BELLEVUE, WA — Redbox Instant by Verizon, a joint venture between, Redbox, a subsidiary of Coinstar, Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., unveiled details of its soon-to-launch service based on agreements with Hollywood studios and device manufacturers that will bring thousands of popular movies to consumers at home and on the go. The Redbox Instant by Verizon beta product will launch to consumers later this month. The service, which offers movies for purchase (EST) and rental [...]

Columbus, OH – Governor John Kasich ceremonially “lit-up” a massive speed upgrade to the broadband, fiber optic Internet system linking Ohio’s higher education and research centers. The tenfold upgrade in data transmission speeds for the system, known as OARnet, will benefit research and job-creating assets statewide in what it is calling the first-ever state-led initiative in the country. Network speeds of 100 Gbps will help advance research and job growth across Ohio’s medical research, higher [...]

FAIRFAX, VA – Residents of one of the country’s top-rated retirement communities will soon be able to experience the benefits of remote health care monitoring to ensure resident safety, security and quality of care. Verizon Enhanced Communities, which provides developers, owners, managers and residents of multifamily and single-family communities with Internet, TV and voice services delivered over the Verizon FiOS network and Healthsense Inc., Healthsense, a provider of aging services technology, announced the launch of [...]

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, a major manufacturing leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, announced the expansion of its Lynx2 CustomFit Splice-On Connector product line to include the industry’s first jacketed MPO ribbon splice-on connector to meet the changing needs of data center, enterprise, and communications networks. The company’s decision to design and launch the Lynx2-MPO Ribbon Jacket splice-on connector addresses the growing network migration from 10Gbps to 40 and 100 [...]

DALLAS, TX — Low ARPUs, growing competitive threats, and rival multiscreen services are driving many pay-TV providers in Europe and Asia to explore new business strategies in video services, according to international research firm Parks Associates. “TV Everywhere: Growth, Solutions, and Strategies — Europe and Asia/Pacific,” a new report from Parks Associates, indicates multiscreen services now reach 66 percent of pay-TV subscribers in Western Europe, 21 percent in Eastern Europe, and 9 percent in Asia, [...]

AUSTIN, TX — New research from Connected Texas snapshots the latest broadband availability across the state, with 92 percent of Texas households having access to broadband speeds of 3 Mbps download/768 Kbps upload or higher. Connected Texas is a nonprofit commissioned by the state to work with all Texas broadband providers to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and development of a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. It has been working [...]

OAKLAND, CA — Sitronics Information Technologies, a suppliers of IT solutions, products and services in Eastern Europe and the CIS countries, has deployed the Zhone MXK in the Siberia Federal District through a partnership with Connect Plus. Zhone Technologies, Inc. provides FTTx network access solutions. The new network will provide telephone, Internet access and digital television services to businesses and residents in the Omsk Region, Russia. “GPON is rapidly replacing traditional copper wire communications and [...]

LONDON — Forthnet, a Greek broadband provider, is implementing the first FTTH pilot network in the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. The network is enabled by a GPON platform from ADTRAN, a provider of next-generation networking solutions. This platform will enable delivery of high-bandwidth, triple-play services to residential and business subscribers. With over 2,000 homes initially served in the municipality of Nea, Forthnet will be able to deliver FTTH-based services that place Athens alongside other [...]

Bothell, WA — Leviton, a provider of network infrastructure systems for enterprise, data center, government, education, health care and residential markets, announced the launch of a new copper patch cord customization tool. This solution allows customers to configure cords for their specific application by selecting cord type, color and exact length. Using the copper patch cord configuration tool, users can quickly and easily choose from nine cord types, eight jacket colors and 200 lengths. After [...]

WALTHAM, MA — Bell Aliant, a regional telecommunications provider serving 5.3 million Canadians across six provinces, has gone live in Sudbury, Ontario with an aggressive expansion of its FibreOP product, based on NetCracker’s BSS/OSS solutions. NetCracker provided the core application and support of the multi-vendor program, including end-to-end management of systems integration, testing, and execution for the FibreOP expansion. NetCracker is a strategic partner in two key domains: BSS/OSS Applications: NetCracker’s BSS/OSS footprint for the [...]