiring ROW easements along SCE (So. California Edison) utility easements. Here in LA, SCE provides electrical service to just about every community except w/i incorporated City of Los Angeles. Coincidentally, Adelphia lack of progress upgrading its plant is exclusive to its City of LA franchises. Hmmm. Only problem now is that while, as I understand it, RCN is laying fiber in Redondo, Hermosa & Manhattan Beaches, as well as in Santa Monica, it has been & is presently negotiating with the City of LA for similar ROW access along LA-DWP (Dept. of Water & Power) utility easement in West LA and the most lucrative portions of the San Fernando Valley along Ventura Bl. However, a public utility presents greater hurdles to a provider of broadband services such as RCN than does an investor-owned utility. A large issue, IMHO, is what conditions the City may impose upon RCN, if any, to deploy their infrastructure in more "politically correct" portions of the City in exchange for the grant of easements along City-owned ROWs. Submitting to such impositions is not consistent with RCN's strategy, which is to "cherry-pick" the most lucrative areas where penetration and potential e-commerce revenues will be the greatest. This strategy makes good economic sense, but poor political sense in the eyes of LOCAL government custodians of broadband access who fear they will likely be perceived as catering to the rich as opposed to the disenfranchised, G-d forbid. Hence, here we see how free market enterprise is likely to run afoul of governmental control of "public" ROWs. Is it the role of local government to deprive a few select areas of the city of advanced broadband service for the benefit of all areas? Do the residents in a particular area of the city have a "greater interest" in the street ROWs that traverse their neighborhood than residents in a far removed area of the city? What type of policy should a local government adopt to foster a balance between equity across the various communities and the realization that in a free market higher end services will necessarily gravitate to more lucrative areas of the City? Are the finest restaurants, the finest parks, the most attractive venues that a community offers spread equally across a city's jurisdiction in the most politically correct manner? Of course not. Ultimately I may very well see one day RCN coax into my home. However, I may also likely see RCN wireless nodes atop existing telephone poles in less upscale areas of the city that broadcast & receive similar, but not the same services, to a larger and more diverse group of city residents. There will be tradeoffs, but IMHO the process will start by communities expressing to their local governmental representatives as well as free market providers their interest in receiving and pay for for advanced broadband services. It should be make for an interesting process.