Posts by Bernie Arnason
Bernie is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Telecompetitor. Bernie follows the telecom industry closely and conducts and authors industry research and whitepapers, provides strategic consulting for clients, and develops compelling telecom mindshare.
Bernie is also the managing partner of Pivot Media LLC and a principal with Pivot Group LLC.
Bernie can be reached at bernie@pivot-media.com
FCC Cracks Door Open on Naked DSL, Standalone Broadband
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There has been some tension in the marketplace regarding broadband and voice service, particularly in rural markets. It stems from growing consumer demand for standalone broadband – that is subscribing to broadband without the requirement for an accompanying voice line (sometimes referred to as naked DSL). Regulated rate-of-return rural carriers are challenged with this marketplace...Learn More
Vonage Launches New Value Focused OTT Voice Service, BasicTalk
There is a new OTT VoIP offer available to residential subscribers today, courtesy of long time VoIP provider Vonage. BasicTalk launched on May 14th and offers a no-frills residential VoIP service for $9.99 per month, and is a new service brand from Vonage. “BasicTalk provides extraordinary value in low-cost home phone service at a flat...Learn More
Level 3 Offers Cloud VoIP Solution
There is significant momentum taking place with hosted IP voice services, and it’s not just a tool for the SMB market segment. Wholesale hosted IP voice solutions for carriers are on the rise as well and Level 3 is the latest to announce a cloud based voice offer. Their Carrier Cloud Voice solution targets “…CLECs,...Learn More
Google’s Kansas City Expansion Now Includes Missouri Market
Google has been steadily expanding their Google Fiber footprint in the Kansas City metro area, recently adding Olathe and Shawnee, both located in Kansas to their FTTH overbuild. Now word comes that Google is expanding again, this time on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro area. Grandview, Missouri is the newest Google Fiber...Learn More
Google Fiber Spreads its Wings in Kansas Again
Google likes Kansas, considering it’s announced yet another expansion of Google Fiber in the Kansas City area. Shawnee, Kansas is the latest market to get Google Fiber, the company announced on their blog. This expansion is on the heels of another Kansas City market expansion, announced in March for Google Fiber in Olathe, Kansas. There...Learn More
Cox Launches Hosted IP Centrex Targeting the SMB Sector
Both the telecom and cable industries are facing declining revenue from their mutual legacy core services and are actively looking for ways to replace that revenue. Both cable and telco have identified hosted IP centrex services as a promising growth area, setting up an interesting competitive battle. Cox just announced their VoiceManager IP Centrex platform...Learn More
CenturyLink Enters the Gigabit Network Era
If you believe that Google, with their Google Fiber initiative, intended to raise awareness about gigabit FTTP networks and persuade other ISPs to move in that direction, it appears to be working. The latest to join the movement is CenturyLink, who announced today that they will bring a symmetrical gigabit FTTP network to Omaha. The...Learn More
Can a Buffalo Help Sell DSL Service?
Frontier has a new marketing campaign, centered around a “6 feet tall, 8 feet long and 2,000 pound” Buffalo named Frank. The tier 2 telco with extensive rural markets says the campaign will begin immediately and will include broadcast, print, digital and social media, billboards, truck wraps, and more. Frank’s first mission is to push...Learn More
Telecompetitor Plus: More of What You Have Come to Expect From Us
When I launched Telecompetitor over five years ago, I did so because I felt our industry lacked perspective and context for the rapid changes taking place with broadband. It’s been a fun ride and today, we take it to the next level with the launch of Telecompetitor Plus. Plus offers more of what you’ve come...Learn More
Time Warner Cable Enlists Wi-Fi to Battle Google Fiber
Nothing like a little gigabit fiber to stir up the competition in any given market. Austin, Texas is becoming somewhat of a broadband competitive hotbed ever since Google announced their intention to bring Google Fiber there. In a phrase, the natives are restless. First AT&T fired off a press release announcing their intention to build...Learn More
Verizon Rural LTE Program Adds KPU Telecommunications
The Verizon LTE in Rural America program has added another partner — KPU Telecommunications of Ketchikan, Alaska. KPU is a municipally owned FTTH triple play provider in southeastern Alaska, serving 6,000 access lines. KPU joins 18 or so other rural wireless carriers in Verizon’s Rural LTE program. Under the terms of the LTE in Rural...Learn More
Regional Wireless Carriers: Don’t Repeat Mistakes With Upcoming Mobile Broadband Auctions
The Competitive Carriers Association is meeting this week in New Orleans and a regional wireless carrier panel this morning urged the industry not to make the same mistakes with the upcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction that were made with the past 700 Mhz auctions. Chief executives of iWireless (Craven Shumaker), nTelos (James Hyde), ATN (Michael...Learn More