IP Convergence: Beyond VoIP, Beyond Cost Savings

If only the UK market had been allowed to mature its Cable TV market.  Unfortunately the optimistic network build-outs of the early 1990s were driven into the wall of Satellite Pay TV. Out went the plans to develop and spread and in came a culture of containment. The 2 satellite broadcasters amalgamated and become one and speculated on the biggest mass entertainment sport, bought the rights then the rest was history. By 1997 the plethora of young start-up local Cable TV were merging or else being acquired by either of the big players.

Why!! because they had become mere revenue collectors for the behemoth that the satelliete broadcastershad become, owned the rights on the programmes we wanted to watch. So much for competition. strangled in the Crib.

Now here the rub, will it be new access technologies or the self imposed regultion of the UK largest imcumbent newly found fair play that will allow the customer access to new services we desire? I hope so, when you hear of new delivery mechanisms like that be deployed by H20 networks that will push the competition you desire. I am not holding my breath, no doubt it will be swallowed up by one of the bigger fishes and the technology confined to history... when did my cynicism develop?