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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
New modem for home and SOHO
December 3, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsAnnounced at the Western Show last week, Home Wireless and Future Networks have said that they have developed a prototype of the FN110 cable modem with Home Wireless Networks' AirWay TransPort system. The prototype demonstrates a wireless voice and data Local Area Network with cable modem compatibility for the home or small office.
Level 3 has a new wire
December 3, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsLevel 3 has laid the first new transatlantic Internet and communications cable to cross the Atlantic in two years. The 3,700-mile long submarine system, affectionately named "Yellow," connects North American and European broadband systems and features 320 gigabits with upgrade capability to 1.28 terabits.
OpenTV opens new doors
December 3, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsOpenTV is making waves across the Pacific. The interactive television provider will deploy its iTV services in Singapore for Media Corporation. OpenTV expects to begin a pilot by next month and will deploy set-top boxes on MediaCorp's digital network. "OpenTV's operating software and applications have also been selected for deployment by Asia Pacific MSOs, including TVB in Hong Kong, for launch...
Wink, click, and win!
December 3, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsWink subscribers have shown just how much they like their iTV. The interactive TV provider is holding a contest that lets Wink-enabled cable TV subscribers win free cable service and products when they interact with the enhanced programming. The contest, being held nationwide, is offered to more than 250,000 households in 16 cable markets.
Time Warner and Liberate talking?
December 3, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsTime Warner may be conversing with Liberate Technologies about piloting Liberate's interactive-television software. The possible agreement may have something to do with Time Warner's pending merger with AOL. The online provider's recently launched "AOLTV" service uses Liberate as its underlying software.
Microsoft to develop set-top solution
November 30, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsMicrosoft has signed a memorandum of understanding with Octal, a group of system engineers in Portugal, to develop a prototype advanced set-top box for European digital video broadcasting and North American cable set-top box markets. The goal of the alliance is to develop for cable operators a set-top solution based on Microsoft's TV software and the Octal hardware platforms.
Adelphia adds Scientific-Atlanta headends
November 30, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsAdelphia Communications has purchased additional digital headends from Scientific- Atlanta to further support its goal for deploying digital set-tops to its more than 5.6 million subscribers. When complete, the deployment is expected to pass an additional 2.3 million homes by 1Q 2001. The installations will cover the eastern half of the U.
From the Western Show:
November 30, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsThe world according to John Chambers Cisco CEO John Chambers sees a market where the broadband connection is merely the ante and the real game is in execution and services. In a private session with trade journalists Thursday - away from the clamor of the Western Cable Show floor, Chambers emphasizes the winners in the volatile broadband Internet game will be those that get to market early and ...
VNI and Time Warner Cable sign deal
November 29, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsVideo Networks Inc. (VNI) and Time Warner Cable Adcast have inked a deal for VNI to deliver advertising and other content in a digital format to headends throughout North Carolina. VNI, soon to be renamed Pathfire, is a digital media content distribution and management services provider. VNI's interactive media management service helps cable ad sales offices distribute commercials more efficien...
OpenTV comes to Northern California
November 29, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsUSA Media Group has given OpenTV the go ahead to launch iTV and other interactive services in USA Media Group's Northern California cable system. Scheduled for deployment in 1Q 2001, OpenTV will shoot off services to subscribers like t-commerce (television commerce) on-demand news, weather, entertainment and sports.
Comcast and WorldGate launch iTV
November 28, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsDoing yet another deal, Comcast has teamed up with WorldGate to commercially deploy WorldGate's interactive cable TV services to cable subscribers in Willow Grove, Pa. Comcast is providing WorldGate's Internet TV Service as part of its digital cable television package. For an additional monthly fee, Comcast digital customers can receive e-mail, local content and Internet content.
Comcast welcomes Juno to its pipes
November 28, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsFollowing in the footsteps of AT&T and other large MSOs, Comcast has opened its network to a competing ISP and plans to let Juno Online Services use its network. Juno will be able to access Comcast's pipes to offer high-speed Web surfing to its customers. The deal is expected to be announced on Wednesday at the Western Show in L.
Broadcom snares VisionTech
November 27, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsThe largest cable modem maker, Broadcom, has snagged Israeli chipmaker VisionTech for approximately $776.6 million in stock. Broadcom hopes the buyout will help the company gain technology in the burgeoning sector of personal video recording. This is Broadcom's twelfth acquisition this year. The hot new technology of PVRs lets users freeze live TV broadcasts and replay or rewind a program while...
ReplayTV exits the PVR business
November 27, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsBroadcom is buying in while ReplayTV gets out. The digital video recorder manufacturer has instead decided to license its technology to cable providers and other TV related companies. Those companies can then use the technology to offer digital video recording and VOD services. ReplayTV said it is facing intense competition from other PVR makers, like TiVo and Microsoft's Ultimate TV.
Comcast eyes Wink
November 27, 2000 7:00 pm | by Karen Kessler-Tanaka | CommentsWink has been cherry-picked by Comcast, the third largest cable operator, to deliver Wink Enhanced Broadcasting to all of Comcast's 1.5 million digital households over the next three years. Comcast customers will also use the Wink Response Network. Wink iTV lets subscribers interact with programming and ads while they continue to watch TV.
