Welcome to today's broadband and cable news roundup.
Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) is seeking a partnership with Dish Network LLC (Nasdaq: DISH) that would let the satellite TV giant offer its own brand of mobile services over the Sprint network, Bloomberg reports. In exchange, Sprint would obtain access to Dish's wireless spectrum and give Dish the opportunity to enter the mobile phone and data business without having to build its own wireless network. But everything's on hold as Dish waits for a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote on Wednesday (Dec. 12) that reportedly will allow the company to use 40MHz of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS)-4 spectrum in the 2GHz band without having to support its satellite-based access requirements. Dish has already agreed to release 5MHz of that spectrum for use as a guard band with the adjacent H-block, which Sprint is eyeing for its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. (See Dish's Wireless Fate to Be Sealed Next Week and Dish's Wireless Plans Could Get 'Crippled'.)
Media streaming firm Videon Central Inc. has licensedComcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)'s Reference Design Kit (RDK), a pre-integrated software bundle for hybrid QAM/IP set-tops and gateways and IP-only video client devices. Videon said the license will enable it to offer software products and services to its semiconductor and consumer electronics customers. (See Comcast's Set-Top Accelerator Gains Traction .)
Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Comcast-owned NBC Sports Group have struck a joint content and promotions deal covering the Web and regular television. The deal includes provisions to develop original video programs for the Web and the rights for Yahoo! Sports to offer live streams from NBC's top live sporting events, including Sunday Night Football. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) and CEO Reed Hastings received a "Wells Notice" from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)threatening civil action over alleged disclosure violations about five months after Hastings posted on Facebook that the company's streaming totals "exceeded 1 billion hours" in June. Hastings maintained in an SEC statement that the disclosure was not material, that a posting to more than 200,000 people on Facebook is "very public," and that Netflix is optimistic that it will quickly clear up the matter. Netflix stock spiked more than 6 percent after the post on July 3, but Hastings argues that shares were rising before that, and "likely driven" by a positive research report from Citigroup the evening before. (See Netflix Sets Streaming Record .)
HBO CTO Bob Zitter is retiring on March 31, 2013, after more than three decades with the premium programmer, reports Multichannel News, noting that the cable pioneer will continue to serve the company as a consultant "for several months afterward" as a yet-to-be-named successor moves into the role. Among his achievements, Zitter oversaw HBO's digital transition in 1992, its move into HDTV in 1999 and he was the technical lead for HBO's jump into video-on-demand and multi-screen, TV Everywhere services. He joined HBO in 1981, and was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2006.
Seen some debate on both sides regarding whether Reed Hastings violated disclosure rules with that FB post. Breaking a streaming record could be construed as material, so does posting something on FB qualify as a public disclosure? Should it qualify as such as more investors look for news on social networks? JB
My question on how big of a deal was in reference to the item on the Netflix/Facebook disclosure fiasco, but, yes, a Dish-Sprint hook-up will be a very big deal, if they can get it pulled together, and that Clearwire/LTE connection is an interesting component that we've been covering right along.
But Sprint has teamed up with others before, notably the cable guys, and those multiple efforts just didn't pan out, so we'd have to see if Dish could reverse that trend...if such a partnership happens, of course. JB
The 'gleaming city on a hill,' Steve Saunders calls it. But who is going to take us from today's NFV componentry to the grand future of a self-driving network? Here's a look at the vendors hoping to make it happen.
With the mobile ecosystem becoming increasingly vulnerable to security threats, AdaptiveMobile has laid out some of the key considerations for the wireless community.
Understanding the full experience of women in technology requires starting at the collegiate level (or sooner) and studying the technologies women are involved with, company cultures they're part of and personal experiences of individuals.
During this WiC radio show, we will talk with Nicole Engelbert, the director of Research & Analysis for Ovum Technology and a 23-year telecom industry veteran, about her experiences and perspectives on women in tech. Engelbert covers infrastructure, applications and industries for Ovum, but she is also involved in the research firm's higher education team and has helped colleges and universities globally leverage technology as a strategy for improving recruitment, retention and graduation performance.
She will share her unique insight into the collegiate level, where women pursuing engineering and STEM-related degrees is dwindling. Engelbert will also reveal new, original Ovum research on the topics of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, security and augmented reality, as well as discuss what each of those technologies might mean for women in our field. As always, we'll also leave plenty of time to answer all your questions live on the air and chat board.
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The 'gleaming city on a hill,' Steve Saunders calls it. But who is going to take us from today's NFV componentry to the grand future of a self-driving network? Here's a look at the vendors hoping to make it happen.
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