CED articles from February 2002

CED archives from February 2002

Don't take the bait. (in perspective).(U.S proposed broadband policy)
February 1, 2002... Four decades ago, a young American president uttered perhaps the ultimate sound bite when he boldly pledged to send an American to the surface of the moon and return him safely to Earth within 10 years. Taking advantage of hindsight, it's...

Moxi's fortunes rely on middleware. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Moxi Digital Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... After operating in stealth mode for several months, Steve Perlman's Rearden Steel Technologies finally opened up its fortified kimono to reveal a new brand identity, a broadband strategy and a deal with DBS giant EchoStar Communications. ...

CableLabs publishes OCAP, fine-tunes DOCSIS 2.0. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Cable Television Laboratories Inc. specifications for OpenCable Application Platform 1.0)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Polishing up a slate of work being done behind the scenes, CableLabs recently published the middleware specifications for OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) version 1.0, and completed the advanced DOCSIS 2.0 spec. OCAP 1.0, available to...

Microsoft Corp.(Xbox multiplayer gaming service plans)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... After setting about 1.5 million gaming consoles between Nov. 15 and the end of 2001, Microsoft Corp., maker of the Xbox, said it plans to raft out the machine's multiplayer gaming service in the first half of 2002. Cable operators have...

MSOs tout home security. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Comcast Cable Communications and Cox Communications to market Security Broadband Corp.'s SafeVillage system)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Comcast Cable Communications and Cox Communications said they will begin "limited" marketing of Security Broadband Corp.'s SafeVillage system, respectively, in Sarasota, Fla. and Las Vegas, Nev. Though both MSOs mark the first to introduce...

More modems emerge certified following wave 20. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(CableLabs passed grades to seven)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2002... CableLabs said it handed out passing grades to seven more DOCSIS 1.1 cable modems in certification wave 20, pushing that total to nine. However, CableLabs did not qualify any additional cable modem termination systems during the wave, after...

OpenTV finally reaches HITS deal. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(AT&T's Headend In The Sky)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In what was one of the worst kept secrets in the broadband world, OpenTV Corp. finally secured its interactive hunting license with AT&T's Headend In The Sky. News of the impending deal first surfaced last July when OpenTV officials said...

SCTE's Oksala gets ANSI board post. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers; American National Standards Institute)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Enhancing cable's presence with the nation's standards body, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Vice President of Standards Stephen Oksala was recently elected to the board of directors of the American National Standards Institute...

Motorola synchronizes transmission play. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(acquires Synchronous Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In a deal expected to bolster Motorola Broadband's fiber optic transmission portfolio for voice, video and data services, Motorola Inc. has closed its stock-for-stock acquisition of San Jose, Calif.-based Synchronous Inc. Synchronous, now...

Astound picks WorldGate to push iTV. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Astound Broadband)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Overbuilder Astound Broadband (a.k.a. Seren Innovations) inked a deal with WorldGate to offer interactive television services to customers by the first quarter of this year. The new service, dubbed "Astound iTV," will enable customers to...

AT&T wires winter games. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(AT&T Broadband)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AT&T Broadband, as part of its Olympic sponsorship, has wired pavilions and competition sites in Salt Lake City with fiber and coax to deliver the broadband experience to visitors from around the world. The MSO said it has invested several...

Three sign controversial PHILA license. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(POD-Host Interface License Agreement)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Potentially accelerating the market for retail set-tops, three box manufacturers have signed CableLabs' controversial POD-Host Interface License Agreement (PHILA), a key copyright protection element for set-tops based on the OpenCable...

G-Cluster ports games to the set-top. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(game system)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... G-Cluster, a start-up backed by Finnish and U.K. investors, believes it has the answer to help cable operators push PC and console gaming titles to their customers. G-Cluster markets a game system that transfers the games to thin-client...

Cox gets a jump on service and support. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(deploying the Broadband Resolution Suite)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Advancing its customer service and support initiatives for new services, Cox Communications said it will deploy the Broadband Resolution Suite, a system jointly developed by Support.com and Broadjump Inc. The suite is designed to give...

Arris closes Cadant deal. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Arris Group said it has acquired cable modem termination system start-up Cadant Inc., closing a deal first announced at last November's Western Cable Show. The deal combines the only two CMTS vendors so far to obtain DOCSIS 1.1-qualified status...

