Bresnan Communications, a Purchase, NY based MSO, is building a metro Wi-Fi network in Billings, MT. Bresnan joins a growing list of cable MSOs, including Wave Broadband of Seattle, WA, who are building metro wireless broadband networks to gain competitive advantage. Bresnan will offer broadband wireless connectivity free of charge to its Billings cable modem customers and will charge non-Bresnan customers for access. The tactic represents a growing strategy of offering broadband across an entire market footprint, or broadband beyond the home.
Broadband beyond the home provides a portable (or mobile) broadband experioence, allowing service providers to meet their subscriber’s growing appetite for connectivity wherever they choose. By building a metro wireless broadband network, service providers aim to prevent home broadband subscribers from building a business relationship with a potential competitor who provides portable/mobile broadband access. As wireless broadband evolves, the portability requirement will migrate to a true mobility solution, challenging all broadband carriers to develop a robust broadband beyond the home strategy.
For more details on the Bresnan strategy, read this Cable Digital News article.
Isn't metro wi-fi pretty dead? Not sure it makes sense to do this.
I don’t think this Bresnan illustration is an apples to apples comparison with municipal/metro wi-fi networks, which are under scutiny these days. What Bresnan is doing is extending their broadband experience beyond the home for their current broadband subs. It’s a different model than muni wi-fi, where access is offered to everyone for free or for a fee. In my opinion, all broadband carriers should be looking to offer wireless broadband as a value add to their landline broadband subs. Why make those subs go to a Clearwire or Sprint/Verizon. Realizing this is easier said than done, nevertheless, I think it should be looked at real hard.