# A Broadband Solution for DBS?



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*DBS services to collaborate on broadband?*

Last week, CNBC and others reported that DirecTV and EchoStar
may jointly invest as much as $1 billion in developing an
alternative wireless broadband platform. Any effort may
include other investors, such as Intel. And the investment
may be made in the wireless broadband operator Motient.

Said Jeff Wlodarczak of Wachovia Securities, "By working
together, the satellite TV players can defray the risk and
the cost."

Wlodarczak added that a DBS-backed wireless technology may
face challenges in competing with cable in urban markets.
But the technology is well suited to rural and smaller
suburban markets with close to 32 million households, the
analyst said.

"This type of service should eventually - long-term - allow
the satellite players to offer a quadruple play - video,
data, VoIP phone and wireless," the analyst said. "We continue
to believe satellite TV players are positioned for long term
control of the majority of rural households."

www.SkyReport.com - used with permission

(Ed. note: We don't make this stuff up, folks! )


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

Now why couldn't they have worked to do all the locals in the country years ago in analog and now in Hd ? They could have cut down on the cost and been competing with cable across the county years ago. 

Think about all that duplication going on up there right now that could have been avoided. Think about the picture quality that would have been improved by not having to add all those local channels crammed on the transponder. 

They could have had a joint owned company that did nothing but locals ;/analog and digital . They could of worked to do nothing but excellent pq for locals for the entire country , Puerta Rico , U. S. territories etc.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Mike D-CO5 said:


> Think about all that duplication going on up there right now that could have been avoided. Think about the picture quality that would have been improved by not having to add all those local channels crammed on the transponder.


One man's duplication is another man's competition.

Television coverage is not an REA (Rural Electrification Administration) mandate. The market drives whatever progress is made and that seems to be the new model. Too much collaboration would probably bear scrutiny from the FTC as anti-competitive.

Look also for cable competition to become a larger issue in smaller markets. Local dialtone is probably a good model for what to expect from cable companies who are being screwed out of their franchises that were designed, in part, to help protect investment in plant upgrades.

I don't think that the United States is quite ready for state run television.


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

I really don't get what you mean by state run televison. I am talking about two satellite companies joining together to help defray cost to provide locals so they can compete with their only real competitors ; cable and phone companies. Isn't that what they are going to do for wireless broadband internet ? I don't think you would call that state run internet . 

I see no difference between one venture or the other. Many cities have one site for both Dish and Directv for their locals to be run to the pop for both companies. It isn't that much of a stretch to see both satellite companies putting money into a third company that does nothing but locals in both analog and digital. They could have a board made of both company 's engineers and they could defray the cost. They could encrypt it anyway they want to get it to the individual company platform . 

IF satellite doesn't come up with a way to compete in regards to locals against both cable and the telephone companies , they will see their numbers go down. People want their locals/network tv . The biggest thing both companies did to improve their numbers in the past was to add locals. 

I am only saying they should join forces , like they are doing for wireless broadband internet , to save money and to compete to provide the combination people want; tv/internet/ wireless and voip phone and thier local tv stations.


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## DannyStraessle (May 3, 2004)

A web site named www.localtvonsatellite.com promoted itself as such a solution. It offered to maintain satellites carrying locals and sell signal access to E* & D*. I always thought it was a good idea. While the url is still active, it points now to a company named Capitol Broadcasting Company based in Raleigh that owns a few network affiliates.


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