02/01, 4:25pm
Senate to hold hearing on Verizon spectrum buy
Verizon's $3.6 billion purchase of AWS spectrum is now also attracting the attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee. A hearing will likely occur sometime in March, a staffer revealed, though who will be called to testify hasn't yet been shared. Rivals, such as Sprint, are calling for other elements of the contract to be scrutinized due to fears that the deal will result in an unfair advantage for Verizon.
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01/17, 4:35pm
World IPv6 Day to launch standard is June 6
The IPv6 Internet addressing standard will get a more formal launch by its backers on June 6, which is being devoted World IPv6 Day. Seven global ISPs will back the new standard then, including AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner. Also onboard are heavily trafficked websites, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft's Bing, as well as hardware makers Cisco and D-Link.
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01/15, 6:05pm
Hulu starts up own online-only TV series
Hulu followed in Netflix's footsteps Sunday by launching its first fictional, original TV series. Battleground covers a fictional political campaign in Wisconsin and is produced by JD Walsh, 500 Days of Summer's Marc Webb, and Hagai Shaham. It should be followed up by more documentaries, including a second season of Morgan Spurlock's A Day in the Life and Richard Linklater's new Up to Speed.
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01/10, 2:45pm
Initial access limited to Denver, Nashville
Comcast has begun an initial rollout of its AnyPlay TV service for the iPad. The technology allows Comcast subscribers to watch live TV over their home Wi-Fi network, regardless of what someone may be watching on a TV in another room. On top of the Wi-Fi restriction, though, the option is currently available only to Xfinity HD Triple Play subscribers, and just those in Denver and Nashville.
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01/07, 6:40pm
Comcast preps Skype cam for cable hardware
Comcast is preparing its own webcam for Skype video calls that could bypass the usual computing link. Both an FCC filing noted by Wireless Goodness as well as a leak to Engadget have pointed to the camera, called Astro, attaching to a cable set-top box with an HDMI passthrough for other sources. It could work audio-only or with text and would support picture-in-picture to avoid completely interrupting an ongoing show.
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01/04, 4:10pm
Comcast and Disney sign new 10-year TV, web deal
Cable provider Comcast has renewed its distribution deal with Disney, signing on for another 10 years. Programming from ABC, ESPN and 68 other channels or services is included in the deal, as is streaming to portable devices such as notebooks, iPhones and iPads through dedicated apps. Under the deal, Comcast will pay more money to Disney with each successive year as license fee schedules are introduced over time, which will more than likely translate to increased bills for Xfinity users.
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12/20, 5:50pm
Claims infringement on 12 VoIP patents
Sprint has filed lawsuits Monday against Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, and Cable One. The complaints against the four were filed separately in a Kansas City federal court. The US' third largest wireless carrier alleges that each cable provider infringed on 12 patents that it holds for digital voice calls sent over landlines.
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12/20, 5:05pm
DOJ worried about collusion on Verizon spectrum
The Department of Justice on Tuesday said it was investigating Verizon's plans to buy cable companies' wireless spectrum. The agency was investigating whether or not taking the usually 1,700MHz space from Bright House, Comcast, Cox, and Time Warner Cable raised competitive problems. Officials are reportedly concerned that the deal amounted to collusion rather than fostering competition.
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12/16, 1:15pm
Cox joins other cable firms in boosting Verizon 4G
Cox on Friday joined other cable companies in selling spectrum to Verizon. The deal, worth $315 million, will give it licenses for 20MHz of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) space in areas that cover about 28 million Americans. The two will echo earlier deals in letting each sell the other's home and business services, and Cox would have the option of selling cellphone service at wholesale prices.
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12/07, 4:40pm
Old me.com, .mac accounts not getting messages
Some emails sent to me.com or .mac addresses are going missing, according to complaints on Apple's support forums. In particular messages sent from Comcast but predominantly RoadRunner domains are either arriving as much as a day late, or disappearing entirely. The affected domains are also scattered across the country rather than located in a particular region. Unexpectedly, forwarding a message from one account to another may work without issues.
