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News
May
FiberNet Sets National Net Expansion
Interconnection/local-access service provider FiberNet Telecom Group has outlined plans for a national network expansion, both beefing up its core network and extending its tentacles into new markets.
The company outlined plans for the expansion, on which it's expecting to spend about $2 million, at the same time as reporting a quarter with growing sales and shrinking losses. The expansion, which is to be complete by the fourth quarter, will see both new core network capacity and metro Ethernet switching upgrades in both of its key markets - New York and Los Angeles - as well as moves into Chicago, San Francisco and Miami.
TelecomWeb , May 09, 2008
Broadband Internet Connectivity in Rural Areas
Broadband internet service in rural areas of the country is still a shaky proposition. Just like the spotty cell phone service, it all depends on whether the companies providing the service consider it profitable. Some industrialized countries consider internet connectivity an essential part of their economies and their governments have been quick to intervene where private industry has proved unwilling. But, no so in the United States.
Streamyx , May 08, 2008
Colchester switch glitch caused Unicel outage
Hundreds of thousands of Unicel subscribers throughout five Northeastern states, including Vermont, lost cell service for about 10 hours today — thanks to a software quirk at the cell company’s Colchester central processing unit.
Unicel, which is operated by Alexandria, Minn.-based Rural Cellular Corp., learned of the problem about 4. a.m. Tuesday morning and restored the system by 2:30 p.m., said Unicel spokeswoman Miriam Svobodny.
The Northeastern network — all of which suffered service disruptions — includes Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.
Burlington Free Press , May 08, 2008
Utah Muni FTTH Net Faces Privatization
One of the world's first and largest municipally owned fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks is being privatized, getting just about enough money to pay off the mountain of debt it incurred to build and operate during the past few years.
TelecomWeb , May 08, 2008
Sprint’s Big Deal – New Life for WiMax
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the terms of a yet unannounced deal which will finance a massive rollout of WiMax by a Sprint-Clearwire joint venture. Outside funding is to be provided by Intel, Google, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable as well as Bright House, a small cable company. Assuming the deal is for real, this is good news for US users of broadband and, indirectly, other users around the world.
WiMax can be used to provide both fixed and mobile voice and data services. Data speeds are up to eight times better than Verizon's EVDO (also currently offered by Sprint) and AT&T's HSPDA. Both AT&T and Verizon plan to rollout faster access – but not for another couple of years. WiMax is in use today; all it takes is money to roll it out.
Fractals of Change , May 07, 2008
Serious Hang-ups for Unicel Customers
Thousands of people in our region were without cellular phone service for most of the day Tuesday. Wireless carrier Unicel had a system-wide outage that disrupted service to some 250,000 customers in five northeastern states. It started shortly after 5:00 a.m. and service wasn't up and running again until about 2:30 p.m.
It meant a busy day at Unicel Stores throughout the northeast, as people were lining up with questions about their cell phones: specifically-- why they weren't working.
WCAX-TV , May 07, 2008
Google nuzzles closer to Sprint Nextel
It seems Google Inc. has no plans to be a silent partner in the forthcoming Sprint Nextel Corp./Clearwire Corp. business.
The Internet giant said it will become the default search provider for Sprint Nextel as early as this summer, powering both Internet and local, GPS-enabled search on the carrier’s portal.
RCR News , May 07, 2008
New Mobile Broadband Company
Sprint and Clearwire to Combine WiMAX Businesses,
Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House
Networks to Invest $3.2 Billion in Combined Company, at ....Formation of New Company Brings Together the Nation's Leaders in Communications, Technology Innovation and Entertainment. New Company to Speed Deployment of First Nationwide Next-Generation Mobile WiMAX Network.
Transaction Designed to Unlock the Potential of Clearwire's and Sprint's 4G Assets.
Sprint , May 07, 2008
Qwest reiterates broadband strategy
Qwest Communications will continue to aggressively build out fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) networks and overlay them with non- homegrown video services from DirecTV, including a soon-to- be unveiled video-on-demand (VoD) offering. DirecTV, in fact, will serve as the blueprint for the carrier’s migration into 4G wireless as part of its new five-year relationship with Verizon Wireless, said Edward Mueller, chairman-CEO, during a first quarter earnings call.
Telecommagazine.com , May 07, 2008
250,000 Northeast Unicel cell users lose service
About 250,000 Unicel cell phone customers have been without service in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and parts of Massachusetts and New York.
Company spokeswoman Miriam Svobodny says technicians are working to fix the outage, which was the result of a software issue.
Service went out early Tuesday; Svobodny expected service to be restored Tuesday afternoon.
CNNMoney.com , May 06, 2008
Wild idea? AT&T, others to launch Skype competitor, firm predicts
With voice lines eroding rapidly, AT&T, British Telecom, NTT and other incumbent carriers will soon launch their own IP telephony competitor to Skype, essentially writing off voice revenues entirely while moving customers to data, wireless and IPTV services, investment banking firm ThinkPanmure predicted today.
In a research note, ThinkPanmure predicted a group of 10 to 15 incumbent global operators will launch a competitor to P2P Internet telephony service Skype by 2009, with the motivation of keeping voice subscribers from “completely disappearing, reducing win-back marketing costs.
Telephony OnLine , May 06, 2008
Sprint, Clearwire set to strike $12B deal for high-speed WiMax
Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. are set to strike a deal for a $12 billion joint venture that would put Sprint's high-speed wireless WiMax unit, known as Xohm, under the Clearwire name.
The deal is expected to be announced sometime later this week, said Philip Redman, an analyst at Gartner Inc., who said today that he learned about the venture this afternoon directly from persons involved in it. Sprint and Clearwire would not comment, nor would several investors including Intel Corp., Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, and Google Inc. The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal might be announced tomorrow.
ComputerWorld , May 06, 2008
Unicel to build near Verizon
VERNON -- The Selectboard voted unanimously to approve the permit application for a telecommunications facility during its Monday night meeting.
The application for the permit, submitted by RCC Atlantic Inc. (doing business as Unicel), is in connection with a wireless telecommunications facility to be located near the existing cell tower, located at 168 Princesses Lane and owned by the Kissell family.
Brattleboro Reformer , May 06, 2008
Cheaper! Faster! Slimmer!
Apple pretty much invented the hype machine, so it’s no surprise it’s running wild now... With this anticipated new handset comes a whole slew of new hyped-up expectations, obviously including a faster network, as well as a slimmer design and perhaps a price tag that’s even cheaper than before.
Telephony Online , May 06, 2008
Cell tower planned in Poultney
If all goes according to plan, a person will soon be able to drive through Poultney without losing cell service along the way. On Tuesday, the Poultney Development Review Board announced its decision to approve the application submitted by Lightower of Boxborough, Mass., to erect a 100-foot cell phone tower on leased Poultney Village property.
Rutland Herald , May 05, 2008
By The Numbers
10 key facts and figures -- and the industry-altering trends behind them
The telecom industry is changing and evolving so rapidly these days, it's sometimes hard to keep up. It's also difficult to separate hype from reality and real trends from blind alleys.
Telephonyonline , May 05, 2008
Verizon Finally Starts Wiring Rural Massachusetts
3Mbps DSL to be deployed to long un-served communities... Verizon recently sold off its DSL networks in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine because they didn't feel those largely rural states were profitable. While they held on to Massachusetts because of Boston and its suburbs, they've been under fire for limited deployment in the western part of the State and have faced pressure from a Governor -- who not only wanted to expand deployment in the State, but last year almost forced Verizon to (gasp) pay property taxes in the State (they've been exempt since 1915).
Broadband Reports , May 03, 2008
Rallying the rural troops
Cyren Call’s O’Brien lays out D-Block pitch at RCA
LAS VEGAS — Despite troubles brewing back in Washington, D.C.,... Chairman Morgan O’Brien took Cyren Call’s message to the people last week speaking at the Rural Cellular Association’s 16th Annual Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas. And that message: rural carriers should team up to bid on the D Block during its re-auction that O’Brien thinks could happen as soon as October.
RCR News , May 03, 2008
Gambling on Utopia
Utah cities are being asked to re-commit to a faltering muni fiber project. Municipalities participating in Utah's 11-city wholesale fiber-to-the-premises project, Utopia, are being asked to “double down” on that investment in the face of its current financial shortfalls. Needing more capital to finish network construction that began three years ago, Utopia's leaders asked those cities last week to increase their contribution from $202 million in bonds over 20 years to $504 million over 33 years, at a lower interest rate. Over time the network's construction is meant to be funded by revenue from service providers that pay to use it on a wholesale basis. But if that model fails, the cities would owe the half-billion in bonds they pledged.
Telephony OnLine , May 02, 2008
Comcast expands cable services
Comcast is extending its telecommunications services to Tinmouth and two other towns in Vermont for the first time. The extension is part of 220 miles of fiber-optic line extensions that Comcast will build this year that will touch 53 communities in the state. Dan Blakeman, Comcast area vice president for Vermont and northern Massachusetts, said Thursday the expansion is part of its commitment to deliver video, high-speed Internet and telephone service to under-served areas of the state.
rutland Herald , May 02, 2008
Ryder rides into wireless
Wireless technology helps Ryder Systems Inc. keep track of its fleet of nearly 160,000 vehicles and provide its customers with services that include trip reports to help cut down on fuel usage and track driver habits, as well as streamline a warehousing process that is more precise thanks to wireless use.
