Hello again!

The past week saw some wacky weather, from the devastating floods in Tennessee to 20 inches of snow in parts of Vermont. The past month brought some interesting telecom news too, starting with the net neutrality court ruling against the FCC and in favor of Comcast. Basically, the court ruled against Internet regulation. What are the implications of the ruling? Here is the official blog post from the National Broadband site.

Also in the news- the Masters in 3D. Check out the story here. I guess I’m going to have to put this on my holiday wish list this year!

Until next month,

Paul

WiMAX Forum looking to version 2 to boost broadband performance
With LTE looming on the horizon and wireless network operators seeing dramatic growth in data traffic, the WiMAX Forum has announced that it will accelerate the availability of Release 2. What does this mean for users? Performance will improve by more than 50 percent.

Spring business reading
The editors of CIO Insight have assembled a spring reading list on technology and business. Their thinking is that people vying for your next promotion will be reading them, so you probably should too.

Cable providers form Wi-Fi Alliance
Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cablevision announced an agreement that will allow all of their broadband subscribers to use any of the three companies’ Wi-Fi networks in the New York metropolitan area. The agreement, which includes no extra charges for users, means customers can roam freely throughout the area without losing a Wi-Fi signal. Are they expecting lots of iPad users to leverage that Wi-Fi roaming capability?

Five questions every CIO should answer
The current economic conditions have everyone reevaluating their spending, including those who control IT budgets. Here are five questions every CEO should ask their CIOs right now. The article speaks to areas in which we still need to be cautious and areas we need to start spending.

Is cable gaining too much clout?
Seventy percent of all new Internet broadband subscribers in the second half of 2009 signed contracts with cable providers. The industry is poised to keep growing as they target upgrades to DOCSIS 3.0 technology, add more residential voice services, and expand further into business class services – despite the number of “TV cord cutters.” But are the cable providers gaining too much power in their ability to decide who gets high-speed connectivity, at what speeds, and at what price? Sounds like the old telco question.

CenturyTel + Qwest = CenturyLink
Less than one year after the nearly $6B acquisition of Embarq, CenturyTel is on another buying spree, snatching up Qwest for more than $10B. Will there be success for the new CenturyLink without a mobile play? How will this impact current customers? CLECs look at the next 12 months as an opportunity to exploit the chaos before the close. We wish them well.

Update on 100 Gbps DWDM backbones
We can always use more bandwidth, especially in carrier networks, as we continue to see increases in mobile data and Internet user traffic. Hence, we are moving toward a 100 Gbps Ethernet long-haul infrastructure. Here is one expert’s update on the technology.

40 Gbps Ethernet at InterOp
For the local side of the Ethernet story, check out some of the recent announcements at InterOp from the likes of Avaya, Nortel, Extreme Networks, and Brocade. Switching was a big topic.

Comcast readies an IPv6 trial
IPv4 addresses are expected to expire within two years. Comcast announced its transition to IPv6 in January, and now it plans to deploy IPv6 to its residential customers starting in June. The deployment will continue through various phases, starting with upgrades to its CMTSs. Follow Comcast’s plans at its blog.

The View from the Hill
Do you wonder where to get the latest tech news, insight, analysis, and opinion? Our various updates provide you the best in telecom news now. Whether it is our Twitter feeds, PodSnacks, wiki, or our podcast series the Hill Associates Week in Telecom (tHAWT), thousands of our students count on us to keep them up-to-date on topics they find important. You can too! Check them out and sign up.

Where are you on the 2010 training track?
Training must be more than just facts, definitions, and role play. It must be talent development that ultimately impacts revenue. A training program can also be a major team building exercise. When everyone shares the same insight and speaks the same language, the confusion surrounding complex concepts disappears. Our programs are customizable, designed and tailored to meet your specific needs.

Want to know more? Contact Mark Steinberg, Director of Business Development, at mark@hill.com.

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