Harold Feld has written an interesting analysis of Cablevision’s push into wide-area Wi-Fi networks. He writes:
“Cablevision’s wifi strategy has several things going for it. It is relatively cheap to deploy (as compared with winning licenses and building a wireless infrastructure) and can be deployed right away. Indeed, according to DSL Reports, deployment is well under way already. That gets Cablevision subscribers hooked on this form of mobility for their wireless services before Verizon can get its new 4G network up and running. Also, since it is much cheaper, customers won’t have to buy a separate expensive wireless package to get what amounts to a “poor man’s wireless” in Cablevision’s service area. Of course, this sort of wireless fall back will lack many of the features that future VZ wireless/wireline bundle will have — at least in the short term. But for Cablevision, it is an open question whether it will need to provide things like national coverage to compete. But my feeling is that while this limits Cablevision’s ability to expand its enterprise market penetration (where high end customers will place great value on a top-notch national mobile network that works seamlessly with a wireline product and is indistinguishable from a present-day DSL connection), it is perfectly adequate for retaining customers in the face of FIOS. Cablevision has so far managed to stave off widespread defections to FIOS.”
Read the rest of his analysis at:
Cablevision’s WiFi rollout – a wireless plan B?
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