Broadband Penetration To Hit 60 Percent

Up to 60 percent of U.S. homes will have broadband by the end of 2007, according to recently released research. And cable operators will see a reduction in their share of the market, the report from legal and business information company Pike and Fischer shows.

Cable companies will have just slightly over half of the broadband market in the US by the year's end, the report predicts. Scott Sleek, Pike & Fischer's director of broadband advisory services and an author of the report said: "We also know that cable operators want to draw users away from the computer screen and back to the TV set, so they'll be developing ways to let customers access web content through their set-top boxes."

The report also forecasts that digital cable subscriptions will represent the majority of the industry's main video customer base. Because digital cable costs more than analog, it also generates more revenue.

"Broadband in the home has grown twice as fast in the year prior to March of 2006," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "African Americans and middle income Americans accounted for much of the increase along with new Internet users coming online with broadband. At the end of March 2006, 42% of Americans had high-speed access at home, up from 30% in March 2005, or a 40% increase."

For more information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

San Francisco Cements Wi-Fi Deal With Earthlink

The city of San Francisco has finalized a deal with Internet giant Earthlink to provide the largest free municipal Wi-Fi service in the US.

After over seven months of negotiations, mayor Gavin Newsom agreed to the contract. However, the Board of Supervisors and the city’s Public Utilities Commission must still approve it.

The president of EarthLink's municipal networks unit, Donald Berryman, said: "We look forward to working with the board of supervisors to gain approval of the agreement so we can begin building out the network in 2007." Mr. Newsom had assured the city that the network would be up and running by the end of 2006; however many are now saying that it won't be operational until at least 2008.

Earthlink is expected to spend between $14 million and $17 million to install the network. The Wi-Fi zone will consist of two networks, with one supported by on-screen advertisements and the other a faster, commercial-free service costing $20 per month.

This new Wi-Fi network will open up a new world of digital products and services for the citizens of the bay area", states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "They'll also reap the benefits of faster download speeds, and access anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day".

For more information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

New Multimedia Phone Released

Verizon Wireless and Palm have announced the launch of a new phone, which includes Internet access and other features.

Customers with the Treo 700wx Smartphone will be able to use high-speed Internet connections at speeds comparable to broadband, along with a wireless email facility. The phone uses the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform to get online, while the increased RAM will allow people to download more content and applications. It is also compatible with memory cards, which will appeal to those who regularly access music, video and photo images.

Tim Roper, vice-president of Palm, commented: "People love the Treo smartphone because they are driven by the need to stay in touch and manage a variety of communications and information – both business and personal." He added that the features on the new version would be a "core asset" for mobile professionals wanting to be productive while on the move.

The phone is also able to be used with Bluetooth headsets, while it also contains a 1.3 mega pixel camera and touch screen.

"No one should be surprised that there is a convergence of technology to the cell phone," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "These new phones come enabled with wireless networking technology, instant messaging, picture messaging, digital photo sharing tools, ringtones, gaming, navigation and the ability to store thousands of MP3 files."

For more information on multimedia phones and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

TiVo To Deliver Broadband Video Content

TiVo has announced recently that it has signed Music Choice, America's largest music-related content deliverer.

Through the TiVoCast service, Music Choice is to deliver its catalogue of music videos and programming via broadband to TV. From later this year, TiVo subscribers who have a TiVo Series2 box and broadband Internet will be able to use the service. Tara Maitra, vice president of content services for TiVo, said: "Now TiVo subscribers will be able to get the music videos they want on their TV, not just what a music video channel happens to program.

"Music Choice has the best and widest catalog of music videos along with an extensive collection of original programming, and we expect this service to be extremely popular among the TiVo audience." Recently TiVo allied with digital media company RealNetworks to integrate the Rhapsody digital music service, which gives TiVo subscribers access to over three million songs on demand.

"This cooperation is just another example of how broadband and digital services like music and IPTV are gaining traction with mainstream media and consumers", states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website.

For more information on downloadable music and videos visit www.broadbandnational.com

HughesNet Expands Customer Base

Broadband satellite company Hughes has announced that it will expand the customer base for its HughesNet service. The expansion will be mainly in areas of the U.S., which are underserved, the company said. Performance, rather than price, is the driving factor when it comes to consumers buying broadband, according to Hughes.

Jimmy Schaeffler, a senior analyst at cable conglomerates the Carmel Group, said: "Today's consumers want to download songs and video clips and e-mail pictures to and from family and friends. "Frustrated by slow dial-up, larger percentages of consumers living in areas overlooked by terrestrial broadband providers are choosing satellite for their broadband needs."

