SoftBank Corp. is expected to take over Sprint Nextel in a $21.6 billion deal, while separately, Sprint raised its Clearwire offer to $5 a share, beating a rival bid from Dish Network. Masayoshi Son — chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank, who founded the company in 1981 — told shareholders at an annual meeting in Tokyo on Friday that he plans on SoftBank becoming “the world’s biggest company.” Sprint shareholders are scheduled to vote on the takeover tomorrow. Continue reading SoftBank to Acquire Sprint Nextel, CEO Boasts Big Plans

At the National Cable and Telecommunications Association conference yesterday in Washington D.C., Comcast announced that it has begun shipping a new wireless gateway to its residential broadband customers that will serve as both a private Wi-Fi router and a public hotspot. The bold (and possibly controversial) move will enable Comcast to essentially crowdsource its Wi-Fi network, turning home gateways into public hotspots. Continue reading Cable Show: Comcast to Create Crowdsourced Hotspot Network

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “Entertainment & Media Outlook 2013-2017” report, consumer spending on mobile Internet access will surpass spending on home broadband connections this year. Combined spending is projected to grow from $91 billion in 2012 to $153.3 billion in 2017. The report also predicts that 87 percent of the U.S. population (286.7 million people) will have mobile Internet devices within four years. Continue reading Mobile Net Spending to Exceed Home Broadband for First Time

Dish Network is reportedly making a play for shares of Clearwire Corp., which could complicate a planned purchase of the broadband company by Sprint Nextel. In an effort to better compete in the U.S. wireless market, Sprint had agreed to purchase the roughly 50 percent of Clearwire that it does not already own. Additionally, Sprint agreed to a $20 billion acquisition by Japan’s SoftBank Corp. However, Dish also made a $25.5 billion offer to acquire Sprint.  Continue reading Dish Pursues Clearwire: Could Complicate Sprint Nextel Plans

In a study conducted by NPD Group with over 4,000 participants, only 47 percent of home entertainment devices, such as Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, smart TVs and streaming media devices are connected to the Internet. Results of the study also determined that 40 percent of connected televisions are used to watch Netflix content, with other video sites such as YouTube following at 17 percent, and Hulu at 11 percent. Continue reading Majority of Entertainment Hardware Not Actually Connected

Though it won’t be widely available at first, a new, faster version of Wi-Fi is set to hit the market this year. It will give users the speed to download an entire television series in less than one minute. Called 802.11ac, it can triple the current norm’s typical speed, according to wireless experts, meaning it can handle more than a billion bits of data per second in ideal settings. Continue reading Wireless Development: High-Speed Wi-Fi Set to Launch

Pay TV operator Dish Network announced yesterday that it has placed a $25.5 billion bid for wireless carrier Sprint Nextel, which is presently ranked third in the U.S. behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Dish Network’s chairman and former CEO Charlie Ergen is hoping to bridge the gap of current wireless models by offering customers faster and more affordable television, high-speed Internet and cellphone services in a single package. Continue reading Dish Network Submits $25.5 Billion Bid for Sprint Nextel

Google announced plans to expand its broadband services to Austin, Texas. The company said that Google Fiber installations will begin by mid-2014. The city, with a population of over 800,000 people, initially expressed interest in the ultrafast Internet and video service back in 2011. The move marks the first expansion of Google Fiber beyond its launching point in the Kansas City area. Continue reading Google Fiber to Expand Internet Service to Austin, Texas

Here is an example of what is sure to make you think differently about broadband connections: an emerging field of LED broadband aims to turn light bulbs into data transmitters by manipulating the rate at which they flicker. German company Fraunhofer is researching these types of optical communications technologies and has discovered a lighting system that delivers up to 3 Gbps. Continue reading Fraunhofer Experiments with LED Broadband Possibilities

Aereo, the Internet service startup backed by Barry Diller that streams TV stations without compensation, has won another battle with broadcasters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York yesterday upheld a ruling in favor of Aereo, which could set the stage for a full-blown trial. Broadcasters sued the startup last year claiming the service violates copyright law, but a district court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction. Monday’s 2-1 decision affirms the lower court ruling. Continue reading Aereo Wins Again: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling

While some seem to think our nation is heading toward maximum capacity in broadcast spectrum because of the growing number of mobile devices and high data usage, others say those fears are exaggerated. Either way, as the government plans to auction off broadcast spectrum in an effort to expand wireless services, it pits Big TV against Big Telecom at the Federal Communications Commission and with Congress. Continue reading Big TV Versus Big Telecom in Battle for Broadcast Spectrum

The online streaming service HBO GO, which allows subscribers to watch their favorite HBO content via mobile devices and PCs, may be revamping its access. The premium cable channel is considering teaming with broadband Internet partners in order to provide its service to customers who do not subscribe to a cable TV service. This could lead to competition with popular streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Continue reading HBO GO to be Packaged with Broadband Internet Services?

Julius Genachowski, a Democrat who has served as chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission since 2009, announced he will resign his post in the coming weeks. His departure will open a second vacancy on the five-member agency, and he avoids leaving behind a 2-2 partisan tie, since Republican Robert McDowell also announced that he is set to resign in the coming weeks. Continue reading FCC Chairman Genachowski Announces His Resignation

Ratings company Nielsen announced this week it will expand its definition of television with a new comprehensive plan to measure video viewing across multiple platforms including broadband, Xbox and iPads. The decision to reach beyond traditional television viewing comes from the What Nielsen Measures Committee, a group comprised of members representing TV and cable networks, local TV stations, ad agencies and several big brand advertisers. Continue reading Nielsen to Redefine TV Ratings by Measuring New Platforms

The University of Strathclyde in the UK has created the Intelligent Lighting Centre (ILC), a consortium comprised of researchers from several universities, to investigate ways to transmit Internet communications using LED lights. The research focuses on using the flickering of LED lights to transmit messages using visible light rather than radio waves, Wi-Fi signals, cell signals or cables. Continue reading Li-Fi: Using LEDs to Transmit Data at One Gigabit Per Second