TWC Oceanic expands voice with GotVoice solution
By Traci Patterson
Oceanic Time Warner Cable has deployed GotVoice Inc.’s voice messaging service to more than 200,000 of its RoadRunner high-speed Internet and Oceanic digital phone subscribers.
Oceanic is the first cable operator to deploy GotVoice’s service, which enables users to create and send voice messages, as well as check their home and cell phone voice messages, via email or online at Oceanic’s Web portal.
The service also offers broadcast calling, silent voice message delivery, wake-up call service and the ability to personalize voicemail greetings.
“Because GotVoice easily integrates into existing phone services with minimal impact on infrastructure, GotVoice is a simple solution for carriers in search of differentiation,” said Martin Dunsmuir, founder and CTO of GotVoice.
TiVo forms direct response ad group
By Traci Patterson
TiVo Inc. has formed the Interactive Direct Response Advertising Group, which will educate the direct response community on challenges they face because of the DVR and promote TiVo’s interactive advertising platform.
Spearheading the new group is Robert Barnett, who joins TiVo as a senior director, and who will manage TiVo’s relationship with Worldlink Ventures Inc., a direct response ad sales representative for TiVo’s ad platform.
TiVo’s Stop||Watch ratings service, introduced in February, offers a sortable database of ratings for nationally run programs and advertisements run during primetime and daytime, with data going back to September 2006. According to Stop||Watch, approximately one-third of all DVR users are watching TV on a time-shifted basis.
RGB debuts video system optimized for telco IPTV
By Brian Santo
RGB Networks introduced a video processing system specifically designed for telephone companies as they deploy video. RGB is billing the Modular Video Processor (MVP) as a complete carrier-class IPTV solution.
RGB said it consulted closely with several large telecom carriers in designing the MVP, suggesting the potential for impending sales.
Telco requirements include concurrent support for the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4/H.264 video standards, targeted advertising insertion, high-density aggregation and exceptional reliability.
The MVP’s support for both MPEG-4/H.264 and MPEG-2 is particularly important, RGB explained, as many telcos are adopting MPEG-4/H.264 for bandwidth efficiency. While many operators have already deployed an MPEG-2 infrastructure, by supporting both standards, telcos with existing MPEG-2 deployments can use the MVP to continue delivering MPEG-2 services as they transition to MPEG-4/H.264.
Motorola debuts products for 5.4 GHz spectrum
By Mike Robuck
Motorola has jumped into 5.4 GHz spectrum with the release of two new products today.
The Schaumburg, Ill.-based company announced the launches of its 5.4 GHz Canopy Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) and Point-to-Point (PTP) wireless broadband solutions in the United States and Canada.
The Federal Communications Commission recently opened up access to the 5.4 GHz radio frequency for commercial use. Part of the MOTOwi4 portfolio, Motorola’s new offerings will give network operators, enterprises, government and commercial customers access to the new spectrum in order to enable data, voice and video services.
The 5.4 GHz spectrum offers 255 MHz of bandwidth, which is double that available in the 5.8 GHz band. The new spectrum allows for the co-location of multiple radios on one rooftop or location with minimal interference, simplifying overall network design.
“Our network infrastructure currently consists of Canopy Point-to-Multipoint access modules and the Point-to-Point product for backhaul. The introduction of Motorola’s 5.4 GHz unlicensed solutions will provide us with additional opportunities to leverage this newly available spectrum,” said Brian Magnuson, president, Cascade Networks Inc., in a prepared statement. “These products bring more opportunities and greater flexibility as more radios can co-locate on existing infrastructure.”
The 5.4 GHz PTP 400 and PTP 600 unlicensed products provide high-bandwidth and high-speed connectivity to support convergent, multimedia applications such as data transfer, Voice-over-IP (VoIP), video surveillance and audio downloads. It also provides a backhaul solution for Canopy PMP and mesh networks and PTP links where wired access is not available or is cost-prohibitive.
According to Motorola, the Canopy 5.4 GHz product provides a greenfield opportunity in the U.S. and Canada, for business and residential service providers that require additional bandwidth to support services such as data transfer, video streaming, VoIP and gaming while conserving tower costs.
AT&T trumpets U-verse in Houston, Connecticut
By Mike Robuck
AT&T announced today that its U-verse service TV and Internet services are now available to 400,000 homes in the Houston area while also saying its video services are now available to more than 135,000 homes in Connecticut.
San Antonio-based AT&T first deployed its U-verse services in the state of Texas after new franchise legislation was passed two years ago by that’s state’s legislature and governor. AT&T’s fiber-to-the-premise U-verse video deployments were slower than the company initially projected due to the lack of some equipment by vendors.
AT&T largely competes with Comcast in the Houston area after the latter took over the Houston system from Time Warner Cable.
The company recently topped the 100,000 customer mark for its U-verse services, but still trails Verizon’s FiOS video service.
AT&T submitted its application to the Connecticut Department of Utility today while also announcing the availability of its U-verse video service in parts of 40 cities and towns.