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12/06, 1:50pm
Comcast not planning to intro usage-based billing
At a UBS conference on Monday, Comcast executives made it public that the company isn't exploring moving to a metered Internet access billing system. The company is seeing decreases in video subscribers, but more customers are subscribing to its broadband services. The company believes changing its pricing model would have a negative effect on its high-speed data subscriber growth.
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12/05, 4:50pm
Comcast, TWC will sell Verizon mobile hardware
As part of the recent AWS spectrum sale from cable providers to Verizon, Comcast will begin selling Verizon's mobile devices early next year. At the same time, Comcast will compete with Verizon in markets where it sells its FiOS TV and Internet service, said Comcast Cable president Neil Smit. Time Warner Cable will also sell Verizon products in bundled packages, though it will do so nearly immediately.
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12/05, 12:30am
Microsoft outlines launch plans for X360 live TV
In sync with the fall Xbox 360 Dashboard update, Microsoft has provided a listing of TV providers that will be ready to go this week. Along with existing access to ESPN, Hulu, and Netflix, the December 6 update will also bring EPIX authenticated video in the US, Lovefilm in the UK, MediaSet's Premium Play in Italy, Sky Go in Austria and Germany, Telefonica España's Movistar Imagenio, and MSNBC's Today in the US.
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12/02, 4:40pm
Comcast, TWC to replace Clearwire with Verizon
As part of the very recent $3.6 billion spectrum sale to Verizon, the communications provider will wholesale its spectrum to Time Warner Cable and Comcast, CNET found. It will replace Clearwire in this respect, as it's one of the conditions of the multi-billion dollar sale. Verizon will be the exclusive partner of the two providers, Time Warner Cable spokesperson Alexander Dudley said. The transition will be done over the course of the next six months, and TWC and Comcast will need to move their existing customers elsewhere.
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11/09, 5:50pm
Pilot begins to address IP address shortage
Comcast has begun piloting technical trials for its implementation of the IPv6 Internet addressing standard. The new standard has been defined and created to overcome a looming shortage of IP addresses that form the foundation of the Internet. The initial pilot will take place in selected California markets.
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10/31, 10:00pm
FCC picks Pai and Rosenworcel for FCC spots
The Obama administration late Monday nominated replacements for outgoing FCC commissioners Meredith Atwell Baker and Michael Copps that will keep the 3-2 split in favor of Democrats. Baker will be replaced by Ajit Varadaraj Pai, a Republican partner at law firm Jenner & Block as well as a veteran of the FCC general counsel. Copps will be replaced by Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, is currently Senator Rockefeller's telecom counsel and one of Copps' former aides.
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10/14, 7:30pm
E-mails tie copyright officials to RIAA deal
E-mails made available thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (pdf) and unearthed by Wired reveal high-ranking Obama administration officials were actively involved in secret negotiations between Hollywood, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and ISPs. The three sides were found collaborating on plans to disrupt web access for users who are suspected of violating copyright law. The e-mails included executives and lobbyists from the likes of companies like AT&T and Universal Music, among many others.
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10/07, 1:55pm
Xfinity to expand to more consoles, connected TVs
Comcast will bring its Xfinity video-on-demand service to consoles other than just the Xbox 360 as well as other TVs and set-tops. These include Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3, as well as LG and Samsung TVs along with the Roku media hub. Comcast Converged Products president Sam Schwartz revealed these plans at a panel on Thursday.
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10/06, 8:10pm
Universal to trial $60 rental of Tower Heist
Comcast, the parent company of Universal Pictures, is testing a new premium home movie rental concept that will see customers being able to rent a film that is currently screening only in theaters. However, there will be a catch for the privilege – a $60 price tag. The test will center on the new Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist that is due November 4.
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10/05, 12:45pm
Xbox 360 live TV goes available worldwide
Microsoft as repeatedly rumored has kicked off its Xbox 360 live TV option. Cable and fiber TV providers such as AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, as well as individual TV stations such as Bravo, Epix, HBO, and SyFy, are all promising apps for the new Xbox Dashboard to watch TV online. Most if not all of the services will require that viewers authenticate to get access and will still need to have traditional TV.
