Give the FCC clear broadband authority

The following editorial appeared in the Seattle Times on Friday, June 18:

The Federal Communications Commission is looking at consumer-friendly rules that treat broadband access as a common carrier, the way telecommunications companies have been regulated for generations. The effort deserves strong support.

Howling by Internet-service providers is an indication FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is headed in the right direction. His proposed rules of the road focus on open access to broadband services.

The chairman is making a welcome effort to address a federal-court ruling that existing regulations do not give the FCC authority to write and enforce Net-neutrality directives to the industry.

Read more

Broadcasters on board with FCC National Broadband Plan

News by Todd Haselton on Tuesday March 16, 2010.

Yesterday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released details on its National Broadband Plan, which it hopes will help deliver affordable broadband to over 98 million Americans, improve our broadband infrastructure overall, and spur competition in the market.

Part of the plan requests and additional 500MHz of wireless spectrum by 2020, and 300MHz in the next three years, some of which would need to come from American broadcasting companies. Despite predictions that broadcasting networks would be against giving up spectrum, some are on board, Reuters reports. MORE

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Florida, Mass., Consumers Now Have High-Speed Access to the Internet

Verizon Launches Broadband Service in First of 24 New Communities

Consumers and businesses in this tiny western Massachusetts community now have access to the Internet -- at rocket speeds powered by Verizon.

Starting Wednesday (Aug. 13), Verizon High Speed Internet service is being offered throughout Florida, one of 24 western Massachusetts communities where broadband Internet access has been unavailable. Verizon is planning to offer the service to the 23 other communities this year.

The service will give Internet users the ability to download at speeds of 768 Kbps (kilobits per second), 21 times faster than the current dial-up capability in Florida.

"This is a historic day for the town of Florida and for Verizon," said Donna C. Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, who declared Verizon High Speed Internet service "open for business" in Florida.

"We are proud to be able to bring the benefits of broadband Internet service to consumers in Florida today and soon to thousands more consumers in western Massachusetts," she said. "Verizon's investments in Massachusetts have and will continue to be a major contributor to growing the state's economy."

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New Solution from Jungo Lets Broadband Operators Deploy a Nationwide Hotspot Service for Subscribers

Jungo Ltd., a leading provider of broadband service solutions, today announced the release of NationZone™, a gateway middleware-based solution that can transform every home gateway into an operator hotspot while fully maintaining the security and bandwidth assurance for the home.

As opposed to other hotspot services that require the rollout of new hardware, Jungo's NationZone enables Operators to “turn on” the wireless network through a simple remote upgrade of the CPE firmware, thereby leveraging their existing CPE infrastructure, and launching a new service that creates a true nationwide “zone” which provides value to subscribers from day one.

"Operators need to acquire new subscribers and expand revenues by offering new services, while minimizing infrastructure and operational costs involved with the rollout of the new service", said Eran Rom, Jungo's CEO. “With Jungo's NationZone™, Operators can introduce new services, create more revenues and increase customer loyalty by utilizing the excess bandwidth and processing the power of millions of CPEs already deployed in the field".

Time Warner Will Be “Aggressive” In Putting Nets On Demand

Bewkes: Everything Should Be VOD
Says Media Giant Will Be “Aggressive” In Putting Nets On Demand

By Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 2/6/2008 2:15:00 PM

After stirring up the market with plans to possibly spin off its cable and AOL online units, Time Warner Inc. CEO Jeff Bewkes aimed his sights at the media giant’s cable networks, telling analysts that he wants to be aggressive in making video on demand programming available across all of its networks.

“We and others in the industry need to be a bit more revolutionary than evolutionary in this area,” Bewkes said on a conference call with analysts Wednesday to discuss fourth- quarter results. “For some time I’ve had the strong belief that all linear ad-supported networks should make their programming lineups available on demand and on television sets, not just on broadband. It’s a win-win for consumers and networks alike. We’re going to be aggressive in putting our own networks on demand so we can show the industry the benefits of this model. We think it will cement the long-term prospects of these businesses.”

