Podcasts about home ftth

Mohammed Manjra is the CEO of Zoom Fibre, a fast-growing and agile fibre network provider that will pass 100,000 endpoints by the end of June 2022. Manjra has been in this role since November 2020 and was awarded the South Africa CEO of the Year Award by CEO Global in 2021. Prior to his appointment at Zoom Fibre, Manjra was approached to start Vumatel in 2014, with the goal of deploying the first true Fibre to the Home (FTTH) infrastructure in South Africa. He spent three years as the Vumatel Implementation Director and during this time, Manjra and his team broke records by passing more than 850,000 homes across more than 550 South African suburbs. In this What's Next interview, Manjra meets with Aki Anastasiou to discuss how Zoom Fibre is serving the missing middle. He talks about how important it is to cater to the middle- and low-income areas in South Africa and how much demand there is for the service. Manjra then tells us about the Saldanha Bay Smart City project and highlights the challenges of building public-private relationships when developing Smart Cities. He also discusses the citizens' app launched by Zoom Fibre and announces that it has officially gone live in several South African towns – including Saldanha Bay – as part of its Smart City project. Finally, Manjra talks about how Zoom Fibre's young team has enabled it to achieve its many milestones.

In dieser Folge von #Connectlife – dem Podcast von A1 machen wir euch zu Glasfaser-Pros. 66.000 Kilometer Glasfaser liegen in österreichischem Boden. Die Glasfaser bringt schnelles und stabiles Internet ins Haus oder in die Wohnung. Und – was viele vielleicht nicht wissen - ein Glasfaseranschluss steigert auch den Wert eines Hauses. Expertinnen und Experten gehen von einer Wertsteigerung von 3 bis 8 Prozent aus. Manche sprechen sogar von 20 Prozent. Kurt Schlager, Leiter der Netzentwicklung bei A1 erklärt die verschiedenen Arten von Glasfaseranschlüssen – Fibre to the Home (FTTH), Fibre to the Building (FTTB), Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) und wie ihr zum Anschluss eurer Wahl kommt. Und: Wir haben in Seebenstein und Weikersdorf vorbeigeschaut und dort bei Bürgermeisterin Marion Wedl und Bürgermeister Manfred Rottensteiner nachgefragt, welche Vorteile die Vernetzung mit Glasfaser den Menschen in ihren Gemeinden bringt.

Mike Elam grew up in Northwest Arkansas, the son of a Baptist minister and elementary school teacher. He is a graduate of Lindenwood University and served as Hospital Corpsman in the Naval Reserve. Since moving to St. Charles County in 1991, Mike has become an active member of the community, serving in many leadership roles and community boards. He is the Past President of the St. Charles Noonday Rotary Club, an Assistant Governor of five Rotary clubs in St. Charles County, and the Rotary District 6060 Public Image Chair. Mike has worked in the communications industry since 1983, for radio and television companies, as an on-air personality, creative services director, and Sales Manager. Currently, he is the Vice President of Community Affairs and Market Development for i3 Broadband, a Fiber to the Home (FTTH) company based in Peoria, Illinois. Mike has twice been named as the Best Male Voice in St. Louis by the St. Louis Marconi Radio Awards and has a thriving voiceover business. He is the emcee for more than 20 events each year for a variety of organizations and charities throughout St. Charles County, all of which has earned him the nickname “The Voice of St. Charles.” In April 2013, Mike was appointed by the County Executive to serve District 3 on the St. Charles County Council. He was then elected to the County Council in 2014 and has served two terms as the Council Chair. A resident of Dardenne Prairie, Mike has been married to his wife Jennifer since 1991, and they have three adult children—Jon, Josh and Megan and daughter-in-law Natalie.

