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by Michael Hopkins, Mediabiz.com
If you're waiting for what the fat pipes of fiber can deliver to the television or computer, and you live in a newly developed wealthy area, you may be in luck.
If you live in a rural region or a neighborhood that could be deemed borderline by a telco or another communications service, you may wait years before that fiber connection makes it to your home or nearby node … if that wire makes it to your home at all.
The Federal Communications Commission this week approved reforms for how video franchises are awarded at the local level. Some of the mandates make sense, such as a shot clock for local entities to act on a proposal from a company that wants to offer video service in a municipality.
Others are unfriendly to consumers.
Among the more controversial moves tied to the FCC effort was the agency's finding that it would be unreasonable for a local franchise authority to demand a new video entrant deploy its service throughout the entire community. That's troubling because it may allow a new video entrant - such as a telco - to roll out fiber infrastructure to new developments and leave older neighborhoods behind.
It may mean that more affluent areas, such as subdivisions chock full of McMansions or neighborhoods known for their high home values, will get fiber connections. Rural areas, low-income neighborhoods and areas deemed less valuable to a communications provider may be left out in the cold.
The FCC decision has the possibility of creating a bigger digital divide between the haves and haves not.
And another note on the FCC's various efforts Wednesday … The commission determined that satellite TV isn't helping keep cable prices in check. Small dish services have forced the cable incumbent to improve service and deliver value to consumers through its triple-play of communications offerings. No need to make DBS a punching bag in the debate over how to make it easier for new entrants (telcos) to get into the video marketplace.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission
by Michael Hopkins, Mediabiz.com
If you're waiting for what the fat pipes of fiber can deliver to the television or computer, and you live in a newly developed wealthy area, you may be in luck.
If you live in a rural region or a neighborhood that could be deemed borderline by a telco or another communications service, you may wait years before that fiber connection makes it to your home or nearby node … if that wire makes it to your home at all.
The Federal Communications Commission this week approved reforms for how video franchises are awarded at the local level. Some of the mandates make sense, such as a shot clock for local entities to act on a proposal from a company that wants to offer video service in a municipality.
Others are unfriendly to consumers.
Among the more controversial moves tied to the FCC effort was the agency's finding that it would be unreasonable for a local franchise authority to demand a new video entrant deploy its service throughout the entire community. That's troubling because it may allow a new video entrant - such as a telco - to roll out fiber infrastructure to new developments and leave older neighborhoods behind.
It may mean that more affluent areas, such as subdivisions chock full of McMansions or neighborhoods known for their high home values, will get fiber connections. Rural areas, low-income neighborhoods and areas deemed less valuable to a communications provider may be left out in the cold.
The FCC decision has the possibility of creating a bigger digital divide between the haves and haves not.
And another note on the FCC's various efforts Wednesday … The commission determined that satellite TV isn't helping keep cable prices in check. Small dish services have forced the cable incumbent to improve service and deliver value to consumers through its triple-play of communications offerings. No need to make DBS a punching bag in the debate over how to make it easier for new entrants (telcos) to get into the video marketplace.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission