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January 2003 Issue
PULSE
FROM THE PIPE
Comcast Calls for Unity
Traditionally, broadband engineers at the largest MSO have driven most of industry's technical innovations. But at the Western Show in Anaheim, Calif., Comcast CEO Brian Roberts nay-sayed the idea that now Comcast is the biggest of them all, it will unilaterally decide the future. "We're either going to succeed or fail as an industry," Roberts stressed.
MSOs need to work together if the industry is going to win against DBS and DSL, Roberts said, and suggested that a lack of uniformity had allowed the competition to steal subs.
Comcast's Strategy--As for his specific plans for Comcast, Roberts promised that rebuilding the technically inferior cable plant acquired from AT&T Broadband is an urgent priority. (For more on lingering upgrades, see "Technology Forecast".)
"It is nothing short of tragic that in San Francisco, in the Bay area, we don't offer high-speed Internet," Roberts said, provoking applause from attendees. "We have to fix that right away."
Roberts also pointed to other "number one" jobs: "We're going to rebuild the systems, and improve the margins and improve the customer experience."
But Roberts reaffirmed a position that flies in the face of financial analysts fixed on the idea of free-cash flow: "We will not pull back on capital spending."
As for which technologies, he said Comcast would continue to emphasize VOD. Beyond that, he recommended that show attendees--his people in particular--visit the floor. "It's re-energizing to see...people developing products to make our systems better."
Although attendance was way down from last year's 17,000, the almost 10,000 who hit the exhibits this year tended to show confidence, albeit careful confidence, when it came to VOD, HDTV and, yes, VoIP.
Executive Editor Jonathan Tombes contributed to this article.
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