Da-Chief
05-22-2008, 17:27
http://i.dslr.net/urls/92/4592.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Looking-To-Sell-Rural-Networks-94653)
Just a month after Verizon sold (http://www.corpsman.com/shownews/93150) their Maine DSL & landline network, the Brunswick Times Record (http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/91289CABC2DFCD280525744F00537B8E?Opendocument) says that Comcast is looking to sell its own networks in the State. One analyst says (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/05/22/comcast-looks-to-sell-2-of-basic-video-subs-pali-says/) the potential deal would impact eleven towns and up to around 500,000 customers (2% of Comcast's total footprint). Speculation is that Time Warner Cable would be the most likely buyer, but nothing's confirmed.
It looks like Comcast may be considering the sale of a number of additional rural markets in other states as well. Are we witnessing the beginning of a larger trend where incumbents abandon rural markets completely -- instead of bothering to upgrade them with next-gen (DOCSIS 3.0, FiOS) service? Is the gutting of the local franchising system (http://www.corpsman.com/shownews/82501) (which in most states essentially legalized the cherry picking of only profitable markets) part of the equation?
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Looking-To-Sell-Rural-Networks-94653)
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Just a month after Verizon sold (http://www.corpsman.com/shownews/93150) their Maine DSL & landline network, the Brunswick Times Record (http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/91289CABC2DFCD280525744F00537B8E?Opendocument) says that Comcast is looking to sell its own networks in the State. One analyst says (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/05/22/comcast-looks-to-sell-2-of-basic-video-subs-pali-says/) the potential deal would impact eleven towns and up to around 500,000 customers (2% of Comcast's total footprint). Speculation is that Time Warner Cable would be the most likely buyer, but nothing's confirmed.
It looks like Comcast may be considering the sale of a number of additional rural markets in other states as well. Are we witnessing the beginning of a larger trend where incumbents abandon rural markets completely -- instead of bothering to upgrade them with next-gen (DOCSIS 3.0, FiOS) service? Is the gutting of the local franchising system (http://www.corpsman.com/shownews/82501) (which in most states essentially legalized the cherry picking of only profitable markets) part of the equation?
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Looking-To-Sell-Rural-Networks-94653)
More...