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10/04, 10:15pm
Xbox 360 Comcast and Verizon deal
Microsoft's Xbox 360 live TV option is being unveiled on Wednesday, a late-breaking scoop identified. As expected, providers like Comcast and Verizon will let users pipe video directly to the Xbox, either from the cable itself or through the Internet, AllThingsD found. Viewers will have to authenticate like they do for HBO Go or other cable-owned services, though, as legacy carriers try to shelter themselves from cord-cutting.
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09/30, 4:45pm
Hulu owners may back out of sale after low bids
Earlier rumors of Hulu going back on its decision to sell itself off are proving true, two sources have told SAI. The bids, while they are still rolling in, aren't as high as initially hoped. Hulu's parent companies are reportedly looking for $2 billion for the online service.
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09/29, 2:05pm
Xbox 360 to bring TV content as soon as next week
The latest update in Microsoft's bid to bring TV content to Xbox 360 Live has the new content arriving on its game console subscription service as early as next week. Microsoft is engaged in talks on the matter with many content providers and cable companies, with Comcast and Verizon chief among them. A source who couldn't speak publicly revealed these details.
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09/23, 4:55pm
Leak shows Comcast AnyPlay Service for tablets
Comcast's long-referenced plans for live iPad TV are getting close, a leaked guide showed Friday afternoon. The option, now christened AnyPlay, will stream live TV over an iPad or certain other tablets as long as they're on Wi-Fi in the home, MacRumors saw. Viewers will need a special Motorola set-top box to watch, though, and will be limited to one tablet at a time for a maximum of ten registered tablets.
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09/23, 2:10pm
FCC net neutrality rules go live November 20
The net neutrality rules introduced by the FCC last year are going to take effect on November 20, the agency confirmed. It's expected the rules will result in multiple legal and congressional arguments. The rules don't allow broadband providers to block legal content and also require that they be honest about network management techniques like throttling.
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09/22, 10:35pm
Apple backs DDP calls for warrant-based searching
Apple and Dropbox took rare political stances Thursday by joining Digital Due Process. The coalition, which includes technology firms like Comcast and eBay as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation, is primarily interested in toughening laws barring law enforcement from snooping on computers and mobile devices without a warrant. Recent campaigns have focused on modernizing the ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act), a 1986 bill that doesn't account for many modern Internet components.
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09/20, 4:35pm
Comcast begins offering $10 Internet plan in DC
When Comcast bought NBC Universal, it volunteered to offer $10-per-month broadband to any household that makes less than $24,000 per year for three years. The offer has just been launched in the Ballou High School in the District of Columbia, where FCC chairman Julius Genachowski was present. The Internet Essential Program includes 1.5Mbps download speeds and 384kbps upload speeds.
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09/19, 1:35pm
Xbox 360 traditional TV due on Comcast, FiOS
Microsoft's live Xbox 360 TV plans may be much more conventional, insiders tipped on Monday. In a possible disappointment for owners, the company is reportedly talking to Comcast and Verizon about getting the normally cable- and fiber optic-based services piped directly to the Xbox. Digiday understood it would avoid the need for a set-top box.
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08/25, 2:10pm
ESPN app now ready for Xbox Live
Microsoft mid-Thursday took its ESPN Xbox 360 app live. The portal gives Xbox Live Gold members access to live college football and certain other sports normally shown on ESPN3. Viewers can watch up to two games at a time and voice control with Kinect if they have the camera controller.
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08/22, 7:50am
Comcast XFINITY gets iOS update, BB support
Comcast has announced that it has developed a version of its XFINITY app (free, XFINITY site) for BlackBerry devices. The app allows BlackBerry users to schedule programs remotely, as well as stay connected to XFINITY voice- and e-mail. Comcast has also announced that it has updated its XFINITY app (free, iTunes) for the iPad and iPhone.