Currently Hughes offers five different satellite broadband plans. The highest download speed offered by the company is two megabits per second. Up to 60 percent of US homes will have broadband by the end of 2007, according to recently released research. And cable operators will see a reduction in their share of the market, the report from legal and business information company Pike and Fischer shows.

Although not as fast as DSL or Cable, satellite is a great alternative to dial-up for those without any other high-speed option", states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "They'll be able to enjoy downloading music and video much faster than before not to mention the new and emerging broadband products and services."

For more information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Skype Teams With Nokia To Provide Broadband Calling Experience

Skype Teams With Nokia To Provide Broadband Calling Experience

Popular Internet calling service Skype has joined with Nokia to develop a new mobile calling function. Announced at the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, the collaboration basically consists of making Skype mobile on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet. As long as there is a wireless Internet connection available, customers can use Skype wherever they so choose, under the new service.

Ari Virtanen, vice president, convergence products at Nokia, said: "Skype is the recognized leader of internet communications with over 136 million registered users worldwide. "Nokia's new N800 Internet Tablet is designed for mobile Internet. Together, we can develop communications devices beyond expectations." The Nokia N800 is to become available sometime in the first half of 2007.

Meanwhile, special software has been developed as an add-on for Skype, which can tell whether a person is lying. The software analyzes the voice stream of the person and shows their stress levels to the user. Skype is currently the most widely used Internet communication service and is available in 28 languages. Users of Skype can avail themselves of free voice, video and instant messaging over the Internet.

"Digital voice is one of the fastest growing broadband services," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. For more information on VoIP and digital voice visit www.broadbandnational.com

Corporate Acquisitions Transforming The IPTV Marketplace

Corporate Acquisitions Transforming The IPTV Marketplace

A recent spate of corporate acquisitions is changing the burgeoning Internet protocol television (IPTV) market, recent research has suggested.

The number of independent IPTV providers is rapidly decreasing, which is creating a wide market gap, according to a report from New York-based ABI Research. Recently Swedish communications giant Ericsson acquired the broadband provider Redband Networks and Motorola announced in December that it was to acquire Tut Systems.

ABI Research principal analyst Michael Arden said: "Those first IP video equipment providers were small startups creating cutting-edge technologies that the larger vendors weren't nimble enough to do themselves. "Lately, as IPTV technology becomes more important - not only for telco TV but also for cable and satellite - the big companies need those technologies."

The larger corporations are now acquiring the smaller companies, which were the first on the market, Mr. Arden added. Recently it was found that the US is not among the top ten countries with the most IPTV subscriptions, reports Telephony Online. With 896,000 IPTV subscribers, France tops the list of countries with the most IPTV subscriptions, a new report from the marketing researcher Dittberner has found.

"There's a natural cycle of consolidation in every industry and the IPTV arena is no different", states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "I wouldn't be surprised if this same thing doesn't happen in other high growth broadband products and services, VoIP being one of them" For more information on IPTV visit www.broadbandnational.com

Spiketv.com Debuts Eight New Broadband Series

The popular Spiketv.com has announced that it is to launch eight new TV series via broadband.

Freestyle motocross, sexy bartenders, beautiful co-eds/cheerleaders, demolition and stick fighting are some of the programs that will be made available. Furthermore, Spiketv.com will also continue to operate its user-generated content hub along with its Wild World of Spike show.

Steve Farrell, vice-president of digital media at SpikeTV.com, said: "Spiketv.com is the destination for guys looking to feast on non-stop action and beautiful women.

"Our new broadband original series will satisfy their hunger for this genre of programming and keep them coming back for more." Among the new series will be Miss March Madness, a contest in anticipation of the NCAA tournament, where cheerleaders and co-eds from colleges across the country compete to be dubbed the most attractive.

A program currently running on Spike TV is Reality Racing – The Rookie Challenge, which features amateur drivers in stock racing cars.

"SpikeTV.com is one of the first to truly embrace the concept of IPTV," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, creators of the industries leading comparative shopping website. " Their male oriented content is not only original but the production value is also outstanding."

For more information on IPTV and broadband connectivity for your home or office visit www.broadbandnational.com

Music Students Go Online

Berkleemusic.com has become the world's largest online music school, having taught over 11,000 students. The online extension of Berklee College of Music in Boston has over 100,000 registered members involved in the online community. And it is estimated that this year alone another 6,000 students will be taught by the online music school.