Verizon reaches landmark in New Jersey

Verizon has installed its fibre-optic broadband service FiOS in more than one million homes in New Jersey, the company has announced.

And in 2008, Verizon has forecast that it will install the service in an additional 400,000 homes in the state. The announcement came as Verizon opened its brand new fiber solutions customer service center in Freehold. By the end of next year Verizon expects approximately 400 people to be working at the center.

Verizon chairman and chief executive Ivan Seidenberg said: "New Jersey is now among the most-fibered states in the nation." The expanded FiOS service will give New Jersey an "economic boost", added Mr Seidenberg.

Verizon's FiOS service is the first fiber optics network to be rolled out on large scale in the US, the company claims. Fiber-optic communications were first developed in the 1970s and work by transmitting information using light traveling along optical fiber.

Vodafone signs up to Nokia services

Mobile services giant Vodafone has signed up to Nokia's suite of mobile internet services, it has been announced.

Under the deal, Vodafone customers will be able to access the Finnish company's Ovi platform, including its music service, and Vodafone will have exclusive access to certain future models of Nokia phones. New Nokia phones feature 3G services, consisting of high-speed broadband networks which allow users to check email and surf the internet.

A press release from Vodafone stated: "Vodafone and Nokia will make it easier to access the Internet quickly at the click of a button. "Customers will get the full suite of communications, content, internet services and browsing, through seamlessly integrated Vodafone services on Nokia handsets." Currently Vodafone is the world's largest supplier of mobile phone services and Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

Vodafone now has 232 million subscribers to its services worldwide.

Global Crossing Expands VoIP Local Service to 16 Mexico Markets, Nearly 400 More U.S. Cities

Service Now Offered in 21 Countries Worldwide

Global Crossing a leading global IP solutions provider, today announced it
has once again broadened the scope and reach of its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for customers around the world by extending its Global Crossing VoIP Local Service(TM) to 16 major metropolitan cities in Mexico and nearly 400 additional cities in the United States. The addition of Mexico brings to 21 the total number of countries worldwide where the service is offered. In the U.S., the company expanded availability of VoIP Local Service to nearly 400 additional cities, including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Tucson, bringing that total to more than 1,400 nationwide.

Initially, Global Crossing will be serving 16 metropolitan markets in Mexico with VoIP Local Service, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puebla, Leon and Monterrey. Global Crossing VoIP Local Service also is available in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. A complementary offer, Global Crossing VoIP Outbound(TM), is available from 29 countries around the world and provides the consistency customers
require from global services.

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

Wal-Mart to sell satellite broadband

Retail giant Wal-Mart has announced that it is to start selling satellite broadband to consumers.

Customers will be able to subscribe to , the largest provider of satellite broadband in the US. Subscriptions to HughesNet will be available in 2,800 Wal-Mart stores across America. The HughesNet service is available in many of the more rural, remote locations in the US where traditional broadband is not yet available.

Mike Cook, senior vice president, North America Division at Hughes, said: "Wal-Mart is perhaps the only retail store in the country that reaches as many people as HughesNet.
"This relationship is a powerful way to make broadband a reality for the millions of Americans and small business owners who cannot get high-speed internet access from cable or DSL providers."

HughesNet currently has over 350,000 subscribers and has shipped systems to consumers in more than 100 countries. Wal-Mart is currently the largest private employer in the world.

Move with the Changing Times by Switching To VoIP

VoIP has become a rage world over due to the numerous advantages it has over the traditional public switch telephony network. With the rising popularity the demand for VoIP service has increased tremendously in the past few years and continues to rise at a high rate.