Jim Capuano, CEO of Horizon, an Ohio-based fiber-optic broadband company, sits down with Laura Noland, Vice President of Account Strategy at JSA, to share more about the company's accelerated expansion of its regional fiber-optic network across the Midwest. Horizon is launching Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) initiatives across several cities to support growing bandwidth requirements with greater speeds, heightened bandwidth capabilities, and affordable broadband options. For more information, visit www.horizonconnects.com/business-fiber-solutions.SUBSCRIBE to JaymieScottoTV for the latest Telecom News: https://www.youtube.com/JaymieScottoTVHOMEPAGE: http://www.jsa.netLIKE JaymieScottoTV on FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/JaymieScotto...FOLLOW JaymieScottoTV on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jsatv

Mark Murphy, CEO of Greenlight Networks, sits down with Laura Noland, Vice President of Account Strategy for JSA, to share more about the company's exciting Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) initiatives. Greenlight Networks is the fastest internet provider in New York and is currently building routes across upstate New York. The company recently announced major FTTH rollouts in Buffalo, Binghamton and Albany, NY and has plans to nearly double the 70,000 homes it serves this year. Greenlight Networks was recognized during the show for being a proven partner in the fiber ecosystem.For more information, please visit www.greenlightnetworks.com.SUBSCRIBE to JaymieScottoTV for the latest Telecom News: https://www.youtube.com/JaymieScottoTVHOMEPAGE: http://www.jsa.netLIKE JaymieScottoTV on FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/JaymieScotto...FOLLOW JaymieScottoTV on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jsatv

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced that it has signed a deal with BT Ireland that will provide Pure Telecom with access to SIRO’s nationwide high-speed fibre broadband network, consisting of 338,000 premises across Ireland to date. As SIRO continues to connect urban and regional premises with Gigabit broadband, the BT deal – worth up to €10M – will allow Pure Telecom to expand its reach countrywide. BT won the highly competitive tender for its established network capability and excellent track record in delivering a leading-edge service to Ireland’s wholesale broadband providers. Under the deal, BT will provide Pure Telecom with a comprehensive managed service, that helps bring its ultrafast broadband “Fibre to the Premises” (FTTP) product offering to the market. The service will be made available across Ireland at every location where there are FTTP services are available. The infrastructure agreement will help Pure Telecom to solidify its position as a major competitor in the Irish broadband market by driving down costs for consumers. The company has experienced a 30% increase in demand for its broadband services since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has been the catalyst for a rapid and widespread shift to remote working. Through its strategic partnerships, Pure Telecom can access existing and new broadband infrastructure across Ireland, enabling it to bring high-speed broadband to rural and urban premises as soon as it becomes available. With more people working from home, a reliable, uninterrupted high-speed broadband service is increasingly important. The SIRO Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network covers more than 338,000 homes and businesses in 45 towns around Ireland. Because FTTH technology has no copper connection (which can cause congestion and slow speeds) it delivers a 1 Gigabit (1,000 Megabit) internet connection which can take care of anyone’s remote working and personal needs. As a result, there is no impact on the quality of service if a household has multiple devices in use at one time with data-intensive services like video conferencing or streaming content. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, commented: “At Pure Telecom, we are consistently striving to get more people and businesses access to high-speed broadband. Too many homes and businesses in Ireland still don’t have fast internet access and it is detrimental to our society and economy – particularly at a time when everyone has been advised to work from home where possible. We have observed a significant increase in demand for our services since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced and we expect these to have a permanent impact on how people work and where. It has therefore never been more important for people to have the high-speed connectivity they need to work productively from their homes. “By partnering with BT, we will be one of the first providers to offer high-speed broadband to Irish towns and villages who previously didn’t have access. SIRO has been very proactive in its rollout of 100% fibre-optic technology and we look forward to being able to offer it to even more customers.” Peter Evans, Director of Wholesale, BT Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Pure Telecom and SIRO to bring yet more choice and connectivity to broadband users across Ireland, particularly in more regional towns. In the wake of COVID-19, as people have come to depend more on technology to communicate than ever before, it’s important that consumers and businesses have a wide range of services to choose from that best suit their needs.” Ronan Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer, SIRO, said: “COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how we work and live, so the importance of fast, reliable broadband has never been more evident. With 100% fibre-optic FTTH technology, SIRO’s Gigabit broadband is the most powerful in Ireland, helping people do life differently. This latest agreement highlights how SIRO is driving co...

