Netflix has introduced 3D and Super HD viewing — an improved version of 1080p streamed content — but if you are a Time Warner Cable broadband customer, you will not be able to watch.

Netflix is distributing its highest definition content over its Open Connect CDN network, which minimizes the geographic distance and number of connections between viewers and Netflix’s streaming servers. ISPs can join Netflix Open Connect either by free peering at common Internet exchanges, or save even more in transit costs by putting free storage appliances supplied by Netflix in or near their network.

“OpenConnect provides Netflix data at no cost to the location the ISP desires and doesn’t seek preferential treatment,” Netflix tells GigaOm. “We hope Time Warner will join the many major ISPs around the world who are participating in Open Connect to reduce costs, minimize congestion and improve data delivery to enhance the consumer experience.”

So far, Time Warner Cable has chosen not to participate and accused Netflix of discriminating against its customers.

“While they call it ‘Open Connect,’ Netflix is actually closing off access to some of its content while seeking unprecedented preferential treatment from ISPs,” Time Warner Cable said in a statement to Multichannel News. “We believe it is wrong for Netflix to withhold any content formats from our subscribers and the subscribers of many other ISPs. Time Warner Cable’s network is more than capable of delivering this content to Netflix subscribers today.”

ISP participation in the Netflix Open Connect CDN has proven limited thus far in the United States. Cablevision is the only major cable operator signed on to the content delivery platform. Frontier, Google Fiber and Clearwire also participate. Abroad, Virgin Media, British Telecom, Telmex and Telus also participate.

Netflix’s decision to limit its best streams to participants may be an attempt to force ISPs to take its content delivery network more seriously and enlist subscribers in a push to get additional ISPs on board. By bringing its most watched content directly to ISP’s, the company is attempting to blunt provider arguments for data caps and other viewing limits because the cost to distribute content within a provider’s internal network is negligible.

The necessary hardware powering the Netflix Open Connect CDN is less than you might think. The single device powering Open Connect is easily rack mountable and consists of:

Netflix’s Open Connect CDN hardware

Although Verizon Communications has stopped expanding its FiOS fiber-to-the-home service outside of areas it already committed to serve, its gradual rollout continues in Philadelphia.

Gradual is right. On Kalos Street in the Wissahickon section of Philly, it all depends on which side of the road your house resides. Odd-numbered customers were in luck this week as Verizon took its marketing efforts to the street, with a temporary tent emblazoned with Verizon’s logo installed on the sidewalk, giving pedestrians a few minutes of warmth from a portable heater.

FiOS tent (Courtesy: J. Chakars/WHYY NewsWorks)

Inside the tent, would-be customers are given a preview of the fiber optic service and some free gifts just for stopping by on the cold winter night. Those who took Verizon up on its offer walked away with free ice skating tickets. Those that didn’t got a refrigerator magnet and a tote bag as consolation prizes.

Verizon’s sales force, braving the weather, has made inroads in the city that is home to Comcast’s corporate headquarters.

Joanne Weill-Greenberg told WHYY/NewsWorks she called Comcast to deal for a lower rate and Comcast refused to match Verizon FIOS’ introductory offer. She is now an ex-Comcast customer, and not just for the money. She explained FiOS offers channels Comcast does not carry, and because FiOS also carries Comcast’s regional sports channel, there is nothing holding them to the cable company.

The Verizon tent does not stay in any one location too long.

In a few days, they will relocate to another neighborhood that is now primed for fiber upgrades from the phone company.

Pennsylvania residents can just be thankful the winter weather has not gotten brutal enough for Verizon to deploy its inflatable igloo.

Downtown Shenyang

When corporate executives discover the merits of outsourcing jobs to overseas workers in China or India, that wins them a large bonus for improved efficiency and successful cost-cutting. When an enterprising employee does the same thing, that is a heinous security risk.

Verizon’s RISK Team, which sells enterprise-level security services to large companies, discovered a “severe” security threat when it went to work for a “critical U.S. infrastructure company” (which goes unnamed) that found some unusual activity in its private network logs.

It all started when the company began shifting employees away from in-office work towards cheaper telecommuting. To allow this to happen, a secure virtual private network was established allowing developers to manage their work from home.

