Comments on: Will the carriers body-snatch the Net with HTML5? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/ Same old blog, brand new place Tue, 14 May 2013 21:32:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Doc Searls Weblog · Will the carriers body-snatch the Net with HTML5? « turnings :: daniel berlinger http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-306159 Doc Searls Weblog · Will the carriers body-snatch the Net with HTML5? « turnings :: daniel berlinger Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:47:48 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-306159 [...] Doc Searls Weblog · Will the carriers body-snatch the Net with HTML5?: It’s at least clear that TV is the elephant in the snake of the Net’s time. It is moving off the air and over the top of cable and telephony. Still, the Internet is sold as a service already by cablecos and telcos that hate the thought of remaining a “dumb pipe.” [...] [...] Doc Searls Weblog · Will the carriers body-snatch the Net with HTML5?: It’s at least clear that TV is the elephant in the snake of the Net’s time. It is moving off the air and over the top of cable and telephony. Still, the Internet is sold as a service already by cablecos and telcos that hate the thought of remaining a “dumb pipe.” [...]

]]> By: dustbury.com » Cord uncut for now http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-305537 dustbury.com » Cord uncut for now Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:48:23 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-305537 [...] more, the urge to get television over the Net may lead to discouraging-sounding scenarios like this one: [Television] is moving off the air and over the top of cable and telephony. Still, the Internet [...] [...] more, the urge to get television over the Net may lead to discouraging-sounding scenarios like this one: [Television] is moving off the air and over the top of cable and telephony. Still, the Internet [...]

]]> By: Bill Bushey http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-305008 Bill Bushey Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:56:06 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-305008 I agree, there is cause to be worried. But I'm more optimistic about ISPs trying to get in on the NaaS market, because the market will still require high quality services (something I will contend ISPs have not done regarding OTT). Application developers are still going to face the pressures of providing users with applications that work well. This will trickle down to a pressure for high quality on the providers of services that applications rely on. What ‘high quality’ means will, of course, vary from service to service, but I argue there will be many instances in which an ISP is not naturally positioned to offer the highest quality service. For example, high quality in a location service will often mean accurate to the street address level and fast enough to pass the test of user patience. ISP location provided service will fail on the accuracy measure, as network-based location services usually have a maximum resolution of the city or state level (even then, I’ve seen network based location fail miserably by claiming I am in Chicago even though I am actually two states over in Minneapolis.) If street level accuracy is a requirement of an application, then getting that information from the user’s device will be the fastest method. If there is a competitive market for providing location information, I’m not very confident in the ability of ISPs to provide a competitive service. It seems to me that the markets of NaaS will be highly competitive at the beginning, as both settled giants (Google, Amazon, Apple) and bright-eyed start ups will rush into the space. I think in many instances, this will be a repeat of ISPs’ attempts to provide webmail and portals. The market isn’t going to pay much attention to lackluster offerings from ISPs when there are much better offerings coming from 3rd parties (and when was the last time you saw an ISP portal or webmail that was as good as those of Google, MSN, or Yahoo?) (For the record, I am serious when I say I’m a bit worried. The policy side of this issue is murkier, but I still see reason to hope for a free Internet, and I thought some optimism was called for here.) I agree, there is cause to be worried. But I’m more optimistic about ISPs trying to get in on the NaaS market, because the market will still require high quality services (something I will contend ISPs have not done regarding OTT).

Application developers are still going to face the pressures of providing users with applications that work well. This will trickle down to a pressure for high quality on the providers of services that applications rely on. What ‘high quality’ means will, of course, vary from service to service, but I argue there will be many instances in which an ISP is not naturally positioned to offer the highest quality service. For example, high quality in a location service will often mean accurate to the street address level and fast enough to pass the test of user patience. ISP location provided service will fail on the accuracy measure, as network-based location services usually have a maximum resolution of the city or state level (even then, I’ve seen network based location fail miserably by claiming I am in Chicago even though I am actually two states over in Minneapolis.) If street level accuracy is a requirement of an application, then getting that information from the user’s device will be the fastest method. If there is a competitive market for providing location information, I’m not very confident in the ability of ISPs to provide a competitive service.

It seems to me that the markets of NaaS will be highly competitive at the beginning, as both settled giants (Google, Amazon, Apple) and bright-eyed start ups will rush into the space. I think in many instances, this will be a repeat of ISPs’ attempts to provide webmail and portals. The market isn’t going to pay much attention to lackluster offerings from ISPs when there are much better offerings coming from 3rd parties (and when was the last time you saw an ISP portal or webmail that was as good as those of Google, MSN, or Yahoo?)

(For the record, I am serious when I say I’m a bit worried. The policy side of this issue is murkier, but I still see reason to hope for a free Internet, and I thought some optimism was called for here.)

]]> By: Doc Searls http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-304694 Doc Searls Mon, 20 Aug 2012 02:36:09 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-304694 Joseph, the "body snatch" is humorous, but serious too. Here's another metaphor: the Net we know is the goose, not the golden egg. Telcos and cablecos are two single-purpose industries that see the Net as a golden egg they can sell, and forget the goose it came from. Jscott, I haven't studied Google's fiber initiative enough to say. So forgive me for holding off on that. Joseph, the “body snatch” is humorous, but serious too. Here’s another metaphor: the Net we know is the goose, not the golden egg. Telcos and cablecos are two single-purpose industries that see the Net as a golden egg they can sell, and forget the goose it came from.

Jscott, I haven’t studied Google’s fiber initiative enough to say. So forgive me for holding off on that.

]]> By: Jscott http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-304655 Jscott Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:22:40 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-304655 Would Google's Fiber initiative pose an alternative? Would Google’s Fiber initiative pose an alternative?

]]> By: Joseph Ratliff http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/08/19/will-the-carriers-body-snatch-the-net-with-html5/comment-page-1/#comment-304628 Joseph Ratliff Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:53:03 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=5380#comment-304628 Doc, I hope you're wrong too... but it doesn't read like it. But, I did like the humorous "body snatch" reference. :) Doc,

I hope you’re wrong too… but it doesn’t read like it.

But, I did like the humorous “body snatch” reference. :)

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