Class Says Comcast Piggybacks on Homes to Set Up Public Network

FROM: http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/12/08/class-says-comcast-piggybacks-on-homes-to-set-up-public-network.htm


Class Says Comcast Piggybacks on Homes to Set Up Public Network


SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - A federal class action accuses Comcast of surreptitiously making its residential customers bear the cost of using their wireless routers to set up a secondary public wi-fi network.
Lead plaintiff Toyer Grear sued Comcast on Dec. 4.
He claims that Comcast saw its millions of residential customers as an opportunity to compete with major cellular carriers such as AT&T and Verizon. Though Comcast does not have cellular towers, its customers' households "could be used as infrastructure for a national wi-fi network," the complaint states.
So Comcast supplied its residential customers with new wireless routers equipped to broadcast their home wi-fi signals and additional wi-fi signals for the public, selectively activating the routers to broadcast the secondary public network (the "Xfinity wifi hotspot") across the country, with the goal of enabling 8 million hotspots by the end of 2014, according to the lawsuit.
"Public" in this case does not mean "free," but that access is available to anyone who pays to use a particular wi-fi hotspot.
Grear claims that Comcast does not request customers' authorization to use their residential equipment and networks for public use.
"Indeed, Comcast's contract with its customers is so vague that it is unclear as to whether Comcast even addresses this practice at all," the lawsuit claims.
In using its customers' home networks to build a national network, Comcast
"has externalized the costs of its national wi-fi network onto its customers," Grear says in the complaint.
He claims that the new routers use much more electricity than regular routers, and that this is "a cost borne by the unwitting customer."
Engineers at Speedify, a technology company that increases Internet connection speeds, ran tests on Comcast's new routers and determined that "Comcast will be pushing tens of millions of dollars per month of the electricity bills needed to run their nationwide public wi-fi network onto consumers," the complaint states.
Based on the results of this study, Grear claims, Comcast's residential customers can expect electricity cost increases as great as 30 to 40 percent.
In addition, Grear claims, the Xfinity hotspots slow down the speed of customers' home wi-fi networks, since these home networks are available for use by strangers.
They also expose Comcast's residential customers' data to increased privacy and security risks, according to the complaint.
Comcast declined to comment.
Grear seeks certification of a class of all households in the United States that have subscribed to Comcast's Xfinity Internet Service, and a subclass of all California households that have subscribed to the service.
He also seeks declaratory judgment, an injunction, restitution and damages for violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act and California's Unfair Competition Law.He is represented by Gillian Wade and Sara Avila, with Milstein Adelman, of Santa Monica.

The Motley Fool predicts the end of TV.

THE $2.2 TRILLION WAR FOR YOUR LIVING ROOM BEGINS NOW

And the big winners will surprise you. One simple test (explained in this video) shows you how to bag these 3 killer stocks & maximize your profit potential.


http://www.fool.com/video-alert/stock-advisor/sa-cabletv-ext/

The First Honest Cable Company

Why cable companies bundle their channels: model may not hold for long | BGR

http://bgr.com/2014/04/28/why-cable-companies-bundle-their-channels/

Fwd: | 07.22.13 | Time Warner Cable to pitch Aereo if CBS blacks out cable subs

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: FierceCable <editors@fiercecable.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Subject: | 07.22.13 | Time Warner Cable to pitch Aereo if CBS blacks out cable subs
To: john.sokol@gmail.com

If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view.