It’s been 15 years since Colorado passed SB 152, the state law intended to restrict communities from building and managing their own broadband networks. A great deal has happened since: more than 140 communities have voted to opt out of the law, and networks like Longmont’s NextLight have been success stories in municipal Fiber-to-the -Home (FTTH). … Continue reading "Colorado’s Qwest Law: A Decade and a Half Later – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 415"

When Paul Revere rode through Concord, Massachusetts, to warn the Colonists about the Red Coats, horseback was the fastest way to move information. More than 240 years later, the community that was so instrumental to founding of the United States as we know it now sends information via their own fast, affordable, reliable Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) … Continue reading "Citizens Continue to Lead the Charge in Concord, Massachusetts – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 399"

NextLight, the municipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Longmont, Colorado, has been serving residents and businesses in the community since 2014 and offers reliable gigabit connectivity at affordable rates. This week, Director of NextLight, Valerie Dodd, is on the show to discuss the past, present, and future of NextLight with Christopher. NextLight has implemented some special … Continue reading "Setting the Bar High in Colorado: Longmont’s NextLight – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 392"

Idaho Falls has had publicly owned fiber within the community for years, but until recently, limited its use to dark fiber leases and public power purposes. Now, the community is working with UTOPIA Fiber to expand the network in order to serve all premises with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). This week, General Manager of Idaho Falls Power and Fiber Bear Prairie … Continue reading "Collaboration Across the State Line, Idaho Falls and UTOPIA Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 390"

In this episode we speak with Mike Render, Founder and CEO of RVA LLC Marketing & Consulting. RVA is known as North America's premier market research expert tracking fiber broadband deployment and corresponding consumer attitudes. RVA has a long partnership with the Fiber Broadband Association, providing fiber broadband market research, producing annual North American Fiber to the Home (FTTH) forecast reports and most recently generating The Broadband Experience Index.

Tri-County Electric Cooperative in north central Pennsylvania has listened to its members’ wishes and is developing a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network for Internet access. While Christopher was at the October Broadband Communities Economic Development event in Alexandria, Virginia, he met up with Craig Eccher, President and CEO of the co-op, to learn more about the project and … Continue reading "Tri-County Rural Electric Delivering Connectivity, Expanding Partnerships, in Appalachians – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 383"

This week, we’re bringing another podcast interview that Christopher conducted while at Mountain Connect in Colorado. David Young, former Fiber Infrastructure and Right-of-Way Manager for the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, sat down to reminisce about the city’s network that began as conduit and has evolved into citywide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). David has moved on to Kansas City in … Continue reading "David Young Shares the Story of Lincoln – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 364"

This spring, SiFi Networks and Fullerton, California, announced that they will be working together to deploy an open access Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network across the city of 140,000 people. SiFi will fund and build the network and has already signed up two providers to offer Internet access service to the public. This week, Christopher speaks with … Continue reading "SiFi Speaks on Fullerton Open Access Project – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 360"

The Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) announced in January 2018 that they had solidified plans to deploy fiber across 14 counties for smart grid operations and to bring Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to the region. The project, dubbed Firefly Fiber Broadband, is underway, and we’ve got President and CEO Gary Wood along with Communications and Member Services Manager Melissa Gay on the … Continue reading "Firefly Fiber All the Buzz in Central Virginia – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 358"

Missouri is one of the states where electric cooperatives are taking the lead in bringing high-quality Internet access to rural areas. This week, we talk with Jack Davis, Vice President of IT and Special Projects at Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative. The co-op is in the midst of deploying Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to members in their service area, located in Missouri’s … Continue reading "Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative Steps Up, Offers FTTH in Missouri’s Bootheel – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 344"

mit der Erklärung zum BigFail; Ausflug nach Ubuntu 18.10; Speed um jeden Preis physikalisch - der Tesla Model X P90D; wenig speed beim elektischen Türöffnen; Licht Sicht Scheibenwische; heizen mit dem Tesla; Fibre to the Home FTTH; HTTP/123 Teil1 von 2; Request for Comments - RFC; QEMU Advent Calendar 2018; und mit dem Tipp zum 35c3 verabschieden wir uns

Dalton, Georgia’s OptiLink has served the community for around 15 years, making it one of the first citywide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) municipal networks. In this interview, Chief Technical Services Officer of OptiLink and for Dalton Utilities Hank Blackwood talks with Christopher about the past, the present, and the immediate future of OptiLink. Hank describes the original purpose for … Continue reading "After 15 Years, OptiLink Still Innovating in Dalton, Georgia – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 332"

Great Lakes Energy (GLE) in Michigan decided in late 2017 to approve a plan to incrementally deploy Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to cooperative members, beginning with a pilot project in Petoskey. This week, Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Energy Optimization from GLE joins Christopher to talk about what could possibly become the largest FTTH project in the … Continue reading "Great Lakes Energy’s Big Plan for Big Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 324"