RCR News , May 01, 2008
April
More on ECFiberNet
How did that song go? "VTA ... what is it good for? Absolutely nuttin'" Something like that anyway; maybe I'm paraphrasin'. Anyway, I guess I shouldn't say the VTA is good for absolutely nothing, and in all fairness the VTA's reaction to the ECFiberNet project could just as easily be about growing pains as anything else.
Green Mountain Daily , April 30, 2008
Creating The ‘E-State' - What Role for Telecom Authority?
One of the many attractive things about the proposed East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network is how neatly it seems to fit in with Gov. Jim Douglas' celebrated “E-state” initiative, announced with much fanfare in January 2007. In his inaugural address that year, the governor said that he wanted to guarantee all residents access to broadband Internet and cell phone service, which he called “a fundamental part of modern life for all Vermonters, as essential as electricity and good roads.”
Valley News , April 30, 2008
Rutland could be a high-tech hub
We write in response to the recent Herald article regarding the Rutland City Board of Aldermen's premature rejection of a $12,000 funding request to determine the feasibility of implementing a state-of-the-art municipally owned broadband network in Rutland City. The aldermen's rejection of the proposal was influenced heavily, if not entirely, by the objections of a paid lobbyist for Comcast, which would stand to lose its existing monopoly if the city ultimately decides to go forward with this project.
Rutland Herald , April 30, 2008
Rural FTTP 'perfectly economical,' says muni fiber veteran
The notion that fiber-to-the-premises is economically prohibitive in rural areas is a myth, according to Dr. Timothy Nulty, director of ValleyFiber, a nonprofit organization focused on bringing municipal fiber to towns in Vermont’s Upper Valley. “It’s nonsense,” he said, addressing the Broadband Properties Summit today. “It’s perfectly economical.” Nulty helped oversee the municipal FTTP network in Burlington Vermont, which is on track to become fully cash-flow positive (with revenue exceeding all costs, including debt service) by January 2009, four years after it secured initial financing. He left his position as general manager of Burlington Telecom to try to duplicate its success elsewhere in Vermont, retaining universal access as a goal, and he says the model is just as viable in rural areas.
TelephonyOnline , April 29, 2008
Where’s cable going? History’s road map offers clues
Want something to take to the bank during these trying economic times? Pull out your coin rolls and stuff in a load of cable consistency. Cable has a track record of doing the same thing—not necessarily the right thing—that’s so consistent that it would bore the Maytag repairman. The most recent example was the inevitable dissolution of cable’s wireless relationship with Sprint Nextel.
Telecommagazine.com , April 28, 2008
Verizon Scores On Enterprise IP, Wireless, Fiber, Data
Verizon reported a first quarter in which it says it delivered almost everything it had promised and that was expected by the industry.
The carrier crowed that it did even better than AT&T in wireless growth in the first quarter while such IP-based enterprise business as managed services soared almost twice as high as wireless
TelecomWeb , April 28, 2008
SPECTRUM HANGOVER
Carriers’ binge on spectrum assets bring competitive concerns WHILE THE DOMINANCE of AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless in the 700 MHz auction has renewed debate about whether a spectrum cap should be reinstituted, it appears concerns may have been overstated about the number of markets where the nation’s two largest cellular operators now exceed the Federal Communications Commission’s new standard for determining when a carrier’s spectrum holdings in a given market could pose an anticompetitive threat.
RCR Wireless News , April 26, 2008
Vermont Files in Support of Using White Space for Mobile Broadband Access
The Vermont Public Service Department and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority have joined in an ex parte filing at the Federal Communications Commission urging that the Commission “move expeditiously to adopt the necessary technical parameters … and help make this promising technology ... a reality.
Fractals of Change , April 25, 2008
Ohio Town Proceeds with Wi-Fi Plan
With plans for citywide wireless Internet systems crumbling around the nation, Gahanna, Ohio is on schedule to become the first city in Ohio to begin work on such a system.
Dublin, Ohio-based DHB Networks will install the wi-fi network, and Gahanna will not own the system but will commit to becoming an "anchor tenant."
Info Tech & Telecom News , April 25, 2008
Dish to test satellite-based mobile TV service using 700 MHz spectrum
Dish Network Corp. isn’t wasting time as it considers what technology might be the best fit for spectrum it recently won in the 700 MHz auction. The company partnered with Alcatel-Lucent to test DVB-SH mobile TV broadcast technology with equipment, tools and training provided by infrastructure vendor.... DVB-SH -- a variant of the terrestrial DVB-H mobile TV standard -- relies on satellite delivery, yet it’s largely unproven (only satellite radio can be pointed to as a similar commercially launched service) for mobile TV services.
RCR Wireless News , April 25, 2008
Burlington Telecom still running below goal
The general manager of Burlington Telecom projected in spring 2006 that the city-owned high-speed Internet, phone and cable television provider would begin breaking even this June.
That would have been good news for money-challenged Burlington. Burlington Telecom has been advertised for years as a money-maker for the city.
The utility, however, isn't going to operate in the black anytime soon.
Burlington Free Press , April 25, 2008
Burlington Telecom: A model for others
Burlington Telecom has been featured as a how-to model for municipalities interested in creating their own telecommunications system.
Christopher Mitchell, telecom director for the Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance, featured Burlington Telecom in a 2007 case study. He concluded his report with an assertion that the municipally owned company "has demonstrated that no community needs to wait for a private company to provide broadband. Communities can build a telecommunications network to provide better services at a lower cost while raising revenues."
Burlington Free Press , April 25, 2008
EC Fiber is Alive and Well!
The headline and article in Saturday’s Valley News about ECFiber (“VT Telecom Panel Snubs ECFiber”) left a seriously misleading impression that the fate of a grass roots effort depended on the Vermont Telecom Authority (VTA). In fact, it does not.
ECFiber won near unanimous community support on town meeting day. As has always been the case, financing will be up to private sector financiers and the growing numbers of Vermont citizens who have eagerly indicated a readiness to subscribe to world class fiber-based services. It will serve upwards of 60,000 people, bringing the entrepreneurial economy to their doorstep.
Peter's Soapbox blog , April 24, 2008
Rutland Broadband in Jeopardy
A setback to plans to build a multi-million dollar fiber optic hub in Rutland.
The city's board of alderman voted not to allow the Rutland Redevelopment Authority to borrow $12,000 from the city to come up with a business plan to study the idea.
WCAX , April 24, 2008
Qwest Communications Introduces 20 Megabit DSL In Some Areas
Qwest Communications International Inc. on Thursday introduced DSL plans with faster download speeds, including one that is the fastest DSL service from a major U.S. phone company. Qwest is charging $104.99 per month for a download speed of 20 megabits per second.
Wall Street Journal , April 24, 2008
Pivot's Demise Leaves Quad-Play Opportunity to Telcos
As Pivot falls apart, study says telcos have the edge in bundling services
Just as Comcast and Cox Communications announce that they are abandoning their Pivot wireless phone partnership with Sprint, Compete today released survey findings indicating that most consumers would be interested in buying their wireless service from their existing cable or telco provider. This interest in bundles has increased 55% from July of 2007 to last month, creating a market opportunity for telecom service providers to ramp up their presence in a sector cable competitors appear to be rethinking.
Telephoneonline.com , April 24, 2008
Politicos want free wireless broadband on unused airwaves
A Silicon Valley Democrat in the U.S. Congress is proposing a new auction of unused radio spectrum, but with some ambitious strings attached: The winner would have to offer a free, wireless broadband network that reaches 95 percent of the American population within a decade.
CNET , April 23, 2008
Telecommunications Authority awards broadband grants
ECBFiber is one of six winners of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority's 2008 Broadband Grants. ECFiber received $25,000...
Burlington Free Press , April 23, 2008
Northeast Kingdom gets Internet grants
Kenn Stransky often jokes that the northeastern towns of Canaan and Norton, which are located along the Canadian border, are among the forgotten parts of Vermont. Those two towns and nine others nearby didn't feel very forgotten Tuesday as the Vermont Telecommunications Authority announced $200,000 in grants for high-speed Internet projects – including $50,000 to jumpstart a wireless Internet project in the northeastern corner of the state.
Barre Times Argus , April 23, 2008
Comcast Is Serious About Wireless
Hot on the heels of a report that Comcast will no longer offer Sprint’s wireless service through Pivot, GigaOM has learned that the cable company is creating its own wireless division and has hired the former CTO of Telefonica O2 Europe, Dave Williams, as the unit’s CTO.
Gigaom , April 23, 2008
Comcast's Network Practices Need Scrutiny, FCC Chief Says
FCC chief Kevin Martin said it appeared Comcast singled out Web content for delay
Isaac Brekken - AP
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin yesterday challenged several of Comcast's claims about how it operates its Internet network, taking his strongest stance yet against the cable operator.
Martin's comments came during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee on the future of the Internet. Comcast is under investigation for allegedly delaying some Web traffic over its network.
