Marketing fluff, profit sharing, or really the ultimate in convergence? Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications have just signed a 20 year agreement to integrate all your media and data in a “quadruple play” of services. Sprint, the linchpin of the arrangement, is dropping a cool $100 million to provide a variety of functionality through your “third screen” using their new high-speed EV-DO network.
The companies say: The next generation wireless phone will be designed to connect customers of Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Advance/Newhouse Communications to Sprint through Sprint’s nationwide high-speed Power Vision(TM) EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) network and integrate products from each cable company. Customers using the converged services will be able to seamlessly interface between email, home and mobile voicemail, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and photo programs. The parties plan to implement and sell Power Vision(TM) EV-DO-enabled handsets and service packages that will enable customers to:
- Use interactive features like remotely programming their home DVRs
- Have a single voice mailbox that serves both the home and the wireless phone
- Access innovative new calling plans which allow for unlimited calls between the home and the wireless device
- Surf the Internet using their cable Internet portal
- Send and receive e-mail from their cable high-speed Internet account
- Access unique content like streaming television programming, music, video clips, games and pre-recorded DVR programs
And by “Cell” you mean cell phone, not Cell processor. Gotcha.