May 2, 2008 - CenturyTel gets a boost from broadband

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May 2, 2008 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Read more at SmartBrief.com News for telecom industry leaders Search recent stories:       News of the Day  CenturyTel gets a boost from broadband A 27% surge in broadband Internet acquisitions drove higher-than-expected profit at CenturyTel in the first quarter. The telecom reported having 2.1 million access lines and 586,000 high-speed Internet customers at the close of the first quarter. Reuters (5/1) , Houston Chronicle/Associated Press (5/1)   Transformation, growth and convergence in the telecom operators The telecom industry is one of great transformation. This report from Business Insights profiles the world's largest telecom operators, examining the strategies that have driven growth. Understand how the leading players are expanding their business and achieving higher profitability with this report.   ADVERTISEMENT   Business & Industry Watch  XO passes 500,000 in Ethernet push XO Communications says it has broadened its Ethernet coverage to more than 500,000 business sites crossing 75 U.S. markets. The company cited its strategy of pushing Ethernet over wireless, fiber and especially copper conduits. Light Reading (5/1) Sprint taps ex-Kodak CFO Brust to head finances Sprint Nextel has continued its management shake-up by naming veteran financial executive Robert Brust, 64, as its chief financial officer. Brust, who retired in 2007 from the same post at Eastman Kodak, replaces Paul Saleh, whom CEO Dan Hesse removed in January. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (5/2) FCC caps USF for wireless carriers The FCC voted along party lines in a 3-2 decision to temporarily cap the Universal Service Fund for wireless carriers. "Today's decision is not an end in itself, but a step on the path towards comprehensive reform," said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. The Boston Globe/Associated Press (5/1) Ballmer speaks about Yahoo! options Addressing Microsoft employees, CEO Steve Ballmer discussed his proposed acquisition of Yahoo!, saying: "I will go to what I think it's worth if that gets a deal done." He added that a decision about whether Microsoft will pursue a hostile takeover of the Web portal would be announced "in relatively short order." The Wall Street Journal (free content) (5/2) , The New York Times (5/2) USTelecom Spotlight Yankee Group to hold Enterprise Summit at NXTcomm08 Scheduled for June 16 in Las Vegas, the Yankee Group Enterprise Summit will review trends such as open networking, the future of on-demand computing, the network as a platform for application delivery and securing the "anywhere enterprise" through leading network-security technologies. The summit is being organized for the benefit of executives, management and ecosystem players involved in the future of enterprise communications. Register today for NXTcomm08. Learn more about USTelecom -> NXTcomm  |  News  |  Join USTelecom  |  NextGenWeb  |  Webinars   Video Upload  Sezmi plots summer trials for digi-broadcast service Startup Sezmi said it plans to introduce trials in three markets this summer for a video service that mainly uses terrestrial digital broadcast to transmit its signals. Formerly known as Building B, Sezmi wants to deliver TV programming, Internet video and video-on-demand services with a focus on making it easier for consumers to find content they like, the company said. Light Reading (5/1) Tennessee sends video-franchise bill to governor Tennessee is close to enacting legislation that would create a statewide video-franchise process, a move that could enable AT&T to introduce its U-Verse TV service as early as this year, according to one lawmaker. The state Senate approved the measure Thursday and sent to it Gov. Phil Bredesen for his expected signature. Nashville City Paper (Tenn.) (5/2) Apple inks deal with studios for iTunes movies Apple has announced a deal that will enable its iTunes customers to access new movies from 20th Century Fox Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony Pictures Entertainment and Lions Gate. Movies will become available the same day as their DVD releases. Reuters (5/1) , The Hollywood Reporter (5/1) Other News Walpole, Mass., approves FiOS franchise The Boston Globe (5/2)   Technology Trends  Motorola charts growing shipments of digital video devices The seemingly insatiable demand for all things high-definition helped Motorola's Home & Networks Mobility business ship more than 73 million digital-entertainment devices and more than 4 million IPTV set-top boxes in the first three months of 2008, according to this report. "Changes in how much, how often and where content is delivered and consumed are fundamentally driving the convergence of wired and wireless broadband devices and networks," said Dan Moloney, president of the Motorola unit. The FINANCIAL (5/2) Nortel: Carrier unit gains, Ethernet slips Nortel Networks continued its comeback from the post-2000 dot-com slump in the first quarter as it reported a 21% increase in revenue at its carrier business while its Ethernet unit declined from a year earlier. The communications-networking company has engaged in massive cost-cutting and now has seen operating margins grow. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (subscription required) (5/2)   IP Download  Google wants YouTube to make money this year Google is aiming to make money from its popular video-sharing site YouTube, an initiative that CEO Eric Schmidt says is the company's highest priority in 2008. "I don't think we've quite figured out the perfect solution of how to make money, and we're working on that," Schmidt said in an interview with CNBC, adding that YouTube has lined up new products designed to generate advertising revenue. Computerworld/Reuters (4/30) Other News Broadband picks up speed The Washington Post/PC World (5/2)   LeadQuote  The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning." --Ivy Baker Priest, former U.S. treasurer       This dailyLead was created for webmaster@freeraovat.com Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Amy Abbey (202) 737-5500 x250 Download Media Kit   Read more at dailyLead.com A powerful Web site for dailyLead readers including: Breaking News Industry Home Competitor News Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive       Recent USTelecom dailyLead Issues: Thursday, May 01, 2008 Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Monday, April 28, 2008 Friday, April 25, 2008     Lead Editor:  Susan Rush       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2008 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information