MOBILE MARKET FIGHT

The long-anticipated entry of the cable operators into the wireless market is upon us, and current players in the mobile market should take heed. In some respects, the plan announced last week by Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable and Advance/Newhouse Communications (see story on page 6) was expected: Those companies are relying on the wireless network infrastructure of Sprint, the country's leading network enabler of mobile virtual network operators, to power their wireless play. But this is not a typical MVNO play, and it does far more than add a wireless component to the cable operator's intended voice/video/data troika. For one, Sprint has positioned itself as a closely aligned wireless partner to what the cable operators are touting as a kind of industry cooperative to integrate wireless into their multimedia offerings. In a sense, Sprint has changed sides — if there are still sides to be taken in this rapidly converging industry. The carrier is not just providing the minutes to cable operators, it is acting as a partner in providing wireless to cable customers. And the content facet of a cable-spawned wireless offering certainly cannot be ignored, given the cable operators' access to content and proven ability to successfully provide it to their customers. What their content strategies will be with regard to wireless is still somewhat unclear, but already discussed is integration of cable content with Sprint's next-generation EV-DO wireless data service, integrated messaging and personal video recorder-related services. With this one deal, the wireless market has expanded, the telco/cable rivalry has been elevated and the future of multimedia content delivery has been redefined. Can the rest of the communications industry answer that challenge?