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NRTC Invests in WiMAX Venture
29 Apr 2009 - 14:12 by soullezz    Industry News |


The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) on Tuesday announced that it had made a "significant investment" in WiMAX operator DigitalBridge Communications in an effort to give its members access to the 4G wireless broadband service and expand WiMAX broadband into unserved and underserved rural areas.

Terms of the investment were not disclosed, though NRTC did secure a seat on the DigitalBridge board of investors through the deal. The NRTC investment came as part of a round of funding with the company's existing Series B investors, including Paladin Capital Group, RedShift Ventures, CNF Investments and Novak Biddle Venture Partners.

“In areas where it is not economical to extend broadband networks, this agreement gives NRTC members a more cost-effective alternative for bringing high-speed Internet services to those who need it,” said NRTC CEO Bob Phillips.

DigitalBridge currently operates WiMAX networks in 15 U.S. markets, including parts of Idaho, Indiana, Montana, South Dakota and Virginia.

PROGRAMMING: Verizon Gets Soccer, Chinese Programming; NFL Draft Sets Viewership Record
29 Apr 2009 - 14:12 by soullezz    Industry News |


Verizon on Tuesday added the MLS "Direct Kick" programming package to its FiOS TV service, allowing subscribers to watch as many as 130 out-of-market games during the MLS soccer season and post-season for $64. Who knows ... maybe someday this will be as big as NFL Sunday Ticket. Maybe --- In other FiOS TV news, Verizon also added three Chinese-language channels from Sino TV to its programming lineup --- A record 39 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2009 NFL Draft on ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network this past weekend, up nearly 2.5 million from last year. Frighteningly enough, the first round of the annual ritual drew more eyeballs than all of the actual sports being played on Saturday, including the Yankees-Red Sox series and the NBA playoffs.


Bad News for DISH, Good News for DIRECTV
29 Apr 2009 - 14:11 by soullezz    Industry News |


It's been a rough year for DISH Network and it probably won't get better anytime soon, at least according to Collins Stewart media analyst Tom Eagan. In a note on Tuesday, Eagan wrote that he expects the DBS provider to lose at least 95,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2009 and, thanks to all those discounts and introductory offers DISH is tossing around, only post a two percent increase in revenues for the quarter given its high churn rate.

Ouch...

DIRECTV, on the other hand, is in much better shape, according to Eagan, who said the company could outperform every other pay-TV provider in Q1 and should remain strong all year. The year also looks OK for pay-TV providers in general, which should all outperform their fourth quarter results in Q1, Eagan said.



Retail Report: RadioShack Makes Money in Q1
24 Apr 2009 - 18:32 by soullezz    Industry News |


Well, color me surprised. The CE chain I love to avoid made $43.1 million in the first quarter, up from $38.8 in net income in Q1 of '08. The company even reported a 5.6 percent boost in total net sales and operating revenues in the quarter, topping out at over $1 billion.

According to RadioShack CEO Julian Day, the company's eight percent operating margin in Q1 is the strongest first quarter performance it has posted since 2004. "Of particular note were strong performances in out wireless business and digital converter boxes," Day says.

But there's more to the RadioShack story than just facts and figures. This is a company that's been reinventing itself in an effort to stay solvent in a market that has already claimed consumer electronics giant Circuit City. Sure, a lot of its return to profitability has come at the expense of job cuts and store closures, but sometimes that's the price of longevity. Lesser companies than RadioShack have faced similar choices in this economy, and the fact that a store named during the radio era is still in existence is saying something.

At any rate, RadioShack is no longer the store that asks you for your phone number when you buy batteries, and isn't that worth something?

Warner Bros. To Swap HD DVDs For Blu-ray Discs
24 Apr 2009 - 18:31 by soullezz    Industry News |


It has been almost a year and a half since the HD format war (remember that?) came to an end, and Warner Bros. finally has an answer for buyers that made the wrong choice in high-def formats.

The studio on Thursday kicked off Red2Blu, a new program that allows consumers to swap out their HD DVD discs for Blu-ray versions of the same title for $4.95 each (plus $6.95 shipping). And you don't even need to return the disc, just ship Warner Bros. the original cover art to qualify.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but it begs the question of why someone would want to replace all of their HD DVDs in the first place (aside from minor upgrades like Blu-ray's web features and additional deleted scenes)? Did early adopters really just throw their HD DVD players in the trash when Toshiba pulled out of the market? Is it really worth $12 a title to be 100 percent Blu-ray?