July 22, 2013 Sign up for free: Subscribe | Website | Jobs | Mobile Refer FierceCable to a Colleague This week's sponsor is Cisco. Cisco® ONE: Framework for the Internet of Everything Prepare service provider networks to harness network value, increase business agility, and achieve greater operational efficiency. Learn more Today's Top Stories Time Warner Cable to pitch Aereo if CBS blacks out cable subscribers Malone: Cable must consolidate to compete with Google, Apple Liberty Global invests in MindMeld developer Expect Labs Netflix expected to post big jump in U.S. subscribers CBS lifting veil of secrecy on VOD data Also Noted: Spotlight On... Verizon teams with Intel on research project Mediacom creating 40 jobs at new corporate headquarters; Time Warner Cable upgrades My TWC app and much more... Cable in the second quarter of 2013 FierceCable covers the earnings reports and conference calls for public pay TV distributors, programmers and tech vendors, and the second quarter of 2013 will likely yield some lively stories about battles between cable operators, telcos and satellite TV providers. Check this page regularly during the Q2 earnings season for the latest on broadband and pay TV subscriber growth (and churn) as well as new product updates unveiled during earnings calls. Also be sure to check out our Q1 earnings release page. See our earnings page here Follow @FierceCable on Twitter! News From the Fierce Network: 1. Frontier workers in West Virginia rally for new contract 2. Google's 2013 data center spending nears $3B 3. Hulu auction dissected; Samsung takes Silicon Valley This week's sponsor is Kony. White Paper: Mobilizing the Entire Enterprise "Mobility" as a catch-phrase is popping up on every CTO's radar. But what does it mean to "mobilize" your business? Learn how to optimize IT investments for better business performance and make the most of all that mobility promises. Download Now. Sponsor: Dell AppAssure Events > TIA 2013 - October 8-10 - Washington D.C. Marketplace > Whitepaper: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time > Whitepaper: eBook: Smarter Service: The Contact Center of the Future > eBook: Backhaul Strategies for Next-Gen Networks > Whitepaper: How Mobility Can Transform Your Business > Whitepaper: Cisco ONE: Framework for the Internet of Everything > Whitepaper: The Financial Benefit of Cisco's Elastic Core > Whitepaper: How HR Is Solving the Puzzle of Leave Management Jobs > Tower Crew Foreman – Minneapolis, MN – CCI Systems, Inc. > Sales Executive with ability to Speak Mandarin – Florham Park, NJ – PCS Wireless > Sales Executive, Bilingual Spanish – PCS Wireless – Florham Park, NJ > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications > Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications > Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications > Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications > SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications > Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications > SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs * Post a classified ad: Click here. * General ad info: Click here Today's Top News 1. Time Warner Cable to pitch Aereo if CBS blacks out cable subscribers By Steve Donohue Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) is using Aereo's local TV platform as leverage in its retransmission-consent battle with CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS). CEO Glenn Britt first told analysts on an earnings call in April 2012 that he saw potential to use Aereo, which distributes local TV stations to Web surfers for $8 monthly, as leverage with broadcasters demanding increased fees. "Aereo I think is a very interesting idea. I have no idea whether the courts will find it legal or not, but it's certainly something we're looking at," Britt said. With CBS threatening to pull stations from Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas as early as Wednesday, the MSO is using Aereo as a bargaining chip. It plans to recommend Aereo, which debuted in New York in March 2012, as an option if CBS pulls the feed from flagship station WCBS-TV, spokeswoman Maureen Huff told the New York Times on Sunday. Aereo announced on Monday that it will expand to Utah on Aug. 19. While Aereo has also launched in Boston and Atlanta, New York is the only Time Warner Cable market where its service is available through Web browsers and Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone and iPad. Time Warner Cable has suggested other ways cable subscribers can watch local TV content during previous disputes with broadcasters. It handed out more than 21,000 over-the-air antennas to subscribers on its Corpus Christi, Texas, system in 2011 and 2012 after NBC affiliate KRIS-TV pulled its feed in an attempt to squeeze increased retrans fees. While that strategy may have helped Time Warner Cable retain subscribers, installing an over-the-air antenna to watch broadcast TV isn't as easy as tuning to the stations packaged in basic-cable tiers. Likewise, suggesting Aereo as an alternative isn't a perfect solution, as it is difficult to watch Aereo content on TVs connected to Time Warner Cable set-tops. But some tech-savvy cable subscribers may be able to stream local TV channels from Aereo by using Roku's streaming video devices. Aereo has instructions for using Roku devices posted on its customer support website. Time Warner Cable has complained that CBS is demanding a 600 percent increase in fees. The MSO is receiving support in its fight from the American Television Alliance, a consortium it formed with DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV), Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) and the