Oxford, BayRing complete merger; Verizon to introduce a virtualized firewall service

Wireline news from across the web:

> Jerry Brown, governor of California, has ordered the establishment of a statewide center under his Office of Emergency Services to oversee cybersecurity. NBC Bay Area article

> Oxford Networks and BayRing Communications have received state and federal approval to merge, creating the largest competitive telecommunications provider headquartered in Northern New England. Union Leader article

> Metaswitch has named Martin Lund as its new CEO, setting the pace to accelerate its response from large providers like AT&T for software-based solutions as they transition to network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). Release

> Tacoma, Wash., officials struggle to figure out the future of the city's broadband service, Click Network. KPLU.com article

> Verizon will introduce a virtualized firewall service across its global network later this month, part of its move into software-defined networking. Network World article

Cable News
> A four-year-old discrimination complaint filed against Cablevision by programmer Game Show Network (GSN) is about to finally be ruled on by an administrative law judge. Article

> Content security specialist Nagra and chipmaker MStar Semiconductor have announced a new partnership that allows pay-TV operators to integrate 4K services directly on connected Ultra HD TV sets without the need for a set-top. Article

Installer News
> A man has been arrested in Putnam County, N.Y., on charges of stealing copper grounding bars from three cell tower facilities there this summer. Article

Online Video News
> Apple and Google are taking separate measures to remove annoyances from their users' lives, at the expense of online video advertisers. Article

Wireless News
> Sprint said that in 2016, the Sprint Accelerator, powered by Techstars, will expand its scope from just mobile healthcare to all kinds of mobile technologies as Sprint looks to provide funding for startups. Article

> Next week at CTIA's Super Mobility conference in Las Vegas there's likely going to be a great deal of focus on LTE and the transition to faster speeds for 5G networks. Article

And finally … The 20 Most Significant Consumer Tech Mergers And Acquisitions Since 2009. CB Insights article