David Kusek, vice president at Berklee, said: "In four short years, we have built one of the largest music schools on the planet and our mission is aligned with the general trend in the music industry of everything going online." Several big names from the music industry are studying with the school this year, including Scott Underwood from the band Train and Danny Weinkauf from They Might Be Giants. The school also offers online music scholarships named after great artists like Herbie Hancock and Gloria Estefan. Meanwhile, downloading music online has resulted in more people listening to new music, talking about music and attending concerts, according to a recent survey.

Almost 60 percent of consumers said that since they started getting online they have been listening to more music, a survey from the Digital Media Association (DiMA) found.

"It was the advancement of broadband that really propelled the advent of downloading music online," states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for online comparative shopping website Broadband National Inc. "Without a high speed Internet connection the downloading process is just to cumbersome." For more information on connectivity for your home or office visit www.broadbandnational.com

The 411 On TTEM

According to resent studies, from Gartner Group and Aberdeen Group an average of 15% is over-spent or wasted by companies on their monthly telecom expenses. Companies have known this for years, but until now, resources have not been readily available to easily mitigate these variances and resolve billing issues.

Considered a rather new concept, total telecom expense management (TTEM) alleviates the problems associated with managing bills, complex contracts and other management responsibilities associated with voice, data, network, and cellular services.

How TTEM Works
TTEM works behind the scenes managing intricate billing and data management, and at the same time providing companies a wealth of valuable information. Companies are able to effectively leverage back office automation by subscribing to TTEM services, which ultimately provides the following benefits, and services:

* Invoice Management- Audit and reconciling of all your telecom invoices on a monthly basis to ensure proper rates are applied as compared to the contracted rates.
* Assurance- Protect your firm against slamming, cramming, and other erroneous charges that inevitably show up on most invoices at some point in time.
* Budget Tracking- Manage budgeted telecom spending versus actual and provide real-time reports and expense tracking.
* Contract Management- Archive critical contract end dates for all providers and services to protect against auto-renewals as well as enable the negotiation of lower rates upon contract fulfillment.
* Dispute Management- whether it’s billing disputes, or trouble tickets, its all handled and saves your company hours of frustration and fruitless efforts.
* Invoice Approval- Broadband National will absorb the soft costs of your firm having to validate invoices, process and pay them on an ongoing process.
* Telecom Inventory Management- Produce and administer a dynamic, enterprise-wide inventory of telecom resources.
* Telecom and Wireless Provisioning- Manage the move, add, change, and disconnect orders for both wireless and landline services.



Total telecom management combined with the key services described above provides you with a view of the entire “procure to pay” function. Managing the entire process maximizes the cost savings and is the most effective way to manage your telecom costs.

Utilizing a TTEM solution enables your firm to maximize savings by optimizing rate plans and avoiding slamming, cramming and other erroneous charges.

www.broadbandnational.com

Broadband National Promotes Mickey Smith To Chief Operating Officer

Broadband National Promotes Mickey Smith To Chief Operating Officer

Vero Beach, FL—Broadband National announced today the promotion of Mickey Smith from Vice President of Operations to Chief Operating Officer. Smith will be responsible for the operations of the company’s call centers, customer service, and sales.

Mr. Smith has over 20 years of successful management experience in competitive, customer-driven environments. Mr. Smith’s expertise in developing systems and controls that deliver the highest levels of customer service has benefited Broadband National’s goal of becoming the premier online marketing company for digital services and products

“Mickey’s vast experience and management in a customer driven environment makes him the perfect candidate to oversee our fast growing business,” states Vinny Olmstead, President of Broadband National. “His contributions have helped position the company to meet our continued demand which has tripled since his December 2005 start date with the company.”

Broadband National with offices in Vero Beach, Atlanta, Ga, and Orlando Florida is the leading comparative shopping service for digital services such as high speed internet, voip, and cable TV. With a nationwide distribution, Broadband National provides services to both residential and business customers. Broadband National’s proprietary software (IBIS) Integrated Broadband Information System allows customers objective carrier comparisons including service offers, product offers, and guaranteed lowest pricing. Back end integrations with more than 50 companies such as AT&T, Qwest, Time Warner, Comcast, Covad, and Verizon ensures a comprehensive customer solution. Broadband National also licenses the IBIS system to more than 1,500 companies such as retailers, VoIP suppliers, online marketers, and integrators allowing the same robust experience, while monetizing their customer base.

