| This week's sponsor is Amdocs. |  | Webinar: Is your strategy for small and medium-sized businesses bringing rewards?
Wednesday, December 4th, 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm GMT Gain insights into where service providers are currently experiencing problems in the sales cycle, with a benchmark for the SMB market by sector, as well as ideas on how to increase efficiency. Register Today! |
Editor's Corner: Happy Thanksgiving Also Noted: Spotlight On... Over-the-top video providers launch holiday promotions
AT&T U-verse launches beIN Sport Play; DirecTV driver arrested; CBS to pay dividend and much more... 
The 25 Most Powerful People in U.S. Wireless and Wireline 2013
This list is a compilation of who we think are the innovators and leaders in the U.S. wireless and wireline markets. The Fierce editors scrutinized every person we selected to make sure we could justify their position. Let us know if you disagree with our picks or think we overlooked someone. Special Report
1. Lowell McAdam, Chairman, CEO and President, Verizon Communications
2. Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T
3. Larry Page, co-founder and CEO, Google
4. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
5. John Legere, CEO and President, T-Mobile US
6. Glen Post, CEO and President, CenturyLink
7. Dan Hesse, CEO, Sprint
8. J.K. Shin, Co-CEO, Samsung
9. Paul Jacobs, Chairman and CEO, Qualcomm
10. Charlie Ergen, Chairman, Dish Network Follow @FierceCable on Twitter!
| This week's sponsors are Ateme, Harris Broadcast, Kontron, Ramp, Vubiquity and PacketVideo Corporation. |  | eBook | Making Money from Multiscreen Cable operators and networks are slowly building a platform that could make multiscreen programming and advertising a much bigger business. Learn more today. |
| 
Happy Thanksgiving
Editor's note: FierceCable won't publish its daily electronic newsletter on Thursday and Friday, as we take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Your next issue will arrive on Monday, Dec. 2. |
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Today's Top News 1. Report: Cox exploring Time Warner Cable bid
Add Cox Communications to the list of cable operators reportedly eying a bid for Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC). The Atlanta-based MSO, which went private in 2004, has said repeatedly in recent months that it isn't interested in selling its cable systems, which count about 4.5 million subscribers. And Cox is now considering bidding for Time Warner Cable, according to a report Tuesday from The Wall Street Journal. Word of Cox's interest in TWC follows reports in the last week that Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR) is close to securing bank loans and cash for an acquisition of TWC. And there have also been reports that Comcast (NYSE: TWC) is considering a bid for TWC, or teaming up with Charter and investor Liberty Media (Nasdaq: LMCA). With investments in recent months in new technology such as Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) home video gateways, its Contour app for iPads and Android tablets, and its FlareWatch virtual cable trial in Orange County, Calif., Cox has shown that it is focused on introducing next-generation services. Spokesman Todd Smith said earlier this week that Cox "isn't for sale." Officials at Comcast, Charter and TWC haven't commented on the merger speculation. Look for TWC COO Rob Marcus to address the rumors on Dec. 9, when he is scheduled to speak at the UBS Global Media & Communications Conference in New York. For more:
- The Wall Street Journal has this story (sub. required) Related articles:
Cox CTO Hart talks about plans for 1-Gig Internet, cloud DVRs and results of FlareWatch trial
Report: Liberty wants to merge Cox with Charter
Cox Enterprises to invest $250 million in technology startups
Time Warner Cable, Bright House flip switch on Showtime Anytime
Report: Comcast, Charter may chop up Time Warner Cable Read more about: Charter Communications
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| This week's sponsor is Qualcomm. |  | Webinar: LTE Advanced in unlicensed spectrum?