Specifically, Martin said in his testimony that it appeared Comcast had singled out content for delay over its network, even when the network may not have been congested with overuse. He also said he doubted the company's statements that it would stop some of its practices by the end of the year.
Telephony Online , April 23, 2008
Alvarion, Towerstream using new WiMAX spectrum
Gear’s authorized, service provider ready to deploy on 3.65 GHz band
Alvarion has the FCC’s blessing for new WiMAX basestations and CPEs operating within the 3.65 GHz spectrum. Concurrently, Towerstream is testing and ready to start deploying systems for commercial customers using that equipment and that spectrum. The two players, while not mutually exclusive, have a mutually beneficial relationship revolving around WiMAX and the new spectrum which the FCC released..
Telecommagazine.,com , April 23, 2008
AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010
U.S. telecommunications giant AT&T has claimed that, without investment, the Internet's current network architecture will reach the limits of its capacity by 2010...
CNET , April 22, 2008
Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland Lead the Rankings in the Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008
Denmark is the most networked economy in the world, followed by Sweden and Switzerland, according to The Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008, released today by the World Economic Forum. Among the top ten, the Republic of Korea (9) and, to a lesser extent, the United States (4) post the most notable improvements (moving up 10 and 3 positions, respectively).
World Economic Forum , April 22, 2008
Struggling network
For the first time, Mayor Lewis Billings hinted Monday that he might be willing to unload Provo's struggling fiber-optic network.
But like the famous pitch for Paul Masson and his wines, the city won't be selling iProvo before its time...
The mayor told Provo's Telecommunications Board and Municipal Council on Monday that he is willing to consider privatizing the network...
The Salt Lake Tribune , April 22, 2008
Vermont Telecommunicaitons and Dept of Public Service filing to FCC
Dear Secretary Dortch:
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (“VTA”) and the Vermont Department of Public Service (the “Department”), (collectively “Vermont”), by its attorney, respectfully submit this letter in response to recent activity in this docket promoting the use of TV “white space” for mobile broadband services. In short, the possibility that TV “white space” could emerge as a solution to inadequate broadband and wireless coverage in rural areas has generated tremendous excitement among Vermont public officials.
FCC , April 22, 2008
25-town consortium denied funding by state
A fledgling 25-town consortium hoping to establish a high-speed Internet network has been rejected for funding by the Vermont Telecommunications Authority.
The authority approved a $25,000 planning grant for the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, but the group’s request for up to $8 million in state revenue bonds to back the project was denied.
Burlington Free Press , April 22, 2008
AT&T Soars On Wireless & Data
Surprising few, if any, in the industry AT&T this morning reported a 22 percent surge in profits pumped by surging wireless sales and healthy increases in both wireline and wireless broadband, particularly at the enterprise level as landline use continued to plunge.
TelecomWeb , April 22, 2008
Lawmaker calls for no-cost, porn-free, wireless 'Net access
By Ryan Paul
The Wireless Internet Nationwide for Families Act, proposed by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), would instruct the FCC to auction off the 2155-2175MHz band of spectrum. The winner would have to use the spectrum to create a nationwide wireless Internet service that is available to the public at no cost, automatically blocks access to pornographic content, and is fully open to third-party device manufacturers.
High-speed academic networks kiss, make up, then merge
The proposal was a response to the recent spectrum auction, which saw AT&T and Verizon, the two biggest
ars technica , April 21, 2008
EU Surpasses U.S. In Broadband Penetration
The European Union (EU) has topped the United States in broadband penetration, according to a report issued this morning by the European Commission (EC) that assesses the state of information and communication technology (ICT) growth under the so-called "i2010" program launched by the EC in 2005.
"The European broadband market is developing rapidly and already outstrips that of the United States," the EC wrote. It estimated some 99.2 million broadband lines in the EC, compared with 81.6 million in the United States and Canada combined, and 43.1 million in Japan and South Korea together. In 2007, the number of regular active Internet users in Europe rose by 40 million, to a total of 250 million.
TelecomWeb , April 20, 2008
VT. Dept of Ed report on E-rate usage in schools
In an effort to better understand how E-rate is being utilized at the school and supervisory union level, the
Vermont Department of Education contracted with E-Rate Central, a New York based consultant group, to
undertake an analysis to address concerns that Vermont schools — most specifically, its public schools, districts,
and supervisory unions — are not able to make optimal use of E-rate funding. The full report can be found at
http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_edtech.html.
From the summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations:
Based on E-Rate Central’s analysis, there are several reasons that Vermont’s use of E-rate funding falls below
the national average. These reasons include:
Vt. Dept of Education , April 20, 2008
Feds Approve Vermont Cell Phone Deal
The Federal Trade Commission has approved a swap of cell phone company service areas between Verizon and AT&T -- a big step for the merger of Verizon and Unicel. It's a complicated deal that will make sure there is still a choice of service providers for consumers. It still needs approval from Vermont regulators who want AT&T to expand cell coverage in Vermont. Christopher Campbell, Director for Telecommunications with the Vermont Public Service Dept., said, "We would hope and expect that AT&T would do some upgrades in Vermont, introduce perhaps some upgraded data services. Also, AT&T is the company that carries the iPhones, so we would certainly anticipate and expect that Vermonters who haven't had access to that particular phone could now have access to it."
WCAX-TV , April 19, 2008
Vt. Telecom Panel Snubs ECFiber
Valley Internet Startup's Bid for $8 Million Rejected
By Peter Jamison
Valley News Staff Writer
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority has denied funding to a locally based consortium of 25 towns trying to create a high-speed Internet network, raising questions among the project's backers about whether the state agency is fulfilling its mission of encouraging the spread of electronic communications.
In a decision that was finalized this week, the VTA approved a $25,000 planning grant for the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, known as ECFiber. But the bulk of the money requested by ECFiber -- which would have come in the form of state revenue bonds potentially worth up to $8 million -- was denied by VTA officials.
Valley News , April 19, 2008
Fairpoint breaks silence, details integration process
Fairpoint Communications held its first conference call as the country’s eighth-largest telco today, three weeks after closing its acquisition of Verizon’s local access business in three states. The company offered an unusual amount of detail about its financial expectations for the near future, though some key strategic questions remain unanswered. The company imagined the integration of its hard-won assets (access lines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine) as a 24-month process, but it has already completed 18 months worth of that work. Fairpoint expects to continue relying on Verizon’s back-office systems (for which it will pay about $16.5 million per month) until September, when it should complete the final transition of all customers and lines.
TelephonyOnline , April 18, 2008
Vermont Libraries at the VTA
In early March, several librarians made a presentation to the VT Telecom Authority about the expanding role of libraries in providing public access to technology and high-speed Internet services. The mission of VTA is, in part, to ensure “that all residences and business in all regions of the state have access to affordable broadband services not later than the end of the year 2010.”
VermontLibraries.org , April 17, 2008
Broadcasters open the doors for telecom
Cable was the enemy; phone companies are an unknown; cellular holds promise. Less than a decade ago one of the dinosaurs representing the big three television networks used the stage at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to whine, “I miss the days of three channels.” Even then, in the heyday of cable’s 52 channels and nothing on, the statement was absurd. There was no going back to three channels just as there was no way to force viewers to walk across the room and touch that dial. Today the broadcasters lose sleep worrying about digital age viewers recording programs and scanning through commercials and whether some user-generated mash-up includes their copyrighted programming.
Telecommunications , April 17, 2008
Mobile technology giants sign pact on LTE
everal the world's largest technology companies have agreed to a framework to license their patents for the emerging mobile network technology known as Long Term Evolution (LTE), an Internetnews.com report said. The companies, which include the world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia and top mobile network gear maker Ericsson, said they were aiming to boost take-up of the new technology by agreeing to license their patents on fair and reasonable terms, the Internetnews.com report said.
America's Network , April 15, 2008
Landline telephone: a hard habit to break
Telcos struggle to retain PSTN base in competitive market
by Sean Buckley
When I think of my recent decision to put all my telecom services into the cable basket, the rock band Chicago’s song “Hard Habit to Break” replays in my head:
Instead of getting any easier
It’s the hardest thing to take
I’m addicted to you
you’re a hard habit to break….
My motivation to switch to one provider was simple: a more economical bill. In the Buckley household, where two small children eat up a lot of available revenue, the idea of a US$99 (actually US$120 a month with fees) for data, digital video and voice was enticing.
telecommagazine.com , April 15, 2008
New funds take Ohio muni fiber model nationwide
By Carol Wilson
The community/municipal network market might not be grabbing as many headlines these days but it hasn’t gone away. Just yesterday, the Knight Foundation agreed to pay up to $25 million for OneCommunity, a Cleveland-based non-profit group that operates a fiberoptic network in northeast Ohio, to share its approach with 25 other “Knight Communities” scattered around the US.
OneCommunity, which started out as OneCleveland, has successfully operated a fiber network to serve local hospitals, schools, libraries and other non-profit groups as part of its mission to use information technology to further economic and civic progress, said Andrea Castrovillari, director of development and communications for OneCommunity. In November of 2007, OneCommunity and the Northeast Ohio Regional Health Information Organization received an $11.3 million grant from the FCC to extend its health network into rural communities.
