Also: Google Fiber hitting 600Mbit/s-plus; US cable dominates broadband adds in Q3; TWC faces modem fee lawsuits; ThinkAnalytics keeps rolling

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

November 14, 2012

3 Min Read
Dish Ups the Ante Against Broadcasters

Welcome to the broadband and cable news roundup, Hump Day edition.

  • Dish Network LLC (Nasdaq: DISH) is close to releasing an over-the-air (OTA) TV module that's compatible with its new Hopper HD-DVR. The move would give Dish a tactical weapon it can wield against broadcasters as the sides fight in court about AutoHop, a Hopper feature that lets users skip commercials in recorded TV shows. Among the broadcasters, CBS has threatened to pull its signal if Dish continues to support the ad-zapping feature, so an OTA module would appear at least to give Dish some negotiation leverage. SatelliteGuys got an early look at the module, noting that they were able to pick up about 30 digital TV stations with it, but that some of the guide data for OTA channels were "spotty at best." SatelliteGuys adds that the module is set to sell for $30. Dish has some basic info posted about the product here. We've asked Dish to confirm pricing and when it expects to start selling the OTA module to Hopper customers. (See Dish, Broadcasters Go to War Over Ad-Zapper and Dish Sticks It to the Broadcasters .)

    Update: A Dish spokesman confirmed that the OTA tuner does sell for $30 and can be purchased at MyDish.com. He added that the necessary software to operate the module should have already been pushed to Hopper receivers. Customers will still have to purchase exterior or interior digital OTA antennas on their own to complete the set-up.

    Here's an illustration of how the module connects with the Hopper via a USB interface:



  • Mike Demarais, an entrepreneur and one of Google Fiber's first customers, says he's seeing consistent speeds of 600 Mbit/s to 700 Mbit/s, reports Ars Technica. Google Fiber started to install customers in the Hannover Heights section of Kansas City, Kan., on Tuesday. (See Google Fiber Starts to Hook Up Customers .)

  • The top 17 U.S. cable operators and telcos added 580,000 net new broadband subs in the third quarter, 8 percent down compared with a year ago, says Leichtman Research Group Inc. (LRG) . Cable, however, brought in the lion's share (575,000) versus just 5,000 from the telcos, primarily because of DSL subscriber erosion. AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) combined for 749,000 new U-verse and FiOS customers in the quarter, while they reported a collective loss of 799,000 DSL subs.

  • Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is facing class-action suits in New Jersey and New York over claims that the MSO violated its own terms of service by not providing enough notice (at least 30 days) about its new cable modem leasing fees, reports The Consumerist. (See TW Cable Could Reap $300M From Modem Fee.)

  • ThinkAnalytics Ltd. , a maker of video search and recommendation software for set-tops and connected devices, says its customer base of TV operators has jumped 75 percent in the past six months, from 20 to 35. It's not naming all the new ones, though Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY) is among them. ThinkAnalytics claims its technology now reaches 80 million licensed subscribers worldwide. (See Brits Rev Up Recommendation Engine.)

  • Sky Angel has hit C-SPAN with an antitrust suit, claiming that the MSO-backed programmer withdrew programming in 2009 after the Naples, Fla.-based company began to deliver subscription TV services over broadband. Sky Angel, which runs an over-the-top service called FAVE-TV, has already filed a program-access complaint against Discovery Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) Sky Angel is asking for an injunction that would give it access to C-SPAN for ten years.

    — Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable



About the Author(s)

Jeff Baumgartner

Senior Editor, Light Reading

Jeff Baumgartner is a Senior Editor for Light Reading and is responsible for the day-to-day news coverage and analysis of the cable and video sectors. Follow him on X and LinkedIn.

Baumgartner also served as Site Editor for Light Reading Cable from 2007-2013. In between his two stints at Light Reading, he led tech coverage for Multichannel News and was a regular contributor to Broadcasting + Cable. Baumgartner was named to the 2018 class of the Cable TV Pioneers.

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