More on Comcast...

[jc at trillian.mit.edu (John Chambers)]

Robert La Ferla writes:
| *set cynical mode=on*
|
| Perhaps, this is the reason for the modem "upgrade":
|
| Peter Howe from the Globe wrote: "Comcast Corp., however, is looking
| only upward in its tiering strategy. In what could be a glimpse of its
| future broadband offers in New England, Comcast is currently testing in
| New Haven, Conn., a $65-a-month plan -- about $20 more than its standard
| residential broadband plan -- that offers faster downloads through a
| device that also lets users connect several computers through wireless
| and cable connections to their broadband cable modem connection. An even
| faster $95 plan is also in the works."

Yeah, I read that article, too.  What occurred to me was  that  their
management  may  be  realizing  that  they are NOT going to stop home
networks, no matter how much they try to outlaw them.  And  they  are
losing  to companies that support such things.  So they might as well
try to get into the business of leasing equipment that supports  home
networks.

There are zillions of wireless consumer products  coming  to  market.
There is a strong move afoot to make consumer entertainment equipment
use IP (wired and wireless) to communicate  between  the  components.
ISPs  that  try  to  ban  such products are facing a very quick death
unless they stop trying to block this and start selling the equipment
to support it.

The comm companies can only  succeed  at  blocking  communication  so
long,  before  they  have to grudgingly permit it.  And the ones that
support it just may be the ones that succeed in the long  run  (i.e.,
past the current fiscal year).