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Starry's CEO on building a new type of wireless ISP
After making a noble attempt at bringing wireless television signals to the internet (and failing), Chet Kanojia is now trying to offer broadband internet wirelessly. How poetic. His new company, which launched this morning, is called Starry. It uses high-frequency millimeter-wave technology to deliver gigabit speeds to homes wirelessly. And, best of all, there won't be any bandwidth caps. We sat down briefly with Kanojia to discuss his latest attempt at revitalizing a stale industry.
Aereo founder takes on ISPs with millimeter wave wireless internet
Aereo dared to take on the broadcast industry by streaming over-the-air TV channels on the internet -- that is, until the Supreme Court ruled that its technology was illegal. Now that company's founder, Chet Kanojia, is taking on yet another established industry: Internet service providers. Today at a New York City launch event he unveiled Starry, the first consumer company to use millimeter wave technology to deliver wireless internet access. [Check out our interview with Kanojia about Starry here.] Up until now, that's been a technology mainly used by the military for radar and other purposes.
Supreme Court said Aereo is a cable company, so now it wants to be treated like one
Despite Aereo's best efforts, the Supreme Court decided that its service was too much like cable TV and therefore its unlicensed streaming of TV broadcasts were illegal. Now, after putting its service on pause, Aereo has filed a letter with the US District Court saying that since the Court said it's like a cable system, it is entitled to the same statutory license that cable companies pay broadcasters. CEO Chet Kanojia sent a message to users and supporters explaining "The Path Forward" with a link to the letter, but hasn't laid out a timeline for the service's return. That's one of the reason's broadcasters are still fighting the new move, saying (in the same letter) that it's "astonishing for Aereo to contend the Supreme Court's decision automatically transformed Aereo into a 'cable system' under Section 111 given its prior statements to this Court and the Supreme Court." [Image credit: AP]
Aereo's not for sale ... not now, anyway
It's a bittersweet day in Austin, Texas, for Aereo. The company's remote DVR service, which allows users to stream or record over-the-air broadcasts, just launched in the city this week against the backdrop of SXSW, making it Aereo's fourth market in the state. But there's a storm cloud hanging over this celebration; a recent legal hiccup with the state of Utah that saw it shut down service in Denver, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah. Aereo, however, is no stranger to this courtroom drama. The company's been engaged in a copyright battle with broadcasters that'll either cement it as a content licensee (along the lines of a Netflix), and potentially cripple its business growth, or as a provider of cloud DVR storage. It's a fight Aereo's waging all the way to the Supreme Court and has so far been winning, except for today.
Aereo could be next on Google's Chromecast support list
Every time Chromecast adds another officially supported app, traditional TV viewing dies yet another death. And so it goes that Google's low-cost dongle's about to beef up beyond its already stellar, and increasingly robust, line-up of streaming services with Aereo -- at some point. According to CNET, Aereo head Chet Kanojia, speaking at an investor conference, stated that eventual Chromecast compatibility for the local broadcast slinging app is not only on the way, it's actually part and parcel of the company's broader support goal for Android. In fact, Aereo's currently testing the updated app now, but Kanojia didn't specify exactly when users would see it roll out. When it does eventually release, it'll be one more reason for cord-cutters to kiss cable and those draconian monthly fees a fond farewell. We're looking at you, Time Warner Cable.
Aereo CEO reveals an Android app is launching this September
In more than one way, Aereo keeps growing and growing, and it looks as if it's getting ready to grow a little more. According to the International Business Times, Aereo CEO, Chet Kanojia, has confirmed to the publication that an official Android app for the TV streaming service is on its way. More specifically, Aereo's chief says the application will be launching in the month of September, which would be right around the same time as the unconventional cable provider prepares to debut in Chicago. No word on when exactly we can expect the Aereo app to arrive on the Play store, but given how August only has about two full days left in it, it's safe to say it'll be sooner rather than later. In the meantime, there's always the option to watch on your computer -- or, hey, maybe a dear friend would be kind enough to let you borrow an iOS device.
