Comments on: Access Line Losses Hurt: Verizon CEO

By: Verizon CEO Seidenberg’s Words of Entrepreneurial Wisdom

Verizon CEO Seidenberg’s Words of Entrepreneurial Wisdom — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:36:38 +0000

[...] from a man who is watching his landline business erode as Verizon makes huge investments in both fiber and wireless, this is knowledge Seidenberg has won [...]

By: Ma Bell and Its Vanishing Phone Lines

Ma Bell and Its Vanishing Phone Lines — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:17:02 +0000

[...] is indeed a problem that continues to haunt the incumbent carriers — across the board. Cable companies have done a good job of snatching voice customers. Many, [...]

By: A Dying Landline Business Sounds a Lot Like Static

A Dying Landline Business Sounds a Lot Like Static — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:01:14 +0000

[...] like, don’t just listen to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson or Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg talk about their landline losses over the last few quarters, come over to my house and lift the receiver on my landline phone. [...]

By: Hogares gringos abandonan lineas fijas

Hogares gringos abandonan lineas fijas — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:36:52 +0000

[...] en el iPhone. Lo anterior ha afactado a las telcos tradicionales como Verizon y AT&T. [GigaOM] Comparta esta nota [...]

By: Landlines Are Obsolete in Less Than a Generation

Landlines Are Obsolete in Less Than a Generation — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:31:29 +0000

[...] Stacey Higginbotham | Monday, March 2, 2009 | 5:30 PM PT | 0 comments Yesterday, when we moved my toddler to a “big-girl bed” — essentially a twin mattress on the floor of her room — I noted that I need to buy a faceplate to cover up the telephone jack, which is now at her eye level. And then I realized that the faceplate may never need to be removed because we, and likely the people who buy our house after we move, will have no need for a landline. [...]

By: iPod, Kindle, Facebook — and a Nomad Called Me

iPod, Kindle, Facebook — and a Nomad Called Me — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:57:37 +0000

[...] we are getting rid of another fixture in our homes: the landline phone. Every quarter, there are roughly 3 million fewer landline phones. A few changes of clothes and a computer, and suddenly home is not where the heart is, but where [...]

By: Qwest Profits Fall: It Could Use a Wireless Boost

Qwest Profits Fall: It Could Use a Wireless Boost — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:01:55 +0000

[...] transitioning their business to offer triple play services while losing land lines is like walking a tightrope in skates. Without a wireless business to boost its profits, Qwest is performing this trick without a net. [...]

By: Troy

Troy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:02:05 +0000

WiMax will get rid of the need for broadband wires and provide much faster speeds. This is only a matter of time and i cant wait. I’d like to be able to use my desktop, laptop, and nintendo wii and not notice serious lag when one or the other is running and possibly get ride of all my extra wiring.

By: With AT&T Job Cuts, Telco Recession is Official - GigaOM

With AT&T Job Cuts, Telco Recession is Official - GigaOM — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:41:31 +0000

[...] of its revenues. Adtran and ADC Telecom, other AT&T customers, could be hit hard as well. Other carriers, facing similar pressure, are going to follow suit and cut their spending on wireline businesses; [...]

By: Trouble Returns to the Land of Telecom - GigaOM

Trouble Returns to the Land of Telecom - GigaOM — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:29:03 +0000

[...] California, Texas and Florida, are getting hit the hardest. AT&T and Qwest are both seeing steep declines in their wireline connections and a slowdown in demand for Internet connections. This isn’t going to get better anytime [...]

By: Miki Szikszai

Miki Szikszai — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:39:58 +0000

@Om

I don't think Telcos are under-estimating the rate at which they are losing landlines. They know that. They are just not telling you and hoping that you as an investor won't notice....

By: Who Killed the VoIP Revolution? - GigaOM

Who Killed the VoIP Revolution? - GigaOM — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:33:02 +0000

[...] It continued with the shift from fixed voice lines to wireless phones, as evidenced by the drop in landlines . More recently, the guns have been turned toward the VoIP equipment vendors that begat the [...]

By: Ram Krishnan

Ram Krishnan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:21:22 +0000

A question: Is the loss of access lines being made up by FIOS gains? I know I gave up my Comcast HighSpeed to sign up for FIOS.

By: Curtis

Curtis — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:37:06 +0000

@Ian,

I agree in part with your statement, however I must point out that the cable companies are investing heavily in wireless. This is no coincidence as they too see the aforementioned sea change taking place. Of note, Comcast and Time Warner Cable invested in Xohm (wimax), and Cox Cable bought wireless spectrum in the FCC auction earlier this year. Additionally, the current surge in HDTV cable is due to federal mandate, not pure market demand.

The unwiring of homes is indeed taking place.

By: Ian Andrew Bell

Ian Andrew Bell — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:11:38 +0000

This is not a trend of "unwiring homes". In fact, with broadband continuing to grow and more subscribers signing up for HDTV cable, homes are getting more wired than ever before.

This is about voice communications and the long, protracted decline of the PSTN. Having a phone that's tied to a fixed location, with limited capabilities is less desireable to people where each member of the household has their own handset that goes with them and does other things.

That decline may well level off over time but is continuing to accelerate, so Om is not obsessing unjustifiably.

By: Curtis

Curtis — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:02:38 +0000

@Om,

You've pointed out what I refer to as the "disappearing elephant in the room", which is the unwiring of homes has created a massive opportunity for new businesses and new business models. Digital delivery/management of tv, video, music, and photos present tremendous new options for existing businesses and entrepreneurs who get ahead of this sea change. With Wimax, burgeoning femtocells, and wireless base stations consumers will choose devices and services which provide convenience in the home AND while mobile.

This change will accelerate over the next 12 months.

Best,

Curtis