AT&T May Attempt Price War With Google Fiber
Updated from 12:12 a.m. E.T. to reflect AT&T comment and additional data throughout
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The CEOs of telecom, media and technology giants have often been referred to as moguls because of their spendthrift acquisitions and proximity to Hollywood and music industry celebrity. Increasingly, however, it seems that they are now bracing for trench warfare in a fast-changing TMT space that could require the skill set of a wartime general.
No front appears to be a better leading indicator of brewing unrest throughout the sector than Google's
The scenario of a nationwide virtual MSO -- or at least one with scale in most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. -- could be the foundation for the rise of a la carte media offerings from the likes of Netflix
Google has moved quickly with its Fiber launch in Kansas City. Nevertheless, the offering has so far seemed more like a Cold War against the traditional media universe. Now, industry watchers may have a clear sign that a long-awaited melee is on the verge of breaking out.
On Tuesday, AT&T said it will launch a fiber-to-the-home service with 300 megabit speeds in Austin, Texas, this December that will be upgraded to 1 Gbps by 2014. AT&T's move into high-speed fiber is being taken by some analysts as trying to run in front of Google Fiber's 2014 deployment in Austin.
It could also amount to a price war waged by the telecom giant that might diminish the profitability a larger Google Fiber roll-out and possibly cause the internet-search giant to rethink its virtual MSO strategy.
Google Fiber is likely to offer its 1 Gbps service and a set of pay-TV channels in Austin for $120 a month, similar to Kansas City where the service has seen strong signs of adoption. Will AT&T in rolling out a competing service try to undercut that pricing package? If so, Kirjner says that what looked like a profitable virtual MSO offering with internal rates of return in excess of 30% could become a far more economically challenging proposition in a larger rollout.