Satellite, Industry, and Programming Report
22 Apr 2009 - 13:39 by soullezz    Industry News |


SATELLITE: SES Taking CNN Overseas; Hughes Signs Clear Channel as Reseller

SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES will distribute CNN across Europe and the Middle East as part of a new five-year deal with Turner Broadcasting System, announced Tuesday. The agreement also includes inbound transport of news reports from CNN's London, Moscow, Jerusalem and Baghdad bureaus to the U.S. on the NSS-7 satellite --- Hughes Network Systems on Tuesday announced Clear Channel Satellite as an authorized reseller of its various satellite broadband services.

INDUSTRY: HickoryTech Launches Interactive Services in Minnesota

Interactive TV developer CloverLeaf Digital on Tuesday announced that HickoryTech had launched its DotDaily iTV service to its IPTV subscribers in Minnesota. The DotDaily package includes interactive services like localized news, sports coverage, weather updates and other local content (including hyper-local offerings like school lunch menus and community events calendars).

PROGRAMMING: DIRECTV Adds to The 101; Mets On Demand for FiOS

DIRECTV's in-house channel The 101 got another injection of programming Tuesday when the provider announced plans to add HBO series Deadwood and OZ to the channel beginning May 31. The two join a host of other content -- including NBC series Friday Night Lights and canceled private eye drama Eyes -- on the commercial-free, uncut channel, which is available free to all DIRECTV subscribers --- Verizon FiOS subscribers in the New York area will soon have access to more than 120 regular season New York Mets game telecasts and classic coverage on demand as part of a new programming deal between Verizon and regional sports net SNY. The agreement covers FiOS TV subscribers in New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties, Long Island, Buffalo and northern New Jersey.

DISH, DIRECTV Team Up To Push For Local Channels
22 Apr 2009 - 13:36 by soullezz    Industry News |


DISH Network and DIRECTV on Tuesday issued a joint statement in support of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act, a bill the two companies called "must-pass legislation" that would force local broadcasters to allow their signals to be carried in-state by satellite providers.

The move would help ensure that viewers are able to receive local broadcast stations no matter what delivery medium they choose or where they live. Currently, viewers in some areas have to watch "local" programming from outside their home areas because their DMAs cross state lines.

"The broadcasters who benefit from this outdated model are resisting change, arguing that it will hurt their bottom lines," DISH and DIRECTV said in the statement.

According to the satellite providers, parts of 45 states currently have areas where consumers are required to get out-of-state TV signals based on their DMAs. The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act is currently pending in Washington.

Blu-ray Player Shipments to Reach 12 Million in 2009
20 Apr 2009 - 13:25 by soullezz    Industry News |


According to a report released last week by market research firm Futuresource, global shipments of Blu-ray players are expected to reach 12 million units this year, excluding sales of Sony's BD-enabled PS3 video game console.

As in past years, the fourth quarter is expected to account for more than half of all blu-ray player sales for the year with as many as six million units. According to Futuresource's estimates, 2009 is already on track to exceed 2008, with 1.2 million units selling in Q1, up significantly as compared to Q1 '08.

And the reason for all this growth? According to Jack Wetherill, Futuresource research consultant, it all comes down to price. "Continued dramatic reductions in BD player prices continue to fuel interest,” he said. “In the last quarter of 2008, average retail prices for standalone Blu-ray players fell by 15 percent in most major markets and we’re going to see them fall by another 25 percent during the course of this year. Add to that the raft of movie titles being issued on Blu-ray -- over 1,100 at the end of last year, on track to more than double this year – coupled with the increase in promotional activity and the continued benefit of growing PS3 ownership, and we’ll see Blu-ray continue to gather momentum in all major markets across the globe.”

Arianespace Wins Japanese Launch Contract
20 Apr 2009 - 13:24 by soullezz    Industry News |


Arianespace on Friday announced plans to launch the new JCSAT-13 communications satellite under terms of a new contract with Japanese operator SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, Arianespace's seventh such contract signed so far in 2009.

The Ariane 5 launch is scheduled to take place in 2013 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Once in orbit, JCSAT-13 will provide broadcasting and telecommunications services for Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

The news marks Arianespace's 17th satellite launch contract with SKY Perfect JSAT since its launch of JCSAT-1 in 1989.

