Cox to Launch Mobility Services

Cox Communications plans to launch mobile phone service in the second half of 2009, using Sprint network facilities. But Cox also owns its own spectrum and plans to build its own third-generation wireless network, although it also says it will test Long Term Evolution as an eventual 4G platform.

Cox executives say the management and delivery of converged content is at the core of the company's wireless strategy. "Cox customers will be able to use their mobile phone to access television favorites, program their DVR, access content saved on their home computer and simplify their lives with enhanced voice features," the company says.

A reasonable way forward would be for Cox to rely on Sprint for typical wireless voice, text messaging and mobile broadband services, while using its own network for applications more focused on content services related to what it currently delivers using its wired networks.

All Cox phones will include a network address book that automatically synchronizes with home PCs, the company says.

Cox also says that subscribers will be able to watch TV shows, and possibly full-time channels, on their handsets.

The move into mobility is hardly unprecedented. Cox joined with Comcast and Tele-Communications Inc. as equity owners in Sprint PCS in 1994.

Online Video Goes Mainstream

Online video services have gotten positively mainstream over just the last six months, according to Ipsos MediaCT.

The percentage of female Internet users ages 12 and older that have streamed a video online in the past 30 days has grown from 45 percent to 54 percent, an all-time high for this demographic and nearly equal to the percentage of men (58 percent) whom have recently streamed video content online.

Moreover, the percentage of adults aged 35 to 54 that have recently streamed video online has also shot up since December 2007, rising from 49 percent to 60 percent in that time span.

In the past, such behavior disproportionately was a younger male activity.

Skype Puts Up Numbers Most Would Envy

In the third quarter this year, and for the year, eBay's Skype has posted numbers most companies would love to have. Use of Skype-out minutes increased 54 percent, which drove revenue growth of 46 percent for the quarter. 

Revenue over the past year came in at $ 521 million compared to $332 million for the comparable prior year, an annual revenue growth rate of  56.9 percent.

Registered users increased 51 percent over the prior year and Skype-to-Skype minutes increased 63 percent to 16 billion minutes. 

Also, growth seems to be accelerating. Skype recently achieved its fastest growth rate of user activity in its history, by one measure, with an additional one million more concurrent users in just 35 days. Skype tends to measure usage by the numbe of concurrent sessions occurring. 

Skype saw 63 percent annual growth rate of minutes. Not so important, you might think, since lots of Skype usage is of the free sort. But use of paid minutes (2.2 billion SkypeOut minutes) increased 54 percent. 

Skype had third quarter 2008 revenue of $143 million and is on track to reach 2008 revenue of $570 million. In a sort of worst case scenario--if a global economic sluggishness decreases Skype use, about the opposite of what some of us think will happen--and Skype revenue growth slows, it should neverthless continue to grow annual revenue above the expected 2008 level (negative growth is hard to imagine). 

The Difference Between Voice and Video Bandwidth

In a recent conversation with a financial analyst, the matter of Internet video bandwidth came up. The simple observation was that video consumes an order of magnitude (10 times) to two orders of magnitude (100 times) more bandwidth than voice does.

The implication, of course, is that if online video consumption becomes popular, it represents a network engineering and challenge potentially 10 to 100 times more complicated than was the case for access networks built for voice. 

That isn't to say costs scale precisely that way, but it suggests the dimensions of the cost problem for any network services provider charged with adding that much bandwidth. 

The cost of deploying a fiber-to-the-cabinet (fiber to the neighborhood) network in the United Kingdom, for example, has been estimated at £5.1 billion. The cost of a fiber-to-the-home network is estimated at £28.8 billion, according to the Broadband Stakeholder Group. 

The immediate difference in potential bandwidth might not be an order of magnitude. But the potential bandwidth difference ranges from an order of magnitude and up. 

Broadband: When a "Problem" Actually Isn't a Problem

Since broadband first became widely available to consumers in the late 1990s, adoption has hit the

halfway point faster than most other information and communication technologies, one easily can conclude. 