American Cable Association to push Congress and the FCC to reform retransmission-consent rules. Last week, ATVA posted a new YouTube video which paints retrans rules, which were spawned by the 1992 Cable Act, as outdated. The video is titled, "Retrans Rules: Totally 90s. Totally Broken." For more: - see the ATVA video - see the Aereo Utah release - The New York Times has this story Commentary: Aereo could help cable operators bring broadcasters to their knees Related articles: Britt: Aereo could help Time Warner Cable stop paying retransmission-consent fees Time Warner Cable hands out 21,000 antennas to Texas subscribers impacted by blackout of NBC affiliate Time Warner Cable CEO rips broadcasters in joint op/ed with DirecTV chief Appeals court refuses to rehear Aereo suit Read more about: Atva, Aereo back to top This week's sponsor is Dell AppAssure. White Paper: The Buyers' Guide to Virtual and Physical Data Protection Tools and techniques for protecting physical data are no longer sufficient for virtual assets. How do you know which technology is right for your organization? Let an expert do the work: The Buyers' Guide to Virtual + Physical Data Protection 2. Malone: Cable must consolidate to compete with Google, Apple By Steve Donohue Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Major cable MSOs must consolidate in order to drive down programming costs and to achieve the scale needed to compete in the long run with Internet giants such as Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Liberty Media Corp. (Nasdaq: LMCA) chairman John Malone said in an interview published by The Denver Post on Saturday. "The industry, without that cooperation, doesn't have enough scale to be a serious player in a global world," Malone said, noting that Google and Apple "are basically thinking in terms of billions of customers rather than tens of millions." Liberty, which bought a 27 percent stake in Charter Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: CHTR) in March, is reportedly attempting to spark a new wave of cable mergers, beginning with a potential combination of Charter and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC). Malone, who built Tele-Communications Inc. into the largest U.S. MSO before selling it to AT&T (NYSE: T) in 1998, said he wasn't able to make another run at the U.S. cable business until he reduced his stake in DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV) last year. He said that "involved having to put a substantial amount of stock into a trust." Malone said he sees potential for U.S. cable operators to offer much faster Internet speeds similar to a 500 Gbps product that Liberty Global's (Nasdaq: LBTYA) UPC Broadband subsidiary in the Netherlands plans to launch this summer. The wideband service will expand to other cable systems in Europe next year. "We think that demand for those services will be there. That's the bet that you basically make when you invest in U.S. cable right now," Malone said. The cable pioneer said he also expects U.S. operators to eventually market usage-based Internet tiers similar to those sold by wireless providers. "To be fairer to the consumer, it would be better if we get over to volume-based rather than speed-based pricing," he added. For more: - The Denver Post has this story Related articles: Malone says broadband tiers could hurt Netflix; calls Dish CEO Ergen 'kamikaze' Report: Charter hired Goldman Sachs to fine-tune Time Warner Cable offer Charter CEO Rutledge sees consolidation leaving industry with 2 major MSOs Malone floats scenarios for Time Warner Cable – Charter merger Warren Buffett quadruples investment in DirecTV; Berkshire buys Liberty Media stock Read more about: Directv, John Malone back to top 3. Liberty Global invests in MindMeld developer Expect Labs By Steve Donohue Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn John Malone's Liberty Global (Nasdaq: LBTYA) has invested in Expect Labs, a San Francisco-based startup which has developed an "anticipatory computing engine" that could one day be used in targeted advertising or video navigation. Expect Labs, which is developing a MindMeld app for Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad that will be able to suggest content based on analysis of conversations, said Monday that it also secured an investment from IDG Ventures. The company's other investors include Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), Samsung and Telefónica, one of the top broadband providers in Spain. Expect Labs said the Liberty cash came from the company's Liberty Global Ventures investment fund. Liberty has deployed advanced cable technology on its cable systems in Western Europe, including a multiplatform Horizon TV service and an interactive program guide that includes a recommendation engine from ThinkAnalytics. Liberty Global and Expect Labs didn't say how Liberty could use the technology Expect Labs is developing. It's worth noting that the leadership team at Expect Labs includes Simon Handley, a research engineer with experience developing behavioral targeting and optimization strategies for online advertising. For more: - see the release Related articles: Liberty Global closes Virgin deal, becoming world's biggest cable operator Liberty Global expanding Horizon TV to Ireland and Germany Verizon patents targeted advertising method that determines if viewers are laughing, cuddling, sleeping or singing Read more about: Ipad, Liberty Global back to top 4. Netflix expected to post big jump in U.S. subscribers By Steve Donohue Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is expected to post a 6.6 percent jump in U.S. subscribers when it reports second-quarter earnings Monday afternoon, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney