NCTA Pres. Robert Sachs told cable public affairs specialists Tue...

South, Qwest and SBC -- basically shot themselves in foot by “warehousing” DSL for 10 years, giving cable “first to market” edge in field of high-speed Internet service. “And we should say, ‘Thank you,'” Sachs said to laughter. While acknowledging Bell companies’ criticism that regulatory factors had held DSL back, Sachs attributed cable’s market lead to lower prices, easier installation and “a better online experience.” Despite some observers’ criticism that take rates for broadband had been low, Sachs said reality showed that rates were quite high and even higher than adoption was in early years of color TV, cellphones and other now-ubiquitous technologies. Cable broadband is available to 70 million homes, and cable says it has 7.2 million (more than 10%) of those homes as subscribers, he said. Among households with computers, take rate is 17%, he said. Meanwhile, Sachs said, DSL is available to 51.5 million households and 3.5 million customers have taken it. Sachs sent message to FCC, asking that if it determined later this week that cable modem service was “information service,” that commissioners should “make clear what this means and also make clear that such services are interstate in nature and not subject to a myriad of conflicting state and local regulations.” Sachs also criticized Silicon Valley advocacy group, TechNet, which has been lobbying lawmakers for nationwide broadband agenda that would include 100 Mbps broadband transmission speeds to 100 million homes and businesses by 2010. He called such goal “a field of dreams” and said TechNet was relying on others -- cable operators -- to build such system. Sachs said cable industry, which is 80% finished with $55 billion in nationwide plant and equipment upgrades, would move in that direction only when consumer demand was demonstrated.