When the company began reviewing the network logs, it discovered a curious workday connection being established almost daily originating from Shenyang, China. The company hired Verizon’s RISK Team to consider the implications.

Company security personnel were initially concerned the Chinese had infiltrated their private network even though network access required the use of a rotating token RSA key fob. Even harder to understand, security officials watched the employee working at his office desk at the same time.

Was it a Chinese intelligence agency break-in? Malware? Hackers?

No, it turned out the employee, who Verizon calls “Bob,” had simply outsourced his job responsibilities to a contracting firm in China.

Company officials authorized some infiltration of their own, asking Verizon to review a forensic image quietly obtained from Bob’s workstation. Verizon security officials were surprised when they found hundreds of .PDF invoices sent from the third party contractor-developer… in Shenyang, China. Verizon’s RISK blog explains further:

As it turns out, Bob had simply outsourced his own job to a Chinese consulting firm. Bob spent less than one fifth of his six-figure salary for a Chinese firm to do his job for him. Authentication was no problem, he physically FedEx’d his RSA token to China so that the third-party contractor could log-in under his credentials during the workday. It would appear that he was working an average 9 to 5 work day. Investigators checked his web browsing history, and that told the whole story.

A typical ‘work day’ for Bob looked like this:

• 9:00 a.m. – Arrive and surf Reddit for a couple of hours. Watch cat videos
• 11:30 a.m. – Take lunch
• 1:00 p.m. – Ebay time.
• 2:00 – ish p.m Facebook updates – LinkedIn
• 4:30 p.m. – End of day update e-mail to management.
• 5:00 p.m. – Go home

Evidence even suggested he had the same scam going across multiple companies in the area. All told, it looked like he earned several hundred thousand dollars a year, and only had to pay the Chinese consulting firm about fifty grand annually. The best part? Investigators had the opportunity to read through his performance reviews while working alongside HR. For the last several years in a row he received excellent remarks. His code was clean, well written, and submitted in a timely fashion. Quarter after quarter, his performance review noted him as the best developer in the building.

The case involves late fees charged to Frontier FiOS video customers in the state of Oregon.

Frontier Communications FiOS video customers that paid late fees for service in the state of Oregon may be entitled to a partial refund after the telecom company settled a class action case.

The settlement, announced today will cover both current and former customers.

Some key points:

• Customers that are potentially included in this class action settlement will receive a separate notice in the next 60 to 90 days;
• The separate notice will include additional information and instructions regarding steps they can take if they are eligible for a refund;
• A claims administrator will be identified and responsible for providing notices to former and existing customers;
• Customers must wait until they receive a notice regarding the settlement from the claims administrator which outlines additional steps that must be taken.

The company was accused of unjustly charging and collecting late fees for video customers whose payments were processed late as the company assumed control of the FiOS service from Verizon Communications.

An internal memo sent to Frontier employees and obtained by Stop the Cap! suggests the company is expecting calls from customers inquiring about the settlement. Other than telling employees to express empathy, company officials have asked customer service representatives to avoid speculating about the case and referring customers to forthcoming communications from the settlement administrator within the next two to three months.

The lawsuit only covers Oregon residents.

Eshoo

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, will shortly reintroduce legislation that will require wireless companies to disclose more information about the anticipated speeds of their 4G wireless networks.

Eshoo announced her legislative intentions Tuesday at the Broadband Breakfast Club, telling attendees it was important for consumers to know what they are getting before signing a two-year contract.

The anticipated legislation is expected to mirror Eshoo’s 2011 bill — the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act (HR 2281), which never made it out of the Republican-dominated House committee.

Eshoo said consumers need clear and concise explanations of data limits, caps, or network management policies that can turn a fast 4G connection into a very slow or expensive one.

Many of the former bill’s supporters echoed carriers use “4G” as a marketing tool which can lead to consumer confusion. Networks ranging from Clearwire’s WiMAX service to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ to Verizon Wireless’ LTE network have all been dubbed “4G,” despite offering widely varying maximum speeds.

Consumers have also faced bill shock when they do not understand their monthly data limits.

Like the last bill, Eshoo’s newest effort is expected to face stiff opposition from wireless carriers and House Republicans, but may raise the temperature on data caps at the Federal Communications Commission, which has faced increasing pressure to become more involved in the issue of usage limits and consumption pricing.