Cable Wants to Cut the Cord

skatephat420 writes "Wired News has featured an article on how "the cable industry wants you to chuck your cable -- at least when you're outside the house. The addition of a fourth wireless component to the cable package is now affectionately known as the 'quadruple play.'" With this addition to the standard package of voice, video and data, how long is it going to take DSL to compete?"

Comments

how long is it going to take DSL to compete?

[rob_squared]

I think that's FiOS's job.

DSL is still ahead in my book.

[DaedalusHKX]

I can run a server on 29.99/mo DSL...

39.99+all sorts of fees = 54.00 / mo cable does NOT allow me to run ANY servers, and block most of the default service ports for unix... (most still allow windows, but I'm not about to buy IIS to run a simple site on that huge clunking POS).

Of course if I manage to get around it by shifting ports around, they threaten to cut off my service if I do not disconnect the server within 5 days of being notified. (if it happens a second time, they DO cut off the service as they have done to me before)

In my book, DSL is still light years ahead of cable for what ***I*** need!

For browsing its a tad slow, but they don't have nearly as many DNS outages as the providers in my area.

Re:How DSL can compete?

[timeOday]

Everyone needs a landline phone.

I think not.

VOIP is reliable enough for me. Are you really that frightened not being able to dial 911? I don't have a cellphone, so I lose 911 service every time I walk out my front door. So what? It's like saying people shouldn't buy a home over a half mile from the fire department, just in case those extra few seconds end up making the difference between life and death. Humbug! A thousand other mishaps will kill you before a VOIP outage does.

Vertical Monopoly

[Doc Ruby]

I don't want to rely on the same company for my Internet connection, both wired and wireless, and the voice, data and video coming over it. Especially one so hostile to customer service as my cable company. Each of those services should be delivered by a competing company, not some monolithic monopoly which controls all my access to information. Which can censor info it doesn't like, like "obscene" or "terrorist" websites. Which can eavesdrop on my calls. Which can cross-reference all my info together. Which can cut off my wired (and unwired) life completely as leverage behind an "accidental" SNAFU in billing me for one service.

There's all kinds of integrated billing / customer service systems that already bundle multiple outsourced services into one bill, one "help desk". That's what cable and phone companies already use to bundle the services they market and control into one "customer relationship". These bundled services are like Microsoft controlling the markets of OS, apps, development and content. And cable companies have even less minority competition to "keep them honest". Bundling like this proposal should be prohibited, to protect consumers. And to create opportunities for entrepreneurs, like an independent "customer care" service that wraps up billing and customer care into one contact. Without creating a bottleneck through a cable company that's guaranteed to fail, with devastating results, all the time, all over the country.