VoIP termination can help the industry and residentials alike in following ways-

1. Cheaper rates - Now it is possible to make local calls at a cheaper rate. No need to pay around $30 just for dial tone anymore!
2. Cheaper long distance and ISD calls - VoIP offers long distance and international calls at a much reduced rate. There are some resellers who offer free unlimited calling to USA and maybe other destinations like Canada.
3. Ease of operations - It is very convenient to use VoIP termination service. One can make VoIP calls through their laptops, IP phone http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifor even their old fixed line phone.
4. Mobility - You can take your VoIP phone with you on a holiday or a business trip without having to worry about missing important calls while you are away.
5. Reduced operating cost - VoIP Telephony service needs lesser equipments to route the call thereby reducing the cost of operations. It uses minimum equipments as opposed to other modes of communication.
6. Flexibility - VoIP termination business plan assists mobile workers or contact center employees to work from their home or while on the move at much cheaper rates and in some cases free of cost too.

Click here for the rest of this story.

Qwest Boosts Security

Qwest, has released a program to help its customers protect themselves from viruses and malware on the internet.

Dubbed the Customer Internet Protection Program (CIPP), it also aids customers whose computers have already been infected with damaging malware. When a virus or malware is detected by CIPP, it notifies the user and tells them how to combat the infection as well as giving advice on how to avoid falling victim to new hazards.

Melodi Gates, Qwest director of risk management and chief information security officer, said: "Internet security is a top priority for internet users and for Qwest. "Most people don't even know when their computers become infected, so Qwest's goal is not only to help customers get rid of the infections, but also to make sure customers are armed with information to maintain strong levels of internet security going forward."

All PC owners should make sure that their machine runs a supported operating system, Qwest advised. For information on other digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

Verizon celebrates FiOS anniversary

Earlier this week the communications giant Verizon recognized the second anniversary of its revolutionary FiOS TV product.

Since being introduced in September 2005 FiOS has proved a smash-hit with Verizon customers, the company claims. FiOS was first introduced in Texas and so far over a quarter of Verizon customers in the state have signed ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifn to the service. Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates, said: "Verizon is leveraging its infrastructure and technology advantages - its fiber-optic network, the in-home network and the FiOS TV platform - to maximum effect.

"At this point, FiOS TV is 18 months to two years ahead of where the rest of the industry needs to be." Last year Verizon introduced the Home Media DVR service for FiOS, as well as the interactive media guide. Using DVR, customers can watch different previously-recorded shows on as many as three TVs in different rooms. The name Verizon is a combination of the words veritas and horizon. For more information on digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

D-Link Adds More Than 200 'Channels' of Internet Video to the TV

D-Link(R) Media Player (DSM-520) Now Provides TV Access to YouTube, Google Video, BBC News and Hundreds More Online Video Providers

D-Link, the end-to-end networking solutions provider for business and consumers, keeps changing the way we watch television.

Today D-Link announced it has expanded the capabilities of digital
media adapters (DMAs) by adding more than 200 channels of Internet TV to
its best-selling MediaLounge(TM) Wireless HD Media Player (DSM-520), a
wireless device that allows users to enjoy videos, music, photos and more
from a PC on a TV using a simple remote control.

More than 200 online channels serving millions of Internet videos are
brought to the TV by the D-Link HD MediaLounge Player using active-TV
technology, a new service that allows easy access to Internet video and
entertainment sites with a remote control.

In contrast to competing DMA products, the D-Link DSM-520 with
active-TV technology makes it possible for consumers to play video files
saved in a wide range of formats and allows users to add additional
Internet video sites to the active-TV channel selection themselves.
Active-TV technology utilizes a content aggregator developed by MediaMall
Technologies, a company that regularly adds additional channels to its
lineup of Internet content.

The active-TV line-up includes programming from 36 U.S. channels,
offering movies and music videos, radio stations, sports, news
entertainment and shopping. In addition to YouTube, some of the notable
channels include: Comedy Central, AOL Video, CinemaNow, Google Video,
Movielink, ROOtv Music Videos, Akimbo, MTV, Musicmatch, Napster, VH1, ESPN,
FOX Sports, MSN TV Today, Reuters News, Yahoo! Sports and eBay.

