AT&T Hires New CTO, Also Migrating UVerse Customers Over To DTV?

[CSM]

www.multichannel.com/new ··· t/393832

Enrique Rodriguez, a former Cisco Systems and Microsoft exec who most recently was with Sirius XM, has been named executive vice president and chief technical officer for AT&T, the company confirmed.

In that role, he’ll oversee both U-verse and DirecTV and help to lead up the technical integration of those services, Variety first reported, noting that former DirecTV CTO Rômulo Pontual left after AT&T closed its merger with DirecTV in July. AT&T also confirmed Pontual's departure.


http://www.fiercecable.com/story/at...s-u-verse-subs-may-migrate-cheaper/2015-09-16

"Stephens also said that he expects AT&T to be able to negotiate better rights deals with content providers now that it has a total of 26 million customers that could potentially view the content. "We are working with content providers to bring these prices in line and now we have 26 million subscribers to make an impact on that," he said.

When asked if he expects AT&T U-verse customers to migrate to DirecTV, he said that AT&T hopes to give customers a choice but that there may be DirecTV packages that offer cost savings to U-verse customers that may provide incentive for customers to switch. Indeed, Wells Fargo analysts noted that there's a $17 difference on average between U-verse and DTV platforms. "In the event of this sub migration, we would expect these subs to benefit from the lower DTV rate card (which is a positive for the T cost structure)," noted Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche.

Huang said AT&T plans to keep DirecTV's Genie set-top box hardware and install a new platform and user interface on the hardware that combines U-verse and DirecTV offerings.

Interestingly, Stephens also noted that the company is cross-training its installer force so they can install multiple products -- U-verse and DirecTV -- because the company wants to bundle its DirecTV product with its U-verse broadband service. Stephens noted that being able to do one truck roll and install both products will provide cost savings. "We are getting our technicians trained for a simple truck role so we can sell video products in our U-verse footprint."

 

[Jimbo]

www.multichannel.com/new ··· t/393832

Enrique Rodriguez, a former Cisco Systems and Microsoft exec who most recently was with Sirius XM, has been named executive vice president and chief technical officer for AT&T, the company confirmed.

In that role, he’ll oversee both U-verse and DirecTV and help to lead up the technical integration of those services, Variety first reported, noting that former DirecTV CTO Rômulo Pontual left after AT&T closed its merger with DirecTV in July. AT&T also confirmed Pontual's departure.


http://www.fiercecable.com/story/at...s-u-verse-subs-may-migrate-cheaper/2015-09-16

"Stephens also said that he expects AT&T to be able to negotiate better rights deals with content providers now that it has a total of 26 million customers that could potentially view the content. "We are working with content providers to bring these prices in line and now we have 26 million subscribers to make an impact on that," he said.

When asked if he expects AT&T U-verse customers to migrate to DirecTV, he said that AT&T hopes to give customers a choice but that there may be DirecTV packages that offer cost savings to U-verse customers that may provide incentive for customers to switch. Indeed, Wells Fargo analysts noted that there's a $17 difference on average between U-verse and DTV platforms. "In the event of this sub migration, we would expect these subs to benefit from the lower DTV rate card (which is a positive for the T cost structure)," noted Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche.

Huang said AT&T plans to keep DirecTV's Genie set-top box hardware and install a new platform and user interface on the hardware that combines U-verse and DirecTV offerings.

Interestingly, Stephens also noted that the company is cross-training its installer force so they can install multiple products -- U-verse and DirecTV -- because the company wants to bundle its DirecTV product with its U-verse broadband service. Stephens noted that being able to do one truck roll and install both products will provide cost savings. "We are getting our technicians trained for a simple truck role so we can sell video products in our U-verse footprint."

Only problem is the trucks are not big enough to handle all the U Verse Install equipment, D* installation equipment and repair as well.

ATT went to the Transit for a lot of U Verse employees, they can fit U verse stuff in it barely, I'm not sure how they are gonna have both products on the same truck and have everything.

I think they would be smart to actually have a D* crew as well as a U V crew.
It may not be as hard to do if the TV side of U V is not on the trucks, if they are having the D* install with a U V Internet, that would make sense.

 

[Bronxiniowa]

Also, some U-Verse customers might not be able to switch because of sightline issues.

 

[Jimbo]

Also, some U-Verse customers might not be able to switch because of sightline issues.

Yup, there's still gonna be people that can't get one or the other, either not in a U Verse supported area and no LOS.

 

[CSM]

Right now their might be a lot of equipment on the truck but their wont be once they only use DTV boxes. Also will they combine the Genie and AT&T's RG into an all in one unit? I was wondering about that since AT&T said they wont make anymore UVerse CPE. Would that only include their boxes and not their RG?

 

[Jimbo]

Right now their might be a lot of equipment on the truck but their wont be once they only use DTV boxes. Also will they combine the Genie and AT&T's RG into an all in one unit? I was wondering about that since AT&T said they wont make anymore UVerse CPE. Would that only include their boxes and not their RG?

From talking to guys at work, it looks like they won't be doing any more expanding of the TV side of things, but plan to continue the U Verse internet going strong.

 

[CSM]

So is SatelliteTV going to be the primary TV delivery method and UVerseTV will just be kept around for people with LOS, who don't want a dish on the roof, or who like UVerseTV? Also any word on branding? Or maybe just keep UVerseTV around until their contracts expire then switch them to UVerseTV except for LOS people?

