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A conversation with… Richard Martin (VON) and Edward Rogers (Rogers Communications). Big roll-outs: HSPDA3, DOCSIS3, enterprise ethernet.
Rogers’ roots are in wireless and radio, wireless is now biggest part of company. Trend to wireless is good, encompasses lots of opportunities. Trying to move to a world where we service all data products (working to sell more products per household). Competition innovating? We’re a big part of that, last 24 months (Apple iPhone, etc.). From network side, we can be good partners, build a robust network.
Globalization of networks: a lot of offices in Canada, they want access to information on timely basis, a few partners (not overwhelming number) in each country. Partners will tend to rely on companies that look the same and act the same, a trend that’s still morphing. Focus on development, time to market.
Does Rogers have a role in telco-TV? How do you see other carriers in this space? We have 2.3B cable customers. Where others are starting to play in other areas, we’re extending to our customers the content that they want, for example paying once for CNN in all formats. Rights is a huge problem (market may have pre-sold rights to other channels or media companies).
Industry trends: what are the challenges and opportunities going forward? Shift from voice to data, and shift to data on wireless. How customers act: we can’t change that, isn’t that much different from across the globe. Use of Internet: 40% higher data use than across the border. Customer use, demands, how to deliver and develop back end services. New markets: as world changes, make sure we change with it. Core businesses include torrents, voice calls, etc. – how does this work in our business model? How to differentiate ourselves? How to shift to new strategies?
Role of federal governments in this process? In US, there’s a lot of debate around a national broadband policy. Generally, hearings happen in Canada too: how to make sure rural customers get access to same services, in areas with only one carrier, how do you bring choice? Net neutrality continues to morph, how to determine where customers want to go? Carriers should be able to manage network the best they can, we make choices to support an open marketplace, how to stay relevant. Problem with many net neutrality advocates: they oppose free market, at odds. Bandwidth, need to monitize key assets, keep up with products and services, need to keep focus on management of resources for benefit of all parties.
Cloud services and cloud communications: networks can’t always give access to cloud, need to improve quality (consistence, speed) to enhance services to develop as we’re getting there. Business customers are getting a better understanding of what cloud computing means, they need to ensure balance between needs and costs.
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