Om Malik, on GigaOm today, highlights the return of wireless broadband (ie. LMDS/MMDS) and it’s blooming love affair with VoIP.
I agree that the new carriers are smart in looking to be telco replacements. In addition to voice the demand will also be for entertainment. Over the weekend I purchased a new Gateway Windows Media Center. I now get my TV, Music and Data over one box. What’s more, the audio processing is so great that I held a few Skype calls using a Labtec mic and the Gateway speakers. No feedback. While my connection was Wi-Fi (802.11g) to the Microsoft access point that was wired to my downstairs Microsoft Access Point, meaning in my house before the signal went to the Internet it had to go through four pieces of equipment (AP, Router, AT&T Media Gateway for Call Vantage, Motorola Cable Modem from Cox) and a CAT 5 cable from upstairs to downstairs, the calls were perfect.
Once remote areas get wired as Om discussed, all this explodes.