Tuesday, December 10th, 1pm ET /10am PT As the operators prepare for the looming 1000x data challenge, small cells and utilizing all spectrum resources are in the front and center. But, does it work? What is needed? Tune into this webinar to get the answers Register Today! |
2. TiVo gains 295,000 cable subs in Q3 2013
TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) said the third-quarter was its best ever period of cable subscriber growth, as it picked up 295,000 net additions through distribution deals with Virgin Media (Nasdaq: VMED), RCN, Grande Communications and other pay TV distributors. CEO Tom Rogers told analysts late Tuesday that TiVo's cable provider customers count about 10 million total subscribers, and that TiVo is deployed in about 25 percent of those homes. "Given the success that they've had with the rollouts and the operational metrics that they've seen from it, we can double or triple that opportunity going forward," he added. TiVo supplies pay TV distributors with several different DVR models, ranging from the TiVo Premiere Q DVR to the TiVo T6, a six-tuner DVR similar to its new Roamio retail product that is being deployed by Atlantic Broadband and Blue Ridge Communications. Mediacom and Alaskan triple-play provider GCI recently began rolling out Pace (LSE: PIC.L) MG1 home video gateways that run TiVo's multiroom DVR software. TiVo ended the quarter with 3.9 million subscribers, including customers who have purchased its Premiere and Roamio DVRs at retail outlets. It posted $117.3 million in net revenue in Q3, which includes service, technology and hardware revenue, compared to $82 million this time last year. Net income jumped to $271.1 million compared to $10.5 million in Q3 2012. Rogers didn't offer an update on talks with Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR), which has said that it is considering using TiVo software for a new cloud-based interactive program guide. For more:
-see the release Special Report: Cable in the third quarter of 2013 Related articles:
TiVo pushes for Charter, Liberty Global deployments
TiVo T6- Top 6 Super DVRs
Mediacom to deploy Pace MG1 gateway with TiVo interface
Blue Ridge to deploy TiVo T6, Preview and Mini boxes
Atlantic Broadband CMO: TiVo DVR and TV Everywhere site are 'game-changing' Read more about: Mediacom, Blue Ridge
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3. Rogers: MSOs want to add Netflix to bundle
TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) CEO Tom Rogers said Tuesday that more U.S. operators have told the company that they want to offer Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) to their pay TV customers, but that Hollywood studios are blocking a service that some European providers are already including in their subscription bundles. "I think in the U.S., operators have had a mixed view of Netflix over the last few years. But increasingly, we're hearing operators wanting to include Netflix in their distribution. And to the extent those restrictions get worked out, we'll be in a position to help our partners implement on that front," Rogers said on TiVo's third-quarter earnings call. British cable operator Virgin Media (Nasdaq: VMED), which is TiVo's biggest pay TV customer, allows subscribers to access Netflix through TiVo Premiere DVRs. Swedish IPTV provider Com Hem, another TiVo customer, also offers subscribers Netflix. U.S. viewers who purchase a TiVo DVR through retail outlets can use the devices to access content from Netflix and Hulu, but domestic pay TV distributors can't offer those services. In October, TiVo ran a demonstration at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta of a cloud-based DVR. The user interface that it showed cable technology executives included Netflix and Hulu Plus. Netflix has struck deals with several U.S. distributors, including Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), Cox Communications and Suddenlink Communications, to place storage appliances near their networks. Its OpenConnect content delivery network is aimed at speeding the delivery of Netflix video streams, and could one day help the top online video provider let U.S. subscribers stream Netflix content through cable set-tops. A Comcast spokesperson told FierceCable in March 2012 that the company wasn't interested in bundling Netflix. The MSO has also launched a streaming video service called Xfinity Streampix, which competes with Netflix. For more:
- see transcript from TiVo earnings call Related articles:
TiVo gains 295,000 cable subs in Q3 2013
Comcast won't offer Netflix to Xfinity TV subscribers
Cloud TV steals show at Cable-Tec Expo
Comcast trial combines HBO, broadband and local TV
Netflix expands Super HD content to all subscribers Read more about: Virgin Media, Com Hem
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4. Comcast hiring engineers for Excalibur Back Office project
5. Analyst: Dish could spend up to $10.7B on LightSquared, H Block, AWS-3 and 600 MHz spectrum
According to a new report from New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin, Charlie Ergen's Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) could acquire the most spectrum of any company--around 60 MHz--over the course of the next year or so. If Dish is indeed successful in acquiring the spectrum, the company would own a spectrum war chest of as much as 100 MHz--positioning the company as a potentially major player in the wireless market. To be clear, Chaplin's report is pure speculation: None of the carriers has disclosed its exact spectrum plans, and any guesswork on how the situation will play out could be upended by a surprise purchase of any one carrier by another. Nonetheless, Chaplin explained that his report is based on each company's current market position and executives' public statements. According to Chaplin's report, Dish likely will be the successful bidder for bankrupt LightSquared, and will therefore add LightSquared's L-Band spectrum to the S-band satellite spectrum Dish purchased in 2011. Further, Chaplin predicted Dish will win the FCC's H Block spectrum auction (Sprint and T-Mobile have already said they will not participate in that auction). And Chaplin said that Dish likely will also acquire some AWS-3 and 600 MHz licenses when the FCC auctions those radio waves. The result, Chaplin said, could give Dish as much as 100 MHz of spectrum ranging from 600 MHz to 2 GHz. With that much spectrum, Chaplin said Dish could become a major entity in the wireless market. He said the company could become an acquisition target for AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) or Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), or