Author: Ken Pyle, Managing Editor
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Open IPTV
Thanks to Jari Aho for pointing out an excellent article/interview with Viodi View friend, Frank Bulk of Premier Communications, an independent telco in Iowa. Bulk provides a thoughtful and insightful analysis of the challenges of IPTV, especially as it relates to independent telcos. He discusses the current state of the IPTV market, including missed promises, as…
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Yet Another Mobile Video Play
Monday, April 14, 2008, marked the launch of the largest commercial satellite. ICO will be using this satellite to serve the growing mobile video market. ICO will use frequencies in the 2 GHz range to provide video and emergency services to mobile handsets and car-based terminals. They are building a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network. The idea…
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Independent Telcos Understand the Value of Independent Telcos
Two recent acquisitions that did not make the headlines of the New York Times or even any of the traditional telecom industry publications. The Telephone Acquisition Company, LLC’s pending purchase of Iowa’s Swisher Telephone and American Broadband’s purchase of TelAlaska may be small in terms of the number of subscribers involved, but these acquisitions are extremely…
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Safety First – A Worthwhile Seminar
NTCA’s Education Group produces seminars that cover areas of critical importance to independent telcos’ on-going business operations. The topics may sometimes sound dry, but the speakers that NTCA employs always manage to make the subject matter lively and entertaining. Definitely check out their latest offering, which is the NTCA OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Compliance Seminar…
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Smart Home Tour – Smart Idea
The problem with conferences is the sterile hotel environment that they typically occupy. Speakers talk about the networked-home at these confabs, but the discussions are somewhat theoretical as slide-ware, videos and exhibits are used to convey information. Rarely are these type of meetings held in the real world (Viodi’s Local Content Workshops being an exception, of…
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Content Production Potpourri – Demonstration Schedule
Roger and I are at NAB this week and we will have many interesting reports from this confab, particularly as it relates to telecom. If you are at NAB, stop by the Content Production Potpourri, as we will have approximately 12 demonstrations from companies that are making tools for low-cost, high quality local content productions.