Grande Adds Digital Video Recording, HDTV
Grande Communications has launched digital video recording and high-definition television (HDTV) services in Texas markets where the company offers bundled high-speed Internet, local and long-distance telephone and digital cable television services.
Grande’s digital video recording service, which is based on Motorola receivers, allows customers to fast-forward through commercials, pause live television, conduct instant replay and record up to 40 hours of content, including high-definition programming. After a successful test launch in Waco, the service became available to Grande customers in Austin, Corpus Christi, Midland, Odessa, San Antonio and San Marcos beginning Dec. 8. The service costs $9.95 per month in each Grande market, plus the monthly fee for expanded or digital cable service and the digital video receiver.
Grande customers in Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos can also now access Showtime HD and select local programming with highdefinition quality. The HDTV service is already available to Grande customers in Corpus Christi, Midland, Odessa and Waco.
SBC Offers Movielink
SBC Internet Services is offering a customized version of Movielink’s movie rental Web site as part of a promotional trial of services to SBC Yahoo! DSL members. BellSouth has already been selling such services in partnership with Movielink. During the trial, SBC Yahoo! DSL members can go to sbc.movielink.com to browse, rent and download movies from the special, co-branded site. Movies on the service currently range between $1.99 and $4.99 for a 24-hour viewing period and can be stored on a member’s hard drive for up to 30 days.
AT&T Expands Broadband
AT&T Corp. has begun offering consumers broadband service in Indiana, Michigan and Texas. AT&T, which reported 3.5 million local phone customers as of the third quarter, is incorporating Internet service in partnership with broadband carrier Covad Communications Co. AT&T has yet to report the number of customers purchasing its broadband service since the phone giant first incorporated it four months ago in New York. Currently offering broadband in eight states, AT&T plans to expand service to all the states where the Bedminster, N.J.-based company provides consumers bundled local and long-distance phone service. Adding broadband service to the consumer package is part of AT&T’s strategy to develop a full arsenal to battle its long distance rivals, MCI, Sprint Corp. and the RBOCs.
VoIP Trash Talk
Trash talk is starting to rear its ugly head in the up-and-coming VoIP service provider world. In a recent statement, voiceglo took on competitor Skype, calling it “little more than an online walkie-talkie.” Skype doesn’t provide a phone number to anyone and can’t connect subscribers to the public phone network for two-way calling from its network, says Ed Cespedes, voiceglo’s president. “Advanced technology voice over IP, as provided by voiceglo, offers customers a wide array of global digital phone features from totally free subscriber-to-subscriber calls to off-network calls to and from any phone in the world,” adds Cespedes. voiceglo’s recently launched “Free To Talk” plan, which anyone in the world can sign up for at no cost, provides every customer with his or her own voiceglo phone number and four-digit extension in any available area code.
