Incumbent hotspot vendors are introducing new products to meet demand from cable operators. Bel Air Networks, which names Comcast Corp. and Cablevision Systems Corp. as customers, launched its strand-mounted 802.11n AP with an integrated Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) 3.0 cable modem in February. Ruckus Wireless recently announced that its new strand-mounted 802.11n DOCSIS 3.0 AP with its patented beamforming technology is available for cable operators to test.
Comcast Corp., Cablevision Systems Corp. and Time Warner Cable announced an agreement in April to allow subscribers in the New York metro area, including parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, to roam between all of the operators' previously independent Wi-Fi networks. Each wireless AP displays authentication options for all three services -- Cablevision's Optimum Wi-Fi, Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi and Comcast's Xfinity Wi-Fi.
Meanwhile, Cox Communications has generated some revenue from its free Wi-Fi strategy. The cable operator installs and manages wireless APs in customer-facing Rhode Island and Connecticut businesses, selling the service to businesses as a way for them to attract customers. Cox-branded Wi-Fi is free to anyone near the hotspot, regardless of whether or not the user is a Cox subscriber.
"It's a wireless land grab," said David Callisch, vice president of marketing at Ruckus. "Whether you're a wireless company, a cable company or a podunk LEC, everybody's trying to grab subscribers, and they're doing it any way they know how."
Although free Wi-Fi hotspots alone are unlikely to poach a significant number of new subscribers from traditional telecom and mobile carriers, analysts say they have the potential to be a selling point -- and profitable -- if cable operators can tie them into fixed-line services.
"This integrated services environment is starting to set the standard for value perception," Jude said. "Now you can say that it's not just a video service. Now you have data, and if you're located in [a Wi-Fi coverage area], you can extend that data presence to wherever you are."