 

[Aridon]

Its an odd marriage. I don't see how AT&T can be competitive as a broadband provider without changing out the last mile of their copper network for fiber.

 

[CSM]

Well if they got TV off of FTTN then that would free up Internet bandwidth. They could do that by telling current UVerseTV customers and any potential new customers in their FTTN to switch a SatelliteTV / UVerse Internet combo.

 

[Jimbo]

So is SatelliteTV going to be the primary TV delivery method and UVerseTV will just be kept around for people with LOS, who don't want a dish on the roof, or who like UVerseTV? Also any word on branding? Or maybe just keep UVerseTV around until their contracts expire then switch them to UVerseTV except for LOS people?

I'm thinking it will be available for you if you want it, otherwise they will try for D* first.

 

[CSM]

It will be interesting how AT&T will promote their new TV service. Will they encourage new customers to sign up to DTV over UVerseTV? Will they tell them since now that they have DTV they can admit DTV's HD quality and their equipment are better than UVerseTV's?

 

[Jimbo]

It will be interesting how AT&T will promote their new TV service. Will they encourage new customers to sign up to DTV over UVerseTV? Will they tell them since now that they have DTV they can admit DTV's HD quality and their equipment are better than UVerseTV's?

When you walk into an ATT store, they are now talking about getting D* for you, before U Verse TV.

 

[CSM]

I wonder when they will stop with the UVerseTV commericals and show bundle our new DTV service with our Uverse Internet and Phone commercials? If they will still use the DTV and call it AT&T DTV? Or still call it UVerseTV but say UVerseTV is now powered by their new SatelliteTV service? Or maybe come up with an all new name?

 

[cypherstream]

Aren't there channel discrepancies between the two? The lineups are not the same. There may be some HD channels only delivered by IPTV or Satellite. Until this is better aligned, it's still to be sold as two different products IMO.

Once the IPTV side is mirrored what the D* side is (along with the missing channels linked up on the D* side), the U-Verse TV would still be a good delivery method in MDU's / apartments that do not have a private balcony or area with southern sky exposure. I lived in one in the 90's and we had no choice because building management did not allow dishes on the common roof, and the balcony faced a court yard that was not southern faced.

Though the D* platform is great because its nationwide. I'm in a Verizon DSL area, so there's no chance of AT&T U-Verse deployment. So D* it is. If they want to bundle internet, then they are going to have to work on some kind of LTE system, because I doubt they would want the expense of running all of that cabling for a u-verse system in areas they have no presence in. For now I'll stick with cable for Internet and phone since its the fastest alternative.

It's going to be interesting to see what the new CTO conjures up. But Romulo was a great guy. Hope his departure was his decision and hes happy and ready for his retirement. He would sometimes stop in over at the other site's chat room once in a while on CE nights and talk with regular folks. That to me is a "connected" CTO. Hopefully this new guy listens to all sides and pushes the teams for huge improvements.

 

[Jimbo]

Aren't there channel discrepancies between the two? The lineups are not the same. There may be some HD channels only delivered by IPTV or Satellite. Until this is better aligned, it's still to be sold as two different products IMO.

Once the IPTV side is mirrored what the D* side is (along with the missing channels linked up on the D* side), the U-Verse TV would still be a good delivery method in MDU's / apartments that do not have a private balcony or area with southern sky exposure. I lived in one in the 90's and we had no choice because building management did not allow dishes on the common roof, and the balcony faced a court yard that was not southern faced.

Though the D* platform is great because its nationwide. I'm in a Verizon DSL area, so there's no chance of AT&T U-Verse deployment. So D* it is. If they want to bundle internet, then they are going to have to work on some kind of LTE system, because I doubt they would want the expense of running all of that cabling for a u-verse system in areas they have no presence in. For now I'll stick with cable for Internet and phone since its the fastest alternative.

It's going to be interesting to see what the new CTO conjures up. But Romulo was a great guy. Hope his departure was his decision and hes happy and ready for his retirement. He would sometimes stop in over at the other site's chat room once in a while on CE nights and talk with regular folks. That to me is a "connected" CTO. Hopefully this new guy listens to all sides and pushes the teams for huge improvements.

You are correct, it will remain two for quite awhile ... the channel line ups are different and you can't just ADD channels from one to another without re negotiating contract and that happens over time.

The way I hgave heared it is they are pushing D* at the stores, probably on the phones as well, while still having U Verse TV available to those it areas already equipt.
So if you call in and want D*, great, however if you call in and say you want U Verse, you can also continue to get that.
U Verse Internet will continue to have a strong presence in U Verse areas.

 

[Troch77]

What's going to happen when the Uverse customers find out about rain fade and that they don't get any out of market locals or subchannels that they once had with their Att fiber optic system.

This ought to be interesting to follow.

 

[Jimbo]

What's going to happen when the Uverse customers find out about rain fade and that they don't get any out of market locals or subchannels that they once had with their Att fiber optic system.

This ought to be interesting to follow.

They DO have the right to stay with U Verse TV, they are Not turning it off.

 

[Troch77]

They DO have the right to stay with U Verse TV, they are Not turning it off.

I didn't see anything to indicate Uverse is staying as an option permanently.

 

[CSM]

Troch77 where did you hear this info?

 

[Jimbo]

I didn't see anything to indicate Uverse is staying as an option permanently.

It will for the foreseeable future.