Dish could partner with either Sprint (NYSE:S) or T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS). Any of those scenarios, he said, would disrupt the current balance of power in the wireless industry. Of course, much could derail this scenario. Chaplin said Dish might not be successful in acquiring LightSquared's spectrum, or AT&T or Verizon could ink a partnership with Dish before the FCC holds its spectrum auctions starting next year. Further, the FCC has not yet finalized its spectrum auction guidelines, and those guidelines might not align with Dish's ambitions. But one thing is clear: Dish is interested in participating in the wireless industry. Although Ergen failed in his attempt to acquire Sprint and Clearwire this year, he continues to sit on a significant amount of spectrum. He also has made no secret of his ambitions: During Dish's third-quarter earnings conference call, Ergen said Dish has "a lot of optionality" when it comes to its wireless prospects. Related Articles:
Analysts: Sprint, T-Mobile ditched H Block to focus on other spectrum, avoid Dish complications
Dish's Ergen leaves door open to deal with T-Mobile, other wireless options
T-Mobile to raise $1.8B in stock sale, could use funds to buy spectrum Read more about: DISH Network
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Over-the-top video providers launch holiday promotions In today's spotlight, FierceOnlineVideo takes a look at some holiday promotions from over-the-top video set-top vendors and online video providers. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is offering consumers who purchase its $35 Chromecast device free shipping and a credit that can be used to buy an HD movie from its Google Play store. And McDonald's is running a promotion in which it is offering a chance to win a free Xbox One gaming console. Read more Quick news from across the Web. > International sports network beIN Sport said that AT&T U-verse TV subscribers can now access TV Everywhere service beIN Sport Play. News release > A 24-year-old man driving a DirecTV van was arrested for allegedly driving without a license on Monday, after striking a 72-year-old woman crossing a street in Brooklyn, N.Y. Article > CBS Corp. said it'll pay a quarterly dividend of 12 cents per share on Jan. 1. News release > Nickelodeon said it is teaming up with Amazon to sell merchandise related to programs such as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" through "Nick-themed boutiques" on Amazon.com. News release > JetBlue is beginning to offer passengers on some of its flights Wi-Fi speeds of up to 12 Mbps with its new Fly-Fi service. Article And finally ... Parks Associates researchers said 60 percent of holiday consumer electronics shoppers plan to purchase at least one device on Black Friday. News release > Is your strategy for small and medium-sized businesses bringing rewards? - Wednesday, December 4th, 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm GMT Gain insights into where service providers are currently experiencing problems in the sales cycle, with a benchmark for the SMB market by sector, as well as ideas on how to increase efficiency. Register Today! > LTE Advanced in unlicensed spectrum? - Tuesday, December 10th, 1pm ET /10am PT As the operators prepare for the looming 1000x data challenge, small cells and utilizing all spectrum resources are in the front and center. But, does it work? What is needed? Tune into this webinar to get the answers Register Today! > Unraveling the LTE Roaming Puzzle- Wednesday, December 11th, 2pm ET/ 11am PT This webinar will delve into the challenges of LTE roaming as well as explore potential solutions. Register Today!
| > Whitepaper: OTA Updating Simplified - Using SaaS to Update Android Devices As Android becomes more and more popular and the preferred OS choice for many other non-mobile devices, like smart watches, ruggedized devices, cameras, TVs and others, having an over-the-air (OTA) update capability has become essential to every new Android manufacturer. Download this white paper today to learn more. > Whitepaper: Your Guide to iOS 7 he new version of iOS marks a notable improvement over the last in terms of aesthetics and features, and this guide should get you up to speed with the changes and additions to what Apple calls the world’s most powerful mobile OS. Download today! > Whitepaper: Customer Experience for Service This Executive Brief explores the role of service and support in creating great customer experiences, the service goals market leaders use related to customer experience and the Oracle approach for empowering new service experiences. Download today! > Whitepaper: Know What Customers Want Before They Do Today's consumers only want interactions that are relevant, personalized, and based on a customer’s situation and preferences. Discover the framework for creating effective NBOs for B2C and B2B companies. Download today. > Whitepaper: The Future of Sales Performance Management Download this document to learn new technologies and tools that are improving sales managers' ability to measure and enhance the performance of their sales teams. Download today. > eBook: Partnering For DPI Deployment DPI in the marketplace is expected to boom in the near term. To achieve successful deployment, DPI must be tightly integrated with the specific capabilities carriers want to offer. Download to learn more! > Discover the Advantages of Software Encoding for IPTV and Cable Learn how multi-purpose software encoders running on standard IT hardware offer greater speed, quality, scalability, and flexibility – plus reduced costs and greater operational efficiency – over single-purpose hardware encoders. Download the free white paper to learn more. > eBook: eBook | Driving The Business Case For The Connected Car Outfitting automobiles with wireless connectivity has become a No.1 priority for car makers. Learn the latest on the connected car space and what it means for wireless operators, car makers and consumers. Download this eBook today.
| > Account Executive – Cablevision - Edison, NJ The Account Executive is responsible for selling Optimum Lightpath Products and services to mid market companies in an assigned geographic area. This position will sell to new accounts as well as to existing accounts as assigned. The AE-II will generate leads by cold calling, networking and referrals as well as closing leads generated through various marketing initiatives...Learn More > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs | |
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