As reported by UNH-IOL (University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory), Actiontec along with other vendors are readying their home customer edge (CE) network routers for IPv6. During a recent IPv6 CE Router Interoperability Test Event, a number of service providers and CE router vendors tested the IPv6 readiness of their products in a series of home and small office environments. This test event verified the support of various transitional elements, including 6rd, which is used to maintain connectivity for subscribers when networks are not dual stack.

For more info, go to http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/unh-iol-confirms-ipv6-readiness-more-home-network-routers/2011-12-08

Bain & Company, a global consulting firm, has released new research which forecasts that OTT (Over-The-Top) content could reach 60% penetration by as early as 2014. According to the study, which was based on a survey of 3000 consumers in France, the UK, the US, China, and India, a majority of consumers today have expressed interest in viewing Internet video content over traditional TV channels. Additionally, a third of the respondents in the US and UK said they planned to use friends and acquaintances as a source for viewing new programs, suggesting that “social TV” may become increasingly relevant.

For more information, see http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/study-internet-tv-reach-60-hh-2014/2011-11-22?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Gaming consoles, already a favored entertainment hub in many households, has become the most popular device for consumers to watch online content on their TV screens. The personal computer remains unrivalled as far as online viewing overall goes, but transferring the online viewing experience to the big screen is becoming a point of contention. According Strategy Analyitics latest report, “Multiscreen Connected TV: Assessing Device Usage and Ownership,” 12% of US households use gaming consoles to watch online content, more than those who connect an HDMI cable between their computer and high-definition television screen. With the upcoming Xbox TV launch during this year’s holiday season, that number can only grow.

For more coverage, see http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5133

Cable video gateways, devices that combine a broadband router with set-top box functions, are set to grow from less than 700,000 units sold in 2010 to over 10 million in 2016. This according to ABI Research’s latest, “Worldwide Set-top Box Markets: CATV, DBS, IP, DTT.” ABI goes on to say that cable operators in North America and Europe are looking at advanced gateway products from a variety of vendors to deliver advanced services and content to multiple devices in the home. Meanwhile, operators in Asia are looking at the gateway as a low-cost way to get triple play to new audiences. The report also includes forecasts by platform and geography and operator strategy overviews.

For more information, go to http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3807-Cable+Operators+to+Deploy+10+Million+Video+Gateways+in+2016+to+Save+Cost+and+Enhance+User+Experience

Netflix stock continued to its losing ways after the company announced plans to sell $400 million in stock and bonds. The infusion of cash was seen as a way to pay for licensing deals it has struck with movie studios and TV programmers such as Disney and MGM. Netflix has hit some rough water recently, losing 800,000 customers during the third quarter of this year after increasing its subscription fees and announcing a spin-off of its DVD mailer service (which the company canceled soon after). The company commented on the stock and bond offering, saying that the move would help improve its financial outlook in the long run.

For additional coverage, see http://www.fiercecable.com/story/netflix-slide-continues-it-sells-stock-bonds-help-pay-programmers/2011-11-22?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

TDG (The Diffusion Group) has released a new study: “Broadband and Home Networks—The Evolution.” This report picks up where TDG’s 2008 release, “The Future of Home Networks,” left off, taking note of the ongoing explosion of broadband adoption and the related increase in network diffusion in the home. The subject of the current study is the evolution of fixed-broadband Internet access and its home network extensions. Its main thrust is forecasting the growth of in-home networking capable of supporting high-value services, applications, and business models beyond simple Internet connectivity.

For more, see http://tdgresearch.com/shops/reports/broadband-and-home-networks-the-evolution-2005-2030.aspx

ABI Research has unveiled a new report in which the firm forecasts the growth of the sports and health mobile application market over the next few years. The report, “Mobile Devices and mHealth,” sees this market ballooning to over $400 million by 2016, compared to the $120 million it earned in 2010. Much of this growth will be driven by new ways to access healthcare applications, including home monitoring systems for the elderly and personal emergency response systems. Another driver will be fitness-related wearable devices, which will support handset applications to deliver information such as heart rate, miles run, and calories burned.

For additional coverage, see http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3815-Smartphone+Health+Applications+Will+Exceed+%24400+Million+Annually+by+2016

As more and more consumers purchase and then use their mobile devices (particularly tablets, smartphones, and e-readers), the amount of content available for the devices surges, which in turn convinces more consumers to purchase additional devices. Thus, the virtuous circle of mobile tech and online content (which includes video, social media, games, and periodicals) continues. eMarketer, according to their research, sees tablet, e-reader, and smartphone use continuing to rise for the forseeable future, and predicts that the most successful companies in this space will be those that offer the “whole widget”: hardware, software, content, and social integration. Similarly, the successful marketer will know how to deliver the best possible experience over the entire breadth of each platform.

To see more, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008707&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4