IMCC - MDU

PCOs and MDUs working together for the benefit of residents"

IMCC is a trade association comprised of Private Cable Operators (PCOs), multiple dwelling unit owners and the supporting industry. Your thoughts and comments on this newsletter are invited. You may contact us at (202) 364-0882 or Bill Burhop at bburhop@imcc-online.org

May 2004

The IMCC-MDU Education and Networking Conference in Atlanta was a success with 110 PCO and MDU participants. We focused on DBS company developments, High-Speed data delivery improvements, HDTV and VoIP.

IMCC plans an FCC lobbying day in late summer to highlight issues important to the competitive delivery of communications to MDU residents. We will focus on:

--Fixing the Home Run Wiring issue regarding the definition of "physically inaccessible" which the FCC is now pursuing in a rulemaking. This all comes out of a terrible court ruling that said the FCC had to further justify adding drywall/sheetrock to the definition.

--We will also push on the staff to make sure the proper definition of MDU is included in a 700-page rulemaking. Unless fixed the current definition could slow down the availability of high-speed data delivery to residents.

--We will use the opportunity to educate the 5 FCC Commissioners about how the large franchised companies still are not as flexible as PCOs and do not provide the level of close relationships with MDU owners and residents that PCOs provide.

An increasingly large number of condos and planned communities are selecting alternative service providers through bulk contracts that allow the owners to design their own channel line-ups.

IMCC gets about 100 hits per month on its web site, www.IMCC-online.org, many we believe from recipients of this Newsletter. If you have questions about MDU Inside Wiring, technical term definitions, ROE provisions, and etc. please check it out.

If you have specific questions about PCOs and MDU service please feel free to call IMCC at 202 364 0882.

Congress and the FCC are showing more interest in the issue of Programming by ala carte so residents can subscribe to individual channels rather than having to buy large packages of channels.

HDTV is coming into the market place sooner than many expected. If you want to learn more about high-definition TV see HDTV - Migration to Digital TV.

VoIP--voice over Internet protocol--is a hot topic right now. It is a technology that allows telephone communication to travel over the Internet or other IP networks. VoIP can provide unique features and customized calling plans. This allows for unlimited outbound local and long distance calls in North America as well as unlimited inbound 800 service, all at a flat rate, with no usage charges or added taxes. If High Speed/Internet is available in your community, and managed correctly, you can now provide this service with no capital requirements. Why not capture a portion of the revenue for these services rather than have it given to the local phone companies? Thanks to Gary Burton at Advanced Media Services (734 786 4606) for his expertise.

See the Why Deploy VoIP.

Do you know about BPL? The next issue will address it.

Also, the FCC is requiring TV broadcasters to relinquish all analog programming and only use digital format. Does that have impact on your MDU company?

Several PCOs and Internet companies have found new financing and are growing in numerous areas of the country.

Thanks for the input from Lori Reeves at Forest City Properties and Greg McDonald at Camden Properties Trust.

If you have topics you would like to cover in this Newsletter, please send them to bburhop@IMCC-online.org.