Summary
1. There is this continuing notion in current news articles that the association between cable TV companies and wireless started with Pivot. 2. During the 1990s, a couple of these MSOs were parts owners of a wireless company. 3. Over a year ago, we wrote, “If Cox [and] Comcast...had been more patient as part of Sprint Spectrum, they...would have [had a nationwide] wireless company.
Analysis
Thus, Cox’s “learning experience” goes back a ways. And even with Pivot, the MSOs were not of the same mind. So much for march[ing] in a lock-step.
There is undoubtedly a tendency to look at the MSOs together as just one national utility. However, the different inclinations were apparent even before these latest plans involving wireless.
Surely, as the threats to their businesses increase -- whether they are wireless, FTTH, video on the Internet or declining ad revenues – there will be more disparity in the responses between the individual companies. For instance, it has become well known that Cablevison is much more aggressive in defending its turf against FTTH. Another example is that the MSOs are apparently not all addressing adding more capacity to their networks in exactly the same ways – or being “really agnostic.”
