There aren’t many places you can go and have an impromptu lunch with leaders of the telecom industry and get their perspective on the issues that affect their businesses as well as the industry at large. It is this peer-to-peer networking that may be the most valuable aspect to an event like this week’s NTCA’s RTIME. Fortunately, we captured some of the experience of NTCA’s members in the form of video interviews, which will be published over time. Despite the many challenges, there was a general sense that NTCA members will continue to find ways to evolve.
Cybersecurity – A Necessity and A Potential Competitive Advantage – The Webinar – March 20th
One of the sessions that we had to defer at last week’s event was a conversation with Jeff England of Silver Star Communications. England has been the voice of the industry at the FCC and NTIA regarding cybersecurity. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to catch up with Jeff online in a webinar format, next week, March 20th.
Uncertainty Filled the Air
Uncertainty filled the air at the 2015 ACA Summit this week in Washington D.C. Precursor, LLC president, Scott Cleland, summed up the concerns of many at this conference of independent broadband operators with his analogy of how to boil a live frog. Using that analogy, he suggested the FCC’s vote on Title II regulation of the Internet is the equivalent of putting operators in a pan of water on the stove. In the beginning, operators will feel like they are still in their familiar pond, but he believes the FCC will slowly heat the regulatory waters until one day operators will find their businesses engulfed in a boiling cauldron of regulations and rules.
Click here to read more and view.
Unity of Interest
“Peter and I both decided that’s it very important that rural parts of America are represented on our committee [the Energy and Commerce committee],” said U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) in the above interview. He was referring to the bipartisan working group that he and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) put together to ensure that issues and challenges relating to telecommunications in rural areas are adequately addressed. The working group is an opportunity for members to share feedback and ideas from their constituents and to find common ground to help meet the unique needs of their rural districts.
Click here to read more and view.
Preview of the Merger Mix-Up at the ACA Summit
Almost lost in the noise from the recent FCC’s actions are the ongoing FCC deliberations about the proposed Comcast/Time Warner and AT&T/DirecTV merger/acquisitions. Discussion of these proposed mergers was one of the many timely topics at the 2015 ACA Summit. In this interview. Ross Lieberman provided the voice of ACA and their nuanced perspective on these proposed mergers, which, as he points out, probably won’t be until at least mid-year.
Click here to view.
IDC Directions 2015: Major Network Transformations Needed to Adopt to 3rd Platform by Alan Weissberger
Network realignment was a very hot topic at IDC Directions 2015 last Wednesday in San Jose, CA. We review selected presentations that cover the types of new mobility and cloud network transformations that will reside on the 3rd platform (cloud, mobile, social business, big data/analytics). New strategies and partnerships are forming to address these challenges for wireless and wire-line carriers/MSOs as well as for newer players providing cloud connect solutions such as cloud exchanges.
Click here to read more.
Target the SOHO Businesses – Part 2
Do operators have a program that targets the Small Office Home Office/Virtual Business? Dave Fridley of FARR Technologies poses that question and points out the importance of this neglected market. He explains that FARR Technologies was born as a virtual company and its people are living the reality of the challenges of this sort of environment.
Click here to view.
Racing to the Autonomous Future
“I am really excited about creating the emotional machine,” said Michael Robinson, Creative Director and CEO of ED Design, in the above interview filmed at International CES 2015. Robinson was referring to his long-term goal that is even bigger than automating the driving experience; a concept he already proved 15 years ago with his design work for Lancia and the fully functioning, Nea; a car capable of autonomous driving. His aim is to create a human-machine interface that is akin to what is seen in movies like Iron Man.
Click here to get a sneak peek of the self-driving concept car he introduced at last week’s Geneva Auto Show.
The Korner – What Is That Gizmo? Is it TV? It’s Everywhere
It’s not unusual to run into someone you know on an airplane. Last week, someone at the ACA Summit said they saw me on a Southwest flight a couple of weeks ago, I had to wonder as it had been since January since I had flown Viodi’s corporate jet (aka, SWA). Turns out, he had seen a video segment I had provided to Gizomedia for inclusion on their gizmo video channel, which has appeared in some hotel chains and, now, much to my surprise, on Southwest Airlines.
Click here to read more.
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