* Westell names engineering director for IPTV and video productsWestell Technologies appointed Joseph G. DeCarolis engineering director for its UltraLine II video gateway product line. DeCarolis formerly served as the director of systems and architecture/Optical Business Unit at Centillium Communications, where he was developing a new optical business unit based on PON technology. Westell’s UltraLine II line of high-performance residential gateways delivers secure, high-quality, multicast/unicast, IP-based video applications over a variety of wide-area network access methods, including bonded ADSL2+, VDSL2, and Ethernet to support FTTP fiber.
* Comcast to add 500 new jobs in Bay AreaComcast is adding 500 new jobs in its Bay Area offices to keep pace with growing demand for high-speed Internet, cable television and local phone services, the company said. Comcast expects to fill these positions within the next 90 days. Nearly all of its Bay Area locations, stretching from Santa Rosa to Salinas, will be adding employees. The majority of jobs are for front-line technicians, with the rest crossing the broad categories of engineering, sales and customer care.
* Fujitsu honored by AT&T as outstanding supplierCommitment to excellence over the past year has earned Fujitsu recognition as an outstanding supplier to AT&T. Fujitsu was recognized for its contributions in AT&T’s “Technical Innovations” and “Supplier Diversity” categories. Fujitsu supplies AT&T with its Flashwave 4000 multi-service provisioning platforms (MSPPs) and Flashwave 7500 re-configurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM).
* Conway selects EGT for digital simulcast rolloutConway, which operates the city-owned electric, water, wastewater, cable Internet and cable television utility services for the citizens of Conway, Arkansas, has acquired 56 channels of EGT’s Quartet encoders for its local simulcast rollout project. EGT’s Quartet is a high-density encoder with up to 4 channels in a 1RU (rack unit) chassis.
* RCN has a Motive to improve customer serviceRCN said it will use service activation and self-service technology from Motive. RCN’s use of Motive’s Fully Automated Service Technology (FAST) will help the company identify and troubleshoot issues and help the user resolve problems without the assistance of telephone tech support. The ultimate goal is to reduce installation time, and guarantee consistent and quality installation while decreasing RCN’s operational costs.