Telephony Online , April 11, 2008
FCC grants Globalstar preliminary approval for ATC operations
By Jeffrey Silva
The Federal Communications Commission agreed to allow Globalstar Inc. to make greater use of land-based wireless facilities in mobile satellite service frequencies licensed to the company.
“This action will allow greater capacity and flexibility for MSS/ATC [ancillary terrestrial component], and will allow CDMA Big LEO [low earth orbit] MSS/ATC systems to provide improved service to customers, particularly in urban and underserved rural areas of the United States,” the FCC stated.
The agency said it took steps to prevent Globalstar ATC operations from causing harmful interference to other services.
“Developing the potential of our satellite spectrum and ATC authority is one of the cornerstones of our business strategy, thus we are extremely pleased
RCR News , April 11, 2008
CenturyTel plans 700 MHz broadband wireless overlay
By Kevin Fitchard
Though it named no specific technology, rural operator plans to use 700 MHz to augment wireline voice and data coverage
CenturyTel threw itself into the broadband wireless sector today, announcing it would use the 700 MHz licenses won at auction last month to create a broadband wireless overlay network feeding less densely populated areas in its existing wireline footprint.
Unlike other 700 MHz winners, CenturyTel announced no specific network technology plans for the overlay. Nor did it reveal any timeline or details of its future deployment, saying that the spectrum would not be cleared of broadcasters until 2009, until which it planned on laying out no additional capital for a wireless network build.
Telephony Online , April 09, 2008
FTTH now being sold to 10M US homes
By Ed Gubbins
Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is now being marketed to more than 10 million North American homes, according to the latest report from RVA Market Research & Consulting. And FTTH networks pass nearly 12 million homes, or nearly 10% of all the homes in North America.
Nearly 3 million homes are connected to fiber, and 770,500 of those (or 26%) were added in the last six months, according to RVA.
Bell companies (mainly Verizon Communications) account for 2,079,000 FTTH subscribers (or 72% of the total), while a mix of 593 other providers collectively claim the other 833,500, RVA said. Non-Bell incumbents own 14% of all FTTH customers. CLECs own nearly 5%, municipalities own 4%, developers and integrators own less than 4% and cable companies own nearly 1%.
Telephpny Online , April 08, 2008
Telecom Smithville to invest $90M in fiber optics for rural areas
Investment plans to cover 17 counties, including Hendricks
By Erika D. Smith
Yet another telecommunications company has vowed to roll out broadband, television and phone services to Hoosiers --but this time, rural residents will get first dibs.
On Monday, executives of Ellettsville-based Smithville said they will invest $90 million over three years to build a fiber-optic network across 17 counties, including Hendricks County. The network will be faster than most offerings from cable and phone companies and will reach 29,000 customers, mostly in southwestern Indiana.
Telephony Online , April 08, 2008
State board sends rural Internet back for a redo
By DANIEL BARLOW Vermont Press Bureau
MONTPELIER — The Vermont Telecommunications Authority has rejected a business plan from a group of central and southern Vermont towns that are hoping to launch a community-based, high-speed Internet project.
The East-Central Vermont Community Fiber Network had hoped the telecommunications authority, a new state body dedicated to expanding high-speed Internet across Vermont, could pitch in financially for the project.
But a March 31 financial assessment of the project by the state leaders found the group's business plan to be lacking on some key financial and logistical details, including the "backbone design and architecture" of the 15-town Internet network proposed.
Rutland Herald , April 07, 2008
LTE Ascends As Verizon, AT&T Reveal 700 MHz Plans
Both AT&T and Verizon last night outlined a strategy to roll out Long Term Evolution (LTE) on the 700 MHz spectrum for which they just paid billions in the FCC's recent spectrum auction - statements that more than ever make it clear 4G increasingly is becoming a one-horse race.
Although everyone in the world already knew AT&T and Verizon were the big winners in the recent auction, the two carriers legally were prohibited from saying anything themselves until last night because of an FCC gag rule created to prevent "collusion" between bidders in the spectrum auction.
TelecomWeb , April 06, 2008
Sprint Postpones WiMAX Launch
Sprint Nextel has delayed the launch of its IEEE 802.16 (i.e. WiMAX) based Xohm mobile broadband offering, which was supposed to go live in at least a couple of cities this month, to some indeterminate time later this year - it's blaming backhaul issues for the latest WiMAX disaster.
Nailing various Sprint executives to the wall during this past week's CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas, multiple sources have come up with little pieces of the picture of what's apparently happened. Some of the issues are financial, and well known. Others are technical.
TelecomWeb , April 04, 2008
Comcast Rolls Out 50 Mb/s 'Wideband'
Comcast today rolled out its first ultra-high speed broadband service, using the nascent DOCSIS 3.0, offering 50 Mb/s downstream and 5 Mb/s upstream service in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
With a consumer price of $150 per month, and a business tariff of $200, initial uptake for the service is expected to be mainly by businesses, although undoubtedly some gamers and other consumers who fancy themselves bleeding edge will cough up the cash.
TelecomWeb , April 04, 2008
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia Initiative
The province has signed contracts with Internet service providers, taking Nova Scotia one step closer to becoming the most connected jurisdiction in all of North America by the end of 2009. Premier Rodney MacDonald announced on Dec. 5, in Canaan, Lunenburg Co., that contracts have been awarded to Seaside Communications and Bragg Communications Inc. (EastLink) to provide access to high-speed Internet services.
"100 per cent access to broadband"
"Improving our infrastructure is one of government's five immediate priorities to help us reach our new Nova Scotia, and 100 per cent access to broadband is a vital piece," said Premier MacDonald.
"It will help every Nova Scotian business compete internationally with other businesses, it will give every Nova Scotian student access to the same educational tools, and it will generally improve the lifestyle of every citizen regardless of where they are located in our great province."
Seaside Communications , April 04, 2008
AT&T to use 700 MHz, AWS spectrum for LTE
Qualcomm to boost MediaFLO with E-Block winnings
By Mike Dano
AT&T Mobility and Qualcomm Inc. began pouring out their 700 MHz plans just minutes after the Federal Communications Commission lifted its gag rule today.
AT&T Mobility announced it will deploy LTE technology across its winnings from the recent 700 MHz auction and 2006’s advanced wireless services (AWS) auction. The news puts AT&T squarely on the path to 4G.
RCR News , April 03, 2008
Survey says: U.S. needs broadband boost and redistribution
Tellabs calls to close the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’
by Doug Allen
According to a new telecom industry survey from Tellabs, America’s growing economic inequality is coming to broadband service access as well, making the country one of data-rich haves and have-nots.
While 65 million Americans depend on broadband services almost daily for work, education, entertainment and/or general communications, “too many other Americans have no access to broadband services,” in Tellabs’ words.
Telecommunications Magazine , April 02, 2008
Hesse touts mobile freedom
Sprint Nextel Corp. said nothing substantial about its WiMAX plans yesterday and instead fell back on a new touchscreen device as the biggest news to share with a room packed full of invited press and analysts.
There’s no doubt the company and its new chief, Dan Hesse, missed a major opportunity to quell compounding fears over the No. 3 carrier’s future and financial stability. All eyes were on Hesse yesterday, and yet he wasn’t able to deliver what he and many others wanted to hear most -- a solid plan for the company’s WiMAX venture.
RCR News , April 01, 2008
CTIA: Level 3 takes hybrid approach to backhaul
By Carol Wilson
LAS VEGAS--Wireless backhaul has rapidly become not just a big market but a crowded field, with everyone from CLECs to cable companies to broadband wireless companies, not to mention wireline incumbents, looking to capture a piece of the 3G-4G buildouts.
Level 3 Communications is one of those competitors, and the company is hoping to differentiate itself by its fiber footprint and a hybrid approach that incorporates microwave as well, through partnerships with others.
Telephony Online , April 01, 2008
March
N.H. reviewing FairPoint-Verizon deal
New Hampshire and Vermont regulators will hold emergency meetings Sunday to reconsider the sale of Verizon's landline phone and Internet service in northern New England to North Carolina-based FairPoint Communications. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission approved the sale last month, saying it believes FairPoint has shown that the proposed deal is for the public good. But when FairPoint went to the market this week to sell $550 million in bonds toward the purchase, the best interest rate the company could get was 13.5 percent, said Donald Kreis, commission general counsel. When regulators examined the sale, the anticipated interest rate was 8.5 percent, he said. Kreis said the higher rate will cost FairPoint $17 million more a year. The bonds are 10 year bonds, he said.
Forbes , March 28, 2008
Verizon Faces Regulatory Battle Over Open Network
Verizon Wireless faces a new challenge after beating Google Inc. in the biggest U.S. mobile- phone airwaves auction: scrutiny from regulators who expect the carrier to build a truly open network. Verizon, the second-largest U.S. wireless company, has to accept any legitimate device or software for a nationwide block of spectrum it won for $4.74 billion last week. That obligation, backed by Google and consumer groups, breaks a tradition of U.S. carriers keeping rein over the products on their networks. Now Verizon and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin have to agree on what that means. Precise standards and punishments for breaking them haven't been set, a process that could take months if deep divisions emerge. Martin says he expects the open network to transform the market, and the risk is that he will ask more than Verizon is ready to give.
