Is convergence unstoppable?

Convergence has also seen companies traditionally associated with access moving into the service world, in an effort to shore up their average revenue per user (ARPU) even as the cost of the average broadband subscription plummets. The telecoms operators' fear is being reduced to a transport pipe - a utility - left out in the cold while others cream off the profits from services and content.

The utility option is not to be sniffed at, though, according to the consultants. Deloitte's Tansley said: "In the utility world, prices go up as well as down. It's a luxury telcos don't enjoy today."

Analysis: Is convergence unstoppable? - silicon.com