AT&T has been offering video services in Connecticut since December under the then-current regulatory framework. Now that AT&T has filed its application, the process under the new law puts the DPUC in charge of verifying that the application is complete and issuing a license within 45 days.
Cable Onda deploys Concurrent VOD systems
By Brian Santo
Concurrent said Cable Onda, a cable service provider in Panama, will use Concurrent’s MediaHawk 4000 on-demand platform to launch VOD to approximately 15,000 digital cable subscribers. Concurrent claims this will be the first commercial deployment of VOD in Central America.
Referring to Concurrent and its MediaHawk system, Karlos Brown, Cable Onda’s senior manager of operations, said, “The modularity of their on-demand solution also allows us to easily and independently scale content storage and streaming capability as our needs for both grow.”
Cable Onda also launched Concurrent’s Real-Time Media, enabling the system to provide subscribers on-demand access to real-time content, such as news, sports, select broadcast television series and original programming. As an optional component to the Media-Hawk On-Demand Platform, Real-Time Media allows viewers to pause, fast forward and rewind broadcast programs shortly after they have aired.
Free webinar on middleware tomorrow
By CED staff
Tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Oct. 2) CED will host a free webinar called “Middleware Demystified” that will help clarify the middleware market, defining the term, identifying the various products labeled “middleware,” and explaining where each fits in communications ecosystems. The presentation is sponsored by Motorola.
The live Webcast will be broadcast starting at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT). Free registration is here.
Panelists include Matt Cuson, VP of Marketing, Minerva Networks; Keith Wymbs, Project Manager, Motorola; and David Eubanks, Network Planner – Strategic Network Planning, D&E Communications. The panel will be moderated by Gary Arlen, President of Arlen Communications Inc.
Broadband Briefs for 10/01/07
* Lexcom selects Alloptic for FTTP deployment
By Brian Santo
Lexcom Communications has selected Alloptic’s hybrid RF PON system to supply triple play services. Lexcom, of Lexington, N.C., chose Alloptic’s MicroNode technology system in part because it would be able to keep its existing headend, set-tops and cable modems.
* Juniper to power Belgian research network
By Brian Santo
BelNet, a government research agency in Belgium, will base a new research network on routers from Juniper Networks. The agency will use Juniper Networks’ T1600 Core Routers and M-series Multiservice Edge Routers. The network will be used to deliver a range of high-speed, flexible IP-based services to universities, research centers and government agencies across Belgium.
* Chilean operator deploys Procera’s products
By Traci Patterson
Procera Networks Inc.’s PacketLogic products have been deployed by Comunicacion y Telefonia Rural (CTR) S.A. The Chilean operator is using the technology in its satellite and WiMAX networks to control and optimize bandwidth and ensure quality of service (QoS).
* Wave7 deploys Trident7, widens product line
By Traci Patterson
Wave7 Optics, Cisco and Telindus have been chosen by Servei de Telecommunications d’Andorra (STA) for the construction of the operator’s next-gen FTTP network. The Andorran operator will utilize Wave7’s Trident7 universal access platform, Cisco’s 7600 series routers and Telindus’ IP video and voice solutions.
Wave7 recently added the compact optical line terminal (COLT) to its Trident7 product line. The Trident7 COLT is the only temperature-hardened OLT that requires just two rack units (RU) of space for deployment, the company said.
* NeoPhotonics adds GPON transceivers
By Brian Santo
NeoPhotonics announced a new line of pluggable GPON transceivers, compliant with the ITU-T G.984.2 Class B+ standard, to augment its portfolio of Biplexer and Triplexer modules used in fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks. The new line includes SFP biplexers for optical line terminals (OLT), as well as modules for use in optical networking units (ONU).
* Harmonic taps Aden as VP of worldwide sales
By Mike Robuck
Matthew Aden has joined Harmonic as the company’s vice president of worldwide sales and service. Aden has almost 25 years of experience in the video delivery industry. Prior to joining Harmonic, he was senior vice president of worldwide sales and customer operations for Terayon. Aden’s resume also includes a stint at Motorola’s broadband communications sector.
* Miller, Fletcher join Tandberg team
By Mike Robuck
Tom Miller and Terry Fletcher were recently hired by Tandberg Television. Miller, with 25 years in the industry, was hired as senior sales director. Most recently, Miller was vice president of sales for Entriq.
Fletcher was hired as Tandberg’s director, IPTV sales, for the company’s Western region. Prior to Tandberg, Fletcher was the head of sales for Auroras.
* Sumitomo debuts flexible armored drop cable
By Brian Santo
Sumitomo Electric Lightwave has added armored drop cable to its FTTx fiber optic cable product line. The PureFit Armored Drop Cable’s design, the company says, maximizes duct space, facilitates easy handling, provides added armoring protection, and reduces cable prep and installation time for buried cable applications. The new cable is available with Sumitomo’s PureAccess Bend-Insensitive fiber.