Programming and Industry News
18 Apr 2009 - 14:14 by soullezz    Industry News |


PROGRAMMING: Sky Angel and HorseTV; DISH Network Brings Aghapy TV, Punjjabi TV to U.S.

Faith-based satellite provider Sky Angel is now offering a new subscription VOD channel from HorseTV, featuring all sort of "horse sports," documentaries and other horse focused programming. The on demand offering is available to all Sky Angel subscriber for an additional $6.95 per month --- DISH Network on Thursday added Aghapy TV, the first Egyptian Coptic Orthodox channel, to its lineup at channel 775. The provider also launched Punjjabi TV on channel 602 for the Punjjabi speaking community.


INDUSTRY: Verizon Bringing FiOS To Allentown; Advertising Shortfalls Drag Down Gannett Results

The Allentown, Pa. city council has approved a video franchise for Verizon's FiOS TV service, bringing to almost 300 the total number of communities in southeastern, south central and western Pennsylvania to have approved franchises for the fiber supported service. As part of the agreement, Verizon promised to make FiOS TV available throughout Allentown within eight years --- Gannett today reported a $300 million drop in first quarter revenues to $1.4 billion due in large part to lost advertising income. Gannett's broadcasting division brought in $143.5 million in the quarter as compared to $170.2 million in Q1 of 2008, though increased retrans fees helped offset some of the TV ad shortfalls. Digital revenues were the company's bright spot, jumping from $13.9 million in Q1 2008 to $143.2 million in the most recent period due to Gannett's recent acquisition of Ripple6 and the reorganization of its CareerBuilder and ShopLocal properties.

On Demand Ads Prove Effective
18 Apr 2009 - 14:12 by soullezz    Industry News |


The whole idea of on demand advertising might seem counterintuitive -- aren't we all trying to get away from ads? -- but according to a recent trial of Virgin Media's new on demand service, the concept might prove more useful than not.

In fact, based on Virgin's study, more than half of TV viewers are receptive to on demand ads and the format is capable of increasing brand awareness for advertisers by 62 percent. Awareness of individual ads increased by 27 percent with on demand delivery, and overall campaign recognition jumped 27 percent.

“There is a clear opportunity for on-demand television to deliver relevant ads to an engaged and growing audience," said Mark Schweitzer, Virgin Media's chief commercial officer. "Our TV customers watched more than half a billion on-demand programms during 2008 and the service’s popularity has grown by over 60 percent during those 12 months. By continuing to develop our on demand TV platform, we can offer even more great content and choice to viewers, a compelling opportunity for advertisers and the potential for an additional revenue stream to broadcasters.”

Intelsat To Deliver Spanish-language Sports
18 Apr 2009 - 14:11 by soullezz    Industry News |


Satellite operator Intelsat on Thursday announced plans to launch a new high-def channel from Spanish-language sports network Fox Pan American Sports as part of a new multi-year distribution agreement between the two companies.

Intelsat will distribute Fox Pan American's HD programming throughout Latin America on its IS-805 satellite at 55.5 degrees West.

As a jointly owner entity of News Corp. and HM Capital Partners, Fox Pan American Sports operates both Fox Sports en Espanol and Fox Sports Latin America, reaching over 37 million households in the Americas. The networks cover everything from international soccer, the NFL, Formula 1 racing and regional soccer tournaments like the Copa Nissan Sudamericana.

Microsoft Predicts Internet Win
12 Apr 2009 - 12:56 by soullezz    Industry News |


Here’s a stunner for you ... Microsoft says that broadcast TV will play second fiddle to the internet in Europe as early as June of next year. That’s right, research from the IPTV software and services’ provider says that IPTV will win.

According to the PC giant, European internet consumption will average 14.2 hours per week versus 11.5 hours per week for the TV in 2010.



DirecTV, Space Symposium, and the NFL Schedules
12 Apr 2009 - 12:55 by soullezz    Industry News |


DIRECTV’s Far East Boost

Continuing to expand its International programming platform DIRECTV has announced the addition of Tai Seng Entertainment, Tai Seng Vietnam and Tai Seng Sat TV to its service. Catering to Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin speaking audiences audiences, the services will offer a mix of movies, television series and (in the cast of Tai Seng Vietnam) martial arts and swordplay.