For more information on platform use, business development and strategic partnerships, please visit www.broadbandnational.com. For Broadband National press inquiries, please contact Mark Ballard at 772-539-0618 or email markb@broadbandnational.com

Cingular Triples Profit

The largest wireless provider in the U.S. has stated that its fourth quarter profit has nearly tripled.

Partly driving the company's growth was an increase of 2.4 million customers during the holiday season. A year ago the company recorded profits of $204 million, which tripled to $782 million in the fourth quarter. Cingular also reported having 61 million customers at the end of 2006.

Stan Sigman, the company's chief executive, said: "Our last quarter as a joint venture operating under the Cingular name was our best ever on a variety of fronts." Recently AT&T as part of its $86 billion merger with BellSouth, the largest telecommunications acquisition in US history, acquired Cingular.

AT&T is to gradually phase out the brand name Cingular and offer its wireless services under its own name. The process, dubbed Raising It Higher, is expected to occur over the next few months, with the speed being regulated by customer feedback.

AT&T will also begin aggressively marketing it’s “Triple Play” programs as it rolls out U-Verse based IPTV. In some regions, customers can expect to get TV, DSL, phone, and cellphone service all under the AT&T brand. To see if these services are available in your area visit comparative shopping website www.broadbandnational.com.

What Is The Difference Between Plasma and Projection TV Screens? Which Is Better?

The trend towards high-def is picking up pace at great speeds. Plasma and projection TVs, both viable options for HD, each have their own pros and cons making them suitable for different types of viewing, different rooms and different programming.

Plasma sets are known for their highly accurate colors, deep blacks and minimal blurring or fast motion. These characteristics make them a great choice for watching action movies and sports. Plasma sets have a relatively wide viewing angle, which ensures that viewers can see the picture from any angle. Look for television sets that have good brightness and contrast. Plasma TVs are thin and can be mounted on the wall or put on a stand. Plasma sets are true flat screens.

Projection sets provide a picture by projecting it onto a screen. The projection is most often done from the rear of the screen. Projection television sets offer an excellent picture quality, however, they have a limited viewing angle. Projection sets come in a variety of resolutions. Resolution is measured in pixels, with the higher pixel density being the best. Displays that are 1080 pixels have 1920 X 1080 resolution and offer the best picture quality. Projection sets may alternatively use Digital Light Processing technology (DLP), which delivers light through a digital chip. This technology is able to produce a highly detailed image while keeping the projector itself small. Projection televisions are usually bulkier than other types but are available in larger image screens.

When choosing a new TV it’s best to compare the pictures in the store. That way you can see which set looks best to you. The most expensive set may not always have the best picture; so test it out watching various programs to see the brightness and contrast as well as the black tones. Watch fast action to check for blurring. Both plasma and projection sets will last through several or more years of constant viewing.

How Reliable Is VOIP Service?

VoIP service has become more reliable in the last two years. Technology is advancing, providing vendors with the ability to provide stable service.
A recent study done by Columbia University determined that net VoIP service availability is approximately 98%. That being said, there is still more chance of line interference and dropped calls than on standard POTS lines, however the gap is closing.

There are many factors that contribute to reliability and service quality. These are generally related directly to the reliability of your Internet connection. Choose a quality vendor and you should have no trouble. Internet providers maintain redundant infrastructure for reliability so widespread failures are uncommon. They also have elaborate backup systems in place, which are designed to immediately take over in the event of a failure.

You must maintain an Internet connection in order for your VoIP service to work. Local power failures are the most common cause of connection problems. In order to keep your connection up you can purchase a power backup system (UPS) to keep your modem, phone and computer connected. This will maintain your VoIP connectivity even in the event of a local power outage.

The speed of your Internet connection also contributes to the quality of your VoIP service. Generally speaking, the higher speed connection, the better the VoIP will be. However, consider the Quality Of Service (QOS) on your Internet connection as well. This is a calculation that measures the consistency of data flowing through your Internet connection and is independent of your line speed.


VoIP is an inherently reliable technology. All in all, VoIP communications are more reliable than cell phone calls. Take into account the considerable advantages and features of VoIP technology and you will see that it offers quite reliable service at a cost savings.

www.voipnational.com

If My Internet Connection Goes, Does My Digital Cable or VOIP Phone Stop Working?

When you’re using your Internet connection for access to digital cable or VOIP there can be issues with connectivity if your Internet connection fails. Your computer needs to be connected to the Internet through a broadband or DSL connection in order for your VoIP phone to work. Although the computer does not need to be turned on, the connection must be maintained.

