Service Providers

Netflix, DreamWorks Team in Huge Original Content Deal
June 17, 2013

Video streaming service Netflix on Monday announced a new, multiyear partnership with DreamWorks Animation whereby it will bring many of the studio's beloved characters to the TV market via a branded collection of shows. Marking the largest deal for original first-run content in Netflix's history, the partnership will include more than 300 hours of new programming.

Tech Giants Dump Data in Trust-Rebuilding Bid
June 17, 2013

In the wake of recent revelations that the government has been tapping their networks to monitor users, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft in recent days have all published more information about those monitoring requests. Facebook, for example, reported that for the six months ending December 31, 2012, the number of user-data requests it received from U.S. government entities was between 9,000 and 10,000.

Time Warner May Erect a Walled Content Garden
June 13, 2013

Time Warner Cable appears to have come up with a strategy to help stem the flow of cord-cutters: offering incentives to content providers to withhold certain properties from online entertainment platforms. Limited distribution is clearly an entrenched practice in the entertainment industry, but it seems TWC is trying to keep some content off the Internet permanently.

X2 Marks the Spot for Comcast's Cloud TV Initiative
June 13, 2013

Comcast's new set-top box software opens a window into how cable TV companies hope to retain customers tempted to move their eyeballs to online-only alternatives. Comcast X2 blends cable offerings like on-demand movies, program guides and digital video recording with online-only content and social media. It's an example of where the cable industry is going with its services.

Comcast to Pepper Neighborhoods With WiFi Hotspots
June 11, 2013

Comcast is rolling out a neighborhood WiFi initiative designed to allow its Xfinity Internet subscribers to log in to nearby wireless hotspots outside of their home. Subscribers to the service will essentially be the hosts for two separate WiFi networks. One will be their private, secure home connection. The other signal, which Comcast would provide for free, would serve as a neighborhood signal.

FreedomPop Calls for Mobile Revolution
June 07, 2013

Homing in on consumers' frustration with the escalating costs of wireless services, FreedomPop this week announced a mobile plan that offers voice, text and data -- for free. The FreedomPop service utilizes mobile VoIP on Sprint's cellular network. The company will offer a number of Android phones for purchase, or subscribers can use their own compatible phones.

Hulu Might Be Up for Grabs
June 03, 2013

DirecTV and two other unidentified bidders reportedly are offering upwards of $1 billion to buy Hulu. DirecTV could be planning to add Hulu's digital offerings to its TV packages. Hulu offers both free and paid content, with about 4 million subscribers to its premium Hulu Plus service. Together, ads and fees generate revenue of about $700 million per year.

Amazon Customers Supply Prime Directive for Exclusive Programming
May 30, 2013

The vote is in, and Amazon has ordered five original television series, including two live-action comedies and three children's shows. While Amazon Prime subscribers have been able to stream movies and TVs from other content providers, they will now be able to view Amazon's own programming. The five new programs include Alpha House, a political comedy starring TV veteran John Goodman.

Virtual Testing Trims Real World Costs and Delivery Times
May 20, 2013

When you're a top Internet service provider in Turkey, and you deploy scores of applications each year, you have to find an efficient testing method that ensures the apps are working properly across all infrastructures. TTNET, with six million subscribers, found that service virtualization was the best solution.

Nokia Goes Slimmer, Shinier With New Lumia 925 Smartphone
May 14, 2013

Nokia on Tuesday unveiled the Lumia 925, which it described as a "new interpretation" of its flagship Lumia 920 smartphone. The Lumia 925 includes what the company claims is the most advanced lens technology and next-generation imaging software, which enables the phone to take the best low-light images.

Zact Connects Consumers to Customizable Wireless Plans
May 14, 2013

Zact, a startup that offers customized wireless plans, launched this week as the latest service provider to promise mobile customers more control over their monthly bills. The no-contract company allows users to pick and choose from data, talk and text limits per month, all from an app on their phone. A plan that Zact calls the "Sweet Spot" charges $27.09 per month for 500 minutes of talk.

Aereo's Audacious Ambitions
May 13, 2013

Aereo -- the lawsuit-embattled company that provides Internet-streamed, live, and recorded over-the-air broadcast television content -- may have started a trend. None other than Time Warner may be considering the redistribution of public broadcast content over the Internet too. What it comes down to is that a bunch of micro-antennas in a Brooklyn warehouse may change everything.

Sky HDTV Could Make Your Cord-Cutting Decision Easy
April 30, 2013

It's hardly a surprise that cable and satellite television service providers are in trouble. Take decades of complacency, add in mostly awful customer service, mix liberally with resistance to change, and you have an industry heading toward self-inflicted extinction.

Wireless: Fertile Ground for Wheeling and Dealing
April 18, 2013

Thanks to countless conversations with reporters, I have developed a crystal clear idea of why Dish Network and SoftBank want to acquire Sprint Nextel. It has less to do with wireless carrier ambitions, and much more to do with the future -- being leaders in a new space that's still largely under the radar. When wireless took off, it is was all about voice calls. Then the industry realized if it wanted to continue strong growth, it had to be about more.

It's Time for Aereo to Soar
April 04, 2013

Aereo streams television over the Internet for a fee -- so far only in the New York City region. Its expected rapid rollout has not happened over the past year. Why? One reason is that Aereo was being sued by various broadcasters. However, the decision handed down this week from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals looks good for Aereo.

FCC Chair Genachowski Calls It Quits
March 22, 2013

Julius Genachowski said Friday that he is stepping down as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, a post he has held since 2009. During his tenure, Genachowski faced a number of important issues, including media consolidation, cable and telecom industry competition and cooperation -- and, most notably, a sharp debate over broadband spectrum.

FCC Buckles on Cybersecurity
March 20, 2013

Internet service providers are resisting the Federal Communications Commission's recommendations for implementing security best practices, the agency has reported. The ISP members of the Communications, Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) say they believe additional evaluation is required to determine whether those best practices should apply to their industry.

FCC Twists Robocallers' Arms
March 19, 2013

The FCC last week issued citations to two service providers for delivering unauthorized robocalls to millions of wireless phones. The companies that received the citations are the Dialing Services and Richard Gilmore's Democratic Dialing. The calls were made on behalf of an assortment of clients including businesses, nonprofits and political groups.

National Security Letters' Constitutionality Likely a Matter for the Supreme Court
March 18, 2013

A U.S. District Court judge from the Ninth Circuit found that the government's controversial use of so-called National Security Letters violates the First Amendment and the concept of separation of powers. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered the government to stop issuing the National Security Letters and to stop enforcing the gag order. Illston then stayed her order for 90 days so the government could petition the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

China's State-Run Anti-Apple Campaign Backfires
March 18, 2013

March 15 marks Consumer Rights Day in China. To honor the day, state-run CCTV runs a special program to out scams, malpractice and defective products. This year, CCTV set its crosshairs on Apple, declaring that the company downgraded post-sale customer service to Chinese consumers.