News of the Day

• FCC: Consumers sign up for faster broadband speeds
  The Federal Communications Commission found that subscribers are buying zippier broadband services than ever, with the average tier users select delivering 15.6 megabits per second compared to 14.3 Mbps in an earlier report. The FCC also found that ISPs are accurate in reporting how fast they deliver broadband service to their customers, according to tests conducted in September 2012. Regulators found that on average the Internet service providers delivered 97% of peak period advertised speeds downstream, compared to 96% from a similar survey earlier that year. PC Magazine (2/15)     

Business & Industry Watch

• LightSquared remains as overseer of its bankruptcy case
  LightSquared won the temporary right to keep control over its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case under a federal judge's order that approved an agreement between the wireless satellite company and its lenders. The company has until May 31 to file a bankruptcy plan and until July 15 to solicit votes for its approval without having to deal with rival schemes. Under the agreement, LightSquared can only propose a plan that fully reimburses the lenders and other creditors in cash or one that the lenders will support. Total Telecom Magazine (U.K.)/Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review (2/15)     

• BT will expand 20Mbps service to most of the U.K.
  BT Group's Wholesale Broadband Connect 21st Century Network service, which currently covers more than 85% of the U.K., this year will be extended to more than 92% of businesses and homes in the country, this article notes. The ADSL2+ 21CN service offers data speeds of up to 20 megabits per second. ISP Review (U.K.) (2/18)     

• Other News

• Alcatel ups Rittenhouse to lead Bell Labs unit
  Telecompaper (The Netherlands) (2/18)     

USTelecom Spotlight

• Webinar: How to monitor and optimize real time IP networks
  This free webinar (Thursday, Feb. 21), sponsored by Acme Packet, discusses how monitoring and optimizing real time IP communications networks require a new set of software tools to: manage voice and video operations; troubleshoot customer experience issues; proactively address network problems; plus detect and prevent fraud. Register today -- it's free.     

Learn more about USTelecom ->

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Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by USTelecom dailyLead® readers in the past week.

• How "vectoring" is fueling a copper-wire revival (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• CenturyLink rides business unit to wider profit (Channel Partners)

• Federal broadband-access program is under scrutiny (The New York Times (tiered subscription model))

• Alcatel chairman wants contract extension as he seeks to revive company (Bloomberg)

• Telecoms stay up and running during Northeast snowstorm (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Video Upload

• Latest Sony console will reportedly stream video games
  The new console that Sony will introduce Wednesday will have the capability to stream video games, in addition to playing disc-based games, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the company's plans. The next-generation console will make use of streaming technology Sony acquired in its 2012 purchase of Gaikai. Meanwhile, Sony has filed a patent application for a tablet controller, tentatively called the EyePad, to be used with the PlayStation 3 console. GameDaily BIZ (2/16), The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (2/15)     

• Other News

• Telefónica retools IPTV service with new name, content, pricing
  ipTVnews (2/15)     

Technology Trends

• Huawei will roll out SDN tech over the next 2 years
  Huawei Technologies detailed its corporate strategy for software-defined networking technology for industry analysts and members of the media. The company said it will start commercial trials of its SoftCOM SDN technology next year, with commercial deployment scheduled for 2015. Light Reading (2/17)     

• Malware makes its way into home networks, Kindsight says
  During the fourth quarter of last year, 11% of broadband households were infected with malicious software, according to Kindsight, a supplier of network security software. The total was down from 13% the previous quarter. The firm says the ZeroAccess bot was the most common type of malware detected home networks during the quarter. PC Magazine (2/15)     

IP Download

• What is 802.11ac and how soon will you be using it?
  Bjørn Jensen offers a primer on 802.11ac, the latest iteration in Wi-Fi wireless technology. While 802.11ac is expected to offer faster connections to the Internet, there are potential drawbacks, including "the fact that channel bonding decreases the amount of useable channels," Jensen writes. CEPro.com (2/15)     

• Skype offers video messaging in limited release
  Skype quietly debuted a premium video-messaging service Friday for Android, iPhone and Mac OS X users in which subscribers can send recorded clips up to three minutes long to their contacts for viewing when they are online. The service, part of the VoIP provider's $10 monthly package, is scheduled to reach other platforms later in the year. Also, Microsoft will begin to phase out its Windows Live Messenger service by gradually requiring users to upgrade to Skype beginning April 8. CIO.com/IDG News Service (2/15), The Verge (2/15)     

LeadQuote

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