CABL Forum - Re: BroadBand Power Lines----->

Super Dave writes:

"Does anyone think this will go anywhere...??
Some folks say it's been tried before... Did it work
out... What happened...??
Do ya think it will ever become the "norm"...??
It seems to make all the sense in the world... Can it
be implemented and become successful on a nationwide
scale...??"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

OK, ok! I’ve put down the can of warm german brew (But only for the time that it takes me to (De) compose this message.

Super Dave asks very important questions that operators around have modeled time and time again. They call it: Competitive Forecasting.

I

MHO: YES, it wil go somewhere. Where? In those markets where Franchised Communities feel that they’ve been hog tied over a barrel and poked at from behind. In terms of Customer Service, Technical Proficiency, Rates (Of course), and the amount of customer complaints that get lodged to the Complaint Dept. of the Franchise Authority. It is these circumstances that customers look elsewhere for video, teleco, and data services. Impact? These “Overbuilders” will churn out the financial low-lifes of course but will also draw those customers with their real dollars too. How much? Not for certain but I’ve seen markets with a single overbuilder take as much as 35%. In more diluted markets with multiple overbuilders I’ve seen very good take rates but across different operators. As an example, In Boston (Actually, just south), today Comcast, RCN, and, Braintree Electric CoOp exist for the same customers. Before Comcast there was ATT, and before them, Cablevision. I once worked there while Cablevision was upgrading their network. RCN swooped right in to the low hanging fruit areas and made away with about 20% of the market there (In specific areas). Braintree Power CoOp came in and deployed their network and took an additional 7-10% of the data customers. It works! Then there are the municipalities. They now are in the business too. I’d be willing to believe that they can make their offererings as attractive to their constituents as any telco or cable incumbent.

Will it become the norm? My opinion is that when the competitive/restriction gloves come off the weakest link will soon disappear. By virtue of Chapters 7, 11, or 13, or even an outright sale of infrastructure. It will happen. It’s just a matter of time.

Can it be implemented and become successful? Hell yeah it can be. If you sink a ton of marketing dollars into it and create a “Doable” budget that doesn’t BS the lenders to begin with. Personally, I’m a bit nervous in having plain ole’ cable installers mess around with AC Voltage of any level. My best guestimate would be that a new standard of certification and training would be mandated prior to an all out assault on the power networks. Obviously, it also depends on the final version of the technological deployment of the service. First, there was the power neutral being used. Then, I’m hearing combining the sqare wave and sine-wave on adjacent frequencies. Now I’m hearing of a wireless solution. WARNING: Wireless solutions are becoming a steady solution for a variety of technical challenges. Just be aware of the H.E.R.O. effect. Coined by the military prior to the first Gulf War, it means: High Emitting, Radio frequency Oscillations. Basically, this means that the airways get over saturated with these broad spectrum frequencies and we all turn to toast….HA The military uses all sorts of jamming radar, CIC, launch, detection et al frequencies. At one point, a Black Hawk CIC was over-ridden by a jamming interceptor (Same US team) and sent the missile out of control.

Just my opine., I could be wrong. Good bye Austin Texas, wherever you are.

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Re: BroadBand Power Lines----->