NEW YORK,(Reuters) - Broadband service provider Covad and Verizon Communications have settled their litigation and other disputes, the companies said on Wednesday.
The settlement dismisses Covad's pending antitrust case against Verizon and a separate lawsuit Verizon had filed against Covad and it resolves the companies' billing disputes.
In a separate agreement MCI Inc., which Verizon is buying, will recommend Covad's broadband Internet services to its business customers, the companies said.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Want Gwen Stefani videos on your broadband cell? Think WiMAX backhaul
That's a depiction of Verizon V CAST, Verizon Wireless' new broadband video content for cell phones. Watching Gwen Stefani on your cell is cool, but that's not what we are going to talk about here. We are going to talk about the upgrades mobile providers need to make to get this content to your cell so that it looks good.
The growth of such broadband video content delivered over cellular networks and to cell phones isn't only exciting for content creators and consumers. It also creates substantial upgrade requirements for cellular base station backhaul.
In telecommunications, backhaul refers to the transmission of voice and data traffic from a cell site to a switch. This is usually done from a remote site to a central site.
"One of the hottest market segments now and for the next 5 years is cellular base station backhaul," the study authors write. "The number of mobile subscribers continues to grow in all regions, and cellular operators are launching data and video-based services."
"Most base stations require only a single T1/E1 to handle voice traffic. Adding data/video turns up the need to 3 or 4 T1/E1s at a minimum, with video potentially driving even higher requirements in the future," the authors note. "Since the data is IP and the video is likely going to be IPTV, data traffic volumes will quickly outstrip voice, just as happened a couple of years ago when the Internet/data traffic swamped voice.
The growth of such broadband video content delivered over cellular networks and to cell phones isn't only exciting for content creators and consumers. It also creates substantial upgrade requirements for cellular base station backhaul.
In telecommunications, backhaul refers to the transmission of voice and data traffic from a cell site to a switch. This is usually done from a remote site to a central site.
"One of the hottest market segments now and for the next 5 years is cellular base station backhaul," the study authors write. "The number of mobile subscribers continues to grow in all regions, and cellular operators are launching data and video-based services."
"Most base stations require only a single T1/E1 to handle voice traffic. Adding data/video turns up the need to 3 or 4 T1/E1s at a minimum, with video potentially driving even higher requirements in the future," the authors note. "Since the data is IP and the video is likely going to be IPTV, data traffic volumes will quickly outstrip voice, just as happened a couple of years ago when the Internet/data traffic swamped voice.
Monday, December 19, 2005
New York ramping up for broadband
Ramping city up for broadband
December 19, 2005
A political push to broaden the use of broadband - by making high-speed Internet lines cheaper and more accessible - should gain a bit of ground this week.
In one of its last acts under Speaker Gifford Miller, the City Council on Wednesday is expected to approve a bill creating a new 15-member "broadband advisory committee."
Sponsor Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Council's technology committee, considers it a populist calling for government to prod or provide more equal Internet access. She's held a dozen hearings in the past two years and sees the new body as the next step. "The gap between those who can afford broadband and those who cannot persists," Brewer says in a report she co-authored with her top aide Bruce Lai, "despite growth in the availability of broadband connections."
Census data show that more than half the U.S. households with annual incomes above $100,000 have broadband while more than two thirds of those who earn less than $100,000 do not.
Philadelphia, Atlanta and San Francisco are carrying out plans for wireless broadband networks, note Brewer and Lai. Smaller cities such as Spokane, Wash. and Corpus Christi, Texas already created them.
For more information click here.
December 19, 2005
A political push to broaden the use of broadband - by making high-speed Internet lines cheaper and more accessible - should gain a bit of ground this week.
In one of its last acts under Speaker Gifford Miller, the City Council on Wednesday is expected to approve a bill creating a new 15-member "broadband advisory committee."
Sponsor Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Council's technology committee, considers it a populist calling for government to prod or provide more equal Internet access. She's held a dozen hearings in the past two years and sees the new body as the next step. "The gap between those who can afford broadband and those who cannot persists," Brewer says in a report she co-authored with her top aide Bruce Lai, "despite growth in the availability of broadband connections."
Census data show that more than half the U.S. households with annual incomes above $100,000 have broadband while more than two thirds of those who earn less than $100,000 do not.
