n to Reforms and Reverse Auctions 122 FCC Approval of Funding for Universal Broadband 123 The Telecommunications Act of 1996 125 Legislation to Protect the Privacy of Minors Efforts to Influence Regulations 129 Contents The State of the Industry 133 Traditional Telephone Companies 133 Mobile Operators 134 Industry Consolidation Mobile Virtual Network Operators Selling Wholesale Services Exclusively Cable Multiple System Operators Cable Service for Business Customers Endeavors in Mobile Services 143 Other Competitors to Broadband Providers Competitive Carriers 145 Independent Telephone Companies 148 Agents 149 Resellers 150 Nontraditional Competitors: Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix 150 Google's Strategy of Enhancing Service through Acquisition 151 Amazon 154 Apple 156 Microsoft Netflix Appendix 161 Part III Wide Area Networks and the Internet 4 Carrier Networks The Public Network 167 Long-Haul Networks: The Core 168 Transoceanic Network Systems 169 Technologies Used in Carrier Networks Circuit-Switched Voice and T1/T3 over Fiber Carrier Gigabit Ethernet 172 Contents Convergence in Core and Metropolitan Networks Automation via Control Plane Technology 176 Mesh Configuration Backups 176 Transitioning Broadband Customers to Voice over Internet Protocol The Decline of Telephone Revenues and the Transition to VolP Service 180 Centralized VolP Services Architecture 180 IP Multimedia Subsystem for Mobile and Wired Access to an Application Transporting Movies and TV in the Core Using Headends to Receive and Transmit Programming Hub Sites 187 Middle-Mile Networks The High Cost of Rural Internet Connectivity 188 Last-Mile Access Networks Adding Capacity to Access Networks 191 Supporting More Video by Converting to Digital Cable TV 192 Using Set-Top Boxes to Interface to Cable TV 193 Legacy Circuit-Switching Service 194 Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers 195 Passive Optical Networks 196 Access Networks in Cable Operators' Networks Asymmetric Channels 201 Using CMTS for IP Traffic 202 Cable Modem Stand