Bloomberg.com , March 28, 2008
Low-Income Residents Get High-Speed Access
By Katie Hafner
Last summer, when Earthlink pulled the plug on plans to build a citywide Wi-Fi network in San Francisco, it looked like only those with the money to pay for high-speed Internet access (or with a decent laptop and a good map of free hotspots) would be able to get it.
Such bad things should happen more often.
To bridge the gap, earlier this week, the Internet Archive, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, began offering free Internet service to a number of public housing projects where the Internet will be piped in at speeds far greater than most high-speed systems provide.
The first project to be connected is Valencia Gardens in the city’s Mission District, with 260 units. It is now up and running in a pilot project. The project expects to wire more than 2,500 units in the city over the next 8 to 10 months, said Brewster Kahle, the founder of the Internet Archive, which is best known for its digital archiving work.
The NY Times , March 28, 2008
Topsham Communications, LLC, has received a financing commitment to build a fiber optic network
Topsham Telephone Company announced today that its subsidiary, Topsham Communications, LLC, has received a financing commitment to build a fiber optic network that it will enable it to provide high speed internet, cable TV and telephone services to the communities of Fairlee and West Fairlee, Vermont and Orford, New Hampshire. Topsham Telephone Company’s General Manager, Charlie Davenport, said that the financing commitment was issued by the Rural Utility Service (“RUS”), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Davenport said that Rep. Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (VT), who had received significant feedback about the lack of high speed internet from Fairlee and West Fairlee voters at their town meetings in March of 2006, hosted a meeting at her home in May of 2006 to help organize and mobilize local volunteers.
Topsham Telephone Co. , March 28, 2008
Tech giants in talks to fund nationwide WiMax plan
Major US-based cable, telecom and Internet companies are in preliminary, but serious, talks to create a national wireless network that would link devices such as computers, televisions and cell phones, according to a source quoted by an Associated Press report. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Google, Intel, Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are considering investing a total of 1.91 billion euros (US$3 billion) to 2.55 billion euros (US$4 billion) in the joint venture.
America's Network , March 27, 2008
AT&T, Verizon Get Antitrust OK To Swap Wireless Assets
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless received clearance from the Federal Trade Commission to swap wireless assets.
Federal regulators granted early termination on Wednesday of the waiting period required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust law, the Federal Trade Commission disclosed.
AT&T, the San Antonio telecommunications giant, will acquire, upon Verizon's acquisition of Rural Cellular Corp. (RCCC), some former Rural Cellular properties, including licenses, network assets and subscribers, in the Burlington, Vt., metropolitan service area and in rural service areas in New York, Vermont and Washington. AT&T will also acquire a cellular license from Verizon in Kentucky.
Verizon will acquire from AT&T some former Dobson Communications Corp. properties, including licenses, network assets and subscribers in Kentucky. Verizon will also acquire 10 MHz of PCS spectrum in a number of markets and receive an additional cash consideration from AT&T.
WSJ.com , March 27, 2008
CTIA urges FCC to license -- and auction -- TV white spaces
CTIA urges FCC to license -- and auction -- TV white spaces
Trade group runs against Google’s proposal for unlicensed use
By Jeffrey Silva
The TV white spaces debate -- already highly controversial and politicized, but largely limited to potential unlicensed Wi-Fi use -- just got messier.
The mobile-phone industry recommended to the Federal Communications Commission that most vacant broadcast channels be auctioned for area-wide licensing. Cellular trade group CTIA floated the idea shortly after Google Inc. offered a compromise proposal to unleash propagation-friendly TV white spaces for unlicensed wireless broadband access without interference to digital broadcasting, wireless microphones and other uses. Google’s proposal relies on a Motorola Inc. technology that combines geo-location and beacons.
RCR Wireless News , March 27, 2008
Google’s Gigabit Gambit
Want a gig (1000 megabits per second) of Internet access bandwidth? Google says you could have it by the end of next year “from Manhattan to rural North Dakota (sic, I think they meant Vermont)” if their proposal to the FCC is accepted forthwith according to CNET’s newsblog. Not only a gig but a mobile gig, accessible by cellphone or roaming computer—no fiber required. Sound too good to be true?—it isn’t, IMHO!
CircleID.com , March 25, 2008
Broadband penetrates the heartland
SRT sets future path with Zhone Technologies
by Sean Buckley
If there was any word one could take to describe Minot, N.D.-based SRT Telecom, it would be "diverse."
SRT is diverse in two ways.
For one, SRT is a jack-of-all-trades carrier offering everything from basic POTS, in addition to residential DSL broadband, business services, wireless, and last but not least a traditional cable TV network.
At the same time, SRT’s geographic serving area is like two ends of the spectrum: both metro and remote rural customers.
Telecommunications Online , March 25, 2008
U.S. Cable Companies Discuss Funding Wireless Venture
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc, the two largest U.S. cable operators, are discussing a plan to fund a new wireless company that would be run by Sprint Nextel Corp and Clearwire Corp, people familiar with the discussions said on Tuesday.
Comcast is expected to contribute as much as $1 billion for the wireless venture, which would use emerging WiMax technology for the nationwide venture, said the sources, who were familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak to the media about it.
NY Times.com , March 25, 2008
FCC names winners in airwaves auction
The two largest cell phone companies dominated bidding in a record-setting government airwaves auction, an Associated Press report said.
The Associated Press report said AT&T and Verizon Wireless combined to account for $16 billion of the $19.6 billion bid in the auction. Verizon Wireless bid $9.4 billion and AT&T $6.6 billion, the report added. The results raised concern that the auction failed to attract any significant new competitors to the cellular telephone market to challenge the dominant companies, the report said. For example, Google was not among the winners, meaning the search engine giant will not be entering the wireless business.
America's Network , March 24, 2008
VT Supreme Court Upholds Conditional Use Permit for Siting of Telecommunications Tower
The Vermont Supreme Court upheld the Environmental Court’s decision granting a conditional use permit for the placement of a telecommunications tower in Hardwick, Vermont. The tower, intended primarily for providing paging services to, among others, public safety and medical service providers, would also allow other service providers to place antennae for cell-phone service, which is currently nonexistent in the municipality.
Law of the Land , March 24, 2008
Fresh off open-access win, Google pushes for Wi-Fi in white spaces
By Jeffrey Silva
Google Inc., a major force in prying open the 700 MHz band for third-party applications and devices, could also become the pivotal deal-maker in the equally controversial and politicized debate over whether federal regulators should make vacant TV channels -- white spaces -- available for unlicensed wireless broadband access.
Google submitted to the Federal Communication Commission a proposal that it believes “will eliminate any remaining legitimate concerns about the merits using the white space for unlicensed personal/portable devices.” The Google plan draws on a Motorola Inc. technology combining geo-location to avoid interference to digital TV signals and beacons to prevent disruptions to wireless microphone operations. Moreover, the proposal includes a safe harbor for wireless microphones in channels 36-38, meaning no TV white spaces would be allowed to transmit in that spectrum.
RCR Wireless , March 24, 2008
Wireless Expert: City Wi-Fi Off To Good Start
Inside Today's Bulletin
By: Jim McCaffrey
03/06/2008
- To some, Philadelphia's experiment with municipal wireless is beginning to show signs of a soon-to-arrive disaster. But to at least one knowledgeable West Coast observer, the city looks on the verge of a technological transformation.
Craig Settles is the author of Fighting the Good Fight for Municipal Wireless, the story of Philadelphia's attempt to open a door to the Internet, and After Muni Wireless Comes to Town, a how-to for cities entering the wireless world.
Mr. Settles says the impact of wireless Internet access on city governments could be significant.
The Evening Bulletin , March 22, 2008
AT&T, Verizon In Airwaves Grab; A Win for Google?
The nation's largest wireless carriers, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, dominated the bidding at the government's recent auction of radio spectrum, putting them in a commanding position to roll out advanced wireless Internet services to consumers in coming years. The two cellphone giants accounted for 80% of the nearly $20 billion the Federal Communications Commission said it hauled in through the auction, which began in late January and wrapped up this week. AT&T Inc. agreed to pay $6.6 billion for 227 spectrum licenses in markets covering much of the country. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, won 109 licenses for $9.4 billion.
Wall Street Journal , March 21, 2008
Verizon Wireless reveals open-network strategy
VZW appears to be taking all comers, but pricing is still a question. Verizon Wireless kicked off its developer program in New York today, revealing the first details of just how open-access will work on CDMA network. Verizon will maintain control over pricing plans for third -- party services and devices on its networks, but it appears surprisingly willing to give outsiders access to key elements of the network. VZW executives outlined flexible plans for the introduction of outside devices and applications onto its network, some working in concert with existing Verizon Wireless pricing plans and services and others allowing a new service provider essentially to buy wholesale access to the network.
