KabelDeutschland
Latest
Vodafone to buy Germany's biggest cable operator for $10.1 billion
Every summer, the world's second biggest mobile provider likes to splash out on a broadband company to bolster its cellular offerings. Last year, for instance, Vodafone snapped up Cable & Wireless' British fiber-optic network for $1.6 billion -- but that's a bargain compared to the $10.1 billion it's just sealed for Germany's largest cable company, Kabel Deutschland. Unlike last year's deal, which concentrated on infrastructure, this move will see Vodafone entering the triple-play market, offering mobile, fixed-line and TV services. Anyone got a German dictionary to hand? We want to look up what "technofreaks" translates to.
Kabel Deutschland sets record with 4.7Gbps download speeds
About a year ago, Arris teased a system capable of 4.5Gbps downloads, and while that technology was in the proof-of-concept phase last June, it's beginning to look more like a real possibility. German network provider Kabel Deutschland just notched a new download speed record using Arris' C4 CMTs and Touchstone CM820S cable modems: a mind-blowing 4,700 Mbps (4.7 Gbps). The cable operator set that world-record rate in the city of Schwerin, where it recently updated its network to 862 MHz. The network may be capable of delivering those 4.7Gbps speeds, but the company noted that current laptops and modems can't even process such blazing data transfer rates. And before you North Americans get too excited, note that KD uses the EuroDOCSIS specification on the 8MHz channel, while the DOCSIS uses the 6MHz scheme in the US and beyond. Still, that's not to say that other cable providers like Verizon FiOS have been slacking lately -- 300Mbps downloads are nothing to scoff at.
Anixe HD joins Kabel Deutschland lineup just in time for Olympics
We already knew that Anixe HD would be covering select parts of the 2008 Olympic Games this month, but until recently, Kabel Deutschland customers have been left in the dark. Now, Germany's largest cable operator will be adding the aforementioned channel to its lineup just before the festivities begin, enabling subscribers to catch the action in athletics, triathlon, equestrian, cycling and sailing events. When the digital free-to-air station goes live this Friday, it will be the third HD channel offered by KDG next to Premiere HD and Discovery HD, both of which are pay-TV stations.
