Verizon's YouTube TV Deal, TiVo Expands Its Comcast Lawsuit
Also in today's roundup: Rogers Communications has mixed video results, the European Space Agency chooses a router partner and some new leadership takes over at a Vodafone subsidiary.
Verizon and Google today announced they've partnered to bring YouTube TV to Verizon subscribers nationwide on their platform of choice. Verizon's wireless and FiOS customers can stream content from YouTube TV by subscribing through the service provider. In addition to adding YouTube TV content, Verizon plans to offer "unique, high-value YouTube TV promotions" to customers, the release said.
Plenty of Patents in Plaintiff's Case
Tivo adds six patents and technologies related to broadband gateways, DVR and non-DVR video devices to its ongoing lawsuit against Comcast.
Tivo expanded its ongoing lawsuit with Comcast, alleging the cable operator infringed on six additional copyrights. Rovi Guides filed the suit with the US District Court, Central District, California, squarely aiming at some key components of Comcast's X1 platform. They include the X1 Sports app, set-top box integration of apps, and some cloud-powered X1 services, according to Light Reading.
Rogers Communications passed the 100,000-mark for its Ignite TV offering, a multi-screen video service based on an X1 syndication partnership with Comcast. That milestone is about 6% of Rogers' total video subscriber base of 1.65 million. In its most recent quarter, Rogers lost 28,000 video subscribers versus 12,000 in the same quarter last year.
The European Space Agency chose Forsway, a Swedish vendor of hybrid satellite routers for a 5G development contract. The provider of these routers -- which combine satellite and terrestrial technologies -- will integrate the Forsway Xtend Hub with 5G/ NFV architecture to help operators accelerate slow networks by tapping satellite services.
Meet the New Boss
CEO Amanda Nelson will take over the chairman role vacated when current Vodafone Hungary Chairman György Beck's mandate expires on April 30.
Vodafone Hungary Chairman György Beck will resign on April 30 when his mandate expires. CEO Amanda Nelson will take over the chairman role, retaining her current position, on May 1. Deputy CEO Gergö Budai will add vice chairman of the board to his responsibilities. Beck, who joined Vodafone Hungary in 2007 as CEO, held that role until 2011. He also was chairman and CEO in 2009-2011 and chairman of Vodafone Hungary's board since 2011.
Telecom Namibia officially launched multi-service access node services that use a combination of VDSL and ADSL in the country's Kavango West Region. In the future, the African service provider plans to upgrade them to fiber-based services that leverage GPON, said Calvin Muniswaswa, acting CEO, reported New Era Live Namibia. Also, the operator deployed TD LTE for fixed-access wireless and an MSAN in another region, while it offers 3G in the communities of Rupara, Katwitwi, Mururani, Ngone and Bunya, the publication said.
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— Alison Diana, Editor, Broadband World News. Follow us on Twitter or @alisoncdiana.
