Though Comcast won't start firing its guns until early 2008, the U.S. cable industry has begun its assault on small business customer accounts. Time Warner Cable has rolled out a phone service for small and medium-size businesses in Central Ohio.
Time Warner introduced its Business Class phone service in the Columbus area Sept. 21.
A Time Warner analysis estimated there is a $40 billion market for business phone service in the company's eight-state service area, $9 billion of which is made up of small and mid-size companies, according to Ted Stine, Time Warner VP.
Time Warner first is targeting its existing business customers in the region who already subscribe to the company's Internet and cable video services. Companies that sign up for phone service will then get a discount on all their services. Once it has saturated that segment, Time Warner obviously will start cold calling prospects who have not existing business relationship with the company.
The biggest share shift should occur in the small business segment (four and five access lines, especially), though most observers would define the segment as "four to eight lines."
