In the following video, Austin Smith and Jeremy Phillips refer to the idea of a "dumb pipe" that merely transmits data to consumers.
"Dumb pipe" status is not ideal, and for Austin, Verizon and Comcast come to mind as two examples. Austin notes that both are widely disliked yet serve vital roles in the economy.
Asked to choose one, Jeremy picks Comcast. He likes how the company is trying to move up the food chain by acquiring NBC Universal and starting to produce its own content.
Austin agrees on Comcast, though he notes that Verizon has made a deal for Redbox in a move that could be construed as a step toward becoming a "smart pipe." Both, however, say they wouldn't buy Comcast or Verizon.
