[opendtv] Re: AT&T backs Verizon, TMo hesitates on LTE

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:29:17 -0500

Craig Birkmaier wrote:

> Perhaps the best solution is to let the telcos build out the
> infrastructure and let existing broadcasters provide free ad
> supported streams. Instead of paying broadcasters to vacate
> the spectrum, why not allow the telcos to build the "spectrum
> utility," share it with the broadcasters, and give the politicians
> a percentage of the revenues generated instead of a lump sum up
> front?

Of course that's possible. All you are proposing is a cellco equivalent of 
disbanding FOTA TV and having everyone subscribe to cable or DBS.

You can expect your cellco bill to go way up for that sort of service, compared 
to what you are paying now. And also, you can expect the broadcasters to demand 
a piece of those cellco subscription fees too.

> It's not way wrong Bert. It is underutilized, and the content
> oligopoly no longer sees a future there.

For the time being, the content oligopoly is relatively comfortable with 
distributing their content over the FOTA broadcast networks, ad supported 
mainly, but not so comfortable with FOTI. Therefore, equally not so comfortable 
with free over the wireless cellular Internet. You just won't see all the 
content, and the content you do see is often gone next month.

So how exactly do you define "underutilized"? I'm getting FOTA TV now. With 
what you propose, I would instead be generating a healthy infinite revenue 
stream to a company having to deploy a higher-cost, faster cellular 
infrastructure than they would need without the TV content. And the content 
oligopoly will no doubt demand a piece of that, as they do from MVPDs.

Hmmm. So, now you are asking the FCC to become an agent of the cell companies, 
that need more money and a more complicated infrastructure to do what 
broadcasters are already doing, and for the content oligopoly?

I'll say this, though. Your ideas might not fall on deaf ears with THIS 
particular FCC. That's because they are hell-bent on the one goal of increasing 
wireless access to the Internet. Whether or not it is put to the most efficient 
use.

Bert
 
 
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