The FCC today started taking comments for the next report it will prepare on competition in the satellite market, and the cable industry responded promptly, again requesting that the FCC assess fees on DirecTV and Dish Network commensurate with the fees the FCC levies on every other MVPD. The agency has a budget of $340 […]
Internet of Things to thrive on business applications
The first experience many communications service providers have with the Internet of Things (IoT) is in home monitoring and automation services, but it’s the business market, not the residential market, that represents some of the biggest opportunities. The Internet of Things is big enough to encompass things like fitness monitors and flying drone cameras you […]
Service providers have big role to play in IoT market
The Internet of Things (IoT) is going to be in sore need of management. Cycle30 specializes in back office systems that service providers can deploy to manage any connected device – mobile handsets, sensors, anything, and then manage how to make money from the systems. The company has two major product areas. Mobius is an […]
FCC again stops the clock on the Comcast-TWC merger
The FCC has stopped the clock on its review of Comcast’s takeover of Time Warner Cable. TWC informed the agency that it had, in error, not supplied more than 7,000 documents the FCC had requested. TWC told the FCC that it had withheld the documents on an incorrect claim of attorney-client privilege, according to the […]
Kentucky begins $250M project to improve “dismal” broadband availability
Frustrated with the “dismal” level of high-speed Internet access available to local residents and businesses, the state of Kentucky has engaged Macquarie Capital to finance and oversee the construction of a fiber backbone that would extend throughout the state. The project could cost anywhere from $250 million to $350 million. The state said the project […]
SeaChange snags TimeLine Labs for $22M
SeaChange International is buying TLL, also known as Timeline Labs, for $22 million. Timeline Labs is a privately-owned software as a service (SaaS) company that specializes in solutions for local broadcasters, local and national news organizations, cable news channels and other media companies. Specifically, the company has built a content management platform that enables its […]
FCC proposes OTT companies get MVPD status
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is opening the door to a redefinition of who qualifies as a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD). A new definition that is inclusive of online-only services, such as those already provided by Netflix or proposed by the likes of Sony and Dish could have profound ramifications for competition […]
Telstra, Sky invest in Elemental Technologies
Telstra has invested directly in Elemental Technologies, leading a $14.5 million Series D round of funding joined by Sky, another Elemental customer that had previously invested in the vendor. They were joined by General Catalyst Partners, Norwest Venture Partners and Voyager Capital, who all have also participated in earlier financing rounds. Elemental said it will […]
Title II means $15B in consumer fees? “Baloney”!
The fight over telecom regulation is finally getting as bitter as it was destined to become, with the two FCC Commissioners of the minority party yesterday excoriating Chairman Tom Wheeler for antidemocratic “antics,” and a prominent U.S. Senator today calling the communications industry’s bluster about consumer fees ballooning up to $15 billion “baloney.” The communications […]
No more hanging on the line for Comcast customer service
Comcast is attempting a few new twists on customer service, including giving customers several options for not just requesting but actually scheduling a call back, rather than hanging on the line waiting for a service rep to pick up the phone. As bad as Comcast’s customer service can be – and it has been revealed […]