CenturyLink has deployed what it calls “40Gigabit Waves” on its existing fiber optic transport network. The move is aimed at providing wholesale customers, particularly wireless operators, with a more economical alternative to using multiple 10 Gb/s connections to handle backhaul traffic. That traffic has been increasing dramatically for many carriers, driven by increased use of mobile data services.
CenturyLink rolls out 40G wavelength services
Posted by: Mike Boehne | March 10th, 2010 | No Comments »
FCC Chairman reveals wireless aspects of National Broadband Plan
Posted by: Mike Boehne | March 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »
With only about two weeks left before the FCC unveils its National Broadband Plan, Chairman Julius Genachowski has been revealing more and more details about what the plan will include. In an address to the New America Foundation on Feb. 24, he shared plans to make 500 megahertz of spectrum available with 10 years for mobile broadband use, along with a plan to add a mobility component to the Universal Service Fund.
New FCC study explores consumer reasons for not using broadband
Posted by: Mike Boehne | March 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »
A new study released by the Federal Communications Commission says cost is the biggest reason more people do not use broadband at home.
Thirty-six percent of non-adopters surveyed pointed to affordability issues. That includes 15% who said they do not have broadband because the monthly fee is too expensive, 10% who said they cannot afford the installation fee or a computer and 9% who said they do not want to enter into a long-term service contract. According to survey respondents, their average monthly broadband bill is $41.
Google Plans Ultra High-Speed Network
Posted by: Mike Boehne | February 19th, 2010 | No Comments »
Google, provider of search engines and other Internet-based applications, announced plans February 10 to build an “ultra high-speed broadband network” in a small number of not-yet-identified trial locations across the U.S. The projects, using fiber-to-the-home connections, will deliver speeds of 1 gigabit per second, the company said.
U.S. Residential Broadband Speeds Saw Single Year 28% Increase
Posted by: Mike Boehne | February 19th, 2010 | No Comments »
U.S. residential broadband speeds increased an average of 28% between year-end 2008 and year-end 2009, says InStat in a report titled “U.S. Residential Broadband Speeds Accelerate” released February 9.
The average downstream speed of a U.S. broadband connection now is 7.12 Mbps, the researchers say.
DSL Still King for Broadband but Fiber is on the Rise
Posted by: Mike Boehne | February 9th, 2010 | No Comments »
Subscribers to fixed broadband will exceed 500 million worldwide by the end of 2014, including more than 100 million who will be connected via fiber, predicts ABI Research.
Verizon Moves Illustrate SmartGrid Opportunity
Posted by: Mike Boehne | February 9th, 2010 | No Comments »
Verizon continues to build up its portfolio of offerings targeting smart grid solutions for utility companies. Just a couple of weeks after announcing a partnership with Ambient Corp. involving smart grids, the carrier announced a new partnership on Feb. 4 with Current Group, a provider of intelligent sensor systems used in smart grids.
Latest RUS Broadband Stimulus Awards Exceeds All Other Previous Awards Combined
Posted by: Mike Boehne | January 27th, 2010 | No Comments »
The January 25th broadband stimulus awards announcement from the Rural Utilities Service, valued at nearly $310 million, exceeds all other awards announced to date under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act combined.
Average Broadband Connection Speed in the U.S. is 3.9 Mbps
Posted by: Mike Boehne | January 27th, 2010 | No Comments »
The United States saw a decline in the average number of high-speed Internet connections between the third quarter of 2008 and the third quarter of 2009, according to data gathered by Akamai , a provider of global Internet content delivery and security infrastructure. The average connectivity speed in the U.S. was 3.9 Mb/s in third quarter 2009, down 1.8% from a year earlier, according to Akamai’s recently released State of the Internet Report for third quarter 2009.
Verizon Wireless launches smart grid offering for utilities
Posted by: Mike Boehne | January 20th, 2010 | No Comments »
Verizon Wireless and Ambient Corporation are targeting utilities deploying smart grid programs with an integrated smart grid solution and open communications network announced Jan. 13. The offering, dubbed Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture is aimed at accelerating the deployment of secure smart grids, saving utilities the operational investment and maintenance cost of deploying a proprietary communications network.
