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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Media: Sprint, Softbank near U.S. deal to restrict Huawei
March 29, 2013 12:28 pm | by Ben Munson | CommentsSprint and Softbank, the Japanese cellular company that intends to buy 70 percent of the U.S.’s third largest carrier, are expected to allow the U.S. government oversight in its choice of network suppliers. The New York Times reports the deal would enable the government to monitor changes to the combined company’s network and possibly prevent it from using equipment manufactured by Chinese companies, particularly Huawei.
Research: OTN market to hit $13 billion by 2017
March 29, 2013 12:10 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsThe optical transport network (OTN) equipment market is well on its way to topping the $13 billion mark by 2017, according to a recent study by Infonetics Research. Last year the OTN transport and switching equipment market grew 8 percent to $7.3 billion with the bulk of that growth coming from the OTN switching segment, which was up 46 percent in 2012 from 2011.
FX network to launch younger-skewing channel
March 28, 2013 1:04 pm | by Associated Press | CommentsFX says it's spinning off a new cable network aimed at young adult viewers. The company says that the lineup for FXX will consist of original series, movies and acquired series targeting adults 18 to 34, a slightly younger audience than FX attracts.
Clearwire dips into $80 million from Sprint
March 28, 2013 12:52 pm | by Ben Munson | CommentsClearwire has opted to draw $80 million in funding for April from Sprint, as part of the carrier’s proposed offer to buy the WiMax provider for $2.97 per share. Clearwire accepted the draw for March despite Dish’s insistence it would withdraw its offer to buy the remaining half of Clearwire for $3.30 per share.
Lightpath connects Westchester Community College
March 28, 2013 12:48 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsLightpath, a division of Cablevision, has helped New York-based Westchester Community College connect its main campus to five remote locations with its fiber network. Using the Lightpath Education Services Suite, the college was also able to enable online registration for students, connect the security staff across locations, offer classes via VOD, and incorporate closed-captioning into lectures.
Time Warner Cable opens Manhattan data center
March 28, 2013 12:41 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsTime Warner Cable Business Class, the commercial services division of Time Warner Cable, has opened the doors on a new data center in downtown Manhattan to better serve its business customers. With the opening of the Manhattan data center, Time Warner Cable Business Class now operates nine data centers throughout the United States, and another in the United Kingdom.
Malone’s Liberty Global buys a stake in Ziggo
March 28, 2013 12:25 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsJohn Malone’s Liberty Global has continued its recent shopping spree with today’s news that it has bought a 12.65 stake in Dutch cable operator Ziggo for about $808.3 million.Liberty Global, which announced last month it was buying Virgin Media in a cash and stock deal valued at $23.3 billion, bought 25.3 million Ziggo shares from Barclays Capital Securities Limited.
Santa Clara gets free Wi-Fi via high tech meters
March 27, 2013 12:41 pm | by Associated Press | CommentsThe city of Santa Clara flipped on a big Internet switch this week, becoming what it says is the first in the country to use wireless, digital "smart meters" on homes as channels for free citywide outdoor Wi-Fi. Like cities around the U.S., Santa Clara's electric meters are being systematically replaced, house by house, with high tech ones.
CBS buys half of TV Guide
March 27, 2013 12:36 pm | by Associated Press | CommentsBroadcaster CBS Corp. is buying a 50 percent stake in TV Guide's pay TV channel and website for nearly $100 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. The price is less than the $123 million that JPMorgan Chase's One Equity Partners paid for a 49 percent stake four years ago.
Court turns away class action against Comcast
March 27, 2013 12:28 pm | by Associated Press | CommentsThe Supreme Court is turning away a class action lawsuit against cable provider Comcast Corp. The high court on Wednesday overturned a lower court decision to certify as a class customers who say the company's monopoly in parts of the Philadelphia area allowed it to raise prices unfairly.
CSG signs contract with Comcast, lowers yearly forecast
March 27, 2013 12:24 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsCSG International has inked a multi-year billing and customer care agreement with Comcast, but as a result of the new deal the vendor revised down its outlook for this year. CSG’s previous agreement with Comcast was slated to expire at the end of last year, but was extended until March while the two sides hashed out a new deal.
Buckeye CableSystem picks Moto’s edge QAM
March 27, 2013 12:15 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsBuckeye CableSystem has opted for Motorola’s Apex300 edge QAM to help provision its VOD and switched digital video services (SDV). The Apex3000 will also put Buckeye on a migration path to the industry’s converged cable access platform (CCAP) down the road.
Comcast Business cooks up partnership with celebrity chef
March 26, 2013 12:41 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsIn order to better target the hospitality vertical, Comcast Business announced a partnership with celebrity chef Robert Irvine. Irvine is well known for his Food Network show “Restaurant: Impossible,” in which he helps struggling restaurants across the nation by assessing and overhauling their operational or personnel weaknesses.
Cable One rings up expanded business class phone offering
March 26, 2013 12:35 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsCable One has dialed up an expanded business class voice offering that includes up to 12 lines and additional call routing options and new features. Some of the phone service features include simultaneous ring, online management of phone options and free unlimited local and long-distance calling in the continental United States.
Comcast Business names Marsh regional VP for Beltway Region
March 26, 2013 12:30 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsComcast Business announced this morning that Peter Marsh had been appointed as regional vice president for Comcast Business Services, overseeing the company’s Beltway Region, which serves Maryland, Southern Delaware, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and portions of West Virginia and North Carolina. In his new job, Marsh will be responsible for spearheading the continued growth of Comcast Business Services in this region.