It's been almost ten years since LUS Fiber began rolling out what is known as the "4th Utility -Fiber to the Home (FTTH)," which gave Lafayette residents access to the gold standard of internet connectivity: high-speed fiber optic internet service. In this episode of Discover Lafayette,  Terry Huval, recently retired Director of Lafayette Utilities System, outlines the history of how the City of Lafayette invested in its future by creating Louisiana's first community-owned broadband system, LUS Fiber. The City of Lafayette and its leaders have a strong history of stepping up to provide great technological services to its residents. In fact, Lafayette Utilities Systems was proposed by city leaders after the world watched in awe as the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair was lit up by electricity; the desire for pressurized water, as well as the ability to light its towns and streets, drove the public to demand its own electrical system. By 1897, Lafayette Utilities System was operational with the opening of its Grant Street plant. The ability to offer electricity placed Lafayette in the lead position to be selected as the site for the Southwest Louisiana Industrial Institute (now UL - Lafayette) which opened its doors in 1901, and set Lafayette apart from neighboring cities as electricity attracted commerce, opportunity and growth. Jumping forward a century, Terry Huval had been with LUS for 10 years when Joey Durel was elected mayor and took office in 2004.  Terry seized upon the opportunity to pitch the idea of a community-owned broadband network to bring fiber directly to the homes of Lafayette residents.  An existing fiber ring around Lafayette had already been built in 1998 to support communication between LUS's electric substations, and by 2000, LUS worked with LEDA and the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce to establish a wholesale and governmental retail network. Businesses needing high-speed connectivity were clamoring for access to this fiber optic broadband capability to be able to stay in Lafayette and still communicate effectively with clients around the U. S. and the globe. The large, private telecommunication providers servicing Lafayette had repeatedly declined the city's offer to utilize LUS's existing fiber ring for their customers, nor to invest in upgrades to provide Fiber to the Home which was deemed cost-prohibitive given the size of this market. Durel was hesitant to see government compete with private business in the telecommunications sector, but agreed to do a feasibility study and move forward until a roadblock may prove too great to overcome. That day never came even though many hurdles had to be faced and, as they say, the rest is history. The Lafayette City-Parish Council approved a plan to request up to $125 million in funds to be financed through bonds, and the project went to the voters for approval. Non-partisan groups such as Lafayette Yes! and Lafayette Coming Together campaigned enthusiastically to support the project in the face of intense opposition from existing telecommunication providers. In July 2005, the voters of the City of Lafayette approved the plan for LUS to move forward to borrow money by issuing bonds to pay for the FTTH project by a 62 to 38% margin.  A lawsuit to stop the FTTH initiative by LUS was filed in 2006 and the Supreme Court eventually ruled in February 2007 that LUS could sell bonds to finance the fiber initiative. By February 2009, the first residents were offered cable, telephone and internet service. Stay tuned for the second part of this interview, in which details of the arduous path to building LUS Fiber's broadband service is explained in more detail by Immediate Past Parish President Joey Durel and City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger, and current Parish President Joel Robideaux. Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

An increasing number of local communities in Colorado are finding ways to improve rural connectivity. The Delta Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), a cooperative bringing electricity to approximately 28,000 members in southwest Colorado, is in the midst of Elevate, their Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network that will connect all co-op members. We’ve brought co-op Board Members John Gavan and … Continue reading "DMEA Co-op Serving Up Broadband and Innovation in Colorado – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 314"

RVA Market Research & Consulting is a firm known for its ability to provide detailed review, analysis, and forecast for Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment. They also offer information on the needs and desires of current and potential subscribers regarding other telecommunications issues. This week, RVA Founder Michael Render visits with Christopher about the firm’s work and discoveries. … Continue reading "Digging Into the Details With RVA Market Research & Consulting – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 305"

Earlier this month, twelve towns in central Vermont chose Town Meeting Day to ask local voters whether or not they want to band together to improve connectivity. Each community chose to participate in forming a regional Communications Union District, which will allow them to plan, bond for, and develop regional Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure. For episode … Continue reading "Central Vermont Internet: Communities Commit To Communications Union District – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 298"

We are checking back in with Ernie Staten, Deputy Director of Public Service in Fairlawn, Ohio now that their muncipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network – FairlawnGig – is built out and they are still building the citywide Wi-Fi network that will accompany it. We previously talked with Ernie when the network was being built two years … Continue reading "FairlawnGig Keeps Businesses in Town, Attracts More – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 292"