The connection for VoIP is maintained through the cable connection, which typically requires a modem to function. This modem needs to be powered on to maintain a connection. The actual digital portion of the connection remains available even during a power outage. Internet connections are very reliable and experience few outages. The outages are kept to a minimum because there is usually redundancy in the equipment that supplies your connection.

If you are concerned about power outages you can purchase a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that you can plug your computer into. Be sure to purchase one that is rated for the amount of amps you want to draw – basically, remember that you will want to plug your telephone into the UPS as well as the computer, modem, speakers and any other peripherals. The more things you plug into your UPS system, the more power you will draw and the less time your system will be kept up.


Some VoIP users keep a cell phone for emergency communications. You may also opt to maintain basic phone service on your regular telephone line for emergency use.

Google Most Recognized Brand

A recent survey has shown that search engine Google is the most recognized brand in the world.

Video sharing site YouTube and Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia were both ranked in the top five by online magazine brandchannel.com. The survey asked 3,625 students and branding professionals; "Which brand had the most impact on our lives in 2006?"

Editor of brandchannel.com, Anthony Zumpano, said: "The dramatic debut of these newcomers – YouTube in third and Wikipedia in fourth – is an indication of a larger trend – the growing impact of online brands built on user-generated contents." Apple was ranked in second place by the survey, closely followed by YouTube, Wikipedia and finally the coffee behemoth Starbucks.

Online social networking site MySpace was ranked 15th in the US rankings and the news channel Al Jazeera advanced to 19th place worldwide.

Meanwhile, YouTube may start to pay contributors for their content, according to the company's cofounder. Video clips on the site would show a short advertisement before starting, creating revenue, which would be shared with the creator.

YouTube’s popularity soared with the proliferation of broadband access. The company is credited with fueling the craze of uploading, and sharing video clips across the Internet. With the U.S. broadband household penetration rate at only 33% it’s safe to say that there are millions of new video clips bound for YouTube. Seizing on this fact a handful of companies have come forward to offer comparative shopping websites that specialize in broadband Internet access, with www.broadbandnational.com consistently rated the best in class.

Wi-Fi Adapter Boosts Range

Wi-Fi Adapter Boosts Range

Technology company Buffalo has released a powerful Wi-Fi adapter that can boost reception by some 210 per cent and expand the range by about 170 meters.

Dubbed the AirStation WLI-U2-SG54HP, the adapter simply attaches to one's computer via USB. The adapter measures 220 x 25 x 10mm and weighs 33 grams, and also comes with two suction pods which can be attached to the top of one's laptop to hold it in place. Buffalo is one of the world's primary providers of wireless technology and has offices in the US, Germany, the UK, Ireland and Taiwan.

Founded in 1975, Buffalo also manufactures memory devices, external drives, multimedia and other technology. Meanwhile, software giant Intel has announced that it has upgraded its Wi-Fi technology to produce faster download speeds. The Intel Next-Gen Wireless N network connection solution is an upgrade that Intel claims will increase connection speeds by up to five times.

These higher download speeds will enable the next generation of broadband products and services such as IPTV, VoIP, home automation and security to thrive and grow. The more traditional services such as video and music downloading will also benefit from these higher speeds. Additional information about current and future broadband related services and products can be found at www.broadbandnational.com. The website is regarded as the leading comparative shopping site catering to broadband access as well as digital products and services.

YouTube May Pay Users For Content

Popular video-sharing site YouTube may start to pay contributors for their content, according to the company's co-founder. Video clips on the site would show a short advertisement before starting, creating revenue which would be shared with the creator.

Last year the search engine company Google bought YouTube for $1.68 billion. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chad Hurley, YouTube's cofounder, said: "In terms of paying users revenue against content they're uploading, we're definitely going to move in that direction.

"We didn't want to build a system that was motivated by monetary reward. When you start giving money to people from day one… the people you do attract will just switch to the next provider that’s paying more" YouTube is at the stage now where they could conceivable pay and retain a community, added Mr Hurley.

Last week YouTube was subpoenaed by Fox Television regarding episodes of 24 and the Simpsons that appeared on the site.

Founded in 2005 by 3 pervious PayPal employees YouTube’s popularity soared with the proliferation of broadband access. The company is credited with fueling the craze of uploading, and sharing video clips across the Internet. With the U.S. broadband household penetration rate at only 33% it’s safe to say that there are millions of new video clips bound for YouTube. Seizing on this fact a handful of companies have come forward to offer comparative shopping websites that specialize in broadband Internet access, with www.broadbandnational.com consistently rated the best in class.

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