Lumos' Biltz to speak at Metro Connect USA 2015; Vonage has been granted seven new patents

Wireline news from across the web:

@FierceTelecom RT @PortalDataCentr: Software-defined storage driving data center infrastructure innovation. Article | Follow @FierceTelecom

> Lumos Networks announced that its CEO, Timothy G. Biltz, will participate in a CEO Keynote Panel during Metro Connect USA 2015 at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Release

> Australia's NBN Co. announced that over 700 homes and businesses will soon be the first in Northern Territory to complete the transition to the National Broadband Network (NBN). Article

> North Dakota-based Polar Communications has begun delivering 1 Gbps fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services to its first customer. Article

> Vonage was granted seven new patents in December by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and now owns 68 U.S. patents, with 247 U.S. patent applications pending. Release

Cable News
> Seeking to ease the frazzled nerves of a pay-TV industry that pays it about $7 billion in annual carriage fees, ESPN executives are downplaying the effects of having cable's top channel on Dish Network's new OTT service, Sling TV. Article

> Using an unclear method of data science, 21st Century Fox says that Dish Network has lost 90,000 customers since it removed Fox News from the satellite operator's program guide. Article

Online Video News
> Web giant Google announced this week that 30 major media companies, among them CBS Interactive, Fox News, Scripps Networks and Discovery Communications, and 20 brand advertisers have signed on to its premium online video advertising service, Google Partner Select. Article

Wireless News
> AT&T Mobility's Cricket Wireless prepaid brand plans to shut down its Muve Music service on Feb. 7, and starting Jan. 31 will replace it with the Deezer music service, which will be available to Cricket subscribers for $6 per month, taxes and fees included. Article

And finally…  @ISpeakAnalytics: #Bigdata is the underlying BIG story at #CES2015. Article