| This week's sponsor is Alcatel-Lucent. | 
| Webinar: Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience?
Wednesday, August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
Meeting customer expectations has never been more challenging than it is today. Learn how Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess™ Wireless LAN switch family and Access Point product line can help you deliver the Wi-Fi solution your customers want and create new revenue streams. Register Today! |
Editor's Corner:  Chromecast might spur TV, broadband competition Also Noted: Spotlight On... Netflix not a TV cannibal, says TiVo Research
Arris joins MoCA board; TalkTalk adds 160K subs and much more... Special Report:
 Operators team with programmers and rivals to drive local ad revenue
Battles between cable operators and networks over the cost of programming continue to increase each year. But behind the scenes, many operators are teaming up with cable networks and even rivals like AT&T, Verizon and DirecTV to sell local cable advertising--a business that generated $2.7 billion in revenue in 2012, according to the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau. Read more
(Image source: Discovery) Follow @FierceIPTV on Twitter! News From the Fierce Network:
1. Outside TV snares distribution deal with NCTC
2. Alcatel-Lucent's IP division revenues rise 25 percent to $824M
3. Comcast HITS expands HD channel lineup without using more bandwidth
More headlines...
| This week's sponsor is Kony. |  | White Paper: Mobilizing the Entire Enterprise
"Mobility" as a catch-phrase is popping up on every CTO's radar. But what does it mean to "mobilize" your business? Learn how to optimize IT investments for better business performance and make the most of all that mobility promises. Download Now.
|
| 
Chromecast might spur TV, broadband competition
It's difficult to gauge the effect Google Chromecast will have on the IPTV space. The product--essentially a $35 dongle for HDTVs that lets users connect to some Internet content via their broadband connections--sold out in less than 24 hours, so it's something people want. But will those dongle doers put the 'Cast on the TV and take the IPTV HDMI out? Probably not. Don't get me wrong: Chromecast looks like a neat product. It comes from Google which, no matter how you look at it, is pretty much synonymous with Internet search (sorry Bing) and certainly well known to the legions of Android smartphone and tablet users. Truth be told, if I had $35 and reliable in-home Wi-Fi I'd probably take a flier on the thing--if I could find a place to buy it. Whether I'd disconnect my pay TV service, though, is a more elemental matter that should be making pay TV execs across the cable and telco TV space just a bit jittery. Hopefully, Google Chromecast will disrupt the dog days of summer and make competitive wireline providers like Verizon FiOS jittery enough to expand my TV options from satellite or Comcast. It was interesting that Google introduced Chromecast at about the same time the FCC issued a report that said--incorrectly, I believe--that there's plenty of TV competition in the U.S. and that, while things could get a little better, life's pretty good.  Continue reading this Editor's Corner online
Read more about: Wireline, Google Chromecast
back to top |
|
| Sponsor: Ineoquest FierceLive! Webinars > Assuring Customers' Multiscreen and OTT Video Viewing Experience- August 19, 2013, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
> Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience? - August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
Events > TIA 2013 - October 8-10 - Washington D.C.
Marketplace > Whitepaper: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time
> Whitepaper: eBook: Smarter Service: The Contact Center of the Future
> Whitepaper: How HR Is Solving the Puzzle of Leave Management
> Whitepaper: Touch Technology Extends Mobile Gaming
Jobs > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications
> Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications
> Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications
> Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications
> SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications
> Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications
> SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications
> Commercial Development Executive – Anywhere – WhistleOut
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs
* Post a classified ad: Click here.
* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. AT&T exec: U-verse success shows Project VIP will succeed
The ongoing success of U-verse broadband and IPTV is an indicator that AT&T (NYSE: T) will succeed with its multibillion-dollar wireless/wireline broadband expansion, Project VIP, John Stephens, senior executive vice president and CFO said during prepared remarks about the company's second quarter earnings. During the second quarter, U-verse IPTV added 233,000 subscribers and now, like Verizon (NYSE: VZ) FiOS, has more than 5 million total subs. U-verse broadband did even better, adding 641,000 subscribers to a total universe that now covers 9.4 million users. "U-verse is now a nearly $12 billion annualized revenue stream, not bad for a business that was just started seven years ago. And it also shows clearly that we know how to build and scale new businesses as we move forward with Project VIP," Stephens told analysts. It's a good thing U-verse is doing so well because the historic wireline business continues to slide and the commercial wireline business--outside of U-verse--was again battered by a "challenging" economy that is "not providing any assistance to our efforts here," Stephens said. Again, though, he said U-verse is helping out. "The one encouraging piece is … how well our teams have done in beginning to put U-verse or high-speed broadband into our small business space," Stephens continued. U-verse will be a direct beneficiary of Project VIP which is, on the surface, intended to drive wireless broadband to all areas of the AT&T footprint and below the surface to improve wireline broadband. In both instances, AT&T is planning to use the improved broadband connections to feed high-speed data and IPTV customers either via wires or wireless. "Our network upgrades are on track and we expect to boost top U-verse speeds up to 45 megs per second in the next few months," Stephens said. "And we are moving towards speeds of 75 megs and 100 megs in the near future." The carrier added about 500,000 U-verse video consumer locations during the first quarter of the year to go with 1.3 million U-verse broadband-only locations. "This gives us more than 50 million U-verse broadband customer locations across our wireline footprint," Stephens said, noting that AT&T is "on track to hit our goal of reaching approximately 75 percent of our customer locations within our wireline footprint with wired high-speed broadband by the end of 2015. Without providing specific numbers, AT&T, in its earnings release, said that U-verse posted consumer and business revenues that were 30.1 percent higher year-over-year and 9 percent sequentially. These helped offset losses and resulted in total wireline revenues that were down 0.9 percent year-over-year and 0.8 percent seasonally. U-verse, the carrier said, accounts for 51 percent of the $5.6 billion in consumer revenues derived from residential customers. A year ago that was 41 percent and "two years ago U-verse was less than a third of consumer," Stephens concluded. For more:
- AT&T issued this earnings press release
- and Morningstar has this earnings call transcript Special Report: Wireline telecom earnings in the second quarter of 2013 Related articles:
FCC: Cable operators lost 2.5M subs from 2010 to 2012
Verizon FiOS hits 5 million subscriber mark as consumer revenues climb Read more about: AT&T earnings, IPTV
back to top |
| This week's sponsor is Ineoquest. |  | Webinar: Assuring Customers’ Multiscreen and OTT Video Viewing Experience
Monday August 19th, 2pm ET/ 11am PT
This webinar is intended to provide a general description and recommended practices for monitoring adaptive streaming video networks, provide an opportunity to understand how many others have successfully deployed a video service assurance solution for multiscreen and OTT video. Register to attend the webinar. |
2. Google's Chromecast TV offering a hit with reviewers, customers
Apparently there was a lot of pent-up demand for Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chromecast, the $35 streaming stick that plugs into HDTVs and lets users grab online content like YouTube, Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) and other streaming services and puts it on TV. The product sold out at both Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and BestBuy.com less than 24 hours after it was introduced, according to a story in Variety. Even Google's own Google Play store listed a wait time of three to four weeks for shipping. It's understandable because the product, introduced July 24 by the search engine giant in San Francisco, is well worth the money, a product review in Slashgear said, pointing out that the product might prove a third time charm for a company that flailed away with Google TV and the Nexus Q. "With the Chromecast … it's hard not to be swayed," reviewer Vince Nguven wrote. "Yes, only a few native apps have Cast options yet, but the Chromecast is just $35. True, the browser integration can be unstable at times, but the Chromecast is just $35. The whole streaming system might be naïve in places but--in case you've forgotten--the Chromecast is just $35." That price point falls well short of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) TV, which comes in at $99 and is supposedly Google's biggest competitor--outside, of course, traditional pay TV providers. For its part, Google, in a blog item posted by Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps, in laying out the benefits of Chromecast, said the device makes it "even more effortless to enjoy content you care about--whether it's video, music, movies games--wherever you are, across your devices." Google's goal with Chromecast is to "create an easy solution that works for everyone for every TV in the house," Pinchai concluded. It could, reviewer Nguven wrote, live up to that hype. "So instantly popular as to sell out online in minutes and already commanding premium pricing on eBay, the Chromecast could be third time lucky to get Google into the living room," he wrote. For more:
- Google posted this blog item
- Slashgear offered this product review
- and Variety carried this story Related articles:
