Comcast Roundup: Calls critics of NBC deal ‘self serving,’ @ComcastCares leaves and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• LA Times reports that Comcast told the FCC that critics of its deal of NBC are ‘self-serving.’
• The New York Post reports that in a court filing Comcast calls itself the fourth largest media company in terms of advertising and affiliate revenue if the NBC deal would go through.
• Variety reports on the filing saying that Comcast portrays its acquisition of NBC as an opportunity to stimulate, not stifle, competition.

Below, the man behind @ComcastCares is leaving, Google bumps its lobbying budget to fight on net neutrality and more.

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Philly Is “Gigabit City” (with or without Google)

Last week, Google thanked the 1,100 applicants who entered its Google Fiber for Communities contest, an initiative to test high-speed, next generation broadband — known as ‘gigabit’ fiber — that is up to 100 times faster than current average household Internet connections. As we’ve written in this column before, Google plans to wire between 50,000 and a half-million households with gigabit, an experiment which could have broad implications for technological innovation and national broadband policy.

The thank-you was but a tease for Philly’s technology community, which, as part of the City’s application to the Google Fiber for Communities contest, created “Gigabit City,” a repository where folks brainstorm specific projects that may be possible with gigabit technology. Like everyone else, they’ll have to wait until Google announces the winners in the fall, but City of Philadelphia Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank isn’t sitting around. He’s turned the city’s application into an opportunity to engage Philadelphia around next-generation broadband policy.

In the process, he’s been able to push the city’s telecommunication heavies  — Comcast and Verizon — to consider Philadelphia’s future.

Read the full story over at Philly Mag’s Philly post.

Google releases fiber website, no winners yet

Google has yet to announce the winner of its Google Fiber contest, but the search giant is showing signs of life.

The company has launched a new website to thank cities that applied to be a part of the company’s Google Fiber experiment which would deliver Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than most consumer Internet plans.

The site highlights some of the over-the-top methods (such as Topeka renaming itself “Google”) utilized by 1,100 cities all over the country that hoped to increase the chances of receiving Google’s experimental gigabit internet infrastructure.

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Invite Media’s Philly roots run deep

Earlier this month, the tech world’s eyes were set squarely on Invite Media.

The small company, headquartered in Rittenhouse, made big news when it was purchased by Google. Industry analysts were mostly concerned with how the purchase of Invite’s real-time display advertising bidding software played into Google’s long-term strategy.

But here in Philly, we’d guess that there were likely a handful of celebrations taking place from West Conshohocken down to University City as Invite Media’s Philadelphia ties run deep.

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Google purchases Invite Media

According to All Things Digital, Google has acquired Center City-based Invite Media for a price tag “in the $70 million range.”

Invite Media, backed by First Round Capital and Comcast Interactive Ventures, acts as a central real-time dashboard for buying web display ads. It’s likely that Google will use Invite’s technology to help further streamline its advertising business, which accounts for nearly all of its revenues.

The company was founded by Penn grads Nat Turner, Zachary Weinberg and Scott Becker and also has offices in the 67th Ward.

This isn’t the first time Google has shown love to the 215, the company also invested in DreamIt vet SCVNGR last year. Google also has been on a bit of an acquisition binge this year, snapping up seven companies since April.

Edit: More details on All Things Digital and on Silicon Alley Insider.

Comcast: Launching social networking site Turnerfish, a call to drop Hulu and More

DEFINITE READS

• Businessweek reports that in the coming weeks Comcast will unveil a beta version of a social networking service focused on allowing users to share their TV and Internet video watching. The service is currently called ‘Turnerfish.’
• Politico reports that 78 former government officials, including former congressmen, staffers and others, have been registered as Comcast lobbyists in the final quarter of 2009 and first quarter of 2010, in a blitz to push forward its move to purchase a majority stake in NBC Universal. H/T Philly Tech News

Below, we bet you can guess what three governors are leaning on approval of the Comcast-NBC deal, another round of Google-Comcast rivalry brewing and more.

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Gigabit City working with Communities United for Broadband to elevate the broadband conversation

Whether Google is behind it or not, Blake Jennelle wants you to know that ultra high-speed gigabit broadband is worth investing in.

Though the Philly Startup Leaders founder would like to see those investments made here in Philadelphia, gigabit is bigger than this city alone.

“The end goal for Philly is still to get gigabit, but Google’s only going to install it in a couple communities,” Jennelle said in a telephone interview earlier this month. “The reality is, if gigabit matters and we want it here, we have to make the case to local companies, city government and the community that it’s worth investing in. It’s going to be hard to do that if the effort is in isolation,” he says.

After Google announced in February that it would help launch 1-gigabit data networks in select communities, the City of Philadelphia and leaders in the region’s technology community have been coordinating an effort to attract Google here. More than 1,000 communities are vying for the opportunity.

Though Philly is certainly not alone in contention, a unique approach to advocating for gigabit broadband is emerging here. Jennelle has been working closely with broadband consultant Craig Settles—a former Philly native whom we’ve often sourced on this site—to educate about and inspire other cities to invest in high-speed gigabit fiber.

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Gigabit Philly relaunches as Gigabit City, bigger goal with or without Google

Update on 4/6/10 @ 2:56 p.m. on other collaboration

As expected, the Philadelphia initiative to court Google and its ultra-high speed broadband Web access today relaunched its Web site. But Blake Jennelle says it’s so much more.

Recast as Gigabit City, from its previous incarnation as Gigabit Philly, the Philly Startup Leaders co-founder who worked with other community members and city officials on the project says the Google pitch is just a starting point.

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Google Fiber chased by 1,100 municipalities, Gigabit Philly site to relaunch

This map displays where the responses were concentrated. Each small dot represents a government response, and each large dot represents locations where more than 1,000 residents submitted a nomination. Google plans to share a complete list of government responses soon. Image courtesy of Google

Updated 4/3/10 @ 8:59 p.m.: Planned, possible locations in Philadelphia

The application deadline for Google’s ultra-high speed broadband fiber experiment closed a week ago, but Philadelphia’s horse isn’t done riding yet.

Some 1,100 municipalities and thousands of individuals applied, according to the Washington Post, including a collaboration between Philadelphia city officials and community leaders, dubbed Gigabit Philly. Google says it will announce its “target community or communities” by the end of the year, so the Philadelphia group boosting the city’s application is still cheerleading.

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Google ultra high speed fiber application closes today, attention picks up

Nearly one month after the announcement came at Ignite Philly, widespread attention for the City of Philadelphia applying to partner with Google on its proposed ultra-high speed internet experiment has finally come.

The deadline for applications is today. That has led local politicians scrambling to social media to sure up their tech credentials and community support, and, yes, a Philadelphia media binge.

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