The FCC said it will begin “an open, public process” starting with its June 17 meeting to consider new ways of regulating broadband service providers. The meeting notice (posted here as a PDF) will consider public comment on leaving broadband regulation “as is,” reclassifying broadband as a regulated telecommunications service or moving to a “third way” that would create a new regulatory framework for broadband Internet service.
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Archive for the ‘IP/NGN’ Category
FCC puts broadband regulation on June agenda
Skype, Google, Cisco and the spectrum of videoconferencing — the opportunity for telcos
Videoconferencing is still a killer app, isn’t it? While today it remains a bit on the fringes, interest in consumer-focused videoconferencing from the desktop and perhaps even more intriguingly via mobile devices continues to hold strong. Need evidence? In recent days and weeks, Google purchased GIPS, in part for its HD voice codecs but also its videoconferencing technology, which could get added to the Android platform; Skype started rolling out broader support for group video calls; and Cisco dropped hints about a $500 home telepresence setup for consumers.
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FCC ‘third-way’ regulation gets bi-partisan slam
That had to hurt. On Monday, a group of politicians representing both sides of Congress told FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski he needs to abandon thoughts of broadband reclassification or other drastic regulatory measures until the U.S. Congress addresses the issue. The message was 1.) stay away from draconian changes for the fear of job loss and global competitive issues, etc., and 2.) stay away from the issue in general; it’s Congress’ job to write telecom legislation, not the FCC’s. A federal appeals court already told the FCC it can’t enforce Net neutrality/network management rules against Comcast; now Congress is telling it to slow down, as well. Which of course thrills telco lobbyists to no end, with AT&T’s Jim Ciccone commenting: “Questions about the FCC’s legal authority should be decided by the Congress itself and not by applying to the Internet a set of onerous rules designed for a different technology, a different situation and a different era.”
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Cisco aims to ‘Apple-ify’ its consumer boxes
If you work in a network or data center, a look inside a Cisco router box might get you all giddy inside, but for most people — consumers included — networking gear is anything but sexy. So it was clearly with industrial design leader Apple in mind — and the consumer market in its sights — that Cisco today acquired MOTO Development Group, a privately held design consulting firm that develops products and product strategies for the consumer industry. The deal, which brings about 35 design consultants on board Cisco, is a small one for a company that is know for its acquisitive nature. But it’s not an insignificant one, as the company targets new “connected home” markets with devices like its new Valet home router and Flip Video cameras.
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Veraz gobbled up by Dialogic in mobile apps play
Just two months after putting itself up for sale, Veraz Networks announced it has been acquired by Dialogic, perhaps best known for its CTI past but more recently focused on “application enablement,” particuarly in the mobile arena. In the service provider market, Dialogic products include TDM-IP voice and video gateways; SS7 and SIGTRAN signaling; and IP-to-IP border elements with security services, such as SIP mediation. That product mix is very complementary to Veraz’s recent IP/IMS push, focused initially around voice but more recently applying those same bandwidth optimization technologies to help mobile operators squeeze more apps down their pipes.
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Will Congress have its say first on FCC broadband reclassification?
A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require the FCC to prove that there is “market failure” in the broadband industry before it can move ahead with proposed plans to reclassify how it regulates service providers in that market. The bill, from Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, would require the FCC to deliver a detailed cost-benefit analysis to Congress before undertaking reclassification of broadband as a common carrier service.
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While U.S. govt argues neutrality, Australia readies backhoes for fiber build
You thought the U.S. government was getting aggressive in regulating how service providers roll out broadband services? Take a look at Australia, which is aiming to lead construction — to the tune of a more than $40 billion investment — to build its own nationwide fiber network. And that’s not just a research or experimental backbone or transport network, but fiber to the home. It’s a plan that’s been in the offing for some time, though this week a new report out from government consultants on the project, KPMG and McKinsey, appears to be pushing the project closer to reality.
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Enablence highlights global wins, growing focus
Even with a recent acquisition under its belt largely focused on expanding its worldwide reach, FTTx vendor Enablence today took pains to highlight the global nature of recent customer wins, touting new contracts in Europe, Latin America and APAC. Still relatively new CEO Tim Thorsteinson touted deals leveraging Enablence’s core Trident7 fiber-to-the-home platform, saying the vendor “saw consistently strong gains across the board in all regions” in the fourth quarter.
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No surprise: LTE equipment spend surpasses WiMax next year
New forecasts this week from IDC predict that spending on LTE will exceed WiMax gear by the end of next year, with global LTE infrastructure revenue reaching nearly $8 billion by 2014. IDC cites more than 100 operator commitments to LTE — including nine of the 10 largest global carriers — as well a dozen new LTE networks scheduled to launch this year as driving LTE equipment sales.
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Tellabs continues upward; carrier spending firming up
Tellabs continued on an upward trajectory it launched earlier this year, reporting Q1 revenues of $380 million, up 5% from $362 million the year before. The quarter also represented a continued shift toward growth products for the vendor, toward hot areas like mobile backhaul and minimizing flatter-to-lower prospects in more traditional businesses like digital cross-connects or fiber ONTs. “Customer demand for our growth products is improving, as they generated a record 57% of Tellabs’ first-quarter revenue,” said Tellabs CEO Rob Pullen in announcing the earnings.
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