Call for Commentary on National Broadband Plan
BroadbandBreakfast.com announced that it will receive commentary on the National Broadband Plan released last week by the Federal Communications Commission. Keep Reading
Video Content: Movie Theatre’s Still King – Kiosk and Cable Watchers on the Increase
According to research performed by Market Force Information, Inc.; (see link at document end), movie watchers still prefer going out to enjoy the Theatre movie experience for various reasons, including: Keep Reading
The National Broadband Plan: Affordable-Speedy-Accessible-Competitive-Socially Sound
The National Broadband Plan submitted by the FCC is a window into the possibilities of creating a Gateway of economic growth for America. Keep Reading
Broadband Competition and Pricing: Lessons Providers must Learn
I believe everyone can agree that Broadband Competition and Pricing are high on their lists of (all things broadband). Yes, consumers and businesses alike want a high quality broadband experience with dynamically fast upload and download speeds, and with seamless and unbridled applications to fill their Christmas wish lists. Keep Reading
Rep. Terry: Universal Broadband Offers Potential for Businesses and Residents
Representing a congressional district that includes Omaha, Nebraska, Republican Rep. Lee Terry knows first hand the benefits of advanced telecommunications. Omaha is home to four Fortune 500 companies and as highlighted in Stephen Colbert’s “Better Know a District,” Omaha is the teleservices capital of the country. Omaha is the teleservices capital not because Omahans lack of a notable accent as Colbert notes, but rather because Omaha has benefited from a very robust telecommunications network. In fact, Omaha has consistently maintained its place at the forefront of new telecommunications technologies. In the early 1980’s, Omaha was one of the first cities in the U.S. to develop a fiber optic cable network. By 1992, multiple carrier fiber optic networks provided service to the Omaha metro area, giving rise to a proliferation of teleservices operations in Omaha. Keep Reading
Retrans-Consent: Be Careful What You Ask For!
With the recent battle between Cablevision and Disney over Retransmission Consent in New York regarding WABC-TV carriage on Cablevisions 3.1 million subscribers, and thereby producing a coalition of Cable Providers to petition the FCC to intervene in negotiations, is akin to the saying: (be careful what you ask for). Keep Reading
Digital Impact Group: Persistent Digital Divide Among Low-Income Individuals
PHILADELPHIA, Penn., March 8, 2010 - There is a persistent digital divide among low-income individuals, households, and communities throughout the US, as it relates to “always on” high-speed Internet access in homes. Over 100 million individuals representing over 40 million households do not use broadband because they cannot access it, cannot afford it, do not know how to use it, or are not aware of its benefits. Keep Reading
Are you prepared for the Inevitable Mobile Mania Magnification?
By 2014, annual global mobile data traffic will reach 3.6 exabytes per month. Globally, businesses and consumers will be transferring the equivalent of billions of DVDs each month. What’s driving that incredible growth? What does it mean to service providers? Are users worldwide becoming mobile data megalomaniacs? Read on to find out. Keep Reading
Consultancy PRTM Sees Four Key Factors for Successful Broadband Plan
As we await the release of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan on Mar. 17, PRTM is hopeful that the forthcoming recommendations will effectively serve their intended purpose to help reinvigorate the United States’ leadership in broadband availability, speeds and services. While details of the plan are yet to be disclosed, we anticipate that four key areas will be addressed. Keep Reading
Designing, Implementing and Assessing an Internet Adoption Program for Senior Housing
LAKE FOREST, Ill., March 3, 2010 - On Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced a brief delay for some applicants for broadband stimulus grants. Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects will have until March 26th to file their applications to NTIA. Applicants for Rural Utilities Service infrastructure projects will have until March 29th to file their applications to RUS. But applicants for Applications in NTIA's two other project categories - Public Computer Centers and Sustainable Broadband Adoption - remain due on March 15th. As regards these latter category of applications, we have found that there are three essential elements in the design and implementation of an effective broadband adoption program for seniors living in senior housing communities and for their surrounding neighborhoods. Keep Reading
Customer Service: Costs of not doing it well
It is estimated that poor customer service has cost the Cable/Satellite Industry over $12 billion in lost revenues over the past year, ahead of the financial services industry with more than $10 billion in losses. Keep Reading
Content Distribution Networks Are One Solution to Bandwidth Crunch
The unprecedented success of smart mobile devices like the iPhone has brought on the bandwidth crunch for mobile broadband services sooner than expected. Communications policymakers, regulators, businesses and others are looking at various remedies to alleviate the problem, including Content Distribution Networks. CDNs distribute popular video and other material to servers located closer to the… Keep Reading
Make No Mistake: Internet Content Subscription Models will come!
