Triple-Play Services Pit Telcos Against Cable Companies: Report

Triple-play network services promises to ratchet-up competition between U.S. carriers, service providers and cable operators as consumers look to receive all of their IP data, voice and video from a single source, according to a survey conducted by InsightExpress for SupportSoft Inc,.

The survey found that 82% of broadband users are interested in receiving voice over IP (VoIP) , Internet television (IPTV), and data services from one provider. Consequently, service providers on both sides of the telecom/cable divide will soon be in savage competition for each other's customers. Most respondents cited convenience as their principal consideration, while 37% said that the believed this would improve or significantly improve customer service.

Customer service could be the major issue. Broadband customers face the prospect of adopting VoIP and IPTV with some trepidation. As many as 68% of cable broadband subscribers said they expect to face problems installing these technologies. The telecommunications carriers' digital subscriber line (DSL) users have similar concerns, with 60% saying that they anticipate problems with IPTV installation.

"The survey findings indicate that there is an opportunity for both DSL and cable providers to gain competitive advantage by meeting or exceeding customer expectations for triple play service and convenience, starting at the point of installation," SupportSoft senior vice president of products and marketing Chris Grejtak said in a statement. "More than just a competitive advantage, customer service is a critical requirement in combined IP-based voice, video and high-speed data delivery."