Cablevision
has agreed to join the other ISPs who have signed on to follow NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomos new code of conduct for getting rid of child porn on the Internet. As weve
noted the new rules dont actually change a lot for the ISPs; theyre supposed to block newsgroups and make sure to pull any child porn off of the Internet as fast as possible which most of them were already doing. Cablevision has also added a sublink to the site which allows people to easily report child porn if they see it online. Covad
has also agreed to comply with the AGs voluntary-but-enforceable rules after receiving a subpoena about the issue but the company is still working on exactly how it will have to change (if at all) to enforce the code.
A struggling VoIP company everyone thought would be dead by now partners with a CLEC everyone thought would be dead by now to resell broadband. Sound like a good idea to you? Vonage, still trying to dig out of their financial hole, has
announced they've partnered with Covad to resell DSL service. It looks like they won't be reselling faster Covad's faster ADSL2+ tiers, but slower 3-6Mbps connectivity. Says Vonage CEO Jeff Citron:
Consistent with our strategy of focusing on the customer, Vonage Broadband enables us to respond to the demand we hear from customers who prefer the Vonage brand," said Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO.
story continues..Earlier this month, a Covad insider
tipped us off to the fact that the CLEC was shopping itself around to potential sugar daddies, with names like AT&T, Sprint and even Best Buy being tossed around as acquisition partners. In the end, however, it appears that Covad got the best deal from Platinum Equity, who will pay $304 million (or $1.02 per share) for the CLEC. Covad CEO Charles Hoffman waxes optimistic in the company
press release:
Platinum's approach will bolster the successful execution of Covad's business strategy while providing the resources and support necessary for sustained growth. We believe that the resulting increased market competitiveness, improved capital structure, and enhanced product and network capabilities best position our customers, partners, and employees for the future.
The deal, barring regulatory approval, should close in the second quarter of next year.