Many technology and media executives believe there is a vast market waiting to be tapped by companies that can deliver lightning-quick Internet access to the nation's households.

Triple play has led to the term "quadruple play" where wireless communications is introduced as another medium to deliver video, Internet access, and voice telephone service.

The cable industry's long-term goal is to deliver digital television, high-speed Internet access through cable modems, and telephone service; insiders call it the triple play.

The goal is to upgrade the high-capacity pipes of the cable networks to deliver digital television, telephone service and high-speed Internet access to millions of homes.

The idea was to use cable systems to deliver phone service and high-speed Internet access as well as interactive television.

Even Vivendi does not expect to be able to deliver Internet access to televisions in Europe until next year at the earliest.

Now he appears to be joining cable television in its battle against the nation's local telephone companies over which industry will deliver high-speed Internet access to the nation's homes.

Airvana products enable mobile operators to deliver mobile Internet access at speeds up to 3.1 Mbit/s.

It has been buying fiber-optic cable capacity in the United States and has invested in a company delivering high-speed Internet access over power lines.

Besides, the cable companies were having their own problems, punctuated by the bankruptcy of @Home, which delivered Internet access over cable.