The global demand for high-bandwidth applications will jump in the next few years as the number of households with broadband will reach around 650 million by 2013, according to research firm Parks Associates. The firm’s report 'Broadband Services: Global Outlook' warns that service providers will have to continue investing in network technologies to accommodate multiple […]

Preliminary results from IMS Research's forthcoming 2009 study on the World Market for Set-top Boxes and iDTVs has revealed that during 2008 the mantle of being the leading digital pay-TV platform was taken from DTH satellite by digital cable. According to Stephen Froehlich, a senior analyst in IMS Research's consumer electronics research group, "Digital cable […]

Frank N. Magid Associates, specialist in research-based consultation, and Metacafe, the independent online video site, have released survey results revealing consumer behaviour and preferences in online video viewing. The survey found that short professional videos are among those most regularly watched online, and well over one-third of consumers (37 per cent) who watch these clips […]

Canoe Ventures has cancelled plans to introduce its Community Addressable Messaging (CAM 1.0) product, citing a range of technical difficulties with the offering. The service, which was set to launch this summer, would have allowed advertisers to run one spot in 370 pre-selected, high income cable “zones” and another in the rest of the country. […]

BT Ireland and UPC Ireland are being taken to court by the big four music labels Universal, Warner, Sony and EMI, over illegal downloads and file sharing. The operators have been issued with a plenary summons by the four main record labels with a hearing for both scheduled on July 6th. The case stems from […]

Joost was squeezed out of the market by broadcasters setting up their own VOD channels admits Mike Volpi, who resigned as CEO. He said that in April, when Disney joined the Hulu joint venture, it became pretty clear Joost had to do something else — it is becoming a white label video provider. Explaining how […]

Many telecom companies are shifting away from traditional communications access providers and targeting the needs of a digitalised society. To this end, they have started looking for ways to not only offer Quad Play services that include fixed telephony, fixed broadband, TV and mobile communication services but also to enable end users to perform their […]

Plans to merge the three former Deutsche Telekom cable nets in Germany are shelved admits Kabel Deutschland CEO Adrian von Hammerstein. The German monopoly commission Bundeskartellamt has outlawed the proposal. Kabel Deutschland will turn its attention to buying Level 4 operators that are distributors for the KDG product. The operator has also expressed interest in […]

Italy should set up a company to handle the move to a fibre optic network which would be supported with private and public funds, the head of the telecoms authority has. Corrado Calabro said the proposed company should be modelled on the way existing utilities operate networks and the authority could set tariffs adequate for […]

The BBC’s director of new media and technology Erik Huggers says that the future for free-to-air digital platforms like Freesat and Freeview is ‘unclear’ – suggesting that only IPTV and Project Canvas venture will give consumers the services and features that they need. Huggers said that, despite work on adding HD to Freeview and continued […]