Space Symposium Breaks Records

According to the Space Foundation, it’s 25th National Space Symposium, held last week in Colorado Springs, drew a record crowd of almost 8,000. Said Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham, “More than three quarters of our attendees were from the commercial space sector” – a strong showing as space technologies continue to gain traction.

NFL's "Special" Schedules

In a pre-tax day kickoff, the NFL says it will release its official NFL. com and NFL Network 2009 schedules at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday the 14th. Not only that but the footballers have scheduled a primetime special on the schedules. It’s (dum da dum) the NFL Total Access: 2009 Schedule Release Presented by GMC Sierra ... two hours worth of announcing and analyzing the schedules on (where else?) the NFL Network and NFL.com.

"Non" to Piracy Bill
12 Apr 2009 - 12:53 by soullezz    Industry News |


It was a bad day for piracy fighters in France as legislation to cut the internet cord for people who illegally download music and film went down in defeat.

With many lawmakers already off on their Easter holiday, a near empty lower chamber could not muster support for a bill that would have created a government agency to track and punish internet pirates. The measure went down on a 21 to 15 vote in a house numbering 577 members. The move frustrated media companies and artists who have seen CD and DVD sales drop 60 percent in six years.

Critics had labeled the so called “Creation and Internet” bill "liberticide", complaining that it would lead to an internet “Big Brother” for France.

But while the bill is down, it’s not out as President Nicolas Sarkozy’s backers reportedly slipped it into a special session planned for April 28. The legislation would employ a “three strikes” system warning illegal file-sharers with an e-mail, a letter, and, finally for those who persist, a cut cord lasting one year.

Future in Doubt at Blockbuster?
9 Apr 2009 - 19:44 by soullezz    Industry News |


Remember last week when DVD rental chain Blockbuster reworked its credit arrangements to keep money flowing if it is declared insolvent by auditors?

Turns out that was a pretty good move, as the company's auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday announced that Blockbuster may not be generating enough income to fund its operations. As such, they said the company might have to file for bankruptcy reorganization in the very near future to keep itself afloat.

Of course, the auditors' report didn't come as a surprise. Blockbuster had warned investors that it might get a poor report card as far back as last month. The company also recently refinanced its credit facility, cutting its debt to $250 million.


Arianespace Reports Solid Growth in '08
9 Apr 2009 - 19:43 by soullezz    Industry News |


Despite the global economic downturn, 2008 turned out to be a very good year for launch services firm Arianespace, which on Wednesday reported net income of 2.5 million Euros ($3.3 million U.S.) on sales of 955.7 million Euros ($1.26 billion U.S.) for the year.

In terms of operations, the company said it carried out six Ariane 5 launches and orbited 10 geostationary satellites in 2008, winning 13 of the 18 open launch contracts last year. Arianespace was also selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch its entire Galileo constellation over the next several years.

Going forward, the company said it plans to carry out seven Ariane 5 launches in 2009. Speaking of those launches, Arianespace on Wednesday also announced that its delayed ESA mission has been rescheduled for May 6.

PROGRAMMING: Sirius XM at the Masters
8 Apr 2009 - 16:16 by soullezz    Industry News |


Satellite radio provider Sirius XM will offer live, hole-by-hole coverage of the 2009 Masters golf tournament this Thursday through Sunday on XM channel 146 and Sirius channel 209 (for those with the "Best of XM" programming package). As part of the offering, the programmer will offer live play by play, expert analysis and daily wrap-up coverage every day during the event.

Sling.com Offering Premium Tennis Content
8 Apr 2009 - 16:16 by soullezz    Industry News |

Users of Sling Media's Sling.com web video portal now have access to exclusive tennis content as part of a new distribution partnership between the EchoStar subsidiary, the USTA and Tennis Channel, announced Tuesday. The move expands upon Sling.com's existing tennis-based content partnerships with IMG and Tennis.com.

According to the company, tennis fans can now access a variety of premium content on the web site, including Grand Slam recaps, lifestyle programming, game instruction and select match footage. Sling's coverage will also include special event content programmed around major tournaments like the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

As part of the arrangement, Sling.com now offers a branded Tennis Channel feed at sling.com/network/105/Tennis-Channel.

Satellite Firm KVH Updates First Quarter Financials
8 Apr 2009 - 16:15 by soullezz    Industry News |

KVH Industries, maker of a variety of satellite-based communications devices, on Tuesday announced that its first quarter '09 revenues will likely fall short of expectations, down to approximately $18 million from the $23.1 million the company reported in the first quarter of 2008.

