Wireless

CES: AT&T Sets Wireless Home Security Launch

Telco Picks Cisco for Home Security and Automation Service
By: Todd Spangler Jan 7 2013 - 1:45pm
Telco Picks Cisco for Home Security and Automation Service

Las Vegas -- AT&T plans to launch its Digital Life home security and automation service in eight U.S. markets in March -- with up to 50 additional market rollouts planned in 2013 -- with a device and back-end system developed by Cisco Systems.

The service, which uses AT&T’s nationwide wireless network, lets customers monitor and manage their homes using a smartphones, tablets or PCs.

Washington State Reps. Seek FCC Info on Spectrum Border Issues

Congressmen Want Updates on Band Plans, FCC Contact with Canadian Authorities
By: John Eggerton Jan 2 2013 - 4:08pm
Congressmen Want Updates on Band Plans, FCC Contact with Canadian Authorities
 
 

Add a trio of Washington State Democratic House members to those concerned about border issues and the FCC's incentive auctions. The FCC will need to coordinate with Canada and Mexico as it reclaims spectrum from broadcasters and repacks them into a different configuration to free up spectrum for wireless.

Dish Gears Up For Retrans Battle

Says Schurz Demands Huge Rate Increase, Surcharge for Auto Hop
By: Mike Farrell Dec 17 2012 - 5:37pm
Says Schurz Demands Huge Rate Increase, Surcharge for Auto Hop

Dish Network subscribers in six cities could lose access to local programming if the satellite giant does not reach a retransmission consent agreement with Schurz Communications by midnight Friday.

Mishawaka, Ind.-based Schurz owns TV stations KTUU (NBC) in Anchorage, Alaska; KY3 (NBC), KCZ (The CW) and KSPR (ABC) in Springfield, Mo.; WDBJ (CBS) in Roanoke, Va,; WSBT (CBS) in South Bend, Ind.; WAGT (NBC) in Augusta, Ga.; and KWCH (CBS) and KSCW (The CW) in Wichita, Kan.

FreedomPop Pushes Capped Wireless Broadband at Cable, Telco Subs

Service Runs on Clearwire Network; Home Modem Scheduled to Ship in January
By: Todd Spangler Dec 12 2012 - 9:56am
Service Runs on Clearwire Network; Home Modem Scheduled to Ship in January

Accusing broadband providers of ripping off their customers, startup FreedomPop is launching a home wireless Internet service aimed at price-sensitive cable and telco customers who don’t use much bandwidth.

Eshoo, Issa Tell FCC To Stay the Unlicensed Course

Argue Legislation Requires Enhanced Access To Unlicensed Spectrum
By: John Eggerton Dec 11 2012 - 3:41pm
Argue Legislation Requires Enhanced Access To Unlicensed Spectrum

Two House members representing high-tech consituents have urged the Federal Communications Commission to stay the course when it comes to freeing up more unlicensed spectrum via the incentive spectrum auctions.

FCC Schedules Public Vote on Dish Spectrum Item

Move Follows Initial Effort to Have Commissioners Vote it on Circulation
By: John Eggerton Dec 6 2012 - 1:31am
Move Follows Initial Effort to Have Commissioners Vote it on Circulation
 
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has put votes on the Dish item and an associated item on service rules for the H block on the agenda for the commission's Dec. 12 meeting.

Verizon Wireless to Shut Down Video-Subscription Service

Carrier Steering Subscribers Toward Viewdini Service for 4G Devices
By: Todd Spangler Dec 3 2012 - 3:34pm
Carrier Steering Subscribers Toward Viewdini Service for 4G Devices

Verizon Wireless will discontinue its video-subscription service, which used to be called VCast Video, on Dec. 15, and will instead push customers toward the Viewdini portal for 4G wireless devices that provides access to services including Comcast’s Xfinity On Demand and Netflix.

The carrier has offered the service, launched as VCast Video in 2005 then renamed Verizon Video last year, for $3 per day or $10 per month with unlimited usage -- although all video usage counts toward subscribers’ wireless data plans.

TWC Beams Up Wi-Fi Hotspot Tracker

MSO Uses Technology from Startup WeFi to Connect Users to CableWiFi Networks
By: Todd Spangler Dec 2 2012 - 6:57pm
MSO Uses Technology from Startup WeFi to Connect Users to CableWiFi Networks

Time Warner Cable wants to keep broadband customers from cutting the cord -- by making it easier for them to connect to high-speed Wi-Fi outside the home.

The cable operator is using a technology from Israeli startup WeFi that automatically identifies the best possible Wi-Fi signal available in a given area and then connects a user’s mobile device. That will let TWC’s broadband subscribers seamlessly tap into more than 60,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.S., including those operated by its four MSO brethren.

Google Is Not Acquiring Wi-Fi Provider ICOA

ICOA CEO and Google Source Say There Is No Deal in Place
By: Todd Spangler Nov 26 2012 - 12:22pm
ICOA CEO and Google Source Say There Is No Deal in Place

A press release issued Monday via online service PRWeb claiming that Google had acquired Wi-Fi services provider ICOA is false, according to ICOA chief executive officer George Strouthopoulos.

A Google source also confirmed that the Internet company has no agreement to buy ICOA, a Warwick, R.I.-based company. According to ICOA's website, it is a "broadband wireless Internet network provider" that also sells software to power Wi-Fi access in public locations such as airports and restaurants.

AT&T to Expand U-verse to 33 Million Homes

Rollout Part of Telco’s $14 Billion Additional Capex Over Next Three Years
By: Todd Spangler Nov 7 2012 - 2:22pm
Rollout Part of Telco’s $14 Billion Additional Capex Over Next Three Years

As part of a three-year, $14 billion capital investment plan, AT&T said it will widen its fiber-based U-verse network by more than one-third -- or about 8.5 million additional customer locations, for a total potential of 33 million homes -- by the end of 2015, while boosting downstream Internet speeds to up to 75 Mbps.

The telco outlined the plan, dubbed Project Velocity IP (VIP), Wednesday at its annual investor day in New York. Project VIP includes efforts to expand and enhance both its wireless and wireline IP broadband networks.

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