Verizon Wireless is buying $3.6 billion worth of wireless spectrum from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. This will allow Verizon to further build their LTE network. As part of the deal, the three cable companies will become mobile virtual network operators on Verizon. Verizon may also become a cable virtual operator or agent outside of their wireline territory to sell home broadband, TV, and phone services.

Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) has agreed to acquire Insight Communications for $3 billion. Insight Communications is a large cable television operator that is owned by Carlyle Group and several other private equity firms.

United States ISPs have agreed to a “six strike” program to deal with online copyright infringement. Companies in the deal include AT&T, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Verizon. Ars Technica reports that the warning system operates solely between the ISP and the subscriber, and that ISPs will only release guilty subscribers’ information with a court order.

Time Warner Cable has acquired NaviSite, a cloud services and website hosting company for $230 million. The deal is expected to close in Q2 