The new Internet TV lineup also includes international programming from
14 countries, including the BBC and other networks from the United Kingdom,
along with digital entertainment from Australia, Denmark, Sweden, the
Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Poland and Taiwan.

The D-Link DSM-520 can also access videos, music and photos stored on
PCs across a home network, a shared network storage device, as well as
files stored on a USB flash drive, or external hard drive via a USB 2.0
port.

The D-Link MediaLounge with expanded Internet programming is now
shipping. Existing DSM-520 customers will receive a free upgrade to their
products that will allow them to access the new channels. The upgrade is
available now for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP and Windows Vista(TM)
operating systems.

"Our MediaLounge Player has revolutionized the way people receive and
watch digital entertainment. Now you can expand your viewing beyond the PC
and bring a vast amount of Internet TV directly to your living room," said
Steven Joe, President and CEO of D-Link Systems, Inc. "There are other
media players out there, but they only provide limited programming. With
D-Link's MediaLounge player, the channel line up is already far-reaching
and continually expanding."

The DSM-520 ensures HD picture and digital audio quality with the
built-in High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port. The HDMI
connection provides the purest digital audio and video signals in a single
cable that maximizes the potential of your HD home entertainment center.
Other video connectors include component, S-video, and composite output,
ensuring compatibility with virtually all television sets. The DSM-520 also
supports coax and optical digital audio output for delivering high fidelity
digital surround sound.

To learn more about the D-Link DSM-520 MediaLounge Player and for a
complete list of programming, please visit http://www.dlink.com/activetv.

AT&T Announces $750 Million Investment to Bring Florida Consumers New Video Services, Choice and Competition

As a direct result of a new state law that encourages statewide video competition, AT&T Inc. has announced plans to invest approximately $750 million during the next several years in fiber network upgrades, further broadband deployment and Internet-based technologies to bring new services, including cutting-edge television, to Florida consumers.

These upgrades are a direct result of House Bill 529 being passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law in May by Gov. Charlie Crist. "We look forward to bringing Florida consumers not only choice and competition but also advanced video, voice and Internet service technology," said Marshall Criser, president, AT&T Florida. "We especially commend Governor Crist, Representathttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifive Trey Traviesa, state Senator Mike Bennett and all of the members of the Florida Legislature for their
vision."

The Consumer Choice Act of 2007, HB 529, brings a new world of communications and entertainment for consumers. HB 529 will also encourage investment in next-generation broadband network infrastructure and will help bring new technology and jobs to Florida. According to the Internet Innovation Alliance, increased competition in the video market would result in increased investment across the industry and spur new entrants, contractors, equipment- makers, manufacturers and service-providers to
create nearly 7,000 jobs in Florida.

The Consumer Choice Act was vigorously supported by consumer groups, business groups and tens of thousands of citizens throughout the state.

AT&T's infrastructure and investment will include a new world of communications and entertainment through AT&T U-verse(SM) service. AT&T is the only major U.S. provider to offer a 100 percent Internet Protocol (IP)-based television service, and that makes AT&T U-verse TV one of the most robust and feature-rich services available today. The planned network investment in Florida by AT&T companies does not change AT&T's capital expenditure guidance for 2007 and 2008. AT&T is in the process of updating its U-verse deployment plans for the Southeast region and expects to provide an update later this year.

GodTube.com Sets Record as #1 Fastest Growing Website in U.S. in 1st month of Launch

Leading Digital Media Intelligence Provider comScore Ranks GodTube.com as
#1 Fastest Growing Website on comScore Media Metrix Top 1000 Web Properties

comScore, the leading digital media intelligence provider, today ranked the new website GodTube.com the #1 fastest growing U.S. web property for the month of August in its ranking of the Top 1000 Web Properties. GodTube.com showed 973% month-on-month growth in August -- the first month in which the site was officially launched --
according to comScore. Close on the heels of its August 8th launch, GodTube.com attracted 1.7 million unique U.S. visitors in August, placing GodTube.com on its Top 1000 Web Properties list for the first time.

