2010 Prediction No. 5: Cable companies will become a thorn in the side of operators

They are coming. Time Warner and Comcast see their resale of Clearwire's WiMAX service as an important competitive tool, and are expected to put pressure on AT&T and Verizon. Meantime, Cox plans to launch EV-DO service across much of its territory in 2010, and other cable operators are making similar efforts. (Family-owned BroadbandBend recently launched HSPA+ in Oregon and Cablevision is offering free WiFi.) It will be the cable providers that will put the downward pressure on mobile broadband pricing.