Broadband Breaking News

BT ups pressure on regulator over fiber rollout
The boss of BT has ratcheted up the pressure on the U.K. telecoms regulator over the rollout of fiber in the U.K., after admitting in a newspaper article that its spending on fibre is being questioned by some of the carrier's shareholders. More..

Research sees U.S. making gains in broadband penetration
Germany, Sweden and the U.S. are expected to experience the greatest rate of broadband penetration growth in the world during the next five years, according to market research company Point Topic. More..

Alliance outlines national broadband strategies
The Internet Innovation Alliance, a nonprofit advocate for universal broadband in the U.S., held a symposium at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. today to generate new ideas for how the federal government can bring high-speed Internet connectivity to underserved regions throughout the country. More..

Comcast cranks up bandwidth speed
Comcast high-speed Internet customers in parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will have a much-faster option starting in December. The cable provider is rolling out its Extreme 50 service, which has download speeds of up to 50Mbps. More..

Malawi Telecommunication announces cable project
Malawi Telecommunications, the country's sole provider of fixed telecom services, has announced plans to lay underground fiber-optic cables throughout the country at a cost of $30 million. More..

Mobile tech under Obama
We've just elected a new president. Barack Obama starts a four-year term starting Jan. 20. There's no way to know how America and the world will change during this time. But we can see how mobile technology will change. More..

US FCC approves rules allowing white-space devices
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to approve rules that would allow new broadband devices to operate in unused television spectrum. More..

Worldwide broadband prices continue to drop
Broadband subscribers all over the world are getting more their money. The cost for cable, fiber and DSL subscriptions are all dropping, and at the same time speeds are increasing, according to market research company Point Topic. More..

Clearwire still sees challenges after FCC OK
The head of WiMax operator Clearwire said its work is just beginning after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's approval Tuesday of the company's joint venture with Sprint Nextel. More..

AT&T trialing DSL bandwidth caps
AT&T is capping the monthly bandwidth use of new DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) users in Reno, Nevada, to try out a system for easing the impact of heavy network users. More..

FCC unanimously approves unlicensed 'white space' use
In a move that proponents say will open the door to widespread mobile broadband adoption, the Federal Communications Commission Tuesday voted unanimously to allow conditional unlicensed use of "white spaces" television spectrum.  More..

The ultimate smartphone smackdown of 2008
No market has been hotter than the smart phone market. Pacesetters Research in Motion and Microsoft are battling to stay on top, PDA stalwarts Palm and HP are fighting to recapture market share, and two new powerhouses have jumped into the fray – Apple and Google. More..

Motorola demos Long-Term Evolution technology over 700MHz spectrum
Motorola has completed its first over-the-air data transmission using Long-Term Evolution technology over 700MHz spectrum.  More..

Volantis integrates mobile phones and Web services
Companies running mobile web sites can integrate content from Google Docs, Picasa or Flickr to create mobile mashups adapted for any phone with a browser using updated software from Volantis Systems, the company said on Wednesday. More..

Global Forum highlights digital trust, international broadband competition
This year's Global Forum met in Athens last week, celebrating technological advance while noting chaotic policy-environment conditions.  More..

CenturyTel acquires Embarq for $5.8B
CenturyTel said today that it has acquired Embarq, the Kansas-based telecom provider that was formed when Sprint spun off its landline division in 2006. More..

Gates, Microsoft lobby FCC for unlicensed white spaces use
Microsoft is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission this week to allow unlicensed use of so-called "white spaces" television spectrum for wireless Internet services. More..

Juniper's new CEO assesses the LANscape
Amid the current economic doldrums, Juniper just posted third quarter revenue (up 29% to $947 million) and earnings ($148.5 million, up 75%). Barely seven weeks into the job, new CEO Kevin Johnson a 16-year Microsoft veteran, spoke with Network World Managing Editor about what's driving the company's momentum. More..

Ericsson takes LTE to the street
Ericsson has managed to achieve rates in excess of 100Mbps with next-generation mobile technology LTE during recent field trials. More..

Network start-ups hurt as venture capital dries up
Venture capital investment in network technology companies has hit its lowest point in a decade. More..

Five ways to bulk up your network for telecommuters
A look at the most important techniques, technologies and practices that companies can adopt to bolster their remote WAN performance.  More..

Boosted bandwidth in the offing for more smartphones
A growing number of smartphones come equipped with support for both higher download and upload speeds. More..

FCC white spaces report misses the mark, groups say
A report from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission clearing the way for the agency to move forward with plans to allow new wireless broadband devices to operate in television spectrum doesn't make sense, two opponents of the plan said. More..

Main One begins work on cable ring in West Africa
Main One has commenced work on its 12,900-kilometer cable project to connect the West African sub-region to other parts of the world. More..

Ex-Enron Broadband exec pleads guilty to wire fraud
You can add fraudulently marketing its broadband services to Enron's lengthy list of crimes. More..