Alabama's Farmers Telecom Coop taps Calix for its 1 Gbps network; Dark fiber could become weapon in residential broadband

Wireline news from across the web:

@FierceTelecom RT@ TheCloudNetwork: Gartner outlines the reasons why most private clouds fail. Article | Follow @FierceTelecom

> Verizon has restored voice and broadband services to customers after the Round fire damaged more than 40,000 feet of fiber-optic and copper cables that help provide communications and broadband services to many in California's Bishop and Mammoth Lakes area. Release

> Belgium has taken the lead in terms of the amount of broadband subscribers on next-gen access networks, according to new European Commission data. Article (sub. req.)

> Alabama's Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative has tapped Calix as the vendor behind its 1 Gbps service. Article

Cable News
> Chipmaker MaxLinear reported a 2.9 percent revenue uptick to $32.5 million in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to resurgent shipments of DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems and gateways. Article

> For an independent programmer like AMC Networks, slugging it out alone in a consolidating pay-TV universe, hit shows like Breaking BadMad Men and The Walking Dead have provided the necessary leverage for growth. Article

Wireless News
> Disruptive Wireless analyst Dean Bubley takes a stab at figuring out Google's rumored MVNO with Sprint and T-Mobile US, and thinks it could be a tablet-oriented service rather than a smartphone-based one. Article

> Microsoft and Samsung Electronics agreed to settle a dispute over how much money Samsung would pay to Microsoft to license the software giant's patents that Samsung uses in its Android smartphones and tablets. Article

And finally… Some industry watchers say that more existing dark fiber should be provisioned for residential use to fend off incumbent ISP service problems and price increases. Article