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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
CMC updates HITS for independent cable operators
February 25, 2013 2:06 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsHITS has upgraded its Quantum Platform to help independent cable operators serve up more HD services in MPEG-2. Q2 supports existing MPEG-2 infrastructure, and includes converting several HITS standard definition (SD) transponders to DVB-S2 technology.
Charter narrows Q4 loss; heading for all-digital
February 22, 2013 2:11 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsCharter Communications said its residential customer relationships increased by 20,000 during the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to the year-ago period, which CEO Tom Rutledge said was the best Q4 performance at the company in 10 years.
Cablevision announces sports programming fee for video customers
February 22, 2013 2:06 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsCablevision will charge its video subscribers an additional $2.98 a month to help offset the increased costs associated with sports programming. Cablevision’s sports programming surcharge will apply to customers that subscribe to its “Family” or “Value” packages or above.
Cox tops MSO Ethernet leaderboard
February 22, 2013 1:58 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsWhen it comes to cable operators, Cox Communications ranks the highest for business Ethernet, according to the latest survey from Vertical Systems Group. Cox achieved its top ranking on Vertical Systems’ 2012 U.S. Cable MSO Ethernet Leaderboard.
Videotron raises data speeds, passes 500K mark for video service
February 22, 2013 1:55 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsCanadian cable operator Videotron announced it was increasing the upload speeds and data caps for most of its Ultimate Speed Internet data plans, and it also announced that it passed the 500-million customer mark for its revamped illico TV service.
Alcatel appoints Combes as successor to Verwaayen
February 22, 2013 1:51 pm | by Andrew Berg, Wireless Week | CommentsAlcatel-Lucent’s board of directors approved the appointment of Michel Combes as the company’s new CEO. The change goes into effect April 1. Combes will also join the company’s board, subject to the approval of shareholders at the Alcatel-Lucent annual general meeting.
Frontier reports flat Q4
February 22, 2013 1:47 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsFrontier Communications reported fourth-quarter 2012 revenue of $1.2 billion, slightly down from the similar quarter last year, and net income of $24.9 million. During the quarter, the company reported having lost approximately 50,400 customers.
Sony shows PlayStation 4 capabilities, but no box
February 21, 2013 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe PS4 will essentially be a "supercharged PC, based on an x86-architecture chip from AMD. That's a big departure from the old and idiosyncratic PlayStation design. The new console will be jostling for attention this holiday season with Microsoft's successor to the Xbox, which is expected to be unveiled in June.
Numera takes medical monitoring mobile
February 21, 2013 1:49 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsThe telehealth services company signed a deal with AT&T to be its wireless network and location services provider for a personal health monitoring device and associated service it is developing. Numera’s Libris includes a device that can detect when the person who is using it experiences a fall, at home or away.
Videotron adds French on-demand service
February 21, 2013 1:40 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsThe latest version of the MSO’s illico on demand services is aimed at French language speakers in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Illico Club Unlimited will be offered at $9.99/month. For that, subscribers will get unlimited access to movies, television series, children’s programs, documentaries, comedy shows and concerts.
Nielsen to begin counting broadband viewing homes
February 21, 2013 12:49 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe company that measures television viewership will soon begin counting people who watch programming through broadband instead of a traditional broadcast or cable hook-up. The move is a significant step toward recognizing a world where the definition of TV viewing is swiftly changing.
FCC moves to open more unlicensed spectrum
February 21, 2013 12:46 pm | by Andrew Berg, Wireless Week | CommentsThe FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to make more unlicensed spectrum available for robust public Wi-Fi networks. The Commission proposed to make up to 195 MHz of additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band available to unlicensed wireless devices.
Ergen: Dish has time to mull many options for wireless
February 21, 2013 12:43 pm | by Andrew Berg, Wireless Week | CommentsDish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said his company has seven years to use its spectrum, which was recently approved by the Federal Communications Commission for use in deploying an LTE-Advanced wireless network. Clearwire is still mulling its options.
FCC adopts new guidelines for signal boosters
February 21, 2013 12:40 pm | by Ben Munson, Wireless Week | CommentsThe FCC issued a Report and Order concerning cellular signal booster use and preventing them from interfering with wireless networks. Under the new rules, consumers are required to obtain permission from and register their signal booster with their wireless carriers in order to continue using it.
Comcast debuts cloud services market for SMBs
February 20, 2013 3:18 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsComcast is now making available a suite of third-party cloud-based products and services that its business customers can purchase directly through an online portal. The MSO has partnered with other companies that provide storage, security, and Web and document collaboration.
