Citing a new state law that experts say will shape national communications policy, SBC Texas today announced an $800 million investment in video and high-speed Internet access technology for the state. The investment will give consumers a new competitive choice over cable television, and will equip every SBC central office in Texas with DSL technology.

Providing an update on Project Lightspeed, SBC Communications Inc. announced the SBC companies have recently concluded a technical field trial of IP-based services, which successfully demonstrated that the technology works in a real-world environment.

During the two-month trial, which concluded last month, SBC companies successfully delivered Internet Protocol (IP)-based TV programming, video-on-demand (VOD), high-speed Internet access and other features to employee households in San Antonio. This was the second of two employee field trials.

To complement theircollaboration on advanced encoders to support Internet Protocol television (IPTV), Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced that they are working together on IP set-tops for initiatives to support the growing worldwide demand for IPTV technology, including SBC's Project Lightspeed.

SBC Communications Inc. announced that contracts have been awarded to both Scientific-Atlanta and Motorola to deliver next-generation Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) set-top boxes that will enable customers to access TV programming, video-on-demand, interactive applications and other advanced features that are part of the U-verse family of services.

This Fourth of July weekend, SBC, the second-largest U.S. telecommunications company, will make their strongest move to lure customers away from the cable companies.

According to executives with SBC they see a two- to three-year window to grab customers as cable companies such as Comcast and Time Warner ramp up their voice services. SBC, under Project Lightspeed, is planning on rolling out their own video service (IPTV) next year.

SBC Communications Inc. announced that it has awarded a multi-million dollar, multi-year contract to Amdocs to support Project Lightspeed, the SBC initiative to expand fiber optics deeper into neighborhoods to deliver Internet Protocol or IP-based TV, voice and broadband services.

SBC calls for light-touch regulatory approach to ensure consumers receive new technology quickly

IP-based television will change the way consumers watch TV while opening a new competitive choice for millions, said Lea Ann Champion, senior executive vice president of IP Operations and Services for SBC Communications Inc. at a U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing about the future of new technology.

Champion demonstrated the capabilities of IP-based video or IPTV for lawmakers and urged them to avoid imposing incumbent obligations on new entrants in the video services market that would discourage deployment of the new system.

Alcatel announced new features on the 7450 Ethernet Service Switch and 7750 Service Router that will speed the roll-out of triple play and business VPN services, driving its leadership in next-generation IP solutions.

In addition, BT Exact, the research, technology and IT operations business of British Telecommunications, tested the high availability features of the 7750 SR - a critical capability that enables voice, IPTV and data services to be delivered with the highest levels of uptime, equal to today's telephone network.

Scientific-Atlanta announced today that it has signed a multi-year agreement with SBC Communications, Inc. to design, build and activate the IP video super hub offices (SHO), IP video hub offices (VHO) and IP video operations center (VOC) for its Project Lightspeed network. This advanced network will be able to deliver video, voice and data services to 18 million households in the SBC 13-state service area.

SBC’s Project Lightspeed is heading at full throttle. Project Lightspeed is the company's $4 billion capital initiative to deploy fiber-to-the-neighborhood and fiber-to-the-premises technologies to 18 million households across 13 states by the end of 2007. Once the groundwork is laid, Project Lightspeed, SBC companies plan to deliver IP-based video, voice, and Internet access services.

SBC Communications today announced the appointment of five television programming executives as part of SBC companies' new IP-based video, voice and Internet access initiative, known as Project Lightspeed.