While there has been no clamor among cable operators to start offering mobile wireless with the iPhone--one could argue there has been no clamor among cable operators to start offering mobile wireless, period--that avenue will effectively be shut down when Verizon (NYSE: VZ) introduces its version of the smartphone.
If, as all goes according to everyone's expectations, Verizon introduces an iPhone product today, it would join a very exclusive--and closed--club whose only other member is AT&T (NYSE: T). The doors to the club are closed to outsiders such as Sprint (NYSE: S), T-Mobile and cable's only truly aggressive wireless player, Cox Communications.
On the other hand there's some good news, according to telecom analyst Jeff Kagan who told Multichannel News, "If Verizon Wireless has another AT&T Mobility-like exclusive, it will only be very short term--months rather than years."
Maybe by that time cable will have a mobile wireless play that could use an iPhone.
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