Sanders Media

Have any of you seen the recent ad campaign from Verizon? It shows a new service that allows your home phone to communicate with the wireless phones of your entire family. Comcast is developing a device that allows a shared phonebook, as well as instant messaging.

These products highlight the convergence of our digital services. Where we once had completely separate services, we now find them coming together. These include our television, mobile & home phones and internet access. This has surely been aided by the relaxing of regulations regarding cable television. In my community, Comcast fought tooth and nail to prevent AT&T from providing their television service.

While there are certainly concerns about all of our eggs being in one basket, it is exciting to see where this technology will take us. Let’s hope the competition in local markets will be a win for consumers.

Greetings from Montauk, NY. My southern accent is definitely getting me some curious looks.

I finally caved. I can’t take my slow DSL uploads anymore (downloads aren’t that much better). Fortunately, I don’t have to change ISP’s.

For those that don’t know, U-verse is a product offered by AT&T. It provides telephone, television and internet service to it’s customers. The beauty of this is the use of Fiber Optics. I will be jumping from 1.5 mbps to 6.0 mbps. While cable can do that already, I’m not in love with our cable provider, Comcast. I know some have beefs with AT&T, but I’ve chosen the lesser of the evils.

For me, the most exciting thing about U-verse is the way the DVR will be used. We’ll have one DVR in the house. However, every other TV in the house will be able to access that DVR. This will allow my family to watch recordings on any TV in the house.

AT&T hasn’t rolled out service everywhere, but when they do, it might be worth your while to try it.