It took 18 years for the vpersonal computer to reach 50 percent of Americans, 18 years for color TV, 15 years for the cell phone, 14 years for the video cassette recorder, and 10.5 years for the compact disc player. 

It has taken about 10 years for broadband to reach 50 percent of adults in their homes.

The point is that, looking historically at the matter, there is not now, nor has there actually been, a "broadband adoption problem." One can quibble about costs, the rate at which speeds are increasing, traffic shaping or business models. 

But as a simple historical model, broadband was adopted faster than any other popular mass market service, ever. 

No SaaS Slowdown

Worldwide software-as-a-service revenue in the enterprise application markets is on pace to surpass $6.4 billion in 2008, a 27 per cent increase from 2007 revenue of $5.1 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. The market is expected to more than double with SaaS revenue reaching $14.8 billion in 2012.

Gartner analysts say the adoption of SaaS is growing and evolving within the enterprise application markets as new entrants challenge incumbents, popularity increases, and interest for platform as a service grows, despite the challenging economic climate. 

The fastest-growing markets for SaaS are office suites and digital content creation, albeit from small bases, says Sharon Mertz, Gartner research director.

Gartner estimates that the revenue attributed to SaaS within the office suites market will reach 99.2 per cent compound annual growth rate from 2007 through 2012, with a total SaaS revenue reaching $1.9 billion in 2012. 

By 2012, Gartner estimates that web-based freeware such as Google Apps, Adobe Buzzword, ThinkFree, Zoho and SaaS offerings will account for nine percent market share of total software revenue.

Gartner forecasts 96.1 percent CAGR for SaaS revenue in the digital content creation segment from 2007 through 2012.  

“DCC software is becoming increasingly important as organisations evolve toward a more Web-centric business model," she says.

The content, communications and collaboration  markets remains the largest contributor to the overall SaaS enterprise application markets with revenue exceeding $2.1 billion in 2008, and it is expected to amount to $4.7 billion in 2012. 

SaaS will represent two percent to three percent of enterprise content management and more than 70 per cent of Web conferencing in 2007.

The second largest contributor to the overall SaaS enterprise application markets is customer relationship management. In 2008, SaaS within the CRM industry is expected to exceed $1.7 billion in total software revenue. Gartner expects CRM SaaS revenue to exceed $3.2 billion in total software revenue in 2012.

Using Cable TV Analogy for Broadband

Net broadband subscriber adds, at least for U.S. cable and telephone providers, were much slower in the second and apparently third quarters of 2008. Part of that slowdown likely can be attributed to growing saturation of the broadband access market.

But it also is likely there is some contributing pressure from general economic conditions as well. Dial-up users might just decide to hold off on a move to broadband for a little while.

Cable TV marketers long have argued that multichannel video is a bigger and better value in tough times, representing a relatively-affordable source of entertainment for a family. An argument along those lines might help marketers of broadband access as well. 

"Product strategists responsible for the success of residential broadband services can continue to grow broadband penetration in a tough economic climate by positioning their service as a gateway to cheap content and communications," argues Sally M. Cohen, Forrester analyst. 

Downturn Behavior: True to Form So Far

What typically happens in an economic downturn, in the area of communications or network-based entertainment services, is that people reduce consumption of some "enhanced" features while retaining the base service.

In the cable TV segment, consumers tend to hand on their ad-supported services but skimp a bit on "premium" service. So you might see less use of fee-based video on demand, for example.

Taking a look at mobile service, Forrester Research analyst Pete Nuthall says "the economic downturn won't put a dent in the European mobile penetration rate of 84 percent, but mobile services providers are feeling the impact of reduced usage and spending as consumers review their regular outgoings."

That's confirmation that what has tended to happen in the past just might happen again. "The price of core services,  voice and SMS, is of growing importance to more mobile users, while advanced handsets and services are becoming less important to fewer mobile users than a year ago," he notes.