Philadelphia, Atlanta and San Francisco are carrying out plans for wireless broadband networks, note Brewer and Lai. Smaller cities such as Spokane, Wash. and Corpus Christi, Texas already created them.
For more information click here.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Microsoft: jumping into the VoIP fray
Microsoft has announced plans to release its first beta version of Live Messenger with VoIP
Microsoft has staked a claim in the US VoIP market by announcing its software users can soon make Internet calls to standard phones thanks to a new partnership with MCI. Although rival products from the likes of Yahoo and Skype offer extra features, given Microsoft's broad market reach elsewhere and its alliance with MCI, this should not affect the company's foray into VoIP in the longer term.
The MCI Web Calling for Windows Live service will be available in the first half of 2006. Essentially, it combines MCI's existing VoIP offerings with Microsoft software.
The service will be available via Windows Live Messenger, the upcoming successor to Microsoft's existing instant messaging (IM) service. At 2.3 cents per minute, it will undercut rates from MCI, which is being acquired by Verizon Communications.
Microsoft has staked a claim in the US VoIP market by announcing its software users can soon make Internet calls to standard phones thanks to a new partnership with MCI. Although rival products from the likes of Yahoo and Skype offer extra features, given Microsoft's broad market reach elsewhere and its alliance with MCI, this should not affect the company's foray into VoIP in the longer term.
The MCI Web Calling for Windows Live service will be available in the first half of 2006. Essentially, it combines MCI's existing VoIP offerings with Microsoft software.
The service will be available via Windows Live Messenger, the upcoming successor to Microsoft's existing instant messaging (IM) service. At 2.3 cents per minute, it will undercut rates from MCI, which is being acquired by Verizon Communications.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Yahoo! targets! Skype! with! improved! VoIP! offer!
Fab! tastic!
By Tim Richardson
Yahoo! is adding more features to its existing VoIP service in a bid to gain a bigger of the rapidly growing broadband telephony market.
A new version of Yahoo!'s Messenger service is due to be released soon that will enable users to make broadband calls that are reportedly cheaper than those on offer by VoIP giant Skype.
Click here for the complete story.
By Tim Richardson
Yahoo! is adding more features to its existing VoIP service in a bid to gain a bigger of the rapidly growing broadband telephony market.
A new version of Yahoo!'s Messenger service is due to be released soon that will enable users to make broadband calls that are reportedly cheaper than those on offer by VoIP giant Skype.
Click here for the complete story.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Verizon fighting for piece of cable market
By MARY ANN D'URSO
BRIDGEWATER -- Already a giant in the telephone, wireless and DSL markets, Verizon wants to deliver cable television service to customers, too -- which puts it at odds with New Jersey's cable TV giants, including Cablevision and Comcast.
Consumers in a growing number of New Jersey towns can already sign up for Verizon's FiOS service, which uses a new fiber optic network instead of a regular telephone line. It features high-speed Internet access that is faster than its own DSL connection.
But before the company can "switch on" cable and other interactive video services, it wants to change New Jersey's cable franchise rules, which require cable operators to negotiate agreements with individual towns. Such a process could take years, said Dennis Bone, Verizon New Jersey president, delaying competition in what is now a cable industry monopoly.
Verizon is lobbying for a new law that would make a single cable agreement good for the entire state.
BRIDGEWATER -- Already a giant in the telephone, wireless and DSL markets, Verizon wants to deliver cable television service to customers, too -- which puts it at odds with New Jersey's cable TV giants, including Cablevision and Comcast.
Consumers in a growing number of New Jersey towns can already sign up for Verizon's FiOS service, which uses a new fiber optic network instead of a regular telephone line. It features high-speed Internet access that is faster than its own DSL connection.
But before the company can "switch on" cable and other interactive video services, it wants to change New Jersey's cable franchise rules, which require cable operators to negotiate agreements with individual towns. Such a process could take years, said Dennis Bone, Verizon New Jersey president, delaying competition in what is now a cable industry monopoly.
Verizon is lobbying for a new law that would make a single cable agreement good for the entire state.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Trolltech Launches First Linux-based VoIP Framework for Handheld Devices
Trolltech, provider of leading technologies that make advanced software faster to build and easier to use, today released Qtopia Phone Edition 2.2, the first Linux-based Voice over IP (VoIP) software solution for mobile and wireless phones and converged media devices. Qtopia Phone 2.2, the latest version of Trolltech's application platform for Linux devices, also features performance improvements and enhanced user interface, multimedia and internationalization functionality.
