The New Service Providers

The eventual squeeze-out of telcos and cable companies is starting to become clear, or at least the radically new model which threatens them. Since wireless bandwidth and storage are becoming so cheap in such massive scale, all kinds of new service providers can supplant telcos/cable, from individuals to municipalities. Many countries and municipalities have universal broadband coverage initiatives underway, California has, for example, the GBOB, gigabit or bust initiative. Old-world service providers are already scrambling as we see with the mighty AT&T succumbing to SBC's merger advances and Qwest attempting to snap up MCI. Home media centers are starting to supplant cable. There will start to be much more of teleco's display of litigation, their true core competency, and the direction set by the new FCC chairman will be important and hopefully pro-progress and pro-US competitiveness, anti-entrenchment.

With broadband a utility and perceived birthright, other individuals and companies will have the freedom to create a whole variety of applications and services, continuing the trend to personalized media from mass media.

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