Despite being a man who had spent his entire career lobbying for the cable industry, he realized the importance of putting specific consumer interests ahead of financial prosperity. It is his firm belief, conveniently inspired by lobbyists from the cable industry, that removing these restrictions will do nothing but open up further options for economic prosperity within the telecom market. Truth be told, the new direction does open up several new opportunities for cable industry incumbents like AT&T and Verizon, who are under the impression that they might finally have a fighting chance against cheaper and easier alternatives like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube TV. Cable broadband providers may have more than just one nasty trick up their sleeves, says Reinhardt, who is convinced that speed caps and selective blocking of websites are yet another possible direction we are heading towards. With Google announcing the foundation of YouTube TV, an ad-powered $35 Live TV service featuring networks such as CBS, NBC and Fox, and Hulu launching its own Live TV program in Spring, one thing's for certain.

Source: Forbes March 08, 2017 17:01 UTC