Telephony OnLine , March 21, 2008
Auction takes 'first step' to open-access wireless
Google lost the bidding for a highly coveted slice of the wireless spectrum Thursday but pronounced itself pleased anyway, calling the auction "a major victory for American consumers." One observer of the wireless industry called the auction results "an important first step" toward increased openness. But advocates for open access to that spectrum said they weren't so sure the auction, in which AT&T and Verizon emerged the biggest winners, will do much for consumers or for competition.
SiliconValley.com , March 21, 2008
Vermonters may offer their property for delivery of Internet, wireless
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority today said Vermonters now have a way to offer their property to an Internet or mobile service provider to use for providing coverage to their neighborhood. The VTA was created by the Legislature to facilitate the establishment and delivery of wireless and high speed internet infrastructure and services for residents and businesses throughout Vermont. Now available on the VTA website, http://www.telecomVT.org, is a form on which Vermonters can offer their property, silo, top of their barn, top of their home or office, hilltop, church steeple, municipal rooftop or tower to an Internet or mobile service provider to use for providing coverage to their neighborhood.
Burlington Free Press , March 19, 2008
Going Once…Going Twice…The 700 Mhz Spectrum is Sold
It ended in a $19 billion whimper. The Federal Communication Commission posted this to its Web site this afternoon: Auction 73 Closed. There were no bids, withdrawals, or proactive activity rule waivers placed in Round 261. Therefore, Auction 73 has closed under the simultaneous stopping rule. After 260 rounds of bidding over more than seven weeks the government auction has ended for the 700 Mhz wireless spectrum. The winning bids totaled $19,592,420,000. That’s nearly double the amount the commission had hoped to raise from the spectrum being abandoned next year as television stations switch to new frequencies.
New York Times , March 19, 2008
Broadband: It’s a community thing
Communities bypass providers to build fiber-based broadband networks
by Sean Buckley
Having only two sources in the northeastern Massachusetts town of Dracut for my TV and telephone services (no FTTP yet), I am intrigued that some communities are taking broadband matters into their own hands.
If several local communities here banded together to offer FTTP-based services, I would be the first to sign up.
Telecommunications Online , March 19, 2008
Verizon Wireless reveals open-network strategy
By Kevin Fitchard
VZW appears to be taking all comers, but pricing is still a question
Verizon Wireless kicked off its developer program in New York today, revealing the first details of just how open-access will work on CDMA network. Verizon will maintain control over pricing plans for third -- party services and devices on its networks, but it appears surprisingly willing to give outsiders access to key elements of the network.
VZW executives outlined flexible plans for the introduction of outside devices and applications onto its network, some working in concert with existing Verizon Wireless pricing plans and services and others allowing a new service provider essentially to buy wholesale access to the network. All of these new devices and services will be the sole responsibility of the companies bringing them to market--they'll be in charge of their own retailing, distribution and marketing--but they can choose to work closely within the Verizon service structure or venture out on their own. Verizon will even give developers access to some of its more closely held network functions, such as GPS, MMS, SMS and even its VCast portal content, if the two parties can negotiate specific revenue-sharing deals.
Telephony Online , March 19, 2008
Verizon Wireless Update
Verizon Wireless (VZW) is updating the radios in their cellular sites to support EVDO (cellular broadband) at an impressive rate. My experience with EVDO is that I routinely get download speeds higher than 1 megabit per second and upload speeds of 400-600 kilobits per second (both better than basic DSL). Why they’re not advertising this more is beyond me. I’m giving them a plug here because they are at least a short-term fix for many people in rural areas who, up until now, had no option but satellite (which is a very poor option) for broadband coverage. Updated interactive coverage maps are available here on the VZW site. If you last looked at these maps a few months ago and didn’t find yourself on them, take another look. BTW, these maps are very granular and so far I’ve found them accurate.
Fractals of Change , March 17, 2008
Municipal Wireless Success Demands Public Involvement, Experts Say
A number of high-profile municipal wi-fi projects have failed (to become financially viable) in the last few years. This article suggests that the muni wi-fi model can and does work -- but it requires that the "muni" (municipal entity such as a city or town) be integrally involved in the project. Interesting read!
Government Technology , March 17, 2008
Access denied?
Apparently, Internet access is no problem at all in rural America. Things are going along swimmingly. That’s the gist of a new report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington. “Networked Nation: Broadband in America” says that access to cable, DSL and other broadband services has skyrocketed in recent years. Some 90 percent of rural telephone customers can now get DSL, it says, and 92 percent of all U.S. households can get high-speed Internet access via cable. So quit complaining.
SentinelSource.com , March 14, 2008
Verizon's Right Not to Know Law
Verizon's recently approved deal to spin off its land line operations in Northern New England carries some big risks, as I laid out yesterday - and is likely to retard the development of truly high-speed (greater than 10 Mbps) broadband throughout the region. One of fundamental unknowns in the deal is the condition of the infrastructure that FairPoint is buying. In New Hampshire, Verizon is under investigation for alleged degradation of infrastructure and a decline in customer service quality, allegedly resulting from a declining investment in capital infrastructure and staffing in recent years. But the results of the Verizon investigation have been kept from the public.
ComputerWorld , March 14, 2008
Verizon Expands 7Mbps DSL Availability
We broke the news back in 2006 that Verizon was testing a 7.1Mbps/768kbps DSL tier for markets where FiOS wasn't available. When they announced the new speed last January, they were rather cryptic as to where they were offering the service, and our users noted that internal Verizon systems and employees were rather confused, making ordering it rather difficult. Verizon today announced that they've substantially ramped up 7Mbps availability, from roughly 400,000 homes to 1.2 million:
BroadBand Reports , March 12, 2008
Verizon Expands 7 Megabits per Second High Speed Internet Service to 1.2 Million Additional Customers in the East
Some 1.2 million additional consumers in 12 Eastern states and the District of Columbia can now order the new ultra- fast Verizon High Speed Internet service, which provides an appealing alternative to cable Internet. The new service more than doubles the speed of Verizon's current fastest offer and delivers a more robust broadband and entertainment experience. It provides qualified customers a downstream connection speed of up to 7 megabits per second (Mbps) for as low as $39.99 a month when ordered with an annual service plan.
EarthTimes.org , March 12, 2008
VT Senate votes to block Internet access to most court records
he Vermont Senate has given its strong approval to legislation that blocks Internet access to most court records. Backers of the bill say it isn't in the public interest to allow the easy distribution of unsubstantiated allegations in family and criminal court cases. VPRs Bob Kinzel reports: The question facing the Senate is this. Is there a difference between allowing the public access to family and criminal court records at the courthouse where the information is stored, and allowing the public to access these records through the Internet ?
VPR , March 12, 2008
Verizon, A Modern-Day Trojan Horse?
Anyone who has read any of my past articles here, letters to the editor, or blog posts will probably assume that I'm giddy over the latest announcement from Verizon that they will be investing $200 million on high-speed Internet in Western Massachusetts' underserved/unserved communities.
But that's not the case; in fact I'm very leery of the announcement and I put more stock in the idea that this announcement is more to protect territory than provide service.
iBerkshires.com , March 12, 2008
Market will grow as muni Wi-Fi model changes
ABI Research predicts 64-fold increase over next several years
by Jim Barthold
By changing to a municipal services-centric model, the flagging municipal Wi-Fi business will explode in the next several years to cover more than 30,000 square miles, according to details developed by ABI Research.
The report confirms coverage in the January-February issue of Telecommunications Magazine (Munis play it safe with wireless) that municipal Wi-Fi started off on the wrong tack with the wrong business model but that the ship is being righted.
“In the past these service providers have gone with a model of bandwidth to the public from day one and tried to make money off of it. That model didn’t work at all,”
Telecommunications Online , March 12, 2008
Wireless Cos Fight FCC Requirement For Cell Tower Backup Power
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
KANSAS CITY (AP)--When Hurricane Katrina assaulted the Gulf Coast in 2005, wind and flooding knocked out hundreds of cell towers and cell sites, silencing wireless communication exactly when emergency crews and victims needed it.
To avoid similar debacles in the future, the Federal Communications Commission wants most cell transmitter sites in the U.S. to have at least eight hours of backup power in the event main power fails, one of several moves regulators say will make the nation's communication system stronger and more reliable.
Wall St. Journal , March 10, 2008
At least 19 towns want broadband
least 19 towns in eastern and central Vermont have sent a clear message that they want high-speed Internet access. They have approved nonbinding resolutions to create a new broadband communications network to provide fiber-optic telephone, Internet and cable TV service. On Tuesday, at least 13 towns approved the resolution to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network. Other towns passed it in earlier meetings and organizers expect more than 20 towns to have approved the measure when the final results are tallied. Stan Williams, chairman of the board for ValleyNet, a nonprofit ISP company that is helping the effort, said he wasn’t surprised by the proposal’s widespread support.
Burlingtion Free Press , March 09, 2008
Listen up, earbud wearers …
A library card already lets you borrow books for free. Soon it will let Vermonters borrow them at any hour of the day or night, right from home (or work, for the discreet) — and still for free. Eighty of the state's libraries have banded together to offer downloadable audio books through the Web site www.listenupvermont.org. Titles can be "checked out" for a week and loaded onto a portable media device to listen to at the gym, in the car or anywhere, and some can even be burned to CD for later use. Users can browse the site now and get the necessary free software; books should be available sometime this week once all of the libraries are connected and testing is complete.
