Story in development – Who holds the keys to the digital front door?

Countless words have been written about the so-called 'last mile' when it comes to delivering high-speed data services to Australian homes. But comparatively little time has been devoted to discussing the very end of that mile - the last ten metres from the front door into the home itself. Ultimately whoever controls that final connection and the box it empties into will have a huge say over how we consume media in the future, including the television we watch and the music we purchase. The BigPond/Foxtel combination seems to be the frontrunner for what the model of a future integrated infrastructure/content company will look like, in terms of its ability to 'un-meter' digital content on its own network, but it is not alone out there. The games console makers Sony and Microsoft also want to see themselves well represented, and it is doubtful that any ISP or media company with an eye to the future will want to sit by idly.

If anyone wants to contribute their two cents to a story for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald regarding who and what will influence home media consumption in the future, please drop me a comment below or contact me by email.

Comments

[Vishal]

I see two/ players only
One is Telstra/Foxtel (obvious) and dominant player
Other is 3 because of their advance mobile network with 3g capabilities, where others have struggled and are in catchup mode. I will say the content via mobile in yr home is going to happen soon as compared to copper lines/cable. Why I’m bullish because growth in China/India mobile market is changing the dynamics rapidly in this pace in terms of capabilities. Digital content is delivered/will be delivered first via mobile then landlines in these places, which is driving the rapid innovation.

And in terms who can will deliver it well, it has to be Apple, In Australia, apple doesn’t have that much presence, but with a tie up with Telstra can make it happen.