Holland is expanding its pilot area for municipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services in Michigan's Dutch outpost. To explain the past, present, and expected future of muni fiber in Holland, Broadband Services Manager Pete Hoffswell for the Board of Public Works, joins us in episode 269 of the Broadband Bits podcast.The city has some 25 years of … Continue reading "Holland's Muni Fiber Pilot Expands in Michigan – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 269" ★ Support this podcast ★

The second-largest city in Wisconsin and the home of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is pursuing a path-breaking municipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) strategy. They have already started by deploying fiber to several low-income neighborhoods and working with local ISP ResTech to offer services.Madison CIO Paul Kronberger joins us for Community Broadband Bits episode 227 to discuss their plan. … Continue reading "Madison Starts Muni Fiber Effort, Considers Citywide Effort – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 227" ★ Support this podcast ★

CliffCentral.com — There's a hub of activity with Fibre to the Home (FTTH) in the Johannesburg area. Calvin Collett, founder and CEO of iConnect, speaks about the business of connection. The Bretts also talk to Ross Mains-Sheard, founder of Versofy, a web portal to help customers find service providers without having to look.

Mike Intro: Earlier this fall we discussed DOCSIS 3.0 and how the cable companies will use this technology to deliver high bandwidth services to consumers. In this podcast we discuss the implementation and technologies the traditional telephone companies are using to deliver-high bandwidth voice, video and data services. Mike: Gordon, I know you are very familiar with Verizon and the companies FiOS fiber to the home ((FTTH) product. How is the project coming along? FiOS is Verizon's Fiber to the Home (FTTH), also know as Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) product offering. The service provides high-bandwidth data, voice and video services. The company has posted some interesting data on their policy blog for the third quarter of 2007. Here's a summary: Fiber Implementation: Source: http://www.verizon.com/fiberoptics FiOS is currently available in parts of 16 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington. At the end of September 2007, Verizon had passed about 8.5 million homes and businesses – installing more than 457 million feet of fiber in parts of 16 states. Verizon expects to continue passing some 3 million premises annually through 2010, when the company expects to have passed about 18 million homes, or over half the homes it serves. Verizon will begin boosting speeds and capabilities on its all-fiber network when it begins deploying advanced G-PON electronics in 2007. This technology can increase downstream broadband speeds by up to four times, and upstream speeds by eight times. Verizon is investing nearly $23 billion in the FiOS project, between 2004 and 2010. Mike: How about broadband products? Broadband Products: Source: http://www22.verizon.com/Content/ConsumerFiOS/ Mike: What about video? Video: Source: http://www.verizonfios.com/tv Mike: What's happening with bandwidth over fiber?On November 19, Verizon announced they have completed a 100 Gbps optical communications test between Tampa and Miami, FL. The two cities are 312 miles apart. Here's a couple of quotes from the press release: Verizon has successfully concluded the industry's first field test of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) optical transmission, on a live, in-service 312-mile (504 kilometer) network route between Tampa, Fla., and Miami. The test, which utilized a live video feed from Verizon's national FiOS TV network as the "payload," was successfully completed Friday (Nov. 16). The 100 Gbps transmission was conducted on a Verizon Business ultra long-haul optical system carrying other live traffic at 10 Gbps. The test demonstrated that by deploying advanced electronics, an existing network system can easily and quickly be upgraded to 100Gbps. The test was done using existing fiber that had been installed for 10 Gbps service. Here's a couple more quotes from the press release: Unlike other trials that used 10 separate 10 Gbps wavelengths to carry 100 Gbps, the Verizon test utilized a 100 Gbps signal on a single wavelength, demonstrating Verizon's drive to promote "true" 100 Gbps in a serial fashion on just one transmission wavelength.Like the equipment in the company's 40 Gbps trial in June 2004, the 100 Gbps equipment used in the field trial was implemented with a "plug and play" approach. This is a key objective for future commercial implementation, and means the technology was used without any changes to the fiber, amplifiers and other embedded equipment. Amazing bandwidth obtained using existing fiber - the trial only swapped electronics using, according to the press release, Alcatel-Lucent's 1625 LambdaXtreme Transport system.Mike: Will companies continue to deliver assymetrical services?On October 22, Verizon announced 20 Mbps symmetrical FIOs service in parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for as low as $64.99 a month. There are two things that I find exciting about this offering. First - it's great to see the bandwidths continue to go up. I feel this is just the start and we'll see bandwidths of over 100 Mbps within the next two years in selected areas as the telcos, like Verizon, go head-to-head with the cable companies like Comcast. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where FIOS is available you re in for a real treat regarding bandwidth.The second exciting thing I see here is a shift to symmetrical services. Mike: Could you explain what a symmetrical service is and how it differ from what we're used to?Broadband products to date, including FIOS, ADSL and cable modem, have always been asymmetrical - the "A" in ADSL is even short for asymmetrical! Asymmetrical services provide more downstream bandwidth than upstream bandwidth. It's been a way for the providers to "cheat" a bit based on traditional Internet usage. Consider the way you traditionally surf the web - you enter a small amount of information in the address bar and hit enter. The address you type ends up going to a DNS (Domain Name Service) server and is looked up. The DNS server sends back the IP address of the site you want and your browser is directed to that site location. The site server then sends your browser the site contents you want to see.Think about it - in the traditional model - a little information gets sent upstream and lots of information comes back downstream. Recognizing these patterns the providers have designed their networks to provide a little upstream bandwidth and lots of downstream bandwidth. Well...... all this has changed with this new FIOS offering from Verizon. Here's a quote from a Verizon press release: "Verizon's new symmetric service is a smart response to the changing usage patterns of high-speed Internet subscribers," said Vince Vittore, senior analyst with Yankee Group. "We believe that as user-generated content continues to expand and telecommuting increases in popularity, upstream speed will become just as important as downstream for all users."Mike: Thanks Gordon. We'll take a look at Fiber To The Node (FTTN) technologies next week.