CacheVision bows DVR set-top modules. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(digital video recorder)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Expanding its digital video recorder technology portfolio, CacheVision Inc. has introduced a new line of DVR modules tagged for integration with consumer electronics appliances and set-top boxes. The CacheVision CVM-3000, which can record...

TiVo adds streaming component via RealNetworks deal. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Adding further proof that digital video recorders aren't just about video anymore, TiVo Inc. said its digital video recorder customers will be able to download, personalize, manage and play music, streaming video and other content following a...

MTV to make PCs that rock. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MTV: Music Television has partnered with OEM computer manufacturer Lan Plus to introduce a new line of PCs and PC-based gear designed for the "entertainment savvy" MTV demographic. Planned for a Spring 2002 release, MTV's PCs will come...

Trio to create Linux testing lab. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, Metrowerks and Lineo)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Three broadband vendors plan to launch Triarc Content Labs to independently develop, test and integrate Linux-based content and applications on Motorola Broadband's DCT-5000 line of set-tops. The trio aims to speed time-to-market of new and...

Cablevision launches broadband portal. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(OptOnline.net)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cablevision Systems Corp. has relaunched OptOnline.net, a broadband portal designed to showcase content designed for high-speed, cable modem connections. Targeted to Cablevision's Optimum OnLine cable modem customers, the portal features...

MSOs forge IP backbone for a post--@Home world. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(multisystem operators)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Preparing for the inevitable shuttering of Excite@Home Corp. at the end of this month, the high-speeder's affiliates began tapping outside parties to create their own national IP backbones. Cox Communications, for one, said it is deploying...

SCTE retools job bank. (Upfront: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has teamed with BroadbandCareers.Com to create an enhanced online job bank targeted to engineers, managers, technicians and installers. Replacing SCTE's former job bank, the new service...

Cox gets the message. (Upfront: latest news and insight).
February 1, 2002... Cox Communications said it has selected Openwave Systems Inc.'s messaging platform for a growing cable modem service that stands at more than 779,000 residential customers. The IP-based Openwave Email Mx platform is configured for a variety...

Teleconferencing takes off: the attacks on 9-11 only increased what was already a mounting wave of interest in teleconferencing products and services. Broadband service providers may be perfectly positioned to take such services to a higher level by spreading them to new markets at cheaper price points. (Cover Story).
February 1, 2002... For business travelers, airline travel has never been one of the more attractive aspects of doing business. After September 11th, that distaste for cramped seats, surly clerks and cardboard food (if and when it was served), is fast approaching...

Do you know the way to make it pay? As the broadband upgrade effort matures, industry pros are looking for ways to recoup their costs. This year's ET Conference took a detailed look at the challenges and opportunities next-gen networks and services may provide.(Conference on Emerging Technologies, San Jose)
February 1, 2002... By CED staff There's no better way to draw a crowd than to start talking about next-generation networks and all the cool new services that can be delivered over interactive, high-speed pipes. And that's exactly what happened last month...

Driving toward convergence: optical ethernet for the next-generation headend network. (Fiberline: fiber optic technology).
February 1, 2002... The nature of the cable network has changed. Demand for new services such as cable modem data and digital video is exploding, while traditional analog broadcast demand remains flat. What was once a predominantly analog network handling mainly...

The six-day network switch: how AT&T decoupled from Excite@Home. (Networking: advanced networking technology).
February 1, 2002... Maybe it was the adrenaline rush of being essential during a very real crisis. Maybe it was the thrill of proving to Excite@Home and the world--but especially to Excite@Home--that cable operators aren't as dumb as fireplugs after all. Maybe it...

DOCSIS 2.0 blazes new videoconferencing trail: greatly expanded upstream bandwidth provides competitive edge. (Networking: advanced networking technology).
February 1, 2002... Cable operators are looking to leverage the capacity of their networks to provide the commercial sector with new revenue-generating services. The commercial sector is a lucrative new market for MSOs, as the number of telecommuters, home-based...

Beefing up the world's IP address book: before making its mark in the U.S., IPv6 will first invade Asia to tackle the region's dwindling base of IPv4 addresses. (Networking: advanced networking technology).
February 1, 2002... Known largely for its hefty IP addressing capability, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is already making waves in Asia as the region's well of IPv4 addresses runs dry, but those tipples probably won't be felt in North America for several more...

Making the turn on churn: new, intelligent tools predict which customers will defect, and why. (Broadband: business and news perspective).
February 1, 2002... The saying, "It costs more to find a new customer than to keep an existing one," rings especially true in the competitive world of the cable broadband and direct broadcast satellite industries. With more than 82 million subscribers of cable...