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08/19, 8:20am
Sprint may acquire Clearwire for LTE expansion
Sprint may buy outstanding shares in Clearwire to build out its 4G LTE network more quickly, according to Bloomberg sources. Sprint is said to be in talks with cable companies include Comcast to raise the capital to buy out equity in Clearwire that it doesn’t already own. Although a deal is not said to be imminent, Sprint, which is currently losing money, is keen to invest around $600 million to upgrade its network in order to become more competitive with Verizon and AT&T.
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08/14, 10:35pm
TWC to reduce competition with Insight deal
Time Warner is about to try and consolidate the cable industry further by buying Insight, a last-minute leak brought out Sunday night. The deal would buy Insight out from the Carlyle Groupe for $3 billion and absorb the cable provider's debts. Final bidding had wrapped up at the start of the July, WSJ said, and the new deal was just Insight reaching a promised target of picking a winning buyer within a month's time.
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08/02, 12:05pm
Agency sees big improvement since 2009 survey
A report issued today by the Federal Communications Commission shows broadband speeds in the U.S. are now significantly closer to what Internet service providers advertise than they were in 2009. The report found that actual download speeds provided by the majority of U.S. broadband providers were within 80 percent or better of companies' advertised speeds. In 2009, download speeds were more often around 50 percent of the advertised rate.
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07/26, 7:45pm
Fox demands 8-day delay on Hulu shows
Fox on Tuesday night set out to shelter traditional TV with a long hinted-at plan to delay TV shows on Hulu for non-subscribers. Free viewers will face an eight-day delay for access to Fox TV shows unless they either pay for Hulu Plus or can prove they subscribe to a conventional TV service. Only satellite provider Dish Network is so far cleared to give users same-day access in the strategy, which starts up August 15.
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07/26, 3:55pm
Ads already present in trial markets
Comcast and NBC have announced a new initiative that will bring advertisements into on-demand television programming. The companies have partnered to develop dynamic ad injections, enabling advertisers to change between different advertisements or engage local markets. Most of the existing advertisements in on-demand programs are said to be permanently placed for the entire duration of the show's availability.
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07/21, 8:00pm
Apple included in early Hulu bidding rounds
Apple is one of those considering making a bid for Hulu, a pair of sources claimed Thursday. The company is supposedly in "early talks" that could lead to a buyout if all went well. It wasn't clear from Bloomberg tips what stage of the bidding process Apple had reached or how serious Apple's intentions were.
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07/20, 11:05am
Amazon and CBS deal dampens Hulu buy rumor
Amazon.com and CBS Corporation on Wednesday announced they have entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement that will let Amazon Prime customers stream CBS TV shows. The deal will see 2,000 additional episodes from 18 CBS TV shows such as The Tudors, Cheers, and the complete Star Trek series collection, among others. Also, later this summer, regular Amazon Instant Video customers will get access to dozens of CBS shows.
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07/19, 5:25pm
May offer up to $2 billion
Yahoo's interest in purchasing Hulu may be reigniting. SAI reports that if Hulu's current owners are willing to guarantee four or five years of exclusive access to content, then Yahoo might be interested in paying up to $2 billion for the streaming content provider. Neither Hulu, its owners, or Yahoo have commented.
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07/11, 4:35pm
Comcast updates Xfinity TV tablet, iPhone apps
Comcast just announced that its Xfinity TV app is now available for Android 3.0-powered tablets such as Motorola's Xoom. The free app allows Comcast cable subscribers to browse TV listings by area and browse On Demand libraries as well as search either database. The Xoom is guaranteed to support the app, but other Android 3.1 tablets with a 1280x800 resolution should also support the new app.
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07/10, 8:55pm
Netflix and Hulu mutually uninterested in deal
New tips Sunday ruled out Netflix as one of the candidates to buy Hulu. The movie streaming service hasn't been actively involved, sources for the WSJ said. Hulu also reportedly hasn't been actively interested, in part since it would create overlap and reduce the number of suppliers, not increase them.
