FW: Cable Modems and Choosing an ISP

["Matthew L. Mandalek" <mandalek@hlc.net>]

  I attended the '95 Western Cable Expo in the Los Angeles area a few months ago.  Most of the cable companies and modem makers there had no idea what to do as an ISP.  They seem to be happier with simply supplying the transport and connecting to an existing 1st tier ISP.
  
  Matt Mandalek
  mandalek@hlc.net
  HLC.internet, Inc.
  Director of Show Services
  
  
  ----------
  From:  Jim Armstrong[SMTP:jma2@erinet.com]
  Sent:  Wednesday, February 14, 1996 4:47 AM
  To:  Multiple recipients of list
  Subject:  Re: Cable Modems and Choosing an ISP 
  
  >(cross posted to telecomreg and com-priv)
  >
  >With all the talk about cable modems, I would like to better understand=20
  >one point.  Will the Cable company (which under the new telecom law may=20
  >be the local exchange carrier) decide who you can connect to, in terms of=
  >=20
  >an Internet Service Provider?  That is, since the cable system is not a=20
  >common carriage platform, will the firm that provides the cable modem=20
  >decide which ISP you can use, and more or less be in a position to insist=
  >=20
  >on rather agressive terms with the value added information providers?  If
  >so, why aren't the current crop of ISPs (or other value added
  >information service providers) more nervous?  What am I missing?
  
  Who says they're not?
  I would >believe< that the cable consortiums would provide access to all at
  some profitable rate.... and since many ISP's are now finding how difficult
  it is to just keep their news and mail servers running at sufficient
  capacity , I believe the cable carriers will be happy to serve as network
  access the way telcos do now.
  
  >   The following is a interesting press release for Rogers Wave, a
  >cable/Internet service provided in Canada.=20
  
  >customers in Ontario and British Columbia. The company also owns and
  >operates 131 video stores (Rogers Video) and a high speed access provider
  >(Rogers Network Services).
  
  Note that Rogers is already in the ISP business!
  Jim Armstrong
  - Office Information Technologies, Inc -
  513.864.5385
  PO Box 2025
  Fairborn, OH 45324