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AT&T lights up U-verse TV in Orlando, Florida
Back in July, AT&T's U-verse services went live in South Florida. Now, those in the central region (Orlando, more specifically) can finally shake the little brother syndrome and indulge as well. On the same day in which AT&T activated U-verse in the Triangle region of North Carolina, it has begun to sell service to select parts of Orlando. The launch will provide the "first serious threat to Bright House Networks' dominance as the main cable provider in Central Florida," much like it's infringing on TWC territory in NC. Sadly, we're still waiting on confirmation of service areas from AT&T, but you can phone your local retail store to see if any information has leaked out to those channels.
AT&T operations chief says it'll hit one million U-verse TV subs next week
It had its doubters, and this economy didn't help matters, but AT&T will reportedly convince its one millionth convert that fiber is the best way next week. According to the outfit's president and chief executive of telecom operations John Stankey, it will hit its goal of having one million U-verse TV customers by the end of the year. He was quoted as saying that "operationally, [the firm] has hit its stride," noting that it was slated to make the fiber-based programming service available to some 17 million American homes before 2009. Kudos on (almost) reaching a milestone, AT&T -- now, when's the next big wave of expansion?
FairPoint offering free HDTVs for fiber trials in Portsmouth, NH
Call us crazy, but we suspect these 100 free HDTVs (and DVRs) will be snapped up in no time flat... if they aren't all claimed already, that is. FairPoint Communications is hoping to lure a hundred Portsmouth, New Hampshire homes into testing its new fiber-based (IPTV) programming technology as it looks to compete locally with Comcast. The 90-day pilot program is set to start in January and is open to all Portsmouth residents within the FairPoint fiber-optic service area. Depending on how the tests go, many communities could look to FairPoint to provide video services, though the initial trial will include just 45 channels as critics look to judge quality, not quantity. So, what exactly are you waiting for? Get on the horn and get your name on the list!
MTNL and Aksh Optifibre announce FTTH, HDTV services in India
We already knew that MTNL was looking to expand its IPTV services from Mumbai to more parts of India, and now we're seeing progress towards completion. Thanks to a recent tie-up between said company and Aksh Optifibre, FTTH (fiber to the home) and HDTV services will be delivered to Indians in desperate need of more high-def. Unfortunately, the announcement doesn't mention when or where the services will be expanded, but hopefully we'll be given more insight on the whole deal real soon.
Verizon adds 233,000 net new FiOS TV customers in Q3, up to 1.6 million total
Man, this is just downright eerie. If you'll recall, AT&T managed to add 232,000 net U-verse subscribers in Q3. Lo and behold, its biggest fiber rival (that'd be Verizon) added 233,000 net new FiOS TV customers in the same quarter. Coincidences aside, Verizon's pretty proud of its current position in the market, now claiming 1.6 million FiOS TV subscribers and offering the service for sale to 8.2 million premises in the United States. Just for comparisons sake, the outfit only had 700,000 subs at the end of Q3 2007, and it added just 176,000 newcomers in Q2 2008. In related news, it also managed to acquire 225,000 net new FiOS internet customers, and with cable companies jacking up rates left and right, we wouldn't be shocked at all to see even more frustrated pay-TV users make the leap to fiber in Q4.
Cable's fiber to the home plan is well underway
When people think of fiber to the home, they usually think of FiOS. This is a good thing for Verizon since they've successfully bet the farm on the concept. But meanwhile, most traditional cable providers are steaming because they've been laying fiber since the 80's and just now realized they forgot to market that fact to the consumer. You see most customers don't realize that the primary difference between most cable providers and FiOS, is where the fiber ends -- and that FiOS uses IPTV for VOD. While cable companies choose to use fiber to the neighborhood, Verizon took it all the way to the side of your house. The part that surprises most, is that like cable companies, FiOS uses the very same coax cables to get into your house; in fact these days, the internet access even terminates with a cable modem. But of course having fiber run all the way to your customer's homes still gives FiOS a throughput advantage. The cable industry realizes this and apparently already has plans to extend the fiber -- which currently is about three blocks from your house -- all the way to your home. Anyway you slice this, the competition is good for us, and we can only hope that after both the telecom and cable industries offer comparable services, that the focus will turn to customer service, where they both have a long way to go.
