AT&T's Entry into dial-up

andrew@benkard.com ((andrew@benkard.com))
Wed, 6 Mar 1996 14:34:00 -0800


<i>>Bottom line, independent service providers need to look at the</i>
<i>>born-again stage of becoming "content providers".</i>

I disagree. They should concentrate on protecting or establishing a niche in
the access business.

Creating content is a long way from what they're good at (i.e. "core
competence"), and any content that they would host would either have to be
1) proprietary (e.g. alt.local.news.small-isp or a high-maintenance website)
or 2) open to everyone's customers, which defeats the purpose.

It's natural for for an industry to evolve into one favoring the low-cost
provider. But there's always room for more nimble enterprises that cater to
niche markets. The small ISPs can provide more personal service, adopt newer
technologies more quickly, often know local markets better, and do just
about everything faster.

<i>>Nobody survives head-on collision with freight trains.</i>

Sure there will be a shakeout. But, to continue the analogy, the small
choo-choos should get off the big tracks and service the out-of-the-way places.

Andrew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew Benkard Project Manager
Dow Jones & Co., Inc. Voice (609) 520-7752
Princeton, NJ 08543 andrew@benkard.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why is this signature black?

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