The company had previously said that it expected Q1 2009 revenues to be down about 10 percent as compared to last year, though falling sales of boats, cars and RVs (which are often equipped with KVH's satellite TV and communications products) have cut into its sales more than expected. On a positive note, the company said its preliminary estimates show a smaller income loss for the quarter than it had originally expected.

What's more, company execs said they expect results for the second quarter to be "sequentially better" than those for the first quarter due to a recent uptick in its military and commercial products business.

KVH will report final first quarter numbers on April 23 for the period ended on March 31.

Industry, People, and Programming: Cable Show, Sony Restructure, and XM radio
6 Apr 2009 - 17:13 by soullezz    Industry News |
INDUSTRY: Cable Show Attendance; Amazon Selling IPTV STB

According to the NCTA, attendance at last week's Cable Show event in D.C. topped 12,000, exceeding last year's total and the association's own estimates that numbers would be down by 20 percent this year --- Amazon.com last week began selling Verismo Networks' new VuNow HD IPTV set-top box, the company said. The $148 package includes a wireless adapter and an add-on device that can be plugged into any TV to access internet video content.

PEOPLE: Sony's Restructuring; Jones NCTI

As part of a restructuring of its consumer sales and marketing operations, Sony Electronics announced that Jay Vandenbree, its president of consumer sales, is leaving the company as part of an early retirement offer. Mike Fasulo, Sony's current executive VP in charge of advertising and marketing will take over the company's new "Customer Platform" division, combining consumer sales and marketing operations --- Robyn McVicker was named president of cable and broadband training firm Jones/NCTI.

PROGRAMMING: Baseball on XM; March Madness On Demand

Over the weekend, XM kicked off its coverage of the 2009 Major League Baseball season with the opening night game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. From there, the satellite radio provider will broadcast 13 opening day games live this afternoon and then carry every game from all 30 MLB teams this season. See, people used to subscribe to XM over Sirius for a reason. That reason was baseball --- According to CBS, almost seven million people have watched its NCAA tournament online via the March Madness On Demand video player so far, up from just 4.43 million in 2008, and accounting for 8.04 million total hours of live video.

Arianespace Delays ESA Mission Again
6 Apr 2009 - 17:08 by soullezz    Industry News |


Another week, another delay for space transportation firm Arianespace.

And again it's not their fault.

Just a few weeks after delaying its Ariane 5 mission for the European Space Agency (ESA), Arianespace last week announced a postponement of the upcoming launch, which is set to carry the ESA's Herschel telescope and Planck observatory into orbit.This time, payload verifications have delayed the final launch date determination by a few days.

The launch had previously been scheduled for late March but was delayed by the ESA prior to final preparations to allow for more time for ground inspections of the payloads.

INDUSTRY: NBCU, Weinsteins Resolve Project Runway Dispute; Starz Expands VOD Lineup; Cox and itaas; DataPath Merger
2 Apr 2009 - 14:24 by soullezz    Industry News |

The Weinstein Company announced that it will pay NBC Universal an undisclosed sum in order to go ahead with its plan to move fashion design reality show Project Runway from NBCU's Bravo network to Lifetime --- Starz has increased the number of its subscription VOD offerings, adding more than 100 new titles to its MoviePlex On Demand service, 150 titles to Encore HD On Demand and 45 titles to Starz HD On Demand --- Cox has selected itaas to support the development of its new EBIF and tru2way applications --- Satellite and wireless network provider DataPath announced Wednesday that it has entered into a $130 million merger agreement with Rockwell Collins that will see DataPath surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockwell Collins.

Momentum Building for Internet TV
2 Apr 2009 - 14:23 by soullezz    Industry News |

According to a report released this week by market research firm Parks Associates, the potential of personalized and web-based content are driving demand for internet connected TVs, and some 2.5 million North American households say they are ready to pull the trigger on a new connected set provided the pricing falls in line with industry norms.

The respondents said they would pay $100 more for a connected TV versus a standard model, a figure that could pump an extra $250 million into the consumer electronics industry this year.

According to the Parks study, VOD remains the top application that consumers are looking for in a connected TV, followed by the relatively new category of on-screen information widgets (for news, weather, sports, etc) and access to home PC content.