An impossible dream comes true. (Ciciora's corner).(standardization of digital television)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... When an interest arose in HDTV, the FCC put out its wish list. The dream included components that seemed impossible. The dream was for a system that was compatible with the existing analog NTSC system and which could be placed in the same 6 MHz...

VOD's bottom-line improving: new business models require more complicated math. (Broadband: business and news perspective).(Video-on-demand services)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Two pesky issues--bandwidth and content--may be slowing the construction of cable's wide array of video-on-demand (VOD) business models, but the consensus is that on-demand services, most notably VOD movies and events, are destined for...

AOL Time Warner taps C-COR.net for OSS.(application software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... STATE COLLEGE, Pa.--AOL Time Warner Inc. will implement C-COR.net's COR-Convergence Integrated Service Management System (ISMS) application software at three of its systems during calendar year 2002. AOL Time Warner will initially deploy...

Coaxial Cable brings users up to speed.(partners with Stargate Industries)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... EDINBORO, Pa.--Coaxial Cable is partnering with Stargate Industries to deliver high-speed cable Internet access to its customers in select service areas. The service will allow for rapid transmission of large files, decreased download times and...

Convacent jumps into Microsoft TV program.(with its Portal-Sphere Residential Gateway product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE, N.C.--Convacent has joined the Microsoft TV Developer Program as a Platform Member, and will integrate its Portal-Sphere Residential Gateway product family with Microsoft TV Advanced client software and Microsoft TV Server. The first...

Tellabs, Alopa announce OSS interoperability.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Alopa Networks and Tellabs have completed interoperability testing and announced joint plans to market their combined technologies. The integration of Alopa's MetaServ platform capabilities with Tellabs' voice modem...

7 rural telcos pick Minerva's IP TV.(consortium Midwest Telnet)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Midwest Telnet, a consortium of rural telephone and Internet service providers throughout southwestern Wisconsin, has selected Minerva Networks' IP Television technology. Members of Midwest Telnet will offer advanced...

Powercor Australia picks ADC fiber gear.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MINNEAPOLIS--ADC will supply Powercor Australia with fiber equipment in each of 33 sites along its fiber optic ring to Ballarat and Bendigo. Powercor Australia, a power supplier serving the Western regions of Victoria, is constructing a fiber...

Com21 ships one-millionth modem.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... LONDON, U.K.--Com21 Inc. has passed another milestone--the shipment of its one-millionth ATM-based cable modem. The ComPORT modem was part of a shipment by system integrator Fujikura Ltd. to the KATCH Network Corporation, one of Japan's cable...

The mother of all rings ...(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... HICKORY, N.C.-Coming Cable Systems has announced the completion of ARCOS1, the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System. NSW Submarine Cable Systems, a Corning Cable Systems company, was the consortium leader responsible for the complete turnkey...

Outdoor filter housings.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, Calif.--PCI Technologies Inc. has announced its power-passing outdoor filter housing along with its line of extended temperature channel deletion filters. The outdoor power-passing deletion filter housing can house up to four standard...

Aerial cable marker.(advertising)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... ARLINGTON, Texas--ACP has introduced its Poly-V aerial cable marker, manufactured from heavy-duty, UV-resistant polyethylene and printed with long-lasting outdoor enamel. The unique "V" shape provides a 1-3/4-inch text area for large...

Rack-mounted fiber node.(from Quality RF Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, Calif.--QRF (Quality R.F. Services Inc.) has introduced a new addition to its QFRN line of rack-mounted fiber nodes. The fiber node comes in one-way and two-way models and features power-doubled GaAs technology. It comes standard with...

Video server.(SeaChange International Inc new product)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... MAYNARD, Mass.--SeaChange International. Inc. has introduced its new ITV MediaCluster 9000 (IMC 9000) video server for on-demand television deployments. The densely packaged server provides up to 930 Megabits-per-second throughput, in various...

Video-on-demand product family.(from Path 1 Network Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SAN DIEGO--Path 1 Network Technologies Inc. has announced its new video-on-demand (VOD) family of products, the scalable Cx1400 VOD series. The creation of Path 1's Cx1400 and Cx1410 products was led by Dr. Yendo Hu, executive vice president,...