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: October 25, 2008
Verizon was on a rampage last week when it came to FiOS TV expansions, and we're delighted to say that this week isn't too much different. For starters, we see that the latest wave of interactive features have swept across North Texas and New Jersey, while councils in Pomona, Lindenhurst, Hewlett Bay Park and Yorktown, New York approved video franchises to get Verizon's fiber-based programming service up and running in the near future. Finally, we see a single town in Washington (Kirkland) and two locales in the Bay State (Hudson and Weston) get word of impending FiOS TV service. We'll see you next week -- here's to hoping your neck of the woods gets covered within the next seven days.Read - North Texas interactive featuresRead - New Jersey interactive featuresRead - New York expansionRead - Massachusetts expansionRead - Washington expansion
BendBroadband deploys Digeo's Moxi HD DVR 3012
Digeo never hit the home run it probably wanted to with its family of DVRs, but at least it's netting a few deals with MSOs. Last month, the outfit announced that some of its wares would be deployed by Charter, and it also mentioned that an elusive second provider would be following suit shortly. Enter BendBroadband, a smallish cable company in Oregon that will begin doling out the Moxi HD DVR 3012, which includes the Moxi Menu user interface, multi-stream CableCARD support, remote web scheduling, external storage options and twin tuners. Sadly, the box won't ever be down with tru2way, but those not deterred can get one of their own later in Q4.
SureWest nets 100,000 broadband customers, gives two some freebies
SureWest just recently lit up its 100Mbps high-speed internet service in Kansas City, and apparently, people really dug it. As of this week, the telco has managed to secure 100,000 broadband customers in its two major markets of Kansas City and Sacramento. In order to celebrate, it chose one subscriber at random from each of those regions and gave them free HDTV, digital phone and broadband internet for a year. Unlike Charter, however, we actually expect these guys to deliver on their promises.
Tullahoma Board of Utilities begins beta testing FTTH services in Tennessee
The Tullahoma Board of Utilities has made no secret of its plans to rollout a fiber-to-the-premise network to deliver television, high-speed internet and phone services to residents of the Tennessee town, but it sounds as if the aforesaid services (to be dubbed LightTUBe) are edging ever closer to being available for ordering. Reportedly, the TUB has just begun beta testing the offerings, though there's no definitive go-live date just yet. Still, we're told that quite a few high-definition channels will be available at launch, including ABC, FOX, CBS, PBS, MyNetwork TV, ION, WGN HD, A&E HD, National Geographic HD, Discovery HD, History HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, ESPN HD, ESPNews HD, ESPNU HD, ESPN2 HD, TLC HD, Animal Planet HD, The Science Channel HD, FSN HD, Golf HD, TNT HD, QVC HD, CNN HD, QVC HD, TBS HD, Speed HD, Planet HD, FX HD, Fox News HD, SciFi HD, Bravo HD, USA HD, CNBC HD, Universal HD and all of the premium movie channels in HD. Okay, so maybe "quite a few" was a slight understatement.[Thanks, Jeff]
SureWest brings 100Mbps internet, HDTV to Kansas City homes
While Time Warner Cable is busying trialing consumption-based internet billing, SureWest Communications is encouraging more residents of Kansas City to download at will. As of now, around 1,500 domiciles in Merriam and Olathe have access to the company's 100Mbps fiber-based internet, and it's hoping to reach thousands more homes by early 2009. Additionally, the FTTH network is bringing along a respectable array of high-def channels to those who dig the bundle, though a specific lineup wasn't mentioned. It's not quite Sigbritt Löthberg fast, but it's pretty nimble.
Canby Telcom opens can, out pops 36 HDTV channels in Oregon
For Canby Telecom customers located in (where else?) Canby, Oregon, today's a good day. The programming provider has just announced that you now have access to 36 high-def stations on its HD IPTV network, with over two dozen of 'em delivered to Canby via IP-PRIME. Among the new channels are Discovery HD, Disney HD, Showtime HD, Fox News HD, ESPN HD, A&E HD and Food Network HD, plus a handful of local broadcast services. There's no mention of cost or any of that, so here's hoping they're being beamed out for free (or mighty close to it).
KDDI's Linux-based Au Box IP STB converts, sends media to mobiles
Now here's a peculiar one. Japan's KDDI has just introduced a Motorola-built IP STB that converts and transmits TV, multimedia and web-based content from the home to a user's cellphone. The Au Box is a fairly multifaceted beast, boasting a built-in DVD drive for ripping CDs, dual USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, AV ins / outs and a Linux-based OS that can handle basic PC-like tasks. The box is designed for subscribers who own a mobile but not a full-fledged computer, and while details are scarce on the technology behind it, we're really digging the home content-to-mobile premise. Best of all, the set-top-box will only cost KDDI customers around $3 per month when it launches on November 1st. Say, Motorola -- have you ran this thing by any US carriers?[Via Linux Devices]
Ons Net offering up free HD programming in The Netherlands
Ons Net, a FTTH provider in The Netherlands, has just cranked up a new promotion that should be music to the ears of consumers in that area of the world. Starting on September 1st, HDTV programming will be offered up for free with the purchase of its digital television package. Currently, said tier contains 51 channels for €7.50 ($11), and an additional 20 channels can be purchased for €3.95 ($6). Granted, you will need to purchase a set-top-box for €149.95 ($223), but that's a minuscule price to pay for gratis access to Discovery HD, Brava HD and soon-to-come HD versions of Dutch and Belgian public channels, right?[Via Broadband TV News]
Telefnica and Philips testing no-glasses-necessary 3D IPTV, got ???18,000 we can borrow?
