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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Equator expands chip family
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsEquator Technologies has launched a new family of software-programmable digital signal processors to complement the company's MAP-CA chip, which is used by companies such as Xerox, Samsung and Pace Micro Technology. Equator's new MAP-BSP-15-350 operates at 350 megahertz, and the MAP-BSP-15-400 operates at 400 MHz.
U.K. ops pick up the home networking pace
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsTapping into a burgeoning market, U.K. cable operators NTL and Telewest Broadband have teamed with Pace Micro Technology to offer wireless home networking services. To that end, the operators will deploy Pace's Gateway Expander and pcConnect equipment for a trial that will enable customers to share their high-speed connections with several desktop and laptop PCs.
Comcast taps new UEI remote controls
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsUniversal Electronics Inc. says it won a contract to supply Comcast Cable with wireless remote controls for the MSO's digital set-top boxes. Under terms of the deal, Comcast will purchase two new UEI models: the Navigator and the Millennium 4, which offers video-on-demand functionality. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Motorola waxes wireless with Magis
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsWith MSOs taking a harder look at including home networking services as part of their consumer services bundle, set-top makers are angling to include more home networking functionality into the boxes they offer up to operators.Motorola Broadband, through a recent technical services agreement with IEEE 802.
OpenTV hits Liberate with lawsuit over iTV patents
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsThings are starting to get ugly in the iTV world. Opening a potentially huge can of worms tied to the future of set-top box middleware, OpenTV Corp. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against competitor Liberate Technologies. OpenTV's suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, alleges that Liberate infringes on patents related to "carouseling," a method used to dist...
Court ruling shields cable from pole attachment bullet
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsIn a huge win for the cable industry, the Pole Attachments Act does cover attachments that provide high-speed Internet access at the same time as cable TV, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 6-2 decision. The decision on National Cable & Telecommunications Association Inc. v. Gulf Power Co.
Cisco gets late 1.1-qualification nod
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsAbout a month after CableLabs shared results from certification wave 20, the industry's R&D house gave a belated passing grade to Cisco Systems' uBR7246 cable modem termination system for DOCSIS 1.1 qualification. The nod puts Cisco in elite company. Arris Group is the only other vendor thus far to obtain the DOCSIS 1.
Knology boosts broadband content with Incanta
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsOffering its cable modem customers more than just raw data speeds, overbuilder Knology Inc. has rolled-out Incanta Inc.'s broadband music services to customers in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. The launch marks the first commercial deployment for Incanta, a broadband content start-up based in Atlanta.
Internet VOD on the launch pad...for now
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsDespite some momentum kicking in for Internet-based video-on-demand, the application won't gain substantial roll-outs in the U.S. until 2005, predicted a GartnerG2 study. Even at that point in time, only two percent of movie distribution revenue will come from the Internet, the research firm predicts.
Com21 sets DOCSIS CMTS plans
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsEntering an extremely competitive field, Com21 Inc. said it is developing a DOCSIS cable modem termination system to complement the company's line of DOCSIS cable modems. Com21's new CMTS, the DOXcontroller XB, will also complement the company's line of proprietary ATM equipment, which has found success outside U.
Sigma slates Euro expansion
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsOSS firm Sigma Systems has set its sights on Europe, opening a division there to aid cable operators with service management systems tied to video, voice and data services. Sigma's base of North American customers includes AT&T Broadband, Cogeco, Cox Communications, Comcast, Rogers Cable and Shaw Communications.
Effnet touts IP header compression software
February 28, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsOffering a cure for "header overhead," Effnet Inc. has created a new IP header compression software aimed at making services like voice-over-IP run more efficiently over a service operator's network. Effnet's CRTP (compressed real-time transport protocol) software, scheduled to begin shipping this quarter, purports to reduce bandwidth requirements for VoIP by as much as 60 percent in IP v...
House approves bells for online service
February 27, 2002 7:00 pm | by William Glanz | CommentsCopyright 2002 Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Copyright 2002 The Washington Times The Washington Times…02/28/2002 From LexisNexis The House passed legislation yesterday letting the regional Bell operating companies sell Internet service. Passage of the measure was a significant victory for the four Baby Bells because it furthers their aggressive, three-year pursuit of telecommunicati...
Industry pans, praises House OK of Tauzin-Dingell
February 27, 2002 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsFor a bill that appears destined for DOA in the U.S. Senate, the Tauzin-Dingell legislation's approval in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday drew kudos, critiques and candor from the industry: "Broadband competition between cable modem service and DSL is already fierce, and we expect such competition to continue.
OpenTV joins Japan cable lab; Cox gets down to business
February 27, 2002 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsOpenTV joined Japan Cable Laboratories and says it's been adapting its technology to meet Japanese standards since March 2000. Recently, Matsushita (Panasonic) said it would use OpenTV's HTML technology, Device Mosaic, to develop an integrated browser using HTML and BML technology for interactive applications.