Click here for the complete story.
Click here for the complete story.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Apple releases Broadband Tuner 1.0
By Peter Cohen pcohen@maccentral.com
Apple has released Broadband Tuner v1.0, a utility that tweaks the system parameters of Macs with very high speed Internet connections — 5 Mbps or faster.
Broadband Tuner changes the default values for the size of the TCP send and receive buffers used by Mac OS X, according to Apple. “With larger buffers more data can be in transit at once,” said Apple. “A startup configuration file is also updated so that these changes will persist across restarts.”
An optional uninstaller can be used to restore the system settings that were in effect before the parameters were changed. System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.4 or later.
Apple has released Broadband Tuner v1.0, a utility that tweaks the system parameters of Macs with very high speed Internet connections — 5 Mbps or faster.
Broadband Tuner changes the default values for the size of the TCP send and receive buffers used by Mac OS X, according to Apple. “With larger buffers more data can be in transit at once,” said Apple. “A startup configuration file is also updated so that these changes will persist across restarts.”
An optional uninstaller can be used to restore the system settings that were in effect before the parameters were changed. System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.4 or later.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Case study: Broadband — a therapy for retail
There are some businesspeople who question what broadband can possibly do for them, but Mark Gould is not one of them. The managing director of Hughes & Hughes has witnessed the dramatic impact it has had on his retail operation in the past two years.
The bookseller — which has 180 employees and 15 branches across the country — has always prided itself on its customer service. In the past, if a customer couldn’t find the book they wanted, staff would search a CD-Rom-based book database, a fresh version of which was supplied by Hughes & Hughes’ book distributor on a monthly basis. When the internet came along, staff were able to dial up and connect over the web direct to the distributor’s online catalogue. The change was very welcome from a customer service viewpoint, but it had its drawbacks.
Click here for the full story.
The bookseller — which has 180 employees and 15 branches across the country — has always prided itself on its customer service. In the past, if a customer couldn’t find the book they wanted, staff would search a CD-Rom-based book database, a fresh version of which was supplied by Hughes & Hughes’ book distributor on a monthly basis. When the internet came along, staff were able to dial up and connect over the web direct to the distributor’s online catalogue. The change was very welcome from a customer service viewpoint, but it had its drawbacks.
Click here for the full story.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
America Online, IAC, Hearst Corp., and Allen & Company Lead $16 Million Investment in Brightcove
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- AOL and Brightcove Sign Video Content Distribution Agreement; Barry Diller Joins Brightcove Board of Directors
Brightcove, an Internet TV pioneer, today announced the completion of a major strategic financing round, a groundbreaking video content distribution partnership with AOL, and the appointment of Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp and Chairman of Expedia, Inc., to the Brightcove Board of Directors.
AOL (NYSE:TWX), IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq:IACI), Hearst Corporation, and Allen & Company LLC have joined with existing Brightcove investors Accel Partners and General Catalyst Partners to invest $16.2 million in Brightcove. The investments complete a Series B financing round that will fuel the company's growth and the launch of its products and services.
In a separate industry milestone, Brightcove signed a significant and innovative content distribution agreement with AOL.
"We are thrilled to get both the backing of such a strong group of strategic investors and a major distribution agreement with AOL," said Jeremy Allaire, Brightcove Chairman and CEO. "The opportunities these investors bring to Brightcove, combined with the relationships we are already developing, put us in an incredible position to deliver our open Internet TV service and realize our mission to transform the media landscape by enabling video publishers to build broadband businesses that reach consumers directly through the Internet."
Brightcove, an Internet TV pioneer, today announced the completion of a major strategic financing round, a groundbreaking video content distribution partnership with AOL, and the appointment of Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp and Chairman of Expedia, Inc., to the Brightcove Board of Directors.
AOL (NYSE:TWX), IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq:IACI), Hearst Corporation, and Allen & Company LLC have joined with existing Brightcove investors Accel Partners and General Catalyst Partners to invest $16.2 million in Brightcove. The investments complete a Series B financing round that will fuel the company's growth and the launch of its products and services.
In a separate industry milestone, Brightcove signed a significant and innovative content distribution agreement with AOL.
