Most cable operators are launching VoIP phone service widely, or expect to this year, credit analyst Eric Geil said in a Standard & Poor’s report. “Given the already declining status of traditional phone service, much of cable company growth for this product will be at the expense of incumbent telephone carriers,” he said. Phone companies are dealing with the threat by bundling video services through joint sales agreements with satellite -- and longer term through plans to launch video using owned facilities, he said. “Nevertheless, cable companies currently have a clear technological and economic advantage over phone company competitors from their ability to offer ’triple-play’ services over owned networks,” Geil said.
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold its confirmation hearing for Carlos Gutierrez’s nomination to become Commerce Secy. 4 p.m. Wed. in Rm. 253 Russell Bldg. Gutierrez, former CEO of Kellogg’s, has few ties to telecom or technology. After the hearing, Senate Commerce Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) plans a committee business meeting to move Gutierrez’ nomination to the Senate floor.
Consultant John McCloskey becomes vp-product development, Comcast Media Center… Sony of America promoted Phil Wiser to CTO… New at San Diego Telecom Council: Mark Steele, Symbol Technologies, chmn.; Skip Speaks, Rosum Corp., vice chmn. Glen Cooney, ex-Republican National Committee, becomes lobbyist and program manager for e-Copernicus.
Charter is offering dial-up and wireless Internet access for high-speed Internet customers while they travel, the company announced. Charter’s partnership with Remote Pipes, which has an IP wireless fidelity service, will let residential and commercial customers use the new service. The service will be free at first, but customers ultimately will pay for an hourly or daily plan.
Chip manufacturer AMD introduced a processor designed to handle multimedia content on mobile devices Mon. AMD said the processor, Au1200, will provide portable video, “much like what MP3 players deliver to music fans,” should speed production of small-scale DVD-quality displays and enable video content transfers directly from digital video recorder.
Clarification: Our story on age verification (WID Dec 30 p1) didn’t mention where IDology obtains its consumer data. It buys that information from Accurint.
The Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy (WBIA) asked the FCC to extend the deadline for comments and replies on the Qwest forbearance petition regarding its xDSL services. Qwest had asked the Commission for forbearance from dominant carrier tariff regulation, rate averaging requirements and resale at an avoided-cost discount, for its mass-market xDSL services. It argued that the Commission hadn’t taken the same deregulatory position toward ILEC xDSL as it had toward cable modem services. WBIA asked that the Commission extend the deadline for comments on the petition to Jan. 20 from Jan. 5 and for replies to Feb. 22 from Feb. 7. “Notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s decision to grant certiorari in the Brand X case… with hearings scheduled at a later date in 2005, a grant of WBIA’s extension of time is a fair request in this case,” WBIA said. It said because of the Nov. and Dec. holidays, “many of the interested parties have had limited time and resources to address the substantial amount of Commission proceedings… The extension of time will permit more substantiative and complete responses to the petition.”
Consumers spent $8.8 billion on Internet purchases during the Christmas shopping season (Thanksgiving to Dec. 27), up 24% from the previous year, VeriSign said. That included $1.5 billion in online purchases during the 5 days between Dec. 20 and Dec. 25, it said, based on its analysis of purchases made through its Payment Services operation. The results show “clear changes in consumer behavior,” including “more confidence in buying digital goods from e- commerce sites, an increase in gift certificate purchases [and] the direct impact of shipping lead times on sales,” said Trevor Healy, VeriSign vp-payment services.
In a move to free up spectrum for wireless broadband, FCC Chmn. Powell last week formally asked the NTIA to begin the process that will lead to an auction of 90 MHz of spectrum for advanced wireless services (AWS) in June 2006. Powell also announced the auction of other spectrum at 1432- 1435 MHz in July or Aug. of the same year.
FTC Gen. Counsel William Kovacic resigns effective Dec. 31 to resume teaching law at George Washington U.; deputy John Graubert is acting gen. counsel.