Entone announces that Unity Telecom has selected its FusionTV solution to launch a first-of-its-kind Broadband TV service that unites live HDTV programming and cloud-based services.

In contrast to other emerging Broadband TV models that require proprietary head-end equipment and market-by-market retransmission agreements, Entone's FusionTV service aligns service operators and broadcasters with existing FCC regulations. FusionTV also prevents conflicts with broadcasters by allowing operators to embrace the popularity of free-to-air programming.

Unity Telecom will distribute Entone's FusionTV service through its nationwide network of over 3,500 retail locations, offering consumers a new Broadband TV service model that combines live HDTV programs via FTA and full digital video recorder capabilities. With FusionTV, Unity Telecom will also be able to offer cloud-based media services, such as VUDU's streaming library of over 50,000 titles and more than 50 popular web applications like photo sharing from Flickr and Picasa and social networking from Facebook and Twitter -- all from a single device.

According to a February 2012 report from Nielsen, the number of US households that have opted for a pairing of broadcast TV-only and broadband Internet connection rose 22.8% compared to a year ago. The report notes that these consumers are not necessarily cord-cutters, but may be former broadcast TV-only homes that upgraded to Internet service.