"We are thrilled to get both the backing of such a strong group of strategic investors and a major distribution agreement with AOL," said Jeremy Allaire, Brightcove Chairman and CEO. "The opportunities these investors bring to Brightcove, combined with the relationships we are already developing, put us in an incredible position to deliver our open Internet TV service and realize our mission to transform the media landscape by enabling video publishers to build broadband businesses that reach consumers directly through the Internet."
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Internet pioneer sounds alarm on threats to broadband
By Mark Cooper
As Vinton Cerf, ``the father of the Internet,'' accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House last week, at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings on a bill -- an update of the 1996 Telecommunications Act -- that stands to dramatically transform the information superhighway.
Click here for the complete story.
As Vinton Cerf, ``the father of the Internet,'' accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House last week, at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings on a bill -- an update of the 1996 Telecommunications Act -- that stands to dramatically transform the information superhighway.
Click here for the complete story.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Warner units to offer TV shows online
By David B. Wilkerson & Alan Doyle, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Two Time Warner Inc. units plan to counter TV networks' video on demand by offering vintage television programs such as "Welcome Back, Kotter" free over the Internet, the company said.
Beginning in January, In2TV plans to offer 300 episodes per month and about 100 shows in the first year on six channels ranging from comedy to drama, and Warner Bros. has cleared 300 series, or about 14,000 individual episodes, for use on the service, including a diverse range of programs including "The FBI," Eight Is Enough," "Growing Pains," "Chico and the Man," "V" and "Head of the Class."
The 30-minute shows will include up to two minutes' worth of 15-second commercials that viewers can't circumvent, America Online said.
In the latest reflection of industry-wide concerns about digital piracy, the service won't allow viewers to record shows.
The move is part of its effort to transition AOL from a dialup service to the portal-based model, taking advantage of both the increased penetration of high-speed Internet connections and rising online-advertising revenues.
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Two Time Warner Inc. units plan to counter TV networks' video on demand by offering vintage television programs such as "Welcome Back, Kotter" free over the Internet, the company said.
Beginning in January, In2TV plans to offer 300 episodes per month and about 100 shows in the first year on six channels ranging from comedy to drama, and Warner Bros. has cleared 300 series, or about 14,000 individual episodes, for use on the service, including a diverse range of programs including "The FBI," Eight Is Enough," "Growing Pains," "Chico and the Man," "V" and "Head of the Class."
The 30-minute shows will include up to two minutes' worth of 15-second commercials that viewers can't circumvent, America Online said.
In the latest reflection of industry-wide concerns about digital piracy, the service won't allow viewers to record shows.
The move is part of its effort to transition AOL from a dialup service to the portal-based model, taking advantage of both the increased penetration of high-speed Internet connections and rising online-advertising revenues.
Friday, November 11, 2005
XO Communications Announces Agreement to Create National Fixed Broadband Wireless Company
11/11/05 - XO Communications, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: XOCM.OB) announced an agreement that will create a leading provider of fixed broadband wireless services to businesses and service providers. In order to create and finance the fixed wireless business, XO will sell its national wireline telecommunications business for $700 million in cash. Following the sale, the Company will retain its fixed broadband wireless spectrum assets and be uniquely positioned to be a leading provider of fixed broadband wireless services nationally as one of the largest holders of fixed wireless licenses in the 28 GHz-31 GHz spectrum range covering more than 70 U.S. major metropolitan markets.
Click here for the entire story.
Click here for the entire story.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Less VoIP May Be More When It Comes to Click-To-Call Ads
By Robert Poe
It's no secret that the big Web portals consider voice over IP a key ingredient in the mix of e-mail, instant messaging and other services they're offering visitors to their sites. The mystery is how exactly they expect to make money from it. One clue to their thinking is scheduled to surface soon, with the expected announcement of a big-name customer for eStara's click-to-call VoIP software. The software and other eStara products make it possible for advertisers to know exactly how many customers contacted them by phone in response to a specific Web ad.
Click here for the entire story.
It's no secret that the big Web portals consider voice over IP a key ingredient in the mix of e-mail, instant messaging and other services they're offering visitors to their sites. The mystery is how exactly they expect to make money from it. One clue to their thinking is scheduled to surface soon, with the expected announcement of a big-name customer for eStara's click-to-call VoIP software. The software and other eStara products make it possible for advertisers to know exactly how many customers contacted them by phone in response to a specific Web ad.
