• Rainbow Broadband Shows Broadband Access Options Continue to Multiply

    I had a briefing with Rainbow Broadband Inc. this morning, a company which I wasn't familiar with, but which is offering an innovative wireless broadband solution in the NYC metro area. RBI again demonstrates how reliable broadband access is like oxygen to many businesses today, an absolute requirement to their success.

    RBI is installing microwave links around NY, with plans to expand to Brooklyn and New Jersey soon and elsewhere in the U.S. eventually. They have at least 2 clear value propositions, first redundant connectivity to primary fiber connections, and second, broadband access to class B and C buildings, whose tenants might otherwise not be able to get anything better than a 1.5 mbps T1 service currently.

    To put RBI in perspective, they're most popular service is a 10mbps connection that has a list price of $1,250/mo. 5mbps is $625/mo. While a lot of their business is still for data and voice applications, video is coming on strong. Consider all the broadband video companies located in downtown NYC alone, which must have reliable connectivity and it sure feels like RBI has a lot of room to grow.

    Often lost in the hype of UGC, social networking, etc, is the undeniable fact that absent robust, economical broadband connectivity, the companies supplying these services wouldn't be viable nor would there be audiences in the first place who could gain access.

    As video becomes an ever more important part of economic growth, especially in metro areas with creative communities, broadband infrastructure is vital. Isn't it great to know that bandwidth companies like RBI continue to flourish?