* Atlantic picks Harmonic’s U-eQAM for its VOD service
By Mike Robuck
Harmonic announced that Atlantic Broadband has chosen its Universal edgeQAM (U-eQAM) for Atlantic’s new video-on-demand (VOD) service.
Atlantic – a Top 20 cable operator in the U.S. with more than 285,000 subscribers – has implemented Harmonic’s Narrowcast Services Gateway (NSG) 9000 U-eQAM for its VOD service in Delaware and Maryland.
“Adding VOD was a key milestone in order to take our service to the next level,” said Al Kuolas, CTO of Atlantic. “Harmonic is a trusted provider of HFC transport solutions for Atlantic Broadband’s video network, and the NSG 9000 platform offers superior RF performance, flexibility and scalability for our on-demand service.”
* SureWest sells wireless business to Verizon
By Traci Patterson
SureWest Communications has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the operating assets of its wireless business to Verizon Wireless. As of the Q3 2007, SureWest served more than 50,000 wireless subscribers, and its spectrum licenses covered 3.8 million consumers in the greater Sacramento, Calif., area.
Verizon Wireless will acquire the spectrum licenses and operating assets of SureWest Wireless, excluding SureWest’s more than 50-owned communication towers, for an aggregate cash purchase price of $69 million, according to SureWest. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
“Over the past two years, we have made great strides in transforming SureWest into a full-service integrated communications company focused on offering advanced telephone, Internet and television services over a superior IP-based fiber-to-the-home broadband network,” said Steve Oldham, SureWest’s president and CEO. “The sale of the wireless assets is another important step in this transformation and will enhance our financial flexibility in supporting the extension of our triple-play offerings to a broader service area.”
* Scopus’ headend solution helping TVMax go all digital
By Traci Patterson
Scopus Video Networks’ headend solution, Piccolo, has been chosen by Houston-based TVMax for the operator’s migration to an all-digital network.
TVMax provides cable services to multiple-dwelling units (MDUs) in the greater Houston area, with approximately 100,000 passings.
The provider will use Scopus’ UE-9240 real-time Quad MPEG-2 encoders to encode local channels, while IVG-7102 Intelligent Headend Video Gateways will aggregate feeds for each multicast and perform grooming, rate shaping and ASI-to-GigE conversion.
Programming will be processed by the IVG-7208 Intelligent Broadcast QAM Gateway for delivery to the RF network, and subsequent end-user reception via a digital set-top box (STB). TVMAX will streamline ad insertion with the IVG-7500 Intelligent Video Splicer.
* Corning’s Evolant Solutions aiding PorchLight’s FTTH deployments
By Traci Patterson
Corning Cable Systems’ Evolant Solutions products have been selected by PorchLight Communications for the service provider’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments in the U.S.
The Evolant portfolio includes a range of optical fiber, cable, hardware and equipment designed to make deployments faster, easier, more reliable and less costly, the company said.
PorchLight will build on the Corning FTTH solutions to deliver triple-play services (IPTV, high-speed Internet and telephony) to its communities, as well as home security.
* Verizon’s FiOS TV, Internet services expand in N.Y., Ind., Texas
By Traci Patterson
Verizon has expanded its FiOS TV service in New York once again, this time in parts of the Long Island villages of Huntington Bay and Oyster Bay Cove, in the Westchester County communities of Briarcliff Manor and Sleepy Hollow, and in the town and village of Ossining.
Agreements allowing Verizon to offer its video service in the New York communities have been recently approved. The company already offers FiOS TV in more than 145 New York communities.
Additionally, Verizon has extended its high-speed Internet service into 27 cities in Texas and 21 cities in Indiana. The telco’s Internet service offers qualified customers a downstream connection speed of up to 7 Mbps for as low as $39.99 per month when ordered with an annual service plan.
Verizon now offers the new service in some 400 communities across the country.
More Broadband Direct:
• TiVo makes its Comcast debut in Boston
• BigBand rolls out fifth-generation SDV platform
• AT&T finally ready to add VoIP to U-verse
• RCN’s Chicago market going all digital
• Clearwire chooses carrier VoIP from Nortel
• SCTE seeking proposals for CBL&D conference
• JDSU creates smallest tunable optical transmitter