Wired broadband is all well and good, but significantly more high-speed internet access is going to come via wireless over the next several years, and everyone involved -- the carriers, the
CTIA, and the FCC -- knows that it's going to be a technical challenge to meet that reality.
Spectrum is one thing, but the bytes need somewhere to go once they hit the towers; that's where backhaul comes into play. AT&T and T-Mobile have both
recently pimped fiber upgrades that should significantly widen the tubes connecting cell sites to the backbone, but they aren't going it alone: cable companies see the writing on the wall, too, and are looking to backhaul for a profitable new line of business. It turns out that Time Warner Cable tripled its backhaul revenue last year alone and is said to be making a heavy push to sign new deals with both AT&T and Verizon; AT&T, of course, has famously had trouble keeping its 3G network humming smoothly in Manhattan over the last 18 months as an endless barrage of iPhones slam it, so TWC probably sees this as a clutch opportunity since they basically own the cable market in New York. For its part, AT&T won't discuss its backhaul deals -- but it's told us in recent months that it has a backhaul advantage over some of its competitors since it operates a huge DSL business, so it's hard to gauge exactly how much benefit AT&T could reap by taking TWC up on its offer. Now, if Time Warner had some
spectrum it wanted to offload, that'd be another matter altogether.
posted March 8th 2010 2:03PM
Nothing like helping the enemy! I can't imagine that Time Warner and Verizon are best friends...
@yankees368
There's rumors out that TWC's trying to start up some cellphone service so you never know it could work out for both parties involved...
@PlatinumSkeet
TWC is already in wireless business. I'm getting offers from them to subscribe for WiMax service in Charlotte area.
@maxim
Actually TWC is just a name behind the WiMax service they don't even troubleshoot or provide the cards it is all on Sprint's towers
@yankees368 i wish they're share bandwidth with their internet customers...
@PrezBO You fail at failing!!!
i can has faster webz?
thx
Seriously though, glad to hear AT&T is getting the act straight.
Verizon, you just keep getting better and better..wish you had better phones though. :x I know DROID does, but my wallet doesn't
I'm a TWC customer, and I feel like the AT&T logo in the image above...
TWC needs to get it's act together w/ Respect to DOCSIS 3.0 upgrades.
@rduran
TWC has already released docsis 3.0 in several areas, the lower package is 35 down and 5 up and the higher is 50 down and 15 up. The future max for docsis 3 will be over 300 megs down and 150 up
Smart move on TWC's part. ATT pays TWC to expand their fiber footprint and also for the service itself. I bet ya TWC will overbuild these fiber runs preparing for more fiber service in the future.
I know they have been doing this same thing in Texas with Verizon. My buddy works in Verizon's NOC.
I feel like throwing up...
DO THIS NOW! Maybe we can finally get FIOS and U-Verse in TW markets. I can't deal with 1 meg up anymore.
Ehhh...
Like I've said, we are all going to be limited on internet usage. There's no point in making it more bandwith hungry if companies like concast are being assholes by capping. Not to direct people into other services, but verizon is the only one I know that doesn't hold a cap
@albinomexi
Time Warner Cable in NYC doesnt cap. dont care what you show me or tell me, my monthly bill is all the proof I need to know they dont cap :)
Funny how cell providers are trying to find anyway possible for somebody else to help power their networks. They have in-house personal cell hot spots and now they are partnering with competitors to do basically the same thing on a commercial scale to some degree. This is looking to be a giant TWC powered femtocell.
@KAL326
Huh? All cell carriers utilize various companies for internet backhauling. VZ landline, AT&T, Sprint, Qwest, TWC, Cablevision, etc. etc. There are several reasons this occurs: A certain provider is established in an area, can be cheaper to use another provider than pay to run your own infrastructure, FCC rules, etc.
With regards to the femtocells. It is not always feasible to place a tower to plug up every single weak spot. There can be terrain considerations, for example yes, that foliage between you and a tower's LOS can act like zillions of little reflector dishes, or yes, the fact the tower is on the other side of a hill from you can degrade a signal. There are also licenses, local and regional ordinances, obtaining the land or lease space, not to mention the paradoxical NIMBY syndrome from the very people complaining "why can't the cell company just put up more towers?"
Funny how TWC NYC cannot display a clear HDTV image for more that 10 minutes without pixelation, freezing, etc but they have bandwidth to spare?
@sc28
I know, right? The picture freezes and you have to change the channel or turn off the system or reboot the system. I wonder if it's a software glitch with their DVR OS. I hate that limited POS OS. Why set a reminder, why can't it automatically change to a variety of channels as I program them? I lose DVR functionality periodically. I don't understand why it can't be setup so that if the TV is playing a show, the DVR has to be functional.
This is some irony. I just let ATT after 5 years, for Sprint.
So will AT&T have to become TWC's bitch to get some decent service? lol
@PrezBO
so... you trolled yourself?
Since the internet is just a series of tubes, they should just connect all the tubes together to make one big tube.
Where is TWC getting the bandwidth? They can't even offer over 18mbit down / 1 up in Kansas City. Comcast is well over twice that in both directions. (and like 5x the up)
Bout damn time.. It took Google threatening them to get them to do things they should've done ages ago.
**YAWN**
Wake me up when they lend AT&T more bandwidth for U-Verse!
Been rocking Earthlink here in NYC ever sinced i ditched VZ DSL (yuk) and it's great. Just wish my upload speeds could go further than 400k, d'load tops out at 10M..nice. I see this as a good deal..
Here in Ohio TWC sold its extra bandwidth to another local cable company. Actual it was a good deal for both parties. TWC gets to sell the extra bandwidth they arent using and the local small company gets to offer its company better more reliable source. Crazy, I know, but get your money while you can in this economy. lol
Now if TWC (Brighthouse in my area) would just offer a 1.5mbps internet connection instead of the paltry 768k connection I'd be even happier.