said in a research note. RBC expects that the top online video distributor will report that it now counts 31.1 million U.S. subscribers and 39 million subscribers globally. Netflix picked up 2.03 million U.S. streaming video subscribers in the first quarter and counted 29.2 million U.S. subscribers at the end of the period. CEO Reed Hastings plans to participate in a live interview with BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield and CNBC reporter Julia Boorstin at 3 p.m. PT Monday. The company said investors will be able to email questions that will be used for the discussion. For more: - MarketWatch has this story Related articles: Netflix gains 2.03 million subs in Q1 2013 Netflix adds Suddenlink to Open Connect CDN Cablevision partners with Netflix to deliver 'super HD' movies and 3D TV shows Comcast won't offer Netflix to Xfinity TV subscribers Verizon, Comcast, Charter top Netflix rankings of fastest ISPs Read more about: Netflix back to top 5. CBS lifting veil of secrecy on VOD data By Steve Donohue Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) broke ranks from fellow programmers by announcing that it will begin releasing ratings information which include data on viewing from cable video-on-demand and online video sites. The Eye Network said Friday that its "Under the Dome" series, which premiered last month, generated 1.6 million video-on-demand views in the first 22 days after its initial broadcast. The program also generated 484,542 views through online video streaming. CBS's strategy could help it drive increased advertising revenue from distribution on the free VOD platforms major cable MSOs offer subscribers. It could also help the network squeeze increased license fees from distributors such as Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), as it will be able to point to traffic generated by cable subscribers. For more: - MediaPost has this story Related articles: SCTE finds friendly method for disabling fast-forward in VOD programming CableLabs shines spotlight on VOD advertising potential Time Warner Cable deploys BlackArrow dynamic VOD ad insertion technology Read more about: Vod, Cbs back to top Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Verizon teams with Intel on research project Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) said Friday that it is teaming up with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and several universities to explore technologies for next-generation wireless networks. The research will focus on topics such has how to improve quality of service via context awareness, wireless device power efficiency and enabling new wireless spectrum, according to Intel. The chip manufacturer has set aside $3 million for the project. Read more Quick news from across the Web. > Mediacom is creating 40 new jobs at the 110,000-square foot corporate headquarters building it opened in Blooming Grove, N.Y. Article > Time Warner Cable said it released the 4.0 version of its My TWC app, which lets subscribers diagnose and troubleshoot equipment issues, view account information and receive service alerts on smartphones and tablets. News release > TelVue Corp. said it launched The Knowledge Network on the Roku Channel Store. News release > Broadcom said it is pitching a new HD DOCSIS 2.0 set-top box chipset to cable operators in emerging markets. News release Telecom News > It appears that U.K. regulator Ofcom has a solution to the recently-reported shortage of new phone numbers in the region, and it is a measure that U.S. customers will recognize. Read more > Frontier Communications employees in West Virginia are stepping up efforts for their voices to be heard as the carrier negotiates with the Communications Workers of America on a new contract that would affect about 1,600 Frontier workers in the state. Read more Wireless News > Apple has asked its component suppliers to test iPhone and iPad screens larger than the ones currently available, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Read more And finally… Independent soccer network GolTV said it bought broadcast rights to The Eredivisie league, the top soccer league in the Netherlands. News release Events * Post listing: Click here. * General ad info: Click here. > TIA 2013 - October 8-10 - Washington D.C. TIA 2013 will address disruptive technologies and changing business models as companies position themselves for success with wireless, the transition to all-IP networks, Cloud, M2M, smart buildings, and more. The conference will offer ideas for thriving in the changing ICT environment. www.tia2013.org. Registration opens June 2013. Marketplace * Post listing: Click here. * General ad info: Click here. > Whitepaper: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time This eBook sets out 5 simple steps for optimizing customer service and support with an effective, best-practice-led knowledge management initiative. Download today! > Whitepaper: eBook: Smarter Service: The Contact Center of the Future This eBook explores the challenges facing traditional contact centers and the benefits of deploying the contact center of the future. You'll find links to further resources on the final page. Download today. > eBook: Backhaul Strategies for Next-Gen Networks Wireless operators are considering various strategies when dealing with network capacity challenges. This eBook explores backhaul best practices and solutions. Download for free today. > Whitepaper: How Mobility Can Transform Your Business Mobility is more than just smartphones and tablets. IT professionals need to get their arms around on four key elements of the mobile ecosystem as the rise of mobile devices in the enterprise offer untapped opportunities for businesses...Download today! > Whitepaper: Cisco ONE: Framework for the Internet of Everything Prepare service provider networks to harness network value, increase business agility, and achieve greater operational efficiency. Learn More > Whitepaper: The Financial Benefit of Cisco's Elastic Core This whitepaper describes the financial benefits of an intelligent, converged, and programmable network. Read Now > Whitepaper: How HR Is Solving the Puzzle of Leave Management Over half of HR professionals are unsure how much employee absence costs their organization. This unsettling statistic was revealed in the Optis survey conducted in June at the SHRM 2012 Annual Conference & Exposition in Atlanta. Find out more and download today! Jobs * Post listing: Click here. * General ad info: Click here. > Tower Crew Foreman – Minneapolis, MN – CCI Systems, Inc. CCI Systems is a 100% employee owned company seeking experienced tower crew foremen to lead crews on the construction and implementation of cell site upgrades, antenna change outs, new cabling, and all required testing and documentation. Duties & Responsibilities include lead work on tower top…Learn more > Sales Executive with ability to Speak Mandarin – Florham Park, NJ – PCS Wireless The Sales Executive will be responsible for all sales activities, from lead generation through close in an assigned territory. He or she will develop and implement agreed upon Sales Plan which will meet both personal and business goals of expanding customer base in the marketing area…Learn More > Sales Executive, Bilingual Spanish – PCS Wireless – Florham Park, NJ The Sales Executive will be responsible for all sales activities, from lead generation through close in an assigned territory. Candidates must be fluent in Spanish as well as in writing in Spanish.  He or she will develop an annual business plan in conjunction with Sales Manager… Learn More > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications Cricket Communications offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital wireless networks. Every day, our Store Managers at Cricket run all aspects of the Cricket retail business including, but not limited to, financial management, business operations... Learn More > Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The Sr. Account Executive - Enterprise is responsible for meeting or exceeding sales goals for large accounts. The position is responsible for initial contact with customers, follow-up, proposal preparation, making customer presentations and seeing the sale through to the signing of a contract...Learn More > Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications The Inventory Specialist is responsible for providing accurate and detailed reports regarding inventory sell-out levels with recommendations and guidance to assist sales leadership in yield management through the development of optimized rates...Learn More > Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications The Field Auditor will maintain the security of the cable system by designing and implementing an effective and efficient audit program, asset and loss prevention programs; investigate internal and external security problems; implement internal and field security programs with other departments... Learn More > SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications SAS Administrator is responsible for providing senior level expertise on overall technology, infrastructure and administration as it relates to the SAS Grid enabled architecture, installed on RHEL/JBOSS server platform. Manages, configures and supports SAS...Learn More > Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications This position is accountable for driving Standard Processes, Governance, and Continuous Process Improvements across the Technology organization to improve the consistency and repeatability of our delivery processes. This role supports all technology organizations and closely partners with our enterprise portfolio management team...Learn More > SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The SMB Account Executive promotes, sells, and retains commercial business solutions for voice, data and video to SMB level customers. Sell bundled telephony, data and video products to existing/new commercial business customers based on assigned revenue targets...Learn More > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs Announcing FierceWirelessJobs, the new FierceMarkets careers site. Find the perfect job or post your openings at http://www.fiercewireless.com/jobs. FierceCable Sign up for free | Visit the website | View our job board Refer FierceCable to a Colleague ©2013 FierceMarkets This email was sent to john.sokol@gmail.com as part of the FierceCable email list which is administered by FierceMarkets, 1900 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 628-8778. Contact Us Editor: Steve Donohue, VP Sales: Jack Fordi, Publisher: Jason Nelson. Advertise General advertising: Jack Fordi. Request a media kit. Explore Our Network You may enjoy these publications from FierceMarkets: FierceBiotech FierceBiotechIT FierceBiotech Research FierceCIO FierceCIO:TechWatch FierceContentManagement FierceDeveloper FierceEMR FierceFinance FierceFinanceIT FierceDrugDelivery FierceGovernment FierceGovernmentIT FierceHealthcare FierceHealthFinance FierceHealthIT FierceIPTV FierceMobileContent FierceMobileHealthcare FierceMobileIT FierceOnlineVideo FiercePharma FierceMedicalDevices FiercePharma Manufacturing FierceComplianceIT FierceTelecom FierceVaccines FierceEnterpriseCommunications FierceBroadbandWireless FierceWireless FierceWireless:Europe Hospital Impact FierceHealthPayer FiercePracticeManagement FierceEnergy FierceSmartGrid