Lashing wire.(from Industrial Alloys Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... POMONA, Calif.--Industrial Alloys Inc. has released Lifetime Wire, a new, premium brand of lashing wire for combining electrical and mechanical strand in aerial construction of communication lines. The aerial construction is engineered to...

`Triple-Play' broadband.
February 1, 2002... FREMONT, Calif.--Garuda Networks has announced the availability of Proteus, a device designed from the ground up to supply voice, video and data applications over broadband lines. The company has combined the softswitch, voice gateway, media...

Broadband wireless access.
February 1, 2002... CUPERTINO, Calif.--Vyyo Inc. has added non-line-of-site features (Non-LOS) to its DOCSIS-based V3000 point-to-multipoint Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) system. Vyyo's products are in use by customers around the world in the MMDS (2.5 GHz), 3.5...

Cable blowing machine.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... TREVOSE, Pa.--General Machine Products Co. Inc. and CBS Products Ltd. have announced a partnership that adds the CBS cable blowing machine and hydraulic power pack to GMP's product line. The cable blowing machine will move fiber optic cable of...

Broadband provisioning.
February 1, 2002... NEW YORK, N.Y.--Fine Point Technologies Inc., which develops pre-qualification, deployment and sign-up software for ISPs and telcos, is offering its CyberTRUCK solution for cable providers. CyberTRUCK enables cable service providers to...

Optical layer monitoring.(from Proximion Fiber Optics AB)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... WILMINGTON, Del.--Proximion Fiber Optics AB has begun shipping its customer samples of WISTOM, an optical layer monitor combining both optical channel monitoring and optical performance monitoring functionality. Proximion is currently...

Wall box locator.(from Siemon Co.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... WATERTOWN, Conn.--The Siemon Company has introduced its Mount-it Wall Box Locator, a tool which helps contractors and installers consistently align and co-locate telephone/data boxes next to electrical boxes. The user attaches Mount-it to a...

Integrated RF chipset for set-tops.
February 1, 2002... OTTAWA, Canada-Zarlink Semiconductor has announced the availability of an integrated chipset for splitting, tuning and processing digital and analog RF (radio frequency) cable signals. Zarlink's silicon lowers the cost of designing...

Technical problems with the DirecTV/Echostar merger. (capital currents).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Charlie Ergen is touting the benefits of merging DirecTV into Echostar, and number-one on his list is that it will free up transponder capacity for more local-into-local TV distribution. Congressmen are complaining about the loss of competition...

Broadband's newest Holy Grail. (Point of entry).(everything on demand)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... UNLIKE THE HOLY GRAIL of Arthurian folklore, broadband's chalice of chalices apparently can be altered and shaped as situations merit. Not so long ago, high-speed data and digital video were each touted as cable's Grail that, when...

VOD: ops learning to walk preparing to run: though VOD coverage remains relatively spotty, and content issues aren't completely solved, solid technology and new initiatives should help operators make a giant leap to everything-on-demand. (The state of VOD).(video on demand)
February 1, 2002... After being chided in the early part of last year for the sluggish rollout of video-on-demand, many cable operators quickened the pace in the last half of 2001, and set their sights on an even more aggressive 2002. Though software...

The expanding VOD universe. (VOD trials and deployments).(video on demand)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... After proving itself as a cost-effective revenue-driver, video-on-demand deployments in North America have continued to climb. At the start of 2002, service operators had launched or planned to launch VOD (commercially or in trials) in almost...

SVOD customer demand bursting at the seams: subscription VOD has blown the gaskets off demand from customers who want to view content according to their schedule. (InDepth).(subscription video on demand)
February 1, 2002... It's rare that when a broadband service or technology debuts, there isn't some sort of drastic, if not crippling, downside to the glowing expectations everyone attaches to it. "It's a nifty service, but how do you make money with it? This...

Pirate-proofing on-demand content: the proliferation of VOD and digital content delivery has ushered in a new set of weapons and technologies, forged to keep broadband bandits at bay. (InDepth).
February 1, 2002... The new era of digital content delivery has elicited both opportunity and fear for service providers, as the threat of piracy has content owners reaching for a security blanket. Skittish movie executives and content owners fear the theft...

Timing the shift to PVR: PVR sidecars hitch a ride to today's digital set-top boxes, but will operators roll them out in 2002? (InDepth).(personal video recording)
February 1, 2002... Across the board, cable operators are looking to roll out new services in 2002 that can add even more to their bottom line, and maximize the networks and infrastructure they've busily been upgrading in recent years. One of the more...