The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will take up Comcast’s appeal over an earlier Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allowed a $20 billion racial bias lawsuit against the cable giant to proceed. The lawsuit brought on by Bryon Allen-owned Entertainment Studios and the National Association of African-American Owned Media centers […]
Are Cable Networks Ready for Emerging VR?
Virtual reality, while not a mainstream technology as of yet, still holds promise for emerging applications like patient management and immersive gaming. As cable broadband architectures shift, new technologies are poised to help operators handle requirements for enhanced experiences. While 5G has been touted as a VR-enabler, the cable industry has also been at work […]
Average Monthly Broadband Usage Up 27% in Q1, Driven By Internet-Only Subs: OpenVault
More 1 TB “power users” and an increasing number of internet-only subscribers helped drive average monthly broadband consumption up 27 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to data from OpenVault. OpenVault’s quarterly Broadband Industry report showed average monthly usage hit 273.5 GB during Q1, representing a new high, and compared to 215.4 GB […]
Dish to Acquire EchoStar’s Broadcast Satellite Business
Dish Network is scooping up more EchoStar assets, announcing Monday plans to acquire the company’s Broadcast Satellite Service (BSS) business in an all-stock deal valued at $800 million. The portion of EchoStar’s business that the satellite pay-TV operator is acquiring manages and provides broadcast satellite services primarily to Dish Network, along with telemetry, tracking, […]
Tata Communications Partners with Cisco on Managed SD-WAN Offering
Tata Communications and Cisco on Thursday announced a new joint managed SD-WAN offering for enterprise customers transitioning to a multi-cloud native hybrid network. The network-as-a-service IZO SDWAN platform is meant to ensure predictable and secure access to data and applications across multi-cloud and multi-domain environments, according to the companies. Tata says the managed network-as-a-service offering […]
WOW to Offer Philo Streaming TV Service to Broadband Subs
WOW will start offering broadband customers a subscription to entertainment-focused streaming TV service Philo this year, as part of a new agreement announced Tuesday. The $20 per month Philo service, which features popular cable networks like A&E, AMC, Discovery, HGTV, Lifetime, MTV, and Nickelodeon, among others, will be available starting mid-year to WOW broadband customers […]
Disney Takes Control of Hulu
Disney has struck a deal with Comcast to take over full control of Hulu, the companies announced Tuesday. Hulu operations are in the sole hands of Disney effective immediately, and the entertainment giant can gain control of Comcast’s 33 percent ownership interest starting in 2024. Under the agreement, by as early as January 2024 Comcast […]
Amazon Prime Video Comes to Cox’s Contour Platform
Cox Communications has added Amazon Prime Video to the list of OTT apps integrated on the cable operator’s Contour TV platform. Cox inked a licensing deal in 2015 with Comcast for a video offering based on the cable giant’s X1 platform. The Amazon Prime Video app joins Netflix and YouTube, as well as iHeartRadio, on […]
TiVo to Split Businesses, Says Move Won’t Affect Comcast Litigation
TiVo on Thursday formally announce plans to split its IP licensing and product segments into separate standalone entities while the company pursues a sale of its assets. TiVo said its product business, which includes and integrated video solutions, will be able to pursue a “customer-first strategy” and not be encumbered by the IP licensing business. […]
NTIA Chief Resigns
A top telecom policy advisor to the White House unexpectedly resigned from his post on Thursday. David Redl led the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) inside the U.S. Department of Commerce, serving since his confirmation to the post in November 2017. The executive branch agency is responsible for advising the White House on […]