São Paulo, Brazil stand up, you're first in line for auto-stereoscopic (read: no glasses) 3D IPTV broadcasts courtesy of Telefónica/TVA and, we assume, that swank WOWvx-powered 1080p 52-inch Philips 3D HDTV promised to hit shelves by year end. Fortunately it now has a price, unfortunately, that price is €18,000 and requires you live in the Jardins neighborhood, hooked up to its fiber network in order to have the capacity to suck down all that 3D. Consumer accessibility is pegged at "inside three or four years", so you start saving, the SMPTE will figure out how to make it all work, and we'll sit back and remember how awesome Captain EO was that one time at Epcot Center. Everyone has to do their part.
Aspen Optics boldly predicts massive fiber adoption by 2010
Move over, 2012. 2010 is up first, and Aspen Optics is asserting that it'll be a banner year for fiber. Granted, we're taking all of this pretty lightly given the industry that it's in, but nevertheless, said company is proclaiming that FTTH (fiber to the home) will soon be known as FTEH (fiber to every home) while FTTO (fiber to the office) will morph into FTEO (fiber to every office). The proclamation does note that we're talking about "developed nations" here, and the release does tend to focus on the UAE in particular, but this provides good fodder for discussion if nothing else. Do you see fiber booming in just 18 months? We're guessing it'll take a few more years beyond that for it to really make a play for significant cable market share, but hey, we'd love to be wrong.[Via Developing Telecoms]
FiOS approved for New York City, launch expected in "weeks"
The NY Public Service Commission decided to approve Verizon's petition for a Certificate of Confirmation yesterday, removing the final hurdle to FiOS eventually becoming available in all five boroughs. Details from the PSC's release (warning: PDF link) indicate the franchise agreement is for 12 years, and grants Verizon waivers on a few usual requirements intended to give it time to build up service in the city. It could take up to six years to reach fiber to the entire city, and has also been granted 180 extra days to add public, educational and government channels. No word on exactly when New Yorkers expect that all digital, uncompressed competition for their local cable company (Verizon's PR indicates only "in the coming weeks"), but with the last hurdle out of the way it should be sooner rather than later.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Verizon press releaseRead - State of New York Public service Commission Approval
Surewest adding 18 new HD channels in Kansas City
Along with changing the name of the recently-acquired Everest Broadband unit to match the rest of the family, SureWest Communications is rolling out 18 new HDTV channels to Kansas City customers over the next month or so. If you don't have SureWest service yet, you might soon, as its also adding an additional 10,000 homes in the area this year to its FTTH footprint, with most having access to 50Mbps speeds up and downstream. As far as what channels specifically are coming, you're on your own so keep an eye on the channel listing.
Provo, Utah sells iProvo fiber-optic network to Broadweave
iProvo, the largest municipally owned fiber-to-the-premises network in the entire United States, has just been sold to Broadweave Networks. The Provo, Utah-based network actually reaches all 36,000 residents and businesses of the city, and manages to connect homes, businesses, government buildings, schools and even traffic signals. The sale price was $40.6 million, which is plenty to retire the outstanding bonds incurred by Provo to build the system. The City itself seems quite pleased, as it gains the advantage of the sale and it continues to enjoy the benefits of the infrastructure. Under the agreement, Broadweave will act as the network owner and service provider, while Provo retains a license to keep on using the fiber as it has in the past. Best of all, the new owner has already promised to "invest heavily in network upgrades in order to increase capacity, features, and performance for commercial customers," though we aren't sure if that means more HD content is on the way.
DISH Optical Network to bring service to apartments
For many answering our latest inquiry, switching from cable to satellite simply isn't possible. If you're stuck in an apartment or other form of multiple dwelling unit, there's at least a fighting chance that your landlord won't allow the drilling and such typically required to get a dish installed. To that end, DISH Network will soon be rolling out its DISH Optical Network service, which essentially takes satellite delivered material beamed to "a group of dishes" and pipes the content over fiber lines to up to 128 subscribers. Needless to say, this could be a real boon for leasers who only have a limited selection for programming, but sadly, we'll be forced to wait until rollouts begin in undisclosed locales "later this year" before wrapping our heads around a price.[Via The Capital Times, image courtesy of Sat Pro Atlanta]
