STMicroelectronics NV (NYSE: STM) is taking on the market's dominant Docsis 3.0 chip suppliers, Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) and Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC). STMicro, which offers Docsis 2.0 chip market for modems and set-tops, is demonstrating its first D3 wares at this week's IBC show in Amsterdam. Its first showing bonds 16 downstream channels and four upstreams -- enough for respective data bursts of 800Mbit/s and 108Mbit/s using 8MHz-wide EuroDocsis channels. That's already a step behind the 24/8 configuration for Intel's Puma 6. STMicro hasn't revealed any OEM partners or when it will shoot for CableLabs certification, but the company envisions its chip living inside cable set-tops, headed and headless gateways and standalone cable modems. A STMicro spokesman says the company intends to launch its first Docsis 3.0 SoC, based on a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, in early 2013. (See Broadcom's Next D3 Chip Will Leapfrog Intel and Intel's New Docsis 3.0 Chip Guns for 1-Gig .)

Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) aims to unclog potential Wi-Fi bottlenecks as it adds 802.11ac to its BCM3383 Docsis 3.0 chipset for cable gateways. D3 is on a path toward 1Gbit/s, so Broadcom's trying to match it up with dual-band Wi-Fi technology that can keep up with the speeds entering the home.

Suddenlink Communications has launched its 107Mbit/s (downstream) service in several West Virginia communities, including Boone, Cabell, Putnam and Kanawha. Suddenlink declined to say how much of its footprint now has the speedy tier, but it's been gradually getting it out in parts of Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Missouri. (See Suddenlink Widens 107-Meg Reach .)

Google Fiber has yet to add ESPN to its coming subscription TV service for the Kansas Cities, but it has managed to secure carriage for the NFL Network and NFL RedZone, a part-time channel that zips viewers from game to game on Sundays. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is selling RedZone for $40 for the season, or $10 per month.

Synacor Inc. has introduced a Cloud ID feature that lets consumers sign in for TV Everywhere services using their logins from social networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) has unveiled a new logo for its overarching Optimum service moniker and has launched its first branding campaign in almost a decade. The new logo will be showing up everywhere, of course -- on trucks and employee uniforms, and in print ads, customer materials and video spots. But give Cablevision some credit for not taking itself too seriously. At least it acknowledges that new logos and taglines aren't akin to jars of pixie dust that can magically fix everything:



— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable