#TBT: Interesting web neutrality; AT&T strikes into SDN; Verizon buys AOL … this week in 2015

Editor’s Notice: RCR Wi-fi Information goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the highest headlines from the previous. Hearth up the time machine, placed on these sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and benefit from the recollections!

Business appeals FCC’s web neutrality guidelines

WASHINGTON – The joint petitioners in search of a keep on the implementation of web neutrality guidelines, which go into impact subsequent month, have appealed the FCC’s denial with the next courtroom. The case has been introduced earlier than the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, primarily based in Washington, D.C., with the plaintiffs listed as the US Telecom Affiliation, Mobile Phone Industries Affiliation, AT&T, Wi-fi Web Service Suppliers Affiliation and CenturyLink, in addition to the American Cable Affiliation and the Nationwide Cable & Telecommunications Affiliation. These are the identical organizations that filed the joint petition with the Federal Communications Fee to remain its open Web order within the first place. Upon submitting the attraction, CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker stated, “CTIA is in search of a keep to protect the light-touch regulatory regime that, till now, has been a bipartisan success story.” She continued: “The FCC’s determination to impose monopoly-era guidelines on cell broadband, which is a extremely aggressive, progressive and evolving market, is an overreach and pointless. Our request for keep is to restrict the affect that the FCC’s ill-conceived determination would have on America’s world main wi-fi trade in order that the ecosystem can proceed to work for People and our nation’s financial system.” … Learn extra

AT&T’s SDN adoption good points steam

AT&T’s software-defined networking plans proceed to realize momentum, with firm CEO Randall Stephenson not too long ago reiterating that SDN is working in 100 markets and affirming a latest name for additional collaboration. Talking at an investor convention this week, Stephenson stated that along with the corporate having SDN expertise working in triple-figure markets, the telecom big stated SDN would permit AT&T to extend community utilization charges from 40% to 90%. The service not too long ago famous it plans to have 5% of a focused 150-network enterprise-focused capabilities virtualized and managed with “our goal structure” by the tip of this yr, on its solution to hitting its earlier forecast of 75% management by 2020. Trying to meet that objective, AT&T additionally not too long ago introduced its first SDN Community Design Problem, asking “academia and analysis establishments” to hitch the service in tapping SDN and NFV to design higher networks. “The AT&T SDN Community Design Problem will present a chance to innovate at scale,” AT&T famous. “Individuals will get to work with a practical, carrier-grade community – one thing the educational group has requested us for.” AT&T defined that “flow-based” routing strategies not too long ago have confirmed profitable in information facilities, which has peaked curiosity from telecom operators. The corporate stated it’s wanting to make use of the problem to “higher perceive how this methodology – or others – might assist to enhance routing and community utilization.” … Learn extra

Wi-Fi, wi-fi and Comcast

Comcast may very well be the subsequent cable operator to experiment with a brand new wi-fi service. Cablevision has pioneered the idea on the East Coast with its Freewheel service, providing limitless voice, information and texting for $30 per thirty days. The service relies on Wi-Fi scorching spots, one thing Comcast has much more of than Cablevision. Comcast has greater than 8 million Wi-Fi scorching spots, or seven occasions as many as Cablevision. The corporate makes use of some residence Wi-Fi routers as public scorching spots, and has confronted authorized motion from disgruntled clients. However hundreds of thousands of Comcast scorching spots are in public areas, and plenty of are outside. The Comcast scorching spots are targeting the East and West Coasts, and the corporate’s Xfinity Web clients can hook up with them at no cost. In a lot of areas the density is adequate for cell service on gadgets that assist voice-over-Wi-Fi. “In the event that they had been to supply a Wi-Fi calling form of service it may very well be priced at $5/month and compete with Verizon,” stated analyst Joe Madden of Cell Specialists. Proper now Comcast is partnered with Verizon Wi-fi, promoting the service’s wi-fi service to its Xfinity Web and cable clients. Comcast bought its wi-fi spectrum to Verizon three years in the past. After apparently turning its again on wi-fi, Comcast tried to develop its core cable enterprise by a merger with rival Time Warner, however final month the Federal Communications Fee determined to not approve the deal. … Learn extra

Linked umbrellas and a common machine

May a nationwide inventory of related umbrellas (see right here for a $43 prototype) exchange the Nationwide Climate Service? Is a climate forecast by crowdsourcing extra correct than a room of high-performance computer systems? These had been a number of the questions posed at a latest London occasion by my co-presenter Teresa Cottam. Her level was about business-model disruption within the rising “Web of Issues” and wearables market. This yr’s Cell World Congress introduced additional examples, neatly summarized by my colleague Jeff Barak’s in-situ weblog submit. A few weeks later, the fiftieth IDC Instructions occasion in Boston provided additional meals for thought. In typical IDC type, a forecast (truly 4) was offered. From $3.5 billion in income final yr, the worldwide wearables market is predicted to rise to $37 billion by 2019. In unit phrases, the development estimated by IDC is exceptional, too – from 21 million gadgets in 2014 to 125 million in 2019. Fast actuality examine: That is small fries in comparison with the variety of telephones on the planet – attending to about 7 billion – and the famed prediction of fifty billion related gadgets by 2020. Two questions observe. Is the wearable forecast underestimated? And may service suppliers fear concerning the ever-increasing variety of related gadgets? Can take-up probably speed up? IDC fee professional James Wester offered an perception that may resonate with many. “After we depart residence within the morning,” he stated in Boston, “we take three issues with us: our keys, our pockets and our telephone.” I checked with my teenage daughters this morning – that’s what they do! “There isn’t a purpose for this,” James continued. “One machine ought to be sufficient.” … Learn extra

Verizon buys AOL, “a development platform”

Verizon Communications is diving deeper into digital content material with an settlement to purchase AOL for $50/share, or roughly $4.4 billion. The nation’s main wi-fi service stated that AOL will increase its LTE wi-fi video enterprise, its “over-the-top” video choices and can create “a development platform from wi-fi to IoT for customers and companies.” Whereas AOL shouldn’t be well-known for wi-fi video, it has invested in a digital promoting platform. The corporate additionally owns worthwhile content material manufacturers, together with Huffington Put up, Engadget, TechCrunch and Makers. For Verizon, that is the newest in a string of acquisitions geared toward beefing up its digital media enterprise. Final yr the service purchased Intel Media for Web video expertise, content material supply community EdgeCast Networks, and stay video encoder UpLynk. Wi-fi carriers know they should management content material and monetization platforms in an effort to understand the total worth of their investments in fiber and LTE networks. Half of the video viewing within the U.S. now takes place on private computer systems, in response to McKinsey, with 14% on cell gadgets and 36% on conventional tv units. Progress in tv viewership has been anemic, whereas cell video viewing grew 175% in 2013 and 50% in 2014, in response to the McKinsey analysts. “Verizon’s buy of AOL is step one of many to meet their formidable technique to be the subsequent era broadcaster,” stated advisor Jim Patterson of Patterson Advisory Group. … Learn extra

Take a look at the RCR Wi-fi Information Archives for extra tales from the previous.