"Product strategy professionals are responding by de-emphasizing mobile data services and expanding the variety of SIM-only offers," he points out.

Using the same sort of logic, it is conceivable that some broadband users will downgrade their service plans. And it isn't hard to imagine some users ditching landline service, at least for the moment, so long as they can afford a mobile calling plan that covers their typical usage. 

Blyk Outsources to Nokia Siemens Networks

Blyk, a provider of  ad-supported mobile services for 16 to 24 year olds is outsourcing its Netherlands and Belgium operations to Nokia Siemens Networks. Nokia Siements will provide prepaid charging, messaging systems and device management services for Blyk in those two countries, as a hosted service. 

The move is but one example of something we are seeing lots more of: service providers and carriers are outsourcing important network operations and facilities to third parties. 

63% of U.S. Population Uses Internet

eMarketer estimates that 63.4 percent of the U.S. population uses the Web at least once per month, and that nearly seven out of 10 Americans will do so by 2013.

Some of us are shocked the numbers are that low. Once a month?

AT&T's iPhone: Serious Business Impact

It would be hard to overestimate the impact the Apple iPhone has had, as a business innovation, for AT&T, in ways that have nothing to do with device features, user interface or changes in user behavior. The iPhone seems to have a significant role in boosting AT&T's wireless market share, wireless data subscriptions, service upgrades, floor traffic, sales close rate and even sales of other smart phone devices and data plans.

When AT&T launched the iPhone 3G on July 11th, it activated 2.4 million iPhone 3G units, 40 percent of them to customers who were new to AT&T. Perhaps somebody else knows the answer to this question, but I am not aware this ever has happened before: that a single device has lead to such a gain in market share in such a short time.

It is possible, though unlikely, that some of these buyers were "first-time" mobile phone buyers. In all likelihood, however, virtually all these new buyers were defecting from another mobile provider.

The iPhone 3G helped drive two million total net adds in the quarter, 1.7 million of them post-paid, making this the best retail post-paid net add quarter in our company’s history," according to AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets CEO Ralph De La Vega.

But AT&T executives long have expected a "halo effect." The thinking has been that some, perhaps many, prospects would be drawn in to look at the iPhone, but ultimately would choose another device. That indeed seems to have happened.

Same-store traffic was up 15 percent versus the third quarter last year and two thirds of third quarter post-paid net adds chose integrated devices (smart phones with either a qwerty or touch-screen keyboard).

More than 40 percent of customers upgrading their current plans purchased an Internet data plan for the first time, de la Vega says.

The net present value of a iPhone subscriber, is more than two times the NPV of AT&T's average post-paid subscriber. NPV is a way of accounting for total cash flows over time, discounted for the cost of borrowing or investment to create the cash flow.

The percentage of post-paid subscribers who have an integrated device doubled over the past year to reach 22 percent of all devices in use. The number of 3G devices in the base also has grown dramatically from around seven million a year ago to more than 17 million at the end of the third quarter.

The third quarter also was AT&T's best laptop connect quarter ever, and the company has more than doubled its 3G laptop connect base over the last year. AT&T now has nearly 5.9 million broadband speed laptop cards, dongles and integrated devices in service, though it does not break out the percentage of dongles and cards.

40 Gbps Gear Sales Grow 59% Annually

The 10 gigabit-per-second equipment market is big and growing fast, on target to hit nearly $9.5 billion worldwide in 2008, say researchers at Infonetics Research. At the same time, 40 G system sales are ramping rapidly, and 100 G should begin soon and take off by 2013, the company says.

“A majority of service providers we've spoken to are expecting to invest in 40 G until the 100 G market is up and running; some providers are hoping to skip the 40 G phase altogether, but we don't see that being a viable option, as growing traffic demands are outstripping current capacities and 100 G won't reach reasonable price points until about 2012 or 2013," says Michael Howard, Infonetics co-founder and principal analyst.

