Optimum Wireless?
So, now that I'm an Optimum triple play customer, I've been paying more attention to their news lately (previously I was focused on Fios). Anyway, I spotted this yesterday:
Apparently this will cost about $100 per customer to put into place. I'm kind of at a loss to understand why they would do this.
First of all, Optimum is in a heavy Fios area so in order to compete they need to do three things: add bandwidth to keep their internet access as fast as fiber, add HD channels to keep up with Fios and satellite (which they're already behind satellite and will fall behind Fios at the rate they're going), and keep the cost down as we're in a down economy and folks are looking to cut costs. Notice that I don't mention wireless access in this mix.
It's pretty clear to most folks that while WiFi is an amazing technology, and ideal for wireless access in most homes, but it just doesn't have the range to do more than that. To do a whole municipality has proven cost prohibitive in most areas, with very few successes. To do all of Optimum's service area is quite ridiculous. To do anything less won't add much to what we have now.
It's not that I wouldn't want to have internet everywhere. For people that only rarely travel, they could dump their pricey cell phone plan, and get a Skype WiFi phone. For an affordable price, it's an easy way to have access to VoIP calls while on the move. I would also imagine that an iPod Touch would be a great gadget with WiFi everywhere.
However, WiFi has too limited a range. They'd have to put a wireless router on every utility pole of their catch area, and this is not gonna happen. Their data network is already overloaded, and routinely slows down from the "BitTorrent effect" everyday when school lets out. Do we need more devices on this network?
My guess is that they're trying to compete with Verizon that won the wireless auction, and will likely roll out devices to make use of it. Maybe there will be a "quintiple play" at some point from Verizon: phone/internet/TV/mobile phone/mobile data, and Optimum wants to be ready to counter it?
The bottom line as I see it is as follows. If Optimum wants to get into the mobile data/phone business, they're gonna need a different technology than WiFi to link their users to their network (eg: WiMax). In the meantime, they should focus on improving their fundamentals, and offering a compelling service at a more reasonable price. So far, they got that right with their triple play as they got me to willingly part with some cash.
Jonas
Cablevision added a new wrinkle in their competitive fight against FiOS today. While discussing their first quarter earnings in a conference call this morning, the company announced they intend to offer free Wi-Fi to all of their customers within two years. Non-customers will be able to access the network for an as-yet-undisclosed fee.
Apparently this will cost about $100 per customer to put into place. I'm kind of at a loss to understand why they would do this.
First of all, Optimum is in a heavy Fios area so in order to compete they need to do three things: add bandwidth to keep their internet access as fast as fiber, add HD channels to keep up with Fios and satellite (which they're already behind satellite and will fall behind Fios at the rate they're going), and keep the cost down as we're in a down economy and folks are looking to cut costs. Notice that I don't mention wireless access in this mix.
It's pretty clear to most folks that while WiFi is an amazing technology, and ideal for wireless access in most homes, but it just doesn't have the range to do more than that. To do a whole municipality has proven cost prohibitive in most areas, with very few successes. To do all of Optimum's service area is quite ridiculous. To do anything less won't add much to what we have now.
It's not that I wouldn't want to have internet everywhere. For people that only rarely travel, they could dump their pricey cell phone plan, and get a Skype WiFi phone. For an affordable price, it's an easy way to have access to VoIP calls while on the move. I would also imagine that an iPod Touch would be a great gadget with WiFi everywhere.
However, WiFi has too limited a range. They'd have to put a wireless router on every utility pole of their catch area, and this is not gonna happen. Their data network is already overloaded, and routinely slows down from the "BitTorrent effect" everyday when school lets out. Do we need more devices on this network?
My guess is that they're trying to compete with Verizon that won the wireless auction, and will likely roll out devices to make use of it. Maybe there will be a "quintiple play" at some point from Verizon: phone/internet/TV/mobile phone/mobile data, and Optimum wants to be ready to counter it?
The bottom line as I see it is as follows. If Optimum wants to get into the mobile data/phone business, they're gonna need a different technology than WiFi to link their users to their network (eg: WiMax). In the meantime, they should focus on improving their fundamentals, and offering a compelling service at a more reasonable price. So far, they got that right with their triple play as they got me to willingly part with some cash.
Jonas
Labels: internet access, internet service provider, networking, Optimum, wifi, wireless
posted by digitaldoc at 9:51 PM
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