Comcast expands footprint into rural Vermont area
By Brian Santo, CED
Comcast has begun a 300-mile extension of its fiber network to reach 58 small communities in rural Vermont. The extension was obligatory under an agreement signed by Adelphia with state regulators. Comcast acquired the former Adelphia system last year.
Comcast will start by offering video and data services. The launch of Comcast Digital Voice in Vermont is scheduled later this year.
This network extension will reach Ira, Sunderland, Manchester, Plainfield, Hardwick, Hyde Park, Morristown, Hartland, Mount Holly, Chester, Londonderry, Weston, Woodstock, Coventry, Brattleboro, Vernon, Poultney, Chittenden, Middletown Springs, West Rutland, Ferrisburg and St. Albans.
Comcast said it has added content of special interest to Vermonters like UVM sports coverage on CN8, The Comcast Network. Comcast also is assisting local non-profit organizations in Vermont with financial, in-kind and employee volunteer support. Comcast provides free services to schools, libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs in Vermont.
Rogers makes $109M New Brunswick investment
By Traci Patterson, CED
Rogers Communications Inc. has invested $109 million in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.
As part of the investment, a cable network upgrade is underway primarily for the Campbellton region, the Acadian Peninsula and the western side of the province. The upgrade includes adding Rogers’ full channel lineup, and adding VOD and HD services – a move away from “bare-bones,” said Ken Marshall, president of Rogers in Atlantic Canada.
Rogers’ New Brunswick wireless network will see a 50 percent expansion, which will increase existing coverage in urban areas, connect highways and add coverage in places such as Campbellton and the Acadian Peninsula.
The investment also covers a 15,000 square foot expansion of Rogers’ Moncton Customer Care Centre and the creation of 244 new jobs. Rogers has already invested more than $140 million in the province.
Starz, Domino’s pair up for Vongo promotional deal
By Traci Patterson, CED
Starz Entertainment and Domino’s Pizza are collaborating for a two-month promotional campaign, featuring a free 30-day Vongo trial with any Domino’s order placed online.
Vongo, an online movie download (OMD) site, offers more than 1,000 movies and 2,500 total video selections, including the Starz TV channel, for $9.99 per month.
Sweepstake prizes include a 37-inch flat-panel LCD HDTV, a laptop computer and 20 one-year subscriptions to Vongo.
Additional information about the Vongo trial can found here.
TiVo heads back to black
By Traci Patterson, CED
TiVo Inc. reported a net income of $835,000 for the first quarter ended April 30, up from a net loss of $10.7 million in the year-ago quarter.
TiVo-owned subscription gross additions were 57,000 for the first quarter, down from 91,000 in Q1 2006, bringing the total to nearly 1.7 million.
Service revenues were $54.2 million, an increase of about $7 million year-on-year. In the quarter, TiVo launched Amazon Unbox on TiVo and unveiled the universal swivel search tool. This year, the company will rollout its service with Comcast Corp. – first in Boston and other parts of New England – and Cox Communications.
Broadband Briefs for 5/31/07
* Triveni Digital instrument gauges entire GigE stream
Triveni Digital, a subsidiary of LG Electronics, introduced the latest addition to its StreamScope family of stream-quality monitoring, analysis, and troubleshooting systems. The RM-40 HBE (high-bandwidth edition) has the ability to perform complex MPEG monitoring at 1 Gbps, and it extends the comprehensive monitoring capabilities of the StreamScope RM-40 to include the entire Gigabit Ethernet stream.
