MSOs Yawn at Lightspeed

You would think cable-company reaction to SBC Communications Inc.'s (NYSE: SBC) recent Project Lightspeed would be swift and decisive, deriding the ability of a telecom company to provide triple-play services including video. But the ones we contacted were pretty low-key in responding for comment.

Here's the background: Last week SBC revealed the details of Project Lightspeed, a massive $4 billion makeover of its network projected to improve service to 18 million customers by providing FTTN (fiber to the node) access to 17 million users and FTTP (fiber to the premises) access to 1 million customers, promising downstream bandwidth of speeds up to 25 Mbit/s (see SBC Sheds Light on 'Lightspeed').

But most importantly, Project Lightspeed has a significant video element. Intially it will supply four high-quality video streams, with plans for enough bandwdith to offer HDTV and Internet access on the same IP network, says SBC. If it pans out as such, that's an aggressive move into the turf of multiple systems operators (MSOs), more frequently known as cable companies.

So what do they have to say? Most of them appear to be stifling yawns.

Get all the scintillating details at Next-Generation Services.

— Chris Somerville, Senior Editor, Next-Generation Services