Why do Internet users continually resist paid content on a systematic basis? Keep in mind that many current Internet business models were built on the premise, (create the content and they will come). Keep Reading
Round Two Broadband Stimulus Fundamentals
WASHINGTON, February 17, 2010 - The two branches of the government responsible for doling out grants and loans to improve the nation’s broadband connections announced on Jan. 15 revised parameters for their second round of funding. Keep Reading
Google: Marrying Advocacy with Initiative
Google's entrance into the Broadband ISP arena may have lasting effects within the ISP community. Keep Reading
Will Comcast’s XFINITY produce an Affinity with Customers?
With some 1900 company name changes last year, one would think these re-branding efforts would pay dividends in market share, customer perception, and employee focus in forging a new direction, both in the short and long term. Does XFINIITY make relevant and pertinent business sense for all stakeholders involved, [...] Keep Reading
To Comcast-NBCU CEO’s: Consistency in Message to Regulators a Must
Recent hearings before the House on the proposed merger between Comcast and NBCU drew both accolades and skepticism for regulators on Feb 4, 2010. The skepticism seemed to come from what was perceived as inconsistencies in previous statements by CEO’s Roberts and Zucker from what was being purported in the public meeting. Keep Reading
The Journey of a Million Miles Begins With Basic Broadband Research
PHILADELPHIA, Penn., February 3, 2010 - Investment in broadband infrastructure, most believe, is essential to our nation’s future economic health. In an information economy, the race is to the swift: those who can quickly access more, better information will innovate, communicate, and transact at a far greater rate than those who cannot. That’s how the argument goes. As our nation prepares to invest billions in broadband infrastructure, it appears that "We the People" have accepted that argument. One nagging question remains: is the argument valid? Keep Reading
Wireless Broadband Challenges Include Rolling Up WISPS and Obtaining Stimulus Funding
GERMANTOWN, Md., January 31, 2010 - Two of the biggest challenges facing the expansion of wireless broadband in this country include the disparate number of rural and remaote wireless carriers, and how to ensure that stimulus funding goes to wireless carriers. The Wireless Internet Service Provider Directory lists 1,860 WISPs in the U.S., while another directory includes over 2,500. Notwithstanding, there exist numerous other WISPs that are simply not contained in these directories. Keep Reading
Set-Top-Box Quandary: Let Market Forces Rule
The FCC has just issued a Public Notice: Comment Sought On Video Device Innovation NBP Public Notice # 27, to spur innovation within the set-top-box market currently being served by individual Cable & Telecom companies as monthly rentals to consumers. First, these providers have invested in their own versions of set tops which interface [...] Keep Reading
Cable Trends: Predicting Stock Value as a Percentage of Division
Cable industry stocks, like all tech stocks, have seen their ups and downs when it comes to performance. The industry has been through periods of high infrastructure spending, acquisitions and divestitures, increased programming costs, higher retransmission costs, and competitive pressures, each playing its own role in keeping values lower. How do industry revenue streams [...] Keep Reading
Comcast’s impending Regulatory Hurdle: Simple Motives behind a Dream – NBC-Universal
Since announcement of the Comcast/NBC-Universal merger consummated the deal creating subsequent analysis and conjecture about how the new venture will be structured, with its impact on programming distribution and fears of dominance, and anti-trust issues within the marketplace; Comcast is set to go before regulators to convince a skeptical crowd how this union [...] Keep Reading
The New York Times Highlights BroadbandCensus.com and Other Internet Speed Tests
WASHINGTON, January 21, 2010 - Today's edition of The New York Times includes a story about internet speed tests, including BroadbandCensus.com, and the various approaches that each of the major providers take in offering speed tests. The piece, "How Fast is Your Web Connection?" by Peter Wayner, includes ISPGeeks.com, Toast.net, VisualWare, Pingtest.net, and DSLReports.com, along with BroadbandCensus.com. Keep Reading
The Cable Pipeline Opinion: Net Neutrality’s Conundrum
The Net Neutrality debate has taken on a conundrum like atmosphere where fear and hysteria rule the argument with proposed future abuses by Internet Service Providers. Keep Reading
Education Director of FCC’s National Broadband Plan Outlines Agency’s Thinking
WASHINGTON, January 12, 2010 - Steve Midgley, Education Director of the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan, presented the following slides at the Tuesday's Broadband Breakfast Club. Keep Reading
Reflections on ‘Sustainable Adoption’ for Round 2 of Broadband Stimulus
LAKE FOREST, Ill., January 11, 2010 - Last July when the Round 1 of Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program was announced, Don Samuelson suggested that public housing authorities across the country ought to be applying to BTOP for financial assistance to promote the use of the Internet by their senior residents: “Every public housing authority in the United States should apply for stimulus funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Agency to set up a program to promote the benefits and use of the Internet for its senior housing residents. The goal should be to make the case for the practical benefits of broadband and the Internet sufficiently compelling so that seniors would want a computer and Internet connection in their individual units. The use of the Internet should be as valuable as a TV or a phone. This is a 'value proposition' that remains to be made. ” It appears that no one followed the suggestion. There were no sustainable adoption proposals in the first round of BTOP for senior housing. We’ve since updated our analysis and refined our thinking. Keep Reading
