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Matt Stump
The re-invigorated push by cable operators to rebuild plant is the subject of an extensive "Special Report" in this week's issue.
With the prospect of new video, voice and data revenues dangling before their eyes, cable operators are pushing to complete rebuilds by New Year's Day 2001.
As operators begin mainstream digital video and cable modem rollouts, and salivate at the prospect of grabbing part of the RBOC's telephony revenue, the industry is learning new lessons.
One that crops up in Jim Barthold's reporting is the dreaded term "network management." Early in the next decade, network management may be the key to whether cable is a bit player or a big-time player for telecommunications dollars.
In the past, cable operators never had to worry much about network management functions. Subscribers would call in if there was an outage.
True, network management for video signals has improved. Operators willing to spend the money can prevent many outages before they occur.
But high-speed data and telephony applications present whole new sets of issues. There have been more than a few bugs with many high-speed data rollouts. In some cases, problems stem from reliability within the cable plant. Even if a system conducts exhaustive tests prior to launching data services, problems still can occur depending on traffic and usage patterns.
Perhaps even more aggravating is the sometimes "who's responsible?" relationship between national backbone providers, like and Road Runner, and local systems. More than a few subscribers have been caught between the two entities, with each blaming the other for a breakdown in customer service.
As ADSL gets close to fiscal reality and the RBOCs align with ISPs, including giant AOL, cable simply can't afford customer service breakdowns, whether it's in engineering or installation or maintenance or billing. Speed isn't the be all and end all for many consumers. Reliability and cost play important roles.
Telephony applications become even more critical. If cable is the second or third line into the house, the stakes aren't as high as when cable becomes the only line into the house. Backup power supplies have to work. Calls to 911 have to be connected.
he first instance where a cable-telephony customer can't make an emergency life or death call will become a national headline. Never mind that traditional telcos may suffer the same circumstance here or there. A cable-telco failure will be used by cable's opponents to decry the industry's ability to deliver phone service. The social responsibility is a bit higher when compared to delivering video service.
Setting a higher standard may be one benefit of having AT&T in the cable business. Their leadership, along with cable's other pioneering companies like Cox, MediaOne and Cablevision, who are exploring new telephony services, can set the example to which cable needs to aspire. And, in the end, it will be up to the consumers to decide whether cable's new services pass muster.
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