LAS VEGAS -- Telcos are only beginning to spend money on IPTV and next-generation networks, but they're starting to decide how, vendors said on the show floor at the TelecomNext convention here. “The big money will be spent over the next few years,” Anne Coulombe, SeaChange dir.-product mktg., said: “This is still nascent, but the big decisions are being made now.”

Local govts. should file comments on the FCC rulemaking on local competitive franchising, NATOA said in a statement. NATOA has “identified a number of issues of concern and interest to local governments,” said NATOA Exec. Dir. Libby Beatty: “We also believe the Commission lacks the authority under the Cable Act to adopt or enforce rules in this area.” NATO Pres. Lori Panzino- Tillery, San Bernardino, said it’s important that the FCC not act “based on anecdote.”

LAS VEGAS -- FCC Chmn. Martin told Telecom ‘05 he'd like to see action on IP video franchising at the FCC’s Nov. agenda meeting. Martin said he wants comments on whether there’s a role for the FCC in assuring new entrants into video services aren’t impeded by local franchising activities. Martin spoke live by satellite link because he didn’t want to leave Washington. His wife expects to deliver their first child any day. He told the group appearing “virtually” may be particularly appropriate at a conference that has been emphasizing technology as a way to make life more efficient.

Former RIAA Chmn. Hilary Rosen has a bone to pick with Apple and she aired her grievances on Arianna Huffington’s 300-contributor blog, which went live Mon. Rosen’s frustrated she can’t buy music online for her iPod anywhere but from iTunes, while most other portable MP3 devices are compatible with various online repositories such as MSN.com, Rhapsody.com and AOLMusic.com. “I know Steve Jobs is a god. Look, I bowed at his feet when the iPod and iTunes was created because he got the ball rolling… but keeping the iTunes system a proprietary technology to prevent anyone from using multiple (read Microsoft) music systems is the most anti-consumer and user unfriendly thing any god can do,” Rosen said: “Is this the same Jobs that railed for years about the Microsoft monopoly? If he isn’t careful Bill Gates might just Betamax him while the crowds cheer him on.” Journalist Richard Bradley disagreed: “As head of the RIAA, no one was more fervently anti-consumer than she. Rosen doesn’t exactly have a lot of street cred with us consumers.” Bradley argued that between iTunes and people’s own CD collections, “anyone can easily load onto their iPod pretty much everything they want.” He called the alternative sites “far inferior technologies.” Huffington’s blog -- www.HuffingtonPost.com -- features musings by famous friends including Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bill Maher and Larry David.

Financially troubled Nortel said it will sell its manufacturing operations to Singapore-based Flextronics to raise $500 million and create long-term savings. The move, part of a 5-year divestment plan, will result in 2,500 jobs leaving Nortel. A Nortel official said the affected workers “will have the opportunity to work for Flextronics,” which will assume control of Nortel factories in Canada, Brazil, France and Northern Ireland. The sale will leave Nortel with 32,500 employees, down from more than 95,000 in 2000. Nortel fired CEO Frank Dunn and CFO Douglas Beatty in April as they faced accounting investigations by the SEC and Ontario, Canada, regulators. Nortel plans to release mid-July revised financial statements, which will restate last year’s profit at 1/2 the $732 million originally stated.

Decision by 4th U.S. Appeals Court, Richmond, Va., that federal law bans localities from imposing open access mandates on cable operators is likely to halt efforts by cities and counties to enact such requirements, according to both open access proponents and opponents. With its unanimous ruling late Wed. that cable modem lines were “telecommunications facilities” that couldn’t be regulated locally, 4th Circuit panel joined 9th U.S. Appeals Court, San Francisco, and U.S. Dist. Court, Miami, in striking down local open access ordinances as violations of either Constitution or federal law. Although 3 courts differed on grounds for rejection and on regulatory classification of Internet access over cable lines, they all agreed that cities and counties couldn’t impose restrictions on cable modem service. “The local authorities are becoming preempted out of this,” said Andrew McBride, partner at Wiley, Rein & Fielding, who represented Verizon in joint case with Henrico County against AT&T and MediaOne. “They [the courts] keep reaffirming the federal authority over this.”

ORLANDO -- Investment bankers and analysts had more bad news for CLECs Wed. in panel discussion at CompTel’s annual convention here. Along with continued tight money for a year at least, they warned that regulatory environment for those companies could get worse with change in White House. “It’s going to be a hard road,” said Todd Scott, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst. “It will be a year before the market opens broadly, even though some companies are still getting capital, he said.

Richard Klein, ex-Verizon, named vp-advanced development, Bluesocket… Appointments at Telia: Marianne Nivert promoted to permanent pres.-CEO; Bo Jacobsson, exec. vp-CFO; Kenneth Karlberg, exec. vp-Telia AB and head of Telia Mobile Business; Lars H?renstam assigned responsibility for corp. development and human resources; Anders Gylder to lead Telia Sweden; Jan Johansson, Telia Networks; Michael Kongstad, corp. communications; Eva Lindqvist Telia Equity; Jan Rudberg,new business; Lars Rydin, Telia International Carrier business area; Indra ?sander, Telia Internet Services business area… Caroline Beck, ex-Intertainer, named pres.-CEO, Mixed Signals Technologies… Promotions at ACT Teleconferencing: David Holden to regional managing dir.-Europe/Middle East/Africa; Thierry Bignet to dir.-global business development… Michael Neuman, ex- Bell ExpressVu, named pres., Teleglobe Europe, Middle East, Africa… John Fluke, Fluke Capital Mgmt., appointed to Aerospace Hardware Exchange board… Otto Gecser resigns as chief mktg. and Internet officer, Matav… Brian Rogers named to Alaska Communications Systems board and its audit committee… Philippe Billet, ex-Dell France, appointed gen. mgr.-PeoplePC France… Patricia Marciano promoted to dir.-Web strategy, Cox Communications… Alan Weintraub, ex-WLS-TV Chicago, named group dir.-mkt. development, Clear Channel Communications Clear Results Mktg. Group… Dennis FitzSimons, Tribune Co., will keynote TV Bureau of Advertising convention April 23 in Las Vegas… Douglas Gaston advanced to vp-deputy gen. counsel, Comcast… Ronald Reising, ex-Ameritech, named CFO, Focal Communications, succeeding Joseph Beatty, retiring… Changes at Accelerated Networks: Michael Hogan, ex-3D Systems, named vp-CFO, replacing Fred Boyer, resigning; Benjamin DiLello, principal, Regent Pacific Group, named vp-worldwide sales and mktg… William D'Agostino, ex-Sprint PCS, appointed pres.-COO, Mericom… Robert Knowling, ex-Covad, becomes chmn.-CEO, Internet Access Technologies… Charles Stormon, ex-Mitre, named chief technology officer, Coherent Networks… Nilson Soares, ex-Intercom, appointed gen. mgr.-Comsat Brasil.