What Does the Future Hold for Pure-Play ISPs?
By Thor Olavsrud August 14, 2001 Pure-play ISPs are going to have an uphill battle competing with incumbent telecommunications and cable providers in the residential broadband market, but many of them have an ace up their sleeves, according to a new report published by The Yankee Group Tuesday. “For the past year and a half, the major consumer ISPs have been publicly discussing their plans to launch into the broadband market and revolutionize the consumer Internet experience,” the report, Winning Residential Broadband Subscribers: Do Pure-Play ISPs Stand a Chance?, said. “However, to date only a couple of pure-play ISPs have made any progress in the broadband space, while the cable companies and Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) have take advantage of their deep pockets, political ties, and existing infrastructure and customer relationships to leap ahead of the ISPs that initially whet the consumer appetite for high-speed access. Once dominant in the consumer Internet sector, p
