Reciting a conversation between me and my broker [some +15 years ago], “Ye who controls the pipe, controls the world.” My comments were made after returning from a project where the corporate client’s objective was to connect their world-wide operation over a single integrated network. This included, voice, data, and audio visual media (the early years of video teleconferencing). How times have evolved…
Over the past 10 days we have heard two of the biggest players in U.S. telecommunication industry (Verizon and AT&T), chime the bell of change – the days of unlimited Internet access are numbered.
A week after AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said the telecom industry would transition to “variable pricing,” Verizon Wireless Chief Technology Officer Anthony Melone chimed in to support the idea. He added that the companies need to offer a transparent way for customers to track how much data they’re using.
Memories of the cable company bill should provide insight for the changing future. The average cable company bill use to range about $30/month. Blistering over the $100 to $150/month is the norm these days. Get read, the times they are a changing…
I wouldn’t worry too much. As technology evolves, the “hard” pipe as we know it today will change. As students, we’re learning ways to break down these confines, daily! Verizon wasn’t around a couple of decades ago. Although AT&T was, its business model has changed so many times. Keep in mind, these companies are opportunistic. They’ll address quick money (or amounts sufficient to recop an investment), then leave the business model for the scavanger companies. The cycle repeats itself, more ofthen than not.
Interesting. Care to share some insights? What do we expect from the next generation?
Found this interesting. NYTimes report of Comcast’s right to control the internet speed to subscribers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/technology/07net.html?ref=technology