"The fact that GodTube.com, a faith-based website, has been named the #1 fastest growing website, surpassing all mainstream secular websites, marks a major milestone," said Chris Wyatt, CEO and Founder. "GodTube.com's success is proof positive that Jesus 2.0 is the wave of the future. Our entire culture is becoming internet focused. Today, people use the internet to search for practically everything they need in life -- Why not their faith?"

GodTube.com deployed an advanced Content Delivery Network from Limelight Networks Inc. to help provide the best possible viewing and downloading experience for its ever-growing community of users across the globe.

"Consumer demand for all types of media content via the internet is expanding exponentially," David Hatfield, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Services and Marketing at Limelight Networks. "By leveraging our CDN and Web-based management and reporting metrics, GodTube is able to keep track of progress, monitor usage and activity, all the while focusing on giving its user base what it wants without worrying about the delivery infrastructure."

An instant success, GodTube.com has rapidly become the fastest-growing website in the mainstream market. GodTube.com has experienced explosive growth and is currently attracting more than 3 million unique visitors per month. GodTube.com has pioneered the formation of a virtual church community online and has successfully connected with millions of people seeking a new way to experience their faith. Broadcasting over 800,000 hours of video, GodTube.com has becomes a true online community where users can upload, share, watch and comment. With more than 20,000 videos offering a diverse array of content ranging from humorous youth-oriented videos to powerful testimonials, GodTube.com is attracting people of all ages and backgrounds.

Verizon Enhances Email Offering

Communications company Verizon has announced that it is offering its customers much larger amounts of email storage.

Subscribers to the company's FiOS product will now benefit from "an unlimited retention period" and the ability to access their email accounts from any computer. As well as an email account with four gigabytes of storage capacity, customers will also have the option of accessing their accounts via a wireless phone. Peter Castleton, director of Verizon consumer broadband services, said: "Personal email, including digital photo, music and video files, is a critical part of everyday life and we're making it easier for our customers to conveniently access and manage their mail."

Spam filtering and advanced virus protection will continue to be available to customers using the new service, Verizon claims. The company has now made its FiOS service available in 16 states and is continuing to expand it constantly. Verizon states that FiOS is an ancient Irish word for knowledge.

Comcast Shuts Down Prolific Downloaders

The internet provider Comcast has denied service to several of its customers because they download excessively, it has been reported.

Those that download large amounts of content use up more bandwidth than their fair share and make the internet slower for others, the company has stated. However, Comcast has refrained from specifying what the limits on downloading are for its customers.

Comcast spokeswoman Lorena Hernandez told the San Mateo County Times: "Comcast has a responsibility to give [our customers] a good experience and address any issues that may impact that experience." "It shouldn't be a problem if they are using the residential high-speed internet as intended."

The company has refused to say exactly how many customers were cut off. Comcast, which was founded in 1963, is currently the second-largest internet provider in the US. It has an estimated 24 million cable customers and 14 million subscribers to digital cable. Click here for information on other digital products and services.

Nokia Offers Enhanced Security

The Finnish cell phone manufacturer Nokia has announced that it has allied with the companies Check Point and Intel to boost its security capabilities.

Resulting from the collaboration between the companies is the Nokia IP2450 security platform just released by Nokia. The product represents the cutting-edge in security and utilizes the latest innovations in chipsets, the company claims.

Tom Furlong, vice president, security and mobile connectivity at Nokia, said: "As threats become more sophisticated and as network traffic patterns change, security solutions must perform deeper inspections of more sizes and types of packets faster than ever before." "As a result, large businesses and service providers are demanding higher performance from their security appliances."

Nokia IP2450 also lets businesses "control costs and maximize investments", Mr Furlong added. If a business is growing, the Nokia IP 2450 gives it the option of increasing the capacity of the platform to 20 Gigabits. Nokia is currently the world's largest manufacturer of cell phones.

Click here for information on other digital products and services.