Hyperoptic provides 1 Gbps service to UK low-cost housing residents; Congress permanently bans Internet taxes

Wireline news from across the Web:

> FTTP provider Hyperoptic has joined forces with UK housing association Hyde Group to offer residents access to Gigabit broadband. Telecompaper article

> Birch Communications celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Release

> As expected, Congress passed a permanent ban on Internet access taxes. WDTN.com article

> During Mobile World Congress from 22-25 February 2016 in Barcelona, Keymile will demonstrate open resource cloud access (OrcaX) using its new 1HU open hardware design running Canonical Snappy Ubuntu Core. Release

> AT&T and representatives from South Carolina's Sage Mill Industrial Park and Aiken's Economic Development Partnership (EDP) announced that Sage Mill Industrial Park has been designated AT&T Fiber Ready. Release

Cable News
> The 25 pay-TV operators who integrate Netflix into the user experience say their video customers get more benefit than harm out of the partnership. So says research firm IHS in a newly published report called Netflix on Pay TV: A Marriage of Convenience. Article

> Despite what have been largely positive quarterly earnings reports, the major programming conglomerates had their worst week on Wall Street since last August, when Disney's confirmation of ESPN subscriber losses sent investors into a cord-cutting panic. Article

Online Video News
> The number of U.S. households that stream over-the-top video using a subscription video on demand service has risen to 57 percent, according to a new report from Leichtman Research Group. Article

Wireless News
> AT&T has joined the rest of the nation's largest carriers in offering to pay off the early termination fees of customers who decide to switch to AT&T. Article

> Internet giant and Android creator Google said it will not bid for 600 MHz spectrum licenses in the FCC's upcoming incentive auction of TV broadcasters' spectrum. Google will join Sprint, Charter Communications and other tech heavyweights in sitting out the event. Article

And finally … Comcast outages on Monday angered thousands across the U.S. CNN Money article