Google Fiber has the makings of a national network, analysts say
LG expanding Google TV presence into more countries, executive says
Sony said to be mulling own pay TV service in U.S. Read more about: NetFlix
back to top |
3. Media servers drive positive Pace results, revenues hit $1.38B
It's probably safe to say that Pace Plc (LSE: PIC.L) has recovered from the problems that caused turmoil within the company's product lines and a management shakeup a couple years ago.  | | Pulli (Image source: Pace) | The British set-top box maker, ostensibly the world's leader in the set-top space, rode strong North American demand for media servers to a 31 percent increase in first half revenues to $1.38 billion versus $1 billion a year ago and said that demand for the products is now moving into Europe as well. Revenue from North America was up 62 percent to $839 million, driven by demand for media servers and set-top boxes from DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV), Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and AT&T (NYSE: T), the company reported. It was the third consecutive half of strong cash generation, CEO Mike Pulli said in an earnings release. In addition to revenues, Pace's basic earnings per share were up 221.6 percent to 16.4 cents and adjusted basic EPS was up 72.7 percent to 22.1 cents. Adjusted EBITDA was up 57 percent to $96.7 million and free cash flow was $92 million. "Pace had a strong first half," Pulli said. "Revenue growth in the period was driven largely by the continuing demand for media server products in North America. We continue to make good headway on executing our strategy. Key wins of both integrated Pace solutions and next generation hardware with major customers along with ongoing operational improvements give management confidence that we will make further progress in the second half of 2013 and beyond." In the product space, Pace said it shipped over two million advanced whole-home HD DVRs for DirecTV since its launch in June 2012 and that next-generation devices are now in production. Pace said it was selected by GCI to deploy a TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO)-enabled media server solution and won deals with Liberty Global (Nasdaq: LBTYA) and Get TV, the press release said. "The move to media servers is gaining speed beyond North America," the company noted in a business review. Liberty Global is providing them to "a number of their operations in Europe" and Get TV in Norway launched a whole home solution with the product marking the first media server deployment outside North America. In the telecom space, Pace said that Brazilian telecom GVT selected its VDSL gateways. Pace also reported that the "transformation (of its) supply chain is progressing well (with) 85 percent of volume with … core electronic manufacturing services (EMS) partners." The supply chain took a disastrous hit several years ago when Japan was struck by a major earthquake, disrupting business and, in the end, resulting in a management shakeout that saw Pulli replace Neil Gaydon in the top spot. Overall, Pace said, it is following the guidelines of a 2011 strategic review to "maintain leadership in hardware, widen out into software services and integrated solutions and transform the core economics of the group" and that "progress has been made against these goals in H1 2013 and we are … on track to achieve our medium-term target of 9 percent operating margin in 2015." For more:
- Pace released this first half financial review Special Report: Wireline telecom earnings in the second quarter of 2013 Related articles:
STB maker Pace plunges after its bearish STB outlook for 2011
Media server demand expected to boost Pace revenues
Pace continues to bounce back from disastrous year Read more about: liberty global, Mike Pulli
back to top |
4. Speed limits: California, Nevada get 45 Mbps U-verse; Ikanos copper tests hits 300 Mbps
The effort to use existing copper infrastructure to deliver higher speed broadband to residential and small business customers--and effectively keep up with the cables--was boosted this week when AT&T (NYSE: T) said it was finally starting to deliver 45 Mbps U-verse broadband, and Ikanos said that it's already proven it can deliver 300 Mbps over 200 meters using existing VDSL chipsets. AT&T has been promising higher speeds as part of its multibillion-dollar Project VIP initiative to upgrade and enhance its wireline infrastructure, wringing more speed from existing copper and delivering U-verse services to 57 million customers. Yesterday the carrier said the first customers to get the higher speeds--45 Mbps down, 6 Mbps up, in this instance--would be in California and Nevada, but that the concept and the speed would spread nationwide. Chipmaker Ikanos, meanwhile, offered a glimpse of the future by achieving an aggregate throughput of 300 Mbps over a standard single pair copper cable using existing VDSL chipsets and covering 200 meters. AT&T said it would charge an introductory rate of $49.95 for the higher speeds for up to 24 months for subscribers who bundled the broadband service with qualifying TV and voice services. The carrier also said current U-verse Internet residential customers are eligible to upgrade their package and get $10 off for the next 12 months. "The vast majority of our customers bundle U-verse Internet and TV because it gives them a better experience with faster speeds that fit their needs at an affordable price," said Mel Coker, chief marketing officer for AT&T Solutions in a press release. The 45 Mbps speeds should be only the start for U-verse subscribers who want to go faster. AT&T has said its plans are to upgrade U-verse up to 100 Mbps in the future. That's about a third of the way that Ikanos went with its test. And Ikanos is 30 percent of the way to where ITU's G.fast initiative expects to be in the next year or so. Each speed, though, is relevant for its time and place and consumers shouldn't have to wait, said Kourosh Amiri, vice president of marketing at Ikanos, in a press release. "While G.fast promise of gigabit performance is still on the horizon, our ability to demonstrate hundreds of megabits for lower-port-count short-loop configurations using our currently shipping CPE and CO silicon establishes Ikanos as the leader in the 'pre-G.fast' era as we enable telcos to remain competitive against mounting pressure from MSOs and continue to enhance the consumer DSL broadband experience," Amiri said. For more:
- AT&T issued this press release
- and Ikanos issued this press release Related articles:
ITU puts G.fast on track for 2014 approval
Ikanos pushes 300 Mbps through single pair cable in 'significant step towards G.fast'
Alcatel-Lucent, Telekom Austria demonstrate 1 Gbps over copper in G.fast trial Read more about: 1 Gbps, G.fast
back to top |
5. NBN would spur growth of HbbTV, save Seven West business, exec says
Australia needs to build its National Broadband Network (NBN) to pave the way for Hybrid Broadband Television (HbbTV) and, more importantly, sustain the Seven West's television business, Tim Worner, chief executive of that country's national broadband media business said. HbbTV, he said, accelerates the integration of the Internet and television and the NBN accelerates the growth of HbbTV. Both benefit a Seven West TV business that's being hammered by the growth of TV-killing Internet content. "For our business it's going to be important that the velocity with that particular project is maintained because the more homes that are connected to the NBN, the more opportunities there will be for a company of our size to take advantage of it," Worner said, according to a story in The Australian. The national network, now expected to cost $37.4 billion, has become a political football in Australia with opponents promising a major restructure if elected to office. Whether that restructure slows up or changes the way the network is being deployed could impact Seven West but, Worner said, that's out of his hands. "We can't make it (deployment) go faster or slower with the NBN. We probably don't have much of a say in whether it's copper or fiber, so we're concentrating on what we've got control over and that's being ready to take advantage of it," he said. "I think we are at the start of a brilliant renaissance in television and it's television's would-be murderer--the Internet--that can absolutely power it." That empowerment, he said, would come from instituting HbbTV and blending linear television seamlessly with Australian-created Internet content. "A critical part of our future will be Australian content," he concluded. For more:
- The Australian carried this story Related articles:
Australia NBN contractors, subcontractors battle over pay conditions
NBN Co. meets FTTH deployment goal, but competitors want lower wholesale prices
Australia's NBN Co. purchases iiNet's FTTP network Read more about: NBN, national broadband network
back to top |
Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Netflix not a TV cannibal, says TiVo Research Netflix is many things--including a frontrunner for some Emmy hardware--but it's not a cannibal, according to TiVo Research and Analytics' (TRA) study of traditional TV tuning behaviors of self-identified Netflix subscribers. In news that should sit well with IPTV and other pay TV providers, the research firm indicated that not only does TiVo not cannibalize traditional linear TV viewing, but it might actually enhance the experience for those who love to watch TV. Continue ... More IPTV news from across the web: @FierceIPTV RT @Wired: Why cord cutting may be a false flag for the future of TV. Article | Follow @FierceIPTV > Thanks to its Motorola Mobility Home Business acquisition, Arris, a member since 2008, is now a member of the MoCA board of directors. Story > TalkTalk signed 160,000 new TV subscribers to its YouView service in the most recent quarter to drive the total number of TV customers to 390,000. Story > South Korean communications provider KT launched its HTML5-based IPTV service commercially. Story > Sky launched the NOW TV Box that consumers can use to connect TV sets wirelessly to the Internet and priced it at about $15.37. Story > Singapore IPTV operator mioTV has been ordered by the Minister of Communications and Information to share its English Premier League coverage with rival platform StarHub. Story > The Czech Telecom Office (CTU) authorized national transmission company Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRa) to use the Zizkov transmitter in Prague to trial both pay-TV and Ultra HDTV (4K). Story > Fetch IPTV has added ABC's Australian catch up TV service iview to its lineup. Story Cable News > Time Warner Cable dropped CBS Corp.'s owned-and-operated TV stations and Showtime from its cable systems in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas shortly after midnight Tuesday, but announced less than 30 minutes later that it had restored the feeds. Full article Telecom News > BT may have reported that its first quarter consumer revenues were flat, but it has set a path for future broadband growth with the addition of 197,000 retail fiber-based broadband customers. It ended the period with a total 1.5 million FTTx broadband customers. Full article And finally … Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is making its HyppTV IPTV service available nationwide. Story News From the Fierce Network:
> UPDATED: NimbleTV loses content from Dish Network, refunds subscribers Post
> No overnight success seen for YouTube subscription channels Post
> Assuring Customers' Multiscreen and OTT Video Viewing Experience- August 19, 2013, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT This webinar is intended to provide a general description and recommended practices for monitoring adaptive streaming video networks, provide an opportunity to understand how many others have successfully deployed a video service assurance solution for multiscreen and OTT video. Register to attend the webinar. > Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience? - August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT Meeting customer expectations has never been more challenging than it is today. Learn how Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess™ Wireless LAN switch family and Access Point product line can help you deliver the Wi-Fi solution your customers want and create new revenue streams. Register Today!