Comcast vs. FCC: Implications in throttling BitTorrent
Comcast is appealing a ruling before a three-judge appeals court panel concerning the FCC’s sanctions in 2008 of the operator, and whether it has jurisdiction under current Net Neutrality rules to do so, for what has become known throughout the media as past throttling of BitTorrent. See FCC formally rules Comcast’s throttling of [...] Keep Reading
Home Gateways: A Consumers all-in-one Network to Broadband
Now that the broadband experience is reaching a milestone in bridging the gap between digital content and consumers, we all may soon be accessing our Home Gateways to maximize the experience of downloading and viewing relevant content on TV’s, PC’s, Laptop’s, DVR’s, and Mobile Devices. The term Residential Gateway is not new and has [...] Keep Reading
The Hill’s Kim Hart to Co-Moderate ‘Net Neutrality, Copyright Protection and National Broadband Plan’ Town Hall
Kim Hart, a reporter for The Hill covering technology-related subjects, will join with Drew Clark to co-moderate BroadbandBreakfast.com's upcoming National Town Hall Webcast, on "Net Neutrality, Copyright Protection and the National Broadband Plan," on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Register to attend in person at http://ipbreakfast.eventbrite.com. Keep Reading
Fox Vs Time Warner Cable: More Revenues for Fox-Higher Rates for Consumers
Two giants in the telecommunications industry battle publicly over Retransmission Consent. Both Fox and Time Warner Cable have let cooler heads prevail in their war over money to be doled out in fees to Fox by extending their negotiations beyond the Dec 31, 2009 deadline. At issue, the Fox owned broadcast networks carried by [...] Keep Reading
Broadband Expert Q&A: Spectrum Bridge CMO Has Eye On Sen. Kerry Bill
WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Rick Rotondo, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Spectrum Bridge, advises technology policy enthusiasts to keep an eye on wireless broadband legislation from Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. Keep Reading
Broadband Expert Q&A: Andrew Schwartzman Address Net Neutrality, BitTorrent Litigation
WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project, expects the Federal Communications Commission will issue rules to regulate internet access to support Net neutrality or open internet principles by the end of the third quarter of 2010. Keep Reading
Broadband Expert Q&A: Dan Hays Talks Broadband Mapping, Grants
WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Dan Hays, director of the telecommunications practice at the management consulting firm PRTM, told Broadband Census News Monday that his company has some serious concerns about the overall direction of a government program to distribute funds to spur broadband penetration across the nation. Hays added that the division of grants and programs by state to gather information that will be used for a national broadband map “is driving unnecessary fragmentation.” Keep Reading
Broadband Expert Q&A: 2010 Outlook With Craig Settles
WASHINGTON, December 28, 2009 - Broadband Census News Reporter Winter Casey touched base with broadband business strategist Craig Settles this week on what to expect might happen on key technology issues in 2010. Settles addresses government broadband stimulus grants, legislation, and mapping in the interview. Keep Reading
The Cable Pipeline: Top 10 Predictions for 2010
Predictions for 2010 for Broadband, Cable TV, Telecom, and Wireless seen through the eyes of The Cable Pipeline. Keep Reading
The Rise of the Middle Mile in Obama’s Theory of Broadband Stimulus
WASHINGTON, December 21, 2009 - Last Thursday's announcement of broadband stimulus - even if it was about two-and-a-half percent of the total broadband stimulus funding - was like manna to broadband industry. Whether or not broadband activists and broadband builders believe that the federal government will end up playing a significant part of the telecommunications industry, the tension-in-waiting for action has been palpable and long-building. Keep Reading
Net Neutrality’s Increasingly Complex Debate
The crux of the debate for those seeing paid-peering-agreements as essential to increased participation by innovative content, application, or service providers, whether they be start-ups or seasoned, seem to be an open ended interpretation which would ban prioritization. [...] Keep Reading
State Preferred Broadband Stimulus Projects Sweep Day 1
After reviewing the letters from the states to the NTIA, BroadbandBreakfast.com has learned that all of the broadband stimulus projects awarded today were specifically recommended to the NTIA by the states, with the exception of the Rivada Sea Lion project in Alaska and Bretton Woods Telephone Company project in New Hampshire. Alaska did not recommend specific projects to the NTIA, and we are waiting to hear back from New Hampshire regarding their preferred project list. Keep Reading
Cable industry: at a Cross-Roads
Cable providers are looking at a cross-roads with the current climate brought on by a new political landscape, a Democratic Congress, with an FCC mandated to change the future of broadband, and a public viewed skepticism of the Cable Industry. This adds up to significant changes which might threaten the status-quo of annual rate [...] Keep Reading
BroadbandCensus.com Offers Strategic Broadband Mapping Solution for State Designated Entities
WASHINGTON, December 14, 2009 - Broadband Census Data announced the availability of highly granular Census block mapping services to state recipients of broadband mapping grants. BroadbandCensus.com provides the information necessary for states to meet grant obligations under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Keep Reading