VNL's IPTV Service First to Complete Migration to MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)

Video Networks Limited (VNL), provider of the HomeChoice entertainment and communications service, has completed the migration of its broadcast line-up to MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), becoming the world's first revenue-generating broadcast television service delivered exclusively using MPEG-4. VNL's HomeChoice IPTV service is currently available to 2.4 million homes across London and Stevenage. HomeChoice currently offers over 80 broadcast and on-demand entertainment channels including BAFTA award-winning interactive music channels and more than 5,000...

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FCC Grants 30-Day Extension on VoIP E911 Order

The FCC has granted VoIP service providers an additional 30 days -- until September 28, 2005 -- before it begins enforcing the requirement that VoIP providers obtain affirmative acknowledgements from 100% of their subscribers that they have read and understood an advisory concerning the limitations of their E911 service. To be eligible for this extension, VoIP service providers must have filed a report on or before August 10, 2005 regarding steps taken toward compliance. On July 26, 2005, the FCC released a Public Notice stating that it would delay,...

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California Permitted to Implement to Technology-Specific Overlay Area Codes

The FCC granted a petition by the California Public Utility Commission to implement two technology-specific, specialized overlay (SOs) area codes for the state of California. The telephone numbers to be assigned in the SOs include those numbers used for services and technologies such as vehicle response systems, E-Fax, automated teller machines, point-of-sales machines, multi-line fax machines, and VoIP services. One of the SO area codes will cover the northern portion of the state and the other SO area code will cover the southern portion of...

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AirNetAnnounces Field Trial of its Super Capacity, Adaptive Array

AirNet Communications, a developer of software-defined wireless base stations, announced a field trial agreement with an unnamed large, tier 1 operator. The trial will test AirNet's "Super Capacity" adaptive array base stations in a dense urban, major metropolitan market. The trial cell sites will include a challenging combination of extremely dense wireless penetration and difficult radio frequency (RF) planning characteristics. AirNet will provide the Super Capacity base stations at the selected cell sites. The large operator will conduct a battery...

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Amino Combines its IPTV Set-top Software with Philips' Nexperia Chip

Amino is porting its IPTV set-top software stack to Philips' Nexperia home entertainment engine PNX8550, creating a reference design for IPTV set top box vendors. The open software platform is capable of supporting a range of IPTV middleware and conditional access solutions, including customized third-party applications for IPTV service providers. http://www.aminocom....

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IBM Develops Real-Time, On Demand Data Protection Software

IBM introduced new software that continuously protects information -- on laptops, desktop PCs and file servers -- from viruses, file corruption, or accidental deletion. The software, IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, creates a copy of designated file types on the local machine within milliseconds, and then sends another copy to a remote server. IBM said the software involves more than 10 patents pending on technologies for capturing continuous changes to data in tandem with remote scheduled back-up. A beta version of the software...

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SBC Provides Optical Ethernet for Westar Satellite Services

SBC Communications will provide Broadcast Video TV1 Service, which delivers high-speed fiber-optic connections designed for real-time delivery of broadcast-quality video, to Westar Satellite Services, a privately-held company based in Texas that provides traditional uplink and downlink video services via satellite and terrestrial broadcast transmission, including multimedia and streamed media content distribution. SBC companies will also provide Westar with SBC PremierSERV Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) through OPT-E-MAN switched Ethernet connections....

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BBC to Offer Video Content Online

The BBC is preparing to launch a video player application that lets viewers legally download up to seven days of its most recent TV programs. For UK viewers, a simulcast of BBC One or BBC Two would be available online at the same time as the television broadcast."MyBBCPlayer", which is expected to launch in 2006, would also let viewers purchase additional content. http://www.bbc.co...

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