So how can HDTV be cable's trump card if the telcos are rolling it out next month? During its Q3 results report, AT&T announced plans to offer HDTV in November through its IPTV service U-Verse in--where else--but San Antonio. The news comes after an initial HDTV trial in Houston proved to be a positive one. The U-Verse service currently claims a 10 percent penetration rate in San Antonio with around 3,000 customers. By the end of 2006, AT&T said it will have deployed U-Verse in about 15 markets across 13 states, each of which will offer HDTV.
The cable industry has proclaimed Verizon's FiOS TV as its only true rival in the pay TV market, currently, mostly because it runs over a similar fiber-coax network. Despite the claim, it still pokes fun at the service for not offering HDTV yet. AT&T's announcement should serve as a warning to the industry that the megamerged company is gunning for them.
For more on AT&T's HD plans:
- see this article at TVover.net