Industry Analyst Jeff Kagan | AT&T, Verizon Move Further into TV
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) August 25, 2014 -- As the cable television industry struggles to hang on to slipping market share, new technologies and new competitors continue to move in and win business, says International Business Times, Aug 12.
Industry analyst Jeff Kagan offers comment on this new growth.
“First we saw telephone companies getting into the television business a few years ago with IPTV. AT&T Uverse, Verizon FiOS and CenturyLink Prism are competitors and winning business from traditional cable television companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox,” says Wireless analyst Kagan.
“New technology and new competitors are changing the economics of the television business. It used to be the cable television companies never cared whether the customer was happy because they had no place else to go. That caused a significant brand damage to the cable TV world,” says Technology analyst Kagan.
“Smart cable television companies are working on this problem, and making progress, but it is still a very sizable problem and customers are looking at the competitors for innovation, lower cost, better service and customer care,” says Tech analyst Kagan.
“Poor service and ever increasing prices have put a bad taste in the customers mouth when it comes to the traditional cable television industry,” says Telecom analyst Kagan.
“Telephone companies have been growing and changing over the last decade or two. They started successfully offering competition to cable television a few years ago. Now they are taking it to the next step,” says Principal analyst Kagan.
“AT&T wants to acquire DirecTV giving them the ability to start competing on a nationwide basis. Verizon is also talking about offering a competitive wireless television service through their wireless network,” says Kagan.
“Sprint has not said anything about wireless TV, but they have the spectrum to compete if they choose to step in the same direction,” says Kagan.
It looks like there is going to be a revolution in television over the next few years led by AT&T and Verizon according to what they are saying. Also expect other innovative ideas to surface and impact the marketplace like perhaps Sprint and other IPTV offerings.
“This is starting to look like a real game changer for the traditional cable television industry,” says Kagan.
Companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox have been loosing market share in recent years thanks in part to new competition from the telephone companies and Internet services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon.com and others.
“This is a big problem for the cable TV industry if they cannot turn things around,” says Kagan.
Some of the problem with cable television is poor service. Other problem is high prices. Another problem is poor customer service or lack of innovation.
“The cable television industry has not treated it’s customers well over the last few decades and it’s starting to bite them now. I guess the customer get’s the last laugh. But the games not over. I expect more fight from these companies. Let’s see what happens next,” says Kagan.
“If Verizon Wireless is successful offering wireless television, there is no reason AT&T Mobility and Sprint could not jump right into wireless TV as well. This would allow them all to compete on a nationwide basis, and not just regionally,” says Kagan.
CenturyLink and other telephone companies are not moving in this same direction yet, but they could. Stay tuned.
About Jeff Kagan
Jeff Kagan is an industry analyst, consultant, columnist, author, speaker and futurist. He shares his opinion in many ways over 25 years. Helping to understand our changing world, technology, industry and competition.
He is regularly quoted by the media. He offers comment to reporters and journalists on wireless, telecom, Internet, cable television, IPTV and other tech news stories.
Kagan is known as a Technology Analyst, Tech Analyst, Wireless Analyst, Smartphone Analyst, Telecom Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst and Principal Analyst.
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Contact: Jeff Kagan by email at jeff(at)jeffKAGAN(dot)com or by phone at 770-579-5810.
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Full Disclosure: Jeff Kagan is an independent industry analyst. He offers comment to the media on breaking news, announcements, technologies and the changing marketplace. He also writes columns and press releases offering comment, and is an author and speaker. He also works on a consulting basis sharing his opinion.
Twitter: Follow him at @jeffkagan.
Jeff KAGAN, Jeff Kagan, Tech Analyst, Industry Analyst, http://www.jeffKAGAN.com, +1 770-579-5810, [email protected]
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