Rutland Herald , March 09, 2008
Vermont towns gather to figure out ways to bridge the "digital divide'
As state government looks at ways of expanding Internet and cell phone service, towns that are now being underserved should begin preparing for the technological revolution. Vermont Telecommunications Authority Chairwoman Mary Evslin encouraged a group of about 75 municipal officials Friday to form local broadband committees to lay the groundwork for the new infrastructure that officials hope will soon wire all of the state. The transition to a so-called "E-state" could be quicker and easier if state officials and telecommunications companies have local officials on board to work with, especially if those local officials have immersed themselves in the ways of the tech world, she said.
Barre Times Argus , March 08, 2008
An urgent call: Give us broadband, Vermont towns say
Vermont voters sent a clear message to the world of high-speed Internet Tuesday: We want in. Voters in at least 19 towns approved nonbinding resolutions to join in a regional effort to bring high-speed Internet via fiber-optic to their homes during town meetings held early this week and over the weekend. In all on Tuesday, at least 13 towns approved the resolution to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, and organizers of the effort anticipated a full sweep of the more than 20 towns that had the item on their agenda once all the results were in.
Rutland Herald , March 08, 2008
Officials prepare for statewide telecommunications advances
By DANIEL BARLOW Vermont Press Bureau
MONTPELIER — As state government looks at ways of expanding Internet and cell phone service, towns that are now being underserved should begin preparing for the technological revolution.
Vermont Telecommunications Authority Chair Mary Evslin encouraged a group of about 75 municipal officials Friday to form local broadband committees to lay the groundwork for the new infrastructure that officials hope will soon wire all of the state.
The transition into becoming a so-called E-state could be quicker and easier if state officials and telecommunications companies have local officials on board to work with, especially if those local officials have immersed themselves in the ways of the tech world, she said.
Rutland Herald , March 08, 2008
What I Did on Town Meeting Day
It was just like the old days on the trade show circuit except I finished the software a comfortable twelve hours before show time instead of on the plane coming out. Mary and I got to the Stowe High School about 7am and set up our booth (really a table) in a great location that everyone had to pass right next to the Girl Scouts and their cookies and on the way to the polls. Mary used to like to get a booth location on the way to the restrooms because of the traffic although I did convince her that some people ought to be left alone until they were on their way out. She taped her posters to the wall while I fastened my EVDO antenna to the window and set up my computer and the big monitor facing out. Polls were open so we had people coming by immediately. I was supposed to just be there for setup and then go on my way but there was too much traffic for that. Besides Mary never stays in the booth or behind the table; her position is always out in front buttonholing the prospects and this was no different.
Fractals of Change , March 07, 2008
Tim Nulty & Bill Shuttleworth on the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network
Town Meeting voters in more than 20 towns, from Montpelier to Windsor, gave overwhelming support to the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network on Tuesday. The broadband project is a subscriber-based service that would be supported by residents and the non-profit ISP ValleyNet. The network would offer high-speed internet, telephone, and cable services. VPR's Jane Lindholm speaks with ECFiber Chairman ,Tim Nulty, and Vermont Telecommunications Authority Executive Director, Bill Shuttleworth about the next step for these towns, and what their approval means for other broadband projects across the state.
Vermont Public Radio , March 06, 2008
Towns eager for broadband Internet access
The Associated Press
MONTPELIER -- At least 19 towns in eastern and central Vermont have sent a clear message that they want high-speed Internet access.
They have approved nonbinding resolutions to create a new broadband communications network to provide fiber-optic telephone, Internet and cable TV service.
Tuesday, at least 13 towns approved the resolution at town meeting to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network. Other towns passed it in earlier meetings, and organizers expect more than 20 towns to have approved the measure when the final results are tallied.
Burlington Free Press , March 06, 2008
Lightower Grows Northeast Fiber Footprint
Digital fiber-optics networker Lightower Fiber LLC now owns100 percent of the outstanding shares of DataNet Communications Group Inc., and it's entered into an agreement to acquire KeySpan Communications to expand the company's services throughout the Northeast even farther.
With the addition of DataNet and KeySpan Communications' fiber assets, Lightower Fiber says it more than triples its available route miles. "With the recent establishment of Lightower Fiber as a unique entity, we are pleased that execution of our growth strategy is already well underway," says Doug Wiest, CEO of Lightower LLC. "The combined network of DataNet and KeySpan Communications is an excellent geographic complement to ours, and we are well-positioned to take advantage of the market opportunity for fiber assets and backhaul services."
TelecomWeb , March 06, 2008
Perfect Explanation of the Net Neutrality Debate
This video makes it very easy to understand the debate about net neutrality. It explains why everyone who uses the internet should be outraged at the government for not standing up to corporate greed. It also gives us great insight into the reason why the ISP's have been so slow to provide reasonable levels of service to rural customers.
vmgblog , March 05, 2008
Williamstown voters wired for broadband
Voters added to the school budget, refused to cut the municipal budget, and decided to clarify a two-year-old tax break they granted for the Summit Lodge. On a day when residents learned they would soon be losing their town manager, voters also backed a regional broadband initiative – an issue that attracted Jessica Martin to her first-ever town meeting. "I have dial-up. It sucks!" Martin declared, summing up the sentiments of the vast majority of residents who urged the selectboard to seriously explore signing on to the proposed East-Central Vermont Community Fiber Network.
barre Times Argus , March 05, 2008
An urgent call: Give us broadband, Vermont towns say
Vermont voters sent a clear message to the world of high-speed Internet Tuesday: We want in. Voters in at least 19 towns approved nonbinding resolutions to join in a regional effort to bring high-speed Internet via fiber-optic to their homes during town meetings held early this week and over the weekend. In all on Tuesday, at least 13 towns approved the resolution to join the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network and organizers of the effort anticipate a full sweep of the more than 20 towns that had the item on their agenda once all the results were in.
Barre Times Argus , March 05, 2008
Broadband for Brookfield?
Standing room only at Brookfield Elementary School as people packed the cafeteria for Town Meeting Day. "This is a yearly spring vacation to come out and see what's going on in the town," said resident George Buck. Among the usual questions of tax rates, road construction and purchasing a new fire truck a question never before considered. Should these voters support an effort to bring broadband Internet service to their town? A non-profit group called EC Fiber wants to model the effort of two year-old Burlington Telecom. Two dozen communities in east central Vermont are considering that question this Town Meeting Day.
WCAX TV , March 04, 2008
Wireless-only models are not just for emerging economies, as Telia shows
Caroline Gabriel
Weekly Features
Contributing Editor
In emerging nations with limited wireline infrastructure, it will be common to see wireless networks being used to deliver basic fixed access and telephony; however, this trend is not limited to developing countries, and is appearing in rural areas of advanced economies. As low frequency spectrum starts to open up this type of usage is gaining steam. In the US, the initial aim of groups lobbying the FCC over rulemaking for the 700MHz band was to see this spectrum, which is highly attractive for large cells and sparse populations, harnessed to improve rural broadband access. This agenda has been somewhat hijacked by the open internet campaign and the needs of advanced applications, but in reality we will see many of the WiMAX and cellular deployments in 700MHz being geared to rural coverage. In parts of Europe, similar considerations have put the 450MHz former analog spectrum into the limelight. For example, TeliaSonera is showing off the potential for profitable rural business models by using this frequency to replace landlines in rural Finland.
WiMAXTrends , March 04, 2008
20 Vermont towns considering broadband network proposal
More than 20 towns in eastern and central Vermont are considering a plan to create a new broadband communications network to provide fiber-optic telephone, Internet and cable TV service. The organizers of the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network hope to make it possible for many remote areas to leave behind the sound of the dial-up modem. "It's community owned, subscriber funded, high-speed fiber optic. And it's a remarkable opportunity — businesses, home, for all of us in town, kids doing homework on line — to jump on board with the best that's available, paid by subscribers, not through tax dollars," said state Rep. Jim Masland, D-Thetford, one of the organizers.
Bennington Banner , March 03, 2008
February
UNICEL ADDS NEW CELL SITE IN HARDWICK
Unicel recently added a new cell site in Hardwick to increase its rural network and bring wireless coverage to residents and travelers in the area. This new site brings signal strength, a larger calling area, better voice quality and access to high-speed data transfer and other features. The company plans to add more cell sites, continuing to bring the latest technology and improved network coverage to communities around the state.
UNICEL , February 29, 2008
FCC says will act on Web neutrality if needed
The head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Monday he is "ready, willing and able" to stop broadband providers that unreasonably interfere with subscribers' access to Internet content. The comment by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin came at the start of a day-long FCC hearing centering on allegations that some broadband providers such as telecommunications and cable companies have been improperly blocking or hindering some content. "I think it's important to understand that the commission is ready, willing and able to step in if necessary to correct any (unreasonable) practices that are ongoing today," Martin said. The dispute over so-called "network neutrality" pits open-Internet advocates against some service providers such as Comcast Corp, who say they need to take reasonable steps to manage traffic on their networks.
