May 15, 2008 - Embarq pulls out of Sprint deal

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May 15, 2008 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Read more at SmartBrief.com News for telecom industry leaders Search recent stories:       News of the Day  Embarq pulls out of Sprint deal Citing a lack of sales, Embarq will terminate its wireless affiliate deal with Sprint Nextel next year, at which time it might transition its wireless customers to another carrier, Chief Financial Officer Gene Betts told analysts Wednesday. He said the company had only 112,000 subscribers at the end of 2007, far short of its goal of 1 million customers. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (5/15) , The New York Times/Associated Press (5/14)   NXTcomm08 is coming... Advertise in the USTelecom dailyLead while subscribers set their sights on Las Vegas. With 49,000 highly engaged subscribers, USTelecom dailyLead offers the perfect opportunity to reach telecom industry decision-makers. To learn more, click here or contact Amy Abbey at (202) 737-5500 ext. 250.   ADVERTISEMENT   Business & Industry Watch  Homeland awards $1 billion contract to Verizon, AT&T In a deal valued at almost $1 billion, the Department of Homeland Security has picked Verizon Communications and AT&T to consolidate its telecom network. Verizon will receive up to $679 million for its part in the contract, while AT&T will receive up to $292 million. cellular-news (U.K.)/Associated Press (5/14) Deutsche Telekom comes to terms with Greek government Deutsche Telekom has ironed out a deal with the government of Greece that will result in both entities' owning a 25% share in Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, OTE. The deal gives DT the ability to name the company's chief executive officer and control of about half the board seats. The New York Times (5/15) , International Herald Tribune/Associated Press (5/14) FCC starts move toward re-auctioning unsold spectrum The FCC agreed Wednesday to ask for public comment on how to redo an unsuccessful part of its 700-MHz auction, the D block scheduled to become part of a nationwide public-safety network. "In the seven years since 9/11 ... we have learned two hard and disappointing lessons," said Commissioner Michael Copps. "First, that America desperately needs to improve the communications tools available to its heroic first responders. And, second, that achieving this task is not going to be easy." InfoWorld/IDG News Service (5/14) Icahn launches proxy battle for control of Yahoo! Investor Carl Icahn, who recently purchased 59 million Yahoo! shares, announced plans for a proxy fight to take control of the Web portal's board. In a letter to Yahoo! Chairman Roy Bostock, Icahn asserts that Yahoo!'s board of directors "has acted irrationally and lost the faith of shareholders." Icahn's proposed board includes such notables as Mark Cuban and Frank J. Biondi Jr. Reuters (5/15) , The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (5/15) USTelecom Spotlight 2 Shows, 1 Trip: Register for NXTcomm08 & Attend InfoComm 08 at no charge Communications-industry professionals interested in using their trade-show resources wisely should take note: Attendees who register for NXTcomm08 (Las Vegas, June 16 to 19) also receive free access to InfoComm 08 (Las Vegas, June 18 to 20). By co-locating, InfoComm and NXTcomm can give attendees to each show access to both show floors, valuable training, leading keynotes and the latest advances in A/V and IT communications. Learn more at www.2Shows1Trip.com Learn more about USTelecom -> NXTcomm  |  News  |  Join USTelecom  |  NextGenWeb  |  Webinars   Video Upload  Wisconsin telecoms forge IPTV pact Midwest Telnet, Tri-County Telcom and Wisconsin Independent Network are coming together to form the MidWest Video Solutions LLC venture, which will share headend services and assist the companies in achieving their IPTV goals without having to individually shoulder the related expenses. xchange (5/14) U-verse boxes meet Energy Star program requirements AT&T's U-verse set-top boxes have been approved as energy efficient, under the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Star program. The telecom will offer boxes from Motorola and Cisco Systems that meet the criteria. American City Business Journals/St. Louis (5/14) Government policies might slow IPTV in China Though IPTV is poised to take off in China, the industry faces significant hurdles, experts say. First, "the Chinese government has always defined TV as a free social service," said Li Yiqing, vice general manager of Huashu Digital Television, so consumers don't expect to pay for programming. Censorship hurts too. "If there is no good content, why should people pay to watch TV?" she said. Interfax Information Service Group/China (5/12) Other News LG, Samsung agree to work on single mobile-DTV standard Broadcasting & Cable (5/14) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Looking for ways to get more out of your network? Only Juniper Networks offers JUNOS™ software, a single OS to reduce cost and complexity so that you can accelerate the pace of innovation. Start innovating with JUNOS today—register to win a free copy of the JUNOS Cookbook>> Interested in learning more about advertising in the USTelecom dailyLead? Contact Amy Abbey at 202-737-5500 ext 250 or aabbey@smartbrief.com.   Technology Trends  CBS to buy CNET for $1.8 billion CBS has announced that it is acquiring online news and product-review network CNET for $1.8 billion, or $11.50 a share. Shares in CNET closed last night at $7.95. Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, said in a statement: "The core businesses of CNET Networks and CBS Interactive represent near perfect category symmetry in premium online content." paidContent.org (5/15) , Google/Associated Press (5/15) Other News Tranzeo expands line with indoor WiMAX unit cellular-news (U.K.) (5/14) Ericsson commits to $25 billion, five-year R&D plan Unstrung (5/14)   IP Download  Thai distributor eyes "hot" WiMAX market Bliss-Tel, Thailand's leading distributor of handsets, wants to diversify into selling WiMAX service as part of its strategy to reduce its reliance on its hardware business while seeking to exploit the country's exploding demand for wireless high-speed Internet service. Bliss-Tel is eyeing a joint venture with telecom companies in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, according to executives. Bangkok Post (Thailand) (5/15) AT&T delivers VoIP technology to tire distributor AT&T has landed a three-year contract, in which the telecom will supply its IP Flexible Reach solution, an all-in-one network that includes scalable bandwidth, to Best-One Tire & Service. AT&T will also deliver Managed Internet Service through its Private Network Transport to increase security. 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