Cable Companies Starting to Play In Voice 2.0 Space

Google's acquisition of client Grand Central a few months ago was well timed because it showed foresight and an understanding of where the voice applications world is heading. Now it seems that the cable MSO's, which have really been providing what I labeled Voice 1.5 where you are sold 1.0 service-what you already have from the local telco with the only difference being the wire now being an RJ-45 vs. an RJ-11 and from whom the bill comes from, are shifting gears and are beginning to make a climb into the Voice 2.0 space.

A story like this says to me that it's not just Cox and Comcast, but the entire cable industry. This bodes well for guys like clients Thomas Howe, IntelePeer and iotum, all of whom are busy developing the kind of 2.0 technology that the cable guys will like.

On a side note, in the same story in Screen Plays Magazine it was interesting to read that Comcast is now exploring WiFi in Florida. They and Verizon were very much opposed to Earthlink's entry into Philadelphia. My gut says that Earthlink ends up donating the WiFi infrastructure to the City of Philadelphia, and as a local company Comcast "rescues" the network as a public services.

I have long felt the cable MSO's are the ideal deployment arm for MuniWiFi. They already have the infrastructure and could put hotspots in every retail location. There's no need for as many pole top radios, so while this may slow down the need for companies like Tropos and Bel Air's access points, it would put the WiFi access easily inside buildings and storefronts and in turn spur growth and usage.