DISH Reaches Univision Carriage Deal
2 Apr 2009 - 14:22 by soullezz    Industry News |

Just over a week after talks between the two companies seemed to all but fall apart, DISH Network and Spanish-language media company Univision Communications on Wednesday announced that they had signed a multi-year carriage agreement covering the Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision network feeds as well as the company's various owned and operated broadcast stations.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. If the agreement had not been signed, Univision would have likely been dropped from the DISH lineup when its existing contract expired today.

And, as far as these things go, this was a pretty nasty negotiation process. So nasty, in fact, that Univision released a statement last weekend saying, "After months of negotiations, DISH Network is making unreasonable demands from Univision that it does not make from English-language broadcasters. As a result, after April 1, Dish subscribers will no longer have access to Univision, Galavisión and TeleFutura, unless the parties reach an agreement."

SATELLITE: Vogel Out at DISH; ViaSat Wins Eutelsat Broadband Contract; Telesat
1 Apr 2009 - 14:14 by soullezz    Industry News |

DISH Network announced that Carl Vogel had resigned his position as vice chairman of the company and its subsidiaries and is stepping down from his seat on the EchoStar board of directors. Vogel also resigned his position as senior advisor to EchoStar, though he will stay on as senior advisor to DISH Network and remain on the DBS provider's board. According to DISH, R. Stanton Dodge, DISH Network EVP, general counsel and secretary has been appointed to fill the EchoStar board vacancy --- ViaSat on Tuesday announced that it has received an $18 million contract from Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary Skylogic to provide broadband gateway earth stations for the company's high-capacity KA-SAT Ka-band satellite systems. According to the contract, ViaSat is set to deliver and install eight such stations throughout Europe to serve subscribers to Eutelsat's Tooway satellite broadband service by mid-2010 --- Telesat's new Telstar 11N satellite came into commercial service on Tuesday, offering Ku-band coverage of North America, Europe, Africa and the Atlantic Ocean region from 37.5 degrees West.

INDUSTRY: DIRECTV Renews With RFD-TV; Avail Grabs IP-Prime Customers; Nick at Nite Ratings; Comcast Sues Maryland ISP; itaas and Comcast
1 Apr 2009 - 14:13 by soullezz    Industry News |

DIRECTV and RFD-TV have reached a new distribution agreement that will move the "rural life" network to DIRECTV channel 345 and include it in the provider's most widely distributed Total Choice Package. RFD-TV will continue to be available as part of DIRECTV's Family Package --- In advance of SES Americom's departure from the video service market, IPTV wholesaler Avail Media announced Tuesday that it had so far scooped up nine soon-to-be-former IP-Prime customers, including BEK Communications Cooperative of North Dakota --- The first quarter of 2009 went down as the most-watched quarter on record for Nick at Nite, which posted double-digit gains among 18-49 year olds in the period. What's more, Nick at Nite closed Q1 as the number one cable network among women 18-49 daytime and the number two network among 18-49 year olds overall --- Comcast has sued OceanNet, an ISP in Gambrills, MD, alleging that the company is stealing Comcast's wirless internet service and then reselling it to others. According to the filing, OceanNet owner Frank Clark has a network of some 35 residential Comcast accounts forming the basis of his wireless broadband business --- Comcast and iTV developer itaas have introduced a new, EBIF-based platform that will allow cable operators to more easily integrate interactive applications into their offerings. As part of the deal, itaas has licensed an EBIF engine developed by Comcast subsidiary TVWorks.



Clearwire Intros Portable WiFi Hotspot
1 Apr 2009 - 14:12 by soullezz    Industry News |
First WiMAX, then the world?

Fledgling wireless broadband provider Clearwire on Tuesday introduced the CLEAR Spot Personal Hotspot, a device that enables standard WiFi devices to connect to the internet via Clearwire's WiMAX wireless service. The move extends Clearwire's service reach beyond early adopters and web aficionados to make WiMAX as real option for the average web surfer (provided they live in the as-yet limited Clearwire service area).

According to Clearwire, the battery-powered CLEAR Spot can be used by up to eight devices simultaneously and will provide mobile download speeds up to 4Mb per second anywhere within the CLEAR service area. It is compatible with everything from WiFi-enabled smartphones, to portable video game systems, music players, cameras and PCs; anything that supports 802.11b/g wireless networking.

The CLEAR Spot router will be available in early April at an MSRP of $139. Service plans will be available for $10 per day or starting at $30 per month.

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