"When 100 G Ethernet arrives, it’ll be the next big thing and the most important, because it will last to at least 2025, solving traffic problems for a very long time," Howard says.

40G equipment revenue is forecast to increase at a fast clip, with a compound annual growth
rate of 59 percent from 2007 to 2011, Infonetics projects.

The number of 10 G, 40 G, and 100 G ports shipping on enterprise and service provider equipment will jump from over one million in 2007 to 7.4 million in 2011, with 100 G making its small debut in 2009.

AT&T Reverses DSL Slowdown

AT&T added 148,000 net wired netwwork broadband access customers, up from the 46,000 AT&T added in the second quarter of 2008. That's a far cry from the 300,000+ quarterly net adds AT&T was putting up in 2007, but the broadband access market clearly is reaching saturation.

Some of us had suggested that a shocking fall-off in broadband access net adds in the second quarter this year would be repeated in the third quarter. We'll have to wait to see reporting from Verizon and Qwest to confirm the thesis, but AT&T's results suggest marketing attention that had lapsed in the second quarter now has been sharpened. 

Wireline broadband subscribers, including both consumer and business customers, totaled 14.8 million, up 1.1 million over the past year.

Perhaps the other notable story coming out of AT&T's third quarter report was the huge increase in wireless broad band net adds. Total broadband-capable connections in service increased 2.9 million in the third quarter to reach 20.7 million. 

About 2.75 million of those net adds came on the wireless network, not the wired network. Wireless broadband connections include data  users with 3G LaptopConnect cards and broadband-speed integrated devices with

a QWERTY or touchscreen keyboard. AT&T does not provide detail on the percentage of cards or dongles and broadband handsets. 

Telco and Satellite TV Subs "More Satisfied"

Cable television customers say they are less satisfied than customers of satellite and telco TV providers, according to Parks Associates. A new study by Parks Associates suggests, as other surveys have found, that subscribers to satellite television and telco IPTV are significantly more likely to be satisfied with their services than both basic cable and digital cable subscribers.

“Cable subscribers are generally less satisfied, which creates opportunities for satellite and telco/IPTV providers to grab customers,” says Kurt Scherf, Parks Associates VP. “Although cable operators have improved service efforts, cable operators will still hemorrhage subscribers unless they are perceived as offering leading-edge features at equal or better value. In today’s economic climate, carriers cannot afford to ignore these findings.”

Cable operators have struggled in selling the value of their services, Scherf said, and framing their services as an enhanced and convenient form of entertainment will be critical in reestablishing higher satisfaction. Video on demand initiatives, particularly those aimed at delivering a “Primetime, Anytime” experience, should be key elements in this effort.

“Subscribers who actively use primetime VoD services show significantly higher satisfaction levels,” Scherf says.

Mobile Broadband Overtakes Wi-Fi

Proponents of mobile broadband have argued that 3G and other mobile broadband networks ultimately would make Wi-Fi networks largely unnecessary. While that is not yet completely true, it increasingly true. Mobile broadband now has pushed the mobile phone networks ahead of Wi-Fi hotspots as the most popular way of accessing the Internet on the move, in the United Kingdom, according to Point Topic.

U.K. mobile phone companies have managed to grow their market share to 47 percent of users accessing the Internet away from home or work, compared to 42 percent who use Wi-Fi hotspots. A year earlier the ratio was 40:30 in favor of Wi-Fi, Point Topic says.

Point Topic says 26 percent of those who use a mobile network to access the Internet are O2 customers. Orange and Vodafone each take about 20 percent of the market, while T-Mobile and 3 have 14 percent and 12 percent respectively.

Vodafone is the leading provider of the dongle-user segment, with 24 percent share. of respondents. O2 comes in at 23 percent, followed by Orange, T-Mobile and 3, Point Topic says.