Verizon Next Generation Broadband Strategy: We’ll Pass on G.fast and Stick With FTTP
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Speaking at ADTRAN’s Broadband Solutions Summit this morning in Huntsville, Alabama, Verizon’s Director of Network Planning Vincent O’Byrne outlined a Verizon next generation broadband strategy. That strategy is heavily focused on NG-PON2. It apparently will not include G.fast. “We have no strategy for G.Fast,” O’Byrne replied when I asked him why Verizon was not using...Learn More
Altice FTTH to Reach 1 Million Homes by Late 2018
Altice USA says that it has begun design and construction of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure to several hundred thousand homes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and that it is on track to provide Altice FTTH connectivity to a million homes by the end of next year. “We are incredibly pleased with the progress we...Learn More
Will FCC Broadband Progress Report Count Wireless-Only Areas As “Served”?
The FCC is seeking input on how it should gauge whether broadband is being deployed in a timely manner — a determination the commission makes annually in the FCC Broadband Progress Report. Under consideration is “whether some form of advanced telecommunications capability, be it fixed or mobile, is being deployed to all Americans in a...Learn More
Sprint Low-Income Wireless Support for Students Valued at $2 Billion
Sprint said today that it will provide more than $2 billion worth of wireless service, technical support and staff to support a program offering low-income wireless for students, dubbed 1Million Project. This Sprint low-income wireless support program will provide smartphones or wireless devices donated by several manufacturers, along with 3GB of LTE per month, at...Learn More
Autonomous Car Data Will Exceed 10 Exabytes Per Month, Consortium Forms to Help Manage It
Toyota is among a group of companies that has established a consortium aimed at dealing with issues related to vehicles and big data. The Automotive Edge Computing Consortium will explore ways to manage the soon to come explosion in autonomous car data, and consists of DENSO, Ericsson, Intel, NTT, NTT DOCOMO, Toyota InfoTechnology Center and...Learn More
Google Glass May Help Boost Enterprise Wearables Revenue, But Security is a Concern
Enterprise wearables revenue derived from devices will increase by about a factor of six between this year and 2022, according to ABI Research. The firm’s Enterprise Mobility Management Services for Wearables report says that segment, which includes smartwatches, smart glasses and scanners, will grow from $10.6 billion in 2017 to more than $60 billion in...Learn More
Spirit Communications Acquired as EQT Fiber Investment Continues
Just a few months after global investment firm EQT Partners announced plans to purchase fiber network operator Lumos Networks, EQT fiber investment continued today with the announcement of another U.S. fiber network deal. EQT said it would purchase a majority stake in Spirit Communications, a regional fiber network operating in the Carolinas and Georgia created...Learn More
Downplaying Data Centers, CenturyLink Cloud Strategy Views Connectivity as a Better Play
Like some other telecom service providers, CenturyLink has shifted away from the data center business. The company also has shifted their public cloud approach, adding additional capabilities for a multi-cloud approach, noted CenturyLink executives at financial conferences this week. The CenturyLink cloud strategy is now focused largely on providing advanced connectivity between enterprises and cloud...Learn More
CEO: Uniti Group Seeks Partners for Fiber Asset Purchases
Uniti Group, the real estate investment trust (REIT) spun off from Windstream several years ago, is exploring the purchase of fiber assets through partnerships with other companies and has seen “substantial interest” from potential partners, said Kenny Gunderman, Uniti Group CEO at a financial conference yesterday. Buying fiber assets with a partner means “essentially unlocking...Learn More
Verizon Wireless Strategy Under New Chief: Proposition Over Promotion
Verizon wireless strategy will emphasize the proposition over the promotion while building on the company’s already strong network position, said Ronan Dunne, Verizon executive vice president and group president of Verizon Wireless, at a financial conference this morning. Appointed last year, Dunne previously headed up Telefónica UK (O2), which had considerable success during his eight-year...Learn More
Disney, ESPN OTT Streaming Services to Begin Next Year, Says Goodbye to Netflix
It’s just been a matter of time. It’s now confirmed by Disney executives that Disney and ESPN OTT streaming services are now on tap, embracing a direct to consumer model for content distribution. Disney CEO Robert Iger confirmed the plans on Disney’s quarterly earnings conference call yesterday. “[W]e’re also announcing a major strategic shift in...Learn More
Report: Over 20% of Broadband Households Embrace Tech Support Subscriptions
Americans are reaching out for help in the management of their electronic devices and smart homes, according to Parks Associates. The firm reports that more than 20 percent of broadband households have some form of tech support subscriptions. Currently, according Parks research, electronics retailer Best Buy is the leading provider of these services. The firm...Learn More