| > TIA 2013 - October 8-10 - Washington D.C. TIA 2013 will address disruptive technologies and changing business models as companies position themselves for success with wireless, the transition to all-IP networks, Cloud, M2M, smart buildings, and more. The conference will offer ideas for thriving in the changing ICT environment. www.tia2013.org. Registration opens June 2013.
| > Whitepaper: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time This eBook sets out 5 simple steps for optimizing customer service and support with an effective, best-practice-led knowledge management initiative. Download today! > Whitepaper: eBook: Smarter Service: The Contact Center of the Future This eBook explores the challenges facing traditional contact centers and the benefits of deploying the contact center of the future. You'll find links to further resources on the final page. Download today. > Whitepaper: How HR Is Solving the Puzzle of Leave Management Over half of HR professionals are unsure how much employee absence costs their organization. This unsettling statistic was revealed in the Optis survey conducted in June at the SHRM 2012 Annual Conference & Exposition in Atlanta. Find out more and download today! > Whitepaper: Touch Technology Extends Mobile Gaming Get the latest in touch and sensory technologies. This edition explores the frontiers of touch computing, mobile lifestyles and more. Learn more today.
| > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications Cricket Communications offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital wireless networks. Every day, our Store Managers at Cricket run all aspects of the Cricket retail business including, but not limited to, financial management, business operations... Learn More > Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The Sr. Account Executive - Enterprise is responsible for meeting or exceeding sales goals for large accounts. The position is responsible for initial contact with customers, follow-up, proposal preparation, making customer presentations and seeing the sale through to the signing of a contract...Learn More > Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications The Inventory Specialist is responsible for providing accurate and detailed reports regarding inventory sell-out levels with recommendations and guidance to assist sales leadership in yield management through the development of optimized rates...Learn More > Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications The Field Auditor will maintain the security of the cable system by designing and implementing an effective and efficient audit program, asset and loss prevention programs; investigate internal and external security problems; implement internal and field security programs with other departments... Learn More > SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications SAS Administrator is responsible for providing senior level expertise on overall technology, infrastructure and administration as it relates to the SAS Grid enabled architecture, installed on RHEL/JBOSS server platform. Manages, configures and supports SAS...Learn More > Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications This position is accountable for driving Standard Processes, Governance, and Continuous Process Improvements across the Technology organization to improve the consistency and repeatability of our delivery processes. This role supports all technology organizations and closely partners with our enterprise portfolio management team...Learn More > SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The SMB Account Executive promotes, sells, and retains commercial business solutions for voice, data and video to SMB level customers. Sell bundled telephony, data and video products to existing/new commercial business customers based on assigned revenue targets...Learn More > Commercial Development Executive – Anywhere – WhistleOut This is an easy, 'open and shut' opportunity for an experienced and well-connected telco executive who is looking for a fresh opportunity in digital marketing with a unique, innovative and fast growing online comparison engine. This position is tasked with enhancing the depth of relationships with carriers and resellers in the US and Canada... Learn More > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs | ©2013 FierceMarkets This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us as part of the FierceIPTV email list which is administered by FierceMarkets, 1900 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 628-8778.
Refer FierceIPTV to a Colleague Contact Us Editor: Jim Barthold
Publisher: Jason Nelson Advertise Advertising: contact Jack Fordi or call 202.824.5040
Media Kit: http://www.fiercemarkets.com/advertise
Press Releases: email Jim Barthold Email Management Manage your subscription Change your email address Unsubscribe from FierceIPTV Explore our network of publications: |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.