ViodiTV video interviews attempt to add value to the conferences we attend by having industry leaders elaborate on points that may have been mentioned during a speech or from a demonstration on the trade show floor. It has been amazing and humbling how many people have shared their time and views with ViodiTV over the years. Their voices collectively provide a sort of living history of the rural broadband industry and beyond.

Building Broadband in Rural America

In her keynote speech at TelcoTV, Shirley Bloomfield explained how rural broadband operators must shift their message to building broadband and not just saving broadband in rural areas. In this exclusive interview filmed at TelcoTV, Bloomfield, president and CEO of NTCA, points out that rural networks are, “living and breathing,” and require continual upgrades to stay current with the explosion of demand from end-devices. Click here to view.

FCC Allows Prohibition on Exclusive Cable Programming Contracts to Expire by Paul Feldman, Esq.

Recently, the FCC released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will likely impact the ability of some cable operators and telco video providers to obtain cable TV programming. In the Order, the FCC declined to extend the exclusive contract prohibition in its cable TV program access rules beyond the previous October 5, 2012 sunset date. This prohibition generally banned exclusive contracts between any cable operator and its affiliated programming vendor for satellite-delivered cable programming in areas served by the cable operator.

Click here to read Feldman’s analysis.

The Impact of the Broadband Order – Part 2 of 4

The metaphor of a three-legged stool is what Kevin Larson of CTC in Brainerd, MN uses to describe the sources of revenue for CTC and broadband operators like CTC. He explains how the FCC’s Connect America Fund Order knocks out one of those legs and causes uncertainty in the other leg. The result affects CTC’s investment plans and they are having to invest with a much more short-term horizon compared to years past when they could invest in a network that best served the long-term needs of its members. Click here to view.

Unintended Consequences of the Broadband Stimulus – Part 3 of 4

Construction of infrastructure due to the broadband stimulus is in full swing. In part 3 of a 4 part interview, Kevin Larson of CTC in Brainerd, MN discusses some of the unintended results of the stimulus process and wonders what will happen to construction and engineering firms once the stimulus projects are complete. Click here to view and stay tuned next week for the final part of this 4 part interview.

GoogleTV as an Operator’s Middleware

Two-plus years since its release and the verdict as to whether GoogleTV will be a consumer success is still to be determined. The Trojan horse into the consumers’ living room for GoogleTV could be the operator. At the TV NEXT 2012 conference, start-up, iRevo, demonstrated its application of GoogleTV as a multiscreen middleware. With Google’s acquisition of content protection company Widevine and its integration into GoogleTV, all the elements are in place for an operator to use GoogleTV as an alternative way of bringing IPTV to its subscribers. Click here to view.

Highlights of 2012 Sprint Open Solutions Conference, by Alan Weissberger

The annual Sprint Open Solutions conference is primarily for software developers to learn about Sprint’s partnerships and to stimulate creation of applications that will run on (smart) devices which access the Sprint network. While previous conferences focused more on the network itself (as an enabler of mobile devices and apps), this year’s event provided a close up view into the latest tools and capabilities from Sprint and their solution-enablement partners. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Wireless, U-Verse & Managed Services drive AT&T results in 3Q2012; Cellular Merger Challenge by Alan Weissberger

AT&T, the largest US telecommunications carrier, reported net profit of $3.64bn in the third quarter or $0.63 per diluted share of common stock. That compares with $3.62bn, or $0.61 per diluted share, in the year-earlier quarter. Strong wireless revenue gains coupled with continued growth in its U-verse video and strategic business services units helped AT&T report solid third-quarter 2012 earnings. Consolidated revenues of $31.5bn were flat year year-over-year, but up 2.6 per cent when adjusted for the advertising solutions sale. Click here to read Weissberger’s analysis.

Some Tweets and Short Thoughts:

• The scoop on the Microsoft Surface from 5 years ago. Getting a glimpse of the future by looking back not only 5 years ago, but 70+ years ago.
• Video draws broadband penetration and voice – 95% of TDS video subscribers, subscribe to triple play #telcotv #iptv
• Congrats RGB for Best in Show Award at TelcoTV!
• Congratulations Mitchell, SD – semifinalist in the Intelligent Communities Forum – aka Silicon Plains

The Korner – The Exit Interview

I envisioned the perfect title for a video interview that wasn’t to be. Since this was his last day in the industry before setting off for warmer climes, a video interview would be a great way to recognize and capture parting thoughts from an affable and humble GM who led the transformation of a telephone cooperative into a broadband provider of multiple services. Of course, his answer to my query of what made him successful would have been, “It is the team.”

His deflection of credit to his team would have been correct, but he was the one who assembled the team and nurtured the culture of the company. He showed the industry how to diversify and create new lines of business. Working with other local leaders and businesses, he helped make his community better and the results spoke for themselves as his company’s customer-base grew by over 300% since the late 1990s; during a time when many companies were in decline.

Click here to read who just retired and the video interview we found of this camera-shy leader.