Cable Modems, Competition Important to Development of E-Commerce, Says ECom-Ohio Report - Industry Trend or Event

Cambridge Telcom Report, May 29, 2000

The cable industry's role as a leader in broadband technology is evident in reports issued Monday by Ecom-Ohio at a press conference with Governor Bob Taft and members of the Ecom-Ohio statewide steering committee.

Six regional reports assessed Ohio's readiness for electronic commerce and recommended action agendas to help Ohio lead in the coming e-commerce revolution. The action agendas require key industry, infrastructure and educational changes to be made at both the state and regional levels.

According to Ecom-Ohio's statewide report, Ohio's cable industry is ahead of the curve on deployment of high-speed Internet service. "The state is home to an aggressive cable industry and penetration rates for cable modem technology in the Ohio market are twice the national average," the report concluded.

The statewide report also echoed the cable industry's position that competition, not government intervention, will bring Ohio to the forefront of broadband technology.

According to the report, "Competition among network providers will be the main driver of network deployment among all regions, especially as more carriers enter the market and new technologies become more available and less expensive."

The Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association is one of 18 firms on the statewide steering committee that, along with the Ohio Department of Development, provide funding for Ecom-Ohio, an initiative of the Ohio Supercomputer Center's Technology Policy Group. OCTA member companies also provided representation on three of the regional ECOM-Ohio workteams.