Click here for the entire story.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
The Changing Face Of The Internet
You may have missed it this week. In the dead middle of a Business Week interview with SBC chief Edward Whitacre is a comment that foretells the future of broadband. At least, the future incumbent broadband providers are planning for. But it’s not a pretty picture for the rest of us.
When asked whether he was concerned about Google, MSN, Vonage, and other companies' plans to get into broadband services, the CEO of the telco giant let slip his plans to create a "walled garden" where your freedom to surf is sacrificed at the altar of SBC profits:
How do you think they’re going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain’t going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there’s going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they’re using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?
The internet can’t be free in that sense, because we and the cable companies have made an investment and for a Google or Yahoo! or Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes [for] free is nuts!
Americans take for granted the diversity of information and services they find at the click of a mouse.
When asked whether he was concerned about Google, MSN, Vonage, and other companies' plans to get into broadband services, the CEO of the telco giant let slip his plans to create a "walled garden" where your freedom to surf is sacrificed at the altar of SBC profits:
How do you think they’re going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain’t going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there’s going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they’re using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?
The internet can’t be free in that sense, because we and the cable companies have made an investment and for a Google or Yahoo! or Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes [for] free is nuts!
Americans take for granted the diversity of information and services they find at the click of a mouse.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Legal Music Downloads Rising with Broadband and MP3 Player Adoption
Broadband households in Europe and North America will re-shape the distribution of recorded music over the next five years, according to Martin Olausson, a Senior Analyst at Strategy Analtyics. His latest research shows broadband households will spend billions of dollars through 2010 to download music from sources like Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, Napster, Yahoo and a hoard of Internet service providers.
According to a new report from the Strategy Analytics Broadband Media and Communications service, broadband users in these regions will spend over a billion dollars on online music this year, with sales expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2010. This figure will represent nearly 16 percent of total sales, up from less than two percent in 2004.
Click here for the complete story.
According to a new report from the Strategy Analytics Broadband Media and Communications service, broadband users in these regions will spend over a billion dollars on online music this year, with sales expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2010. This figure will represent nearly 16 percent of total sales, up from less than two percent in 2004.
Click here for the complete story.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Apple Launches The New iPod
Witness the evolution of the revolution. First it played songs. Then photos. Then podcasts. Now iPod plays video, changing the way you experience your music and more. Again. In lighter, thinner 30GB and 60GB models starting at $299, the new iPod is music to your eyes.
Click here for more info.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Broadband National Awarded Exclusive Affiliate Rights
Broadband National has been awarded the exclusive affiliate rights to market broadband services from SBC Communications, Comcast, Qwest and Covad. To market these products Broadband National utilizes a "Private Label Program". This programs promote services via a private label website that maintains the look and feel of the providers website. Customers will view broadband services as an extension of current products in a seamless web environment. Broadband National creates a private label site with Logo and content consistent with the providers website. In addition, Broadband National provides an affiliate ID and tracking mechanisms in order to manage all inquiries and orders provided by Private Label customers. To view some examples of Private Label Programs that we have produced visit comcastspecial.com, sbcyahoospecial.com, or qwestspecial.com.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Broadband National Appoints David Wilcox As Chief Technology Officer
Broadband National today announced the appointment of David Wilcox as Chief Technology Officer. Wilcox is responsible for directing the development and management of Broadband Nationals technology infrastructure. This includes BBN’s software development and data center operations.
Prior to joining BN, Wilcox served as CIO for Integrated Physician Solutions (IPS) from 1999-2005. He also was the concept development lead and architect of IPS’s web based healthcare ASP business. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Missouri.
Prior to joining BN, Wilcox served as CIO for Integrated Physician Solutions (IPS) from 1999-2005. He also was the concept development lead and architect of IPS’s web based healthcare ASP business. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Missouri.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Broadband National and CBIZ Team to Offer Broadband Solutions for Managed Services
Broadband National LLC., the leading online retailer of consumer and commercial broadband services, today announced a partnership with CBIZ allowing CBIZ's team of technology advisors and customer support specialists to utilize Broadband National's proprietary Integrated Broadband Information System (IBIS) technology.
Click here for the complete story.
Click here for the complete story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)