Reuters , February 26, 2008
Williamstown hopes to get wired
Letter: I am a member of the ad hoc citizen committee ECFiberNet.
On Town Meeting Day, folks in Williamstown and many other communities will get the opportunity to vote on a major communications upgrade for central Vermont. The proposal stems from a grassroots citizens organization that became known as ECFiberNet. You can find much more information on the Internet at ECFiber.net. What is being offered is a modern fiber optics communications system to carry phone, television and Internet. This system will not just be run through the best parts of town, and this system will not rely on the same old phone or cable lines to reach your house. ECFiberNet's proposal has the simple goal of reaching literally every home and business in each participating town with absolutely no cherry-picking, and this proposal will run the fiber optics line right into each and every home and business.
Barre Times Argus , February 26, 2008
Towns will vote on broadband proposal
Upwards of 25 Vermont towns will consider at town meeting next week forming a nonprofit company to supply high-speed Internet, television and landline phone services to their residents. The coalition of towns, ranging from Woodstock in the south to Montpelier in the north, are hoping that residents look favorably on the plan to build a subscriber-funded, fiber-optic network that will bring high-speed Internet to parts of the state still without it. If approved, the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, with consultation help from White River Junction's ValleyNet, another nonprofit telecommunications company, could hook up a home for about $100 and offer package deals that are cheaper than the ones offered by the private cable and Internet companies today.
Barre Times Argus , February 26, 2008
Floating a New Idea
For Going Wireless, Parachute Included Balloon Launch Gets
Google's Attention; Dairy Farmers Can Help
By AMOL SHARMA
CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Jerry Knoblach wants to bring wireless service to millions of rural Americans. His plan: Beam it down from balloons hovering at the edge of space.
This isn't just hot air. His company, Space Data Corp., already launches 10 balloons a day across the Southern U.S., providing specialized telecom services to truckers and oil companies. His balloons soar 20 miles into the stratosphere, each carrying a shoebox-size payload of electronics that acts like a mini cellphone "tower" covering thousands of square miles below. His idea has caught the eye of Google Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. The Internet giant -- which is now pushing into wireless services -- has considered contracting with Space Data or even buying the firm, according to one person.
Wall Street Journal , February 20, 2008
Sprint, Clearwire Near WiMax Deal
Sprint (S - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Clearwire (CLWR - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) are close to announcing the formation of a WiMax joint venture funded in part by a $2 billion injection from Intel (INTC - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr), say people close to the companies.
The deal, which could be announced in the next few days, would create a new company that combines Sprint's licenses in the 2.5-gigahertz wireless spectrum and Clearwire's spectrum in the same and adjoining air waves.
The Street .com , February 19, 2008
Mobile broadband’s double-edged sword
By Sarah Reedy
Demand for bandwidth intensive features on mobile handsets is only increasing as consumers are beginning to realize the potential of a mobile Internet presence. ABI Research predicts that worldwide shipments of mobile Internet devices will rise from under 3.5 million this year to nearly 90 million by 2012. It is great news for those service providers, including location-based services and mobile social networking companies looking to capitalize on the trend. It is potentially precarious news, however, for the mobile carriers faced with a bandwidth crunch.
Telephony OnLine , February 19, 2008
Six ways the Starbucks-AT&T deal will change mobility
More free Wi-Fi means changes for mobile users. t first blush, Starbucks' decision to drop T-Mobile and use AT&T to provide in-store Wi-Fi access may look like just another inside business choice. A closer look, however, shows that this deal could change the way many of us are mobile. As a practical matter, the transition to AT&T means that anybody with a Starbucks card, which provides in-store credit, will get two hours of free Wi-Fi access a day. Currently, all Starbucks customers using T-Mobile's Wi-Fi network must pay for access.
ComputerWorld , February 18, 2008
New Web site 'Connects' state
MONTPELIER — The project responsible for bringing wireless Internet access to highway welcome centers, putting tourism information online, and bringing motorists road condition reports, has a new Web site.
Officials said the ConnectVermont program's Web site at www.connectvermont.com would not only help visitors and Vermonters learn more about its high-tech services but provide another way to access them.
Rutland Herald , February 18, 2008
Broadband Census launches grassroots effort
By Carol Wilson
A veteran journalist is attempting to determine for himself just how accurate the Federal Communications Commission’s rosy reports of competitive broadband services really are. Drew Clark set up his own limited liability corporation, Broadband Census LLC, to try to answer the question of how much broadband access is really available in the U.S.
Clark is doing that in three ways: First, by using the FCC data; second, by combing the Web sites of the service providers and noting what they say they are providing by ZIP code; and third, by asking consumers to log on to www.broadbandcensus.com and list their own broadband service provider, along with the speed of their service and a satisfaction rating.
Telephony Online , February 18, 2008
Sun sets on analog requirements
By Matt Kapko
Carriers can begin shutting down antiquated networks this week
CARRIERS NATIONWIDE CAN NOW legally bid adieu to the legacy analog networks that the Federal Communications Commission required them to keep online through Feb. 18.
AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless will be shutting down their analog networks this week, while Alltel Corp. is taking a phased approach to the shutdown that will be complete by the end of September. The three companies are the largest carriers that will be turning off their analog networks, but many smaller, rural-based carriers have the same opportunity before them.
Efficiency gains
RCR News , February 16, 2008
Statewide Technology Project Unveils New Website
MONTPELIER – The project responsible for bringing wireless Internet access to highway welcome centers; putting tourism information online; and bringing motorists road condition reports now has its website.Officials said the ConnectVermont program’s new website at www.connectvermont.com would not only help visitors and Vermonters learn more about its many high-tech services but provide another way to access them.“This website really shows how the ConnectVermont project is making a difference in people’s lives,” said Robert T. White, who is the project’s director within the Vermont Agency of Transportation. “From vacationers looking for a cultural event using wireless internet at a welcome center to a Vermont trucker trying to find out road and traffic conditions, technology is working for all of us.”
Vermont.gov , February 15, 2008
Comcast reports profit increase
PHILADELPHIA — Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable operator, reported a 54 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit on solid revenue gains that were boosted by acquisitions and customers' increased spending for cable TV.
In a bow to the desires of agitated shareholders unhappy with its weakened stock price, Comcast also said it will start paying a 6.25-cent quarterly dividend starting at the end of April that it expects will increase over time.
Moreover, the Philadelphia-based company is pledging that by the end of 2009 it will spend the remaining $6.9 billion it has allotted to buy back shares to try to satisfy a growing chorus on Wall Street to step up its repurchases.
Rutland Herald , February 15, 2008
Cable Prepares an Answer to FiOS
Stung by the success of phone companies in selling packages of TV and high-speed Internet services, the cable industry is getting close to launching a counteroffensive -- an inexpensive new technology that dramatically boosts Internet connection speeds. Called Docsis 3.0, the technology will allow the cable industry to compete on a more even footing with telecom giant Verizon Communications Inc., which is aggressively marketing a high-performance fiber-optic network called FiOS that offers much faster Internet connection speeds than cable modems can currently deliver. Whether the cable industry can roll out the new technology fast enough to minimize the damage from FiOS remains to be seen.
Wall Street Journal , February 14, 2008
Patrick pushes $25 million broadband Internet access bill
BOSTON—Gov. Deval Patrick is urging lawmakers to pass a bill designed to bring high-speed Internet access to communities currently without broadband capabilities.
The $25 million bill would help link up the 32 towns in Massachusetts with no broadband access. Another 63 communities are partially served.All but one of the communities with no broadband access at all are located in Western Massachusetts.
Patrick said the bill makes economic and educational sense.
He said the lack of broadband access makes it difficult or impossible for some businesses to operate. He also said Internet access is no longer a luxury for students.
He said the money would help close that digital divide.
Telephony Online , February 14, 2008
It's Make Or Break For WiMAX, Says Analysys
This year will be decisive in the development of WiMAX, which experienced major setbacks in 2007, says Analysys. "WiMAX suffered a major setback when the partnership between US operator Sprint Nextel, one of the technology's strongest advocates, and Clearwire fell apart in November," says Andrew Parkin-White, Principal Analyst at Analysys, and co-author of Mobile Market Perspectives 2008... other technologies may meet the needs of the MNO (Mobile Network Operator) and its customers better than WiMAX. "LTE looks to be more suitable for developed mobile markets, but success depends on its ability to achieve its targets for network performance at an appropriate price and within the right timescale," says Parkin-White.
Telephony Online , February 13, 2008
Officials Step Up Net-Neutrality Efforts
Big broadband companies are headed for a clash with Washington over whether consumers have a right to get as much as they want from the Internet, as fast as they want it, without paying extra for the privilege. Complaints that cable titan Comcast Corp. is deliberately delaying some Internet traffic are prompting moves in Washington to block efforts by broadband providers to favor some kinds of Internet traffic over others... Together with Rep. Chip Pickering (R., Miss.), Mr. Markey is proposing the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act," which says it is the policy of the U.S. to "maintain the freedom to use for lawful purposes broadband telecommunications networks, including the Internet, without unreasonable interference from or discrimination by network operators."
Wall Street Journal , February 13, 2008
World's Biggest Carriers Team To Test LTE
The world's three largest wireless operations in their |
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