In this show we take a look at some previous blog postings. NCTT 10th Annual Summer Worskshop discussion. Thanks to all that attended and special thanks to our presenters and Juniper Networks and Apple as sponsors. Thursday, July 12, 2007 Blog Skype Everywhere There have been a couple of interesting Skype product upgrades/releases over the past few days. The first is SoonR Talk, an AJAX enabled application that allows Skype to run on the iPhone and other mobile devices. The second is the release of Skype on the Nokia N800 Internet tablet. The small hand-held device connects to available Wi-Fi networks that we're all finding just about everywhere these days. Here's a Yahoo News quote from Gartner analyst Elroy Jopling: "We will see more Skype and similar free Wi-Fi phone services moving into mobile devices in the U.S. and Europe, he said, although Europe could adopt it more quickly. However, he said he expects to see "mobile operators put up as many roadblocks as they can" in both places". Both of these products allow free Skype voice calls from anywhere to anywhere with Wi-Fi access. Saturday, July 14, 2007 Blog Some Interesting Skype Alternatives Network Computing recently published a piece evaluating 6 Skype Alternatives here. Each alternative adds enhanced features that Skype currelty does not offer. Here's the list: Grand Central - This product allows you to select one phone number and link up to six phone numbers you enter into your user profile. For example, you can set your Grand Central account to ring both your office phone and your cell phone. The one you pick up is the one that connects the call. Grand Central was acquired by Google a few days ago (Mike Q was the first to tip me off) and is currently taking number reservations on their website. TalkPlus - TalkPlus is sort of the opposite of Grand Central - it allows you to have several phone numbers that all ring to one phone. TalkPlus is inexpensive but not free. They currently offer number in 32 different countries and especially looks like a great product if someone has relatives in other parts of the world. Jajah - I've blogged on Jajah in the past - see link here. Jajah provides a paid service that allows calls to be routed to landline/cell to landline/cell in many parts of the world without long distance fees. Here's how it works: Let's say I'm a Jajah customer and I want to call my brother who is living in London. I log into my Jajah account at jajah.com, enter my brother's landline or cell number and my landline or cell number. Jajah makes the connection and rings my phone and then my brothers phone over connections that are local to each of us. Talkster - Talkster's paid service provides calls from phones to to voice-enabled instant-messaging services like GoogleTalk and Yahoo IM. One of the neat things about Talkster is that it allows you to see your friends presence (whether or not they are on IM) using you mobile phone browser. Jangl - Jangl is a currently free service (even for international calls) that works similar to Jajah - it connects phone network end-points. The difference is Jangl does not require that you know the number you want to call. Jangl uses semi-permanent phone numbers and allows people to call you that don't know your permanent number. Jaxtr - Jaxtr is similar to Jangl with a flashier user interface. It is also currently a free service for domestic and international calls. Both Jangl and Jaxtr's anonymity features cater to the "social networker" market. Each of these products offer features and functionality beyond current Skype offerings - it will be very interesting to see what Google does with Grand Central. Now Skype is not without competion, right? T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service   For $10 a month, on top of your regular plan, you can eliminate the problem of poor wireless coverage in your home and make unlimited calls without using voice-plan minutes. All it takes is a broadband connection, a Wi-Fi network, and one of two Wi-Fi-ready handsets sold by T-Mobile. T-Mobile's product is based on  Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) - we'll have to do a separate podcast on this technology. Thursday, July 19, 2007 Blog Goodbye Copper? There’s been some recent press about Verizon and their FIOS product installation. FIOS is a fiber optic network service that delivers voice, video and data services. You may also see it referred to as a Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) or Fiber to the Home (FTTH) service that Verizon is selling and installing in select markets in 16 different states. Most who have the service installed are extremely happy with the bandwidth and cost when compared to lower bandwidth DSL and Cable Modem services. The product has become so popular that it is even being used as a selling point by real estate agents when marketing homes. A few are complaining though. It appears Verizon, when installing the FIOS service, is cutting out the existing copper lines leaving the customer with only one option – fiber and FIOS. There are a couple of good reasons from a business perspective for Verizon to do this. The first is the existing copper wiring is old and requires a significant amount of maintenance – Verizon spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year just maintaining the existing “copper plant? and it makes sense to remove it when it is replaced. The second reason is the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which requires the telephone companies (like Verizon) share their existing copper lines with competitors. There is no current legal requirement for Verizon to share new fiber optic lines with anyone. In fairness to Verizon, there is a three step notification process for people who sign up for the FIOS service. According to the International Herald Tribune, customers are told by the Verizon sales person, it is indicated in the sales contract and the customer is told by the technician that the copper will be cut out. Currently, Verizon is publicly stating they will replace removed copper if a FIOS customer wished to revert back to copper service. Also according to the International Herald Tribune, Verizon has filed more than 100 notices with the Federal Communications Commission to retire portions of copper throughout its network. I can understand the customer concerns about lack of choice and some technical issues like battery back-up and also Verizon’s concerns about having to maintain two separate networks. Friday, July 20, 2007 Blog Casual Gaming = Big Business The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Nickelodeon will make an investment of $100 million in the development of casual games. Casual games are games that are typically played for a few minutes at a time - examples include puzzle and card games. This announcement was made by Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group President Cyma Zarghami at the Casual Connect Gaming Conference yesterday in Seattle. Zarghami is quoted: "Particularly in the kids' space, with more than 86% of kids 8 to 14 gaming online, we see great momentum for online casual gaming," Also, according to The Reporter: "Included in the Nickelodeon initiative is myNoggin, a preschool educational game in the form of a subscription service; an expansion of the Nicktropolis multiplayer games franchise; Nick Gaming Club, Nickelodeon's first subscription offering featuring multiplayer games with 3-D avatars; the-NGames.com, a casual gaming site geared toward female teens; and the transformation of the site Neopets.com to NeoStudios, a property centering on the creation of new online virtual world experiences". In addition, the Casual Game Association (CGA) has released some preliminary data from their Casual Games 2007 Report. Here's a few preliminary data highlights from a MCV press release: The number of games being submitted to major online portals has doubled over the past two years, suggesting an increase in new publishers developing more titles. In 2006 the most popular casual games were Mystery Case Files, Diner Dash, Cake Mania, Bejeweled and Slingo. Women still make up the majority (74%) of all paying players online with men now represent about half of the much-larger non-paying player universe. The number of games being submitted to major online portals has doubled over the past two years, suggesting an increase in new publishers developing more titles. The rapid growth of the casual games market has prompted companies to create games for more audiences and also for more platforms, including the Internet, PC and Macintosh computers, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, Wii and even mobile phones and PDAs. The full CGA report will be released in the fall - if you are interested in receiving a copy watch the CGA website at http://www.casualgamesassociation.org or send an email to datastudy@casualgamesassociation.org