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07/07, 6:45pm
Some US ISPs confirm copyright alert plans
Internet providers on Thursday formally revealed their pacts with the MPAA and RIAA to curb piracy. The new strategy (below) used by AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Verizon, and others will first send "educational messages" to an Internet account if a music or video producer sends a notice of an alleged copyright infringement. If a content producer detects another incident, the notice will require a click through receipt that will prove they had received a warning and which could theoretically be used to sue the account holder for knowingly ignoring any warnings.
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07/05, 5:25pm
Hulu talks to Amazon, ATT, Verizon, more
Hulu's shopping itself around also includes Amazon, AT&T, and Verizon, insiders revealed Tuesday. The companies are part of a "short list" that included Microsoft as its first stop last week and will include Yahoo and Google next. AllThingsD's sources didn't learn how Microsoft had reacted but also heard Hulu will bring up the idea to Facebook, Liberty Media, Netflix, and Samsung.
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06/27, 6:25pm
Hulu content to stay exclusive after sale, more
More details regarding the upcoming and expected sale of Hulu have been dug up by AllThingsD. Hulu's content partners, including known deals for Disney and Fox, have extended their licenses and these will stay in place after a sale of the video streaming company. Comcast/NBCUniversal will be forced to follow these partners, and the content from the three will be mainly exclusive to Hulu.
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06/27, 4:40pm
Netflix gives US users ability to choose quality
Netflix has now began offering US subscribers a video quality management feature in order to help them choose how much bandwidth their watching habits consume. This follows a similar move in Canada, where more Internet subscribers have caps that limit how much bandwidth users get per month. Unlike in Canada, however, most US ISPs don't charge for overages on a per-gigabyte basis, but rather throttle speeds of those who go over.
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06/23, 10:05am
ISPs may take graduated response under RIAA heat
American Internet service providers were reported late Wednesday as near giving into pressure from the MPAA and RIAA into adopting a graduated response system to alleged piracy. AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and others are believed to be near deals that could be made public in July that would toughen responses with each successive discovery. The White House as well as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association were claimed by CNET to have helped broker the deal.
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06/16, 4:00pm
Motorola's Jha says cellphone won't end cable soon
Motorola Mobility chief Sanjay Jha during his time on stage at the Cable Show on Thursday downplayed the prospect that cellular data would kill cable Internet or TV anytime soon. In part referring to Comcast's gigabit cable demo at the same session, Jha didn't believe that every Internet need could be handled by cellular alone. Technologies like LTE-based 4G, which can hit 50Mbps peak in the real world, wouldn't have enough bandwidth to handle 1080p video or other very network-intense tasks.
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06/16, 12:15pm
Comcast CEO demos 1Gbps Internet at Cable Show
Comcast chief Brian Roberts during his turn on stage at the Cable Show on Thursday showed an example of the practical possibilities of cable modem Internet access in the future. Using a 1.08Gbps testbed, the executive successfully downloaded a 23-episode season of 30 Rock in about 99 seconds. The best current cable Internet access in the US tops out at about 100Mbps.
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06/15, 8:20am
Bloomberg complains against Comcast-NBC deal
News company Bloomberg has filed a complaint with the FCC regarding the deal Comcast made with NBC Universal. It argues the largest cable operator in the country violated terms of the deal by moving the financial news TV network to Siberia, which is far away from existing news networks such as MSNBC, CNBC and Fox. This mirrors earlier objections, which state that Comcast may use its power to favor its own channels instead of rivals, including Bloomberg TV.
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06/15, 6:35am
Comcast, Intel, and Pace partner on new STB
Comcast has partnered with Intel and Pace to develop a new hybrid Xfinity TV set-top-box. The device gets its “hybrid” title as it blends several technologies including tru2way and IP capabilities. It will allow users to experience cloud-base TV, live TV, On Demand and DVR all through one STB.
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06/14, 12:35pm
Skype service to be enabled via adaptor box
Comcast has announced that its cable subscribers will soon be able to take advantage of Skype's video calling services. Users will be able to make and receive Skype video and audio calls directly from a television, even while watching shows. An onscreen notification will also provide caller ID information for incoming calls, while calls can be seamlessly transferred from the TV system to a smartphone or tablet running the Xfinity Mobile app.
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