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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Com21's new modem hot
January 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsBusiness is good at Com2. Comcast, the third largest MSO, has put in an order for a volume purchase of DOXport 1110 cable modems. The number of modems Comcast ordered was not announced. Com21's DOXport 1110 cable modem is the first DOCSIS-certified modem to use the Broadcom 3350 chipset. The modem utilizes a dual-bank flash memory architecture with four MB of flash memory.
Powell new FCC Chairman
January 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsMichael K. Powell has taken over the post of FCC Chairman. President Bush officially named Powell, son of General Colin Powell, to the position this week. "I look forward to working with the new administration, Congress, my fellow Commissioners and the very talented FCC staff on the important and challenging communications issues facing our nation," Powell said in a statement released by the FCC.
WOW, new deal
January 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsColorado-based WideOpenWest (WOW) has inked a three-year deal with Source Media. WOW will deploy Source Media's interactive program guide, SourceGuide, and LocalSource interactive portal through digital set-top converters. WOW contracted with Source Media to help WOW customers navigate their way through WOW programming choices.
Corning to buy Tropel
January 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsCorning, the fiber-optic king, has expanded its realm and is purchasing Tropel, a manufacturer of precision optics and metrology instruments for the semiconductor industry. The deal is worth about $190 million, based on the closing price of Corning common stock on January 22, 2001. Corning hopes the addition of Tropel's technology and product lines will complement Corning's current range of mic...
Sprint North Supply buys from AFC
January 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsSprint North Supply and Advanced Fiber Communications (AFC) have a new multi-year agreement. Sprint North Supply will launch AFC's AccessMAX product line of multi-service access platforms and environmentally hardened outside plant cabinets. Sprint will use the systems to deliver broadband DSL telephone services.
Chalk one up for cable
January 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsLike outgoing President Clinton, outgoing FCC Chairman William E. Kennard made some decisions before he left his post. Kennard and his committees analyzing the dual-carriage fuss between the cable industry and broadcasters decided that cable providers are not, at this time, required to carry a broadcast station's digital and analog signals.
Cable burned by bird…
January 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsThese satellites in the sky are becoming a real threat to cable. According to a report from Cahners In-Stat Group, digital direct-to-home satellite services are pulling way ahead of digital cable TV providers in the race to get interactive digital television services to market. Michelle Abraham, an In-Stat senior analyst, tells CED why.
Experiment equals experience
January 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsMicrosoft has created the TV Content Builder Initiative (CBI), a consortium of content developers. Members have access to the tools, templates and training materials Microsoft has developed to push forward interesting content creation for the enhanced digital TV movement. But the company has taken it one step further and has teamed up with Motorola to let the content creators develop, view and ...
TiVo creating own content
January 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsAlso on the move to create custom content for its product is TiVo. The newly formed TiVo Entertainment Group is comprised of ad sales and media partnership units that work with TiVo's media, advertising and entertainment industry partners to develop content and custom advertising for the TiVo service.
Cable burned by bird…(2)
January 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsThese satellites in the sky are becoming a real threat to cable. According to a report from Cahners In-Stat Group, digital direct-to-home satellite services are pulling way ahead of digital cable TV providers in the race to get interactive digital television services to market. Michelle Abraham, an In-Stat senior analyst, tells CED why.
Aerie project "one of the more interesting"(2)
January 18, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsAerie Networks, a Denver-based company that is building a broadband technology and business platform designed to host an indefinite number of new networks, has inked a deal with Ericsson. Ericsson, which manufactures fiber optic cable and optical fiber ribbon technologies for long-haul networks, will provide fiber optic cable with the bandwidth capacity to accomplish Aerie's plans.
Don't worry, they'll make more
January 18, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsNot chips—you'll have to get those yourself. But for all the Americans hungry for interactive entertainment, Scientific-Atlanta is increasing its production of digital set-top boxes. S-A plans to up production of its Explorer digital interactive set-tops to 6 million per year, turning them out at an average rate of 115,000 per week.
Aerie project "one of the more interesting"
January 18, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsAerie Networks, a Denver-based company that is building a broadband technology and business platform designed to host an indefinite number of new networks, has inked a deal with Ericsson. Ericsson, which manufactures fiber optic cable and optical fiber ribbon technologies for long-haul networks, will provide fiber optic cable with the bandwidth capacity to accomplish Aerie's plans.
Motorola Marathon tests endurance, not technology
January 18, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsMotorola's 10th annual marathon will take place February 18 in Austin, Texas. Motorola says the race now registers 8,000 runners. "The Motorola Marathon demonstrates the operational excellence that is standard at Motorola and is also a showcase for how our technology and how our customers' products support the work team and individuals on the go," says David Doolittle, corporate vice president ...
More informative reports available
January 17, 2001 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsInsight Research has released a report on what rural America wants from the broadband world. While those of us who are city dwelling folk might believe our country cousins are not as sophisticated in their knowledge of what is out there, that is not true. Insight's report, The Rural Telecom Consumer and Broadband Access*, presents the interest in current technologies such as PCs, cable modems, ...
