Consumers uninterested in smart home technology, says PwC research; AT&T invests $60M in Ann Arbor networks

Wireline news from across the web:

> Consumers don't seem to be interested in smart home technology, according to a survey of more than 2,000 people by PwC. City A.M. article

> Puerto Rico's internet penetration has remained at last year's level, with 70 percent of the population aged 12 years and older connected, according to a new digital and mobile usage study. Telecompaper article

> AT&T invested over $60 million in Ann Arbor wireless and wired networks between 2013 and 2015. Release

> Qualcomm's Atheros business has introduced GigaDSL chips that enable broadband operators to move from VDSL technology to faster wired Gigabit access technologies. Venture Beat article

> New Zealand wholesale provider Chorus awarded a three-year contract extension to Nokia under which the vendor will deploy its broadband access, IP routing and optical transport solutions. TeleGeography article

Cable News
> While Viacom's top executives wage a bitter battle for control of the company, its linear ratings, ad sales and stock price are all struggling and it continues to be shut out from several mid-sized cable systems. Despite this, Viacom carriage with top pay-TV operators remains assured. Article

> With about 39,000 Verizon workers represented by the CWA and IBEW still on strike across 10 states, the upcoming U.S. jobs report for May could take a downturn. Article

Wireless News
> An effort to propose a law creating a "back door" enabling law-enforcement agencies to access data on encrypted devices is dead, according to Reuters. Article

> A federal jury found that Google's use of Oracle's Java programming language in Android didn't violate copyright law, claiming the fair use doctrine enabled Google to build compatible software without obtaining a license. Article

And finally … The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, CTIA and USTelecom say in a joint paper that the FCC's proposed privacy rules would "violate the First Amendment." Broadcasting & Cable article