U.S. Cable: New Strategies for a Competitive World

1. Executive Summary

• 1.1 Cable' s Strategic Options
• 1.2 Enhance Video Services
• 1.3 Expand Data and Voice Services
• 1.4 Wireless Options
• 1.5 Enterprise Market
• 1.6 Other Initiatives
• 1.7 Conclusion

2. Cable' s Strategic Options

• 2.1 The U.S. Pay TV Market
• 2.2 U.S. Cable Strategies
  • 2.2.1 Cable Technology Issues
  • 2.2.2 Cable Business Issues
  • 2.2.3 Cable Marketing Issues

3. Enhancing Video Services

• 3.1 HFC Architecture
• 3.2 Node Splitting
  • 3.2.1 On Node Splitting
  • 3.2.2 Costs of Node Splitting
  • 3.2.3 Summarizing Node Splitting
• 3.3 Increasing Spectrum to 1 GHz
  • 3.3.1 On Increasing Spectrum
  • 3.3.2 Costs of Increasing Spectrum
  • 3.3.3 Summarizing Increasing Spectrum
• 3.4 Analog Reclamation
  • 3.4.1 On Analog Reclamation
  • 3.4.2 Costs of Analog Reclamation
  • 3.4.3 Summarizing Analog Reclamation
• 3.5 MPEG-4
  • 3.5.1 On MPEG-4
  • 3.5.2 Costs of MPEG-4
  • 3.5.3 Summarizing MPEG-4
• 3.6 Switched Digital Video
  • 3.6.1 On Switched Digital Video
  • 3.6.2 Costs of Switched Digital Video
  • 3.6.3 Summarizing Switched Digital Video
• 3.7 Analysts' Opinions

4. Enhancing Data and Voice Services

• 4.1 Cable Telephony Services
• 4.2 DOCSIS 3.0 Broadband Data Services
  • 4.2.1 On DOCSIS 3.0
  • 4.2.2 Costs of DOCSIS 3.0
  • 4.2.3 Summary of DOCSIS 3.0
• 4.3 Analysts' s Opinions

5. Wireless Options

• 5.1 The Wireless Dilemma
• 5.2 Reference Points for U.S. Wireless Business
• 5.3 Become an MVNO
  • 5.3.1 Pivot
  • 5.3.2 On Being a Better MVNO
  • 5.3.3 Financial Discussion
• 5.4 Buy a Wireless Operator
  • 5.4.1 Snow Balls in Hell - AT&T and Verizon
  • 5.4.2 The Potentials
  • 5.4.3 The Unlikely
  • 5.4.4 Costing of Operator Acquisition
• 5.5 Build A Wireless Network
  • 5.5.1 Spectrum
  • 5.5.2 Building in UHF versus AWS
  • 5.5.3 Technology Options
  • 5.5.4 Costs of Building a New Wireless Operator
• 5.6 Analyst' s Opinions

6. Enterprise Market

• 6.1 Small is Beautiful
• 6.2 Services
• 6.3 Organization
• 6.4 Major Account Fiber Services
• 6.5 Analyst' s Opinions

7. Other Initiatives

• 7.1 Operational Improvements
• 7.2 IPv6
• 7.3 Targeted Advertising
• 7.4 Upgrading HFC to PON
• 7.5 Wireless Backhaul
• 7.6 Analyst' s Opinions

8. Conclusion

Appendix A: Operator Overview

Appendix B: Glossary

• Figure 2-1: U.S. Pay TV Subscribers - 2007
• Figure 2-2: U.S. Cable Subscribers - 2001 - 2007
• Figure 2-3: 2007 Video & Cable Revenues
• Figure 3-1: Overview of an HFC Network
• Figure 3-2: Switched Digital Video Generic Behavior
• Figure 5-1: Spectrum Co FCC Auction 66 Map
• Figure 5-2: Spectrum Propagation Characteristics

• Table 3-1: Typical Frequency Split in 860 MHz HFC Plant
• Table 3-3: Costs of Node Splitting
• Table 3-4: Node Splitting Summary
• Table 3-5: Channel and Bandwidth Gains with Spectrum Upgrade
• Table 3-6: Spectrum Increase to 1 GHz Summary
• Table 3-7: Analog Reclamation Summary
• Table 3-8: MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Compression Rates
• Table 3-9: MPEG-4 Summary
• Table 3-10: Switched Digital Video Summary
• Table 4-1: DOCSIS Features Summary
• Table 4-2: DOCSIS 3.0 Summary
• Table 5-1: U.S. Mobile Company Financial Status
• Table 5-2: Financial Characteristics of MSOs acting as MVNOs
• Table 5-3: U.S. Wireless Acquisitions
• Table 5-4: MSOs Winning Bids in 700 MHz Auction
• Table 5-5: CAPEX for Cell Site
• Table 5-6: Technology Availability Matrix
• Table 5-7: Investments Estimate to Build a Nationwide Wireless Operator
• Table 6-1: Employment Size in U.S., 2004
• Table 6-2: U.S. Communications Facilities Used