Indiana governor signs statewide video franchise law
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a statewide cable franchise law, opening the way for telecoms to offer TV services without obtaining local approvals. The law, which also applies to cable providers, requires applicants get an answer within 15 days of applying. TVWeek.com (3/15)  
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Vodafone's Sarin faces challenges ahead
Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin faces the difficult task of guiding the giant wireless carrier to growth in a communications market increasingly focused on Internet-based technologies such as VoIP. The Wall Street Journal (3/15)
RIM runs ad thanking supporters, urging patent reform
Research In Motion took out an ad in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and six other U.S. papers, saying users of its BlackBerry wireless e-mail service "can rest assured the BlackBerry is here to stay." The ad also calls for patent system reforms, arguing that certain "loopholes" should be closed. CNET (3/14)
Verizon wins franchise deals in Delaware
Verizon Communications has struck video franchise deals with three Delaware towns, allowing it to bring FiOS TV to the state for the first time. Multichannel News (3/14)
Study: 68% of home-Internet users connect via broadband
Home broadband penetration increased 13% last year, which means 68% of home-Internet users now use a broadband connection, according to a study by Nielsen//NetRatings. Advertising Age (3/14)
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TV's 'Apprentice' To Headline TelecomNEXT Panel
Donald Trump's latest "Apprentice," Dr. Randall Pinkett, will moderate a main-stage panel featuring top executives from emerging and independent television networks, capping off DiversityNEXT, a summit of communications and entertainment executives held March 21 to 22, 2006, at TelecomNEXT in Las Vegas. DiversityNEXT is a key industry gathering for the procurement community, bringing together suppliers and senior-level executives from across the international communications industry. Register today -- rates go up March 19!
Report: VoIP adoption up slightly
About 3.5% of U.S. households, or nearly 3.9 million, used VoIP in January 2006, up from 2.9% in June 2005, according to a report by Telephia. Vonage had the highest market share at 47.5%, and Skype Technologies claimed 11.8%. Networking Pipeline (3/14)
Companies launch Wi-Fi phone
D-Link and TelTel have rolled out a pocket-sized, SIP-enabled Wi-Fi phone that's designed to let users make VoIP calls on the go. The handset comes with TelTel's VoIP service, which offers free Internet calls and $.02-per-minute off-Internet calls. Telephony Online (3/14)
Users spent $2B on Web content in 2005
The average Web user spent more than $100 on Web-based content in 2005, creating a $2 billion market for paid content, according to data from the Online Publishers Association. Despite the surge in spending, only 12% of the U.S. population spent any money at all on Web content, suggesting that tremendous growth potential remains in this space. Mediaweek (3/14)
Sprint Nextel: Mobile multimedia network on track
Sprint Nextel Corp. says its plan to launch a multimedia network using 2.5 GHz spectrum is still on track to be completed by mid-2009. The company is testing various technologies to run the network, including WiBro and Flash-OFDM. Light Reading (3/14)
Mexico's top communications regulator pushes for telecom reform
Eduardo Perez Motta, head of Mexico's Federal Competition Commission, is urging Vicente Fox, the country's president, to reform telecom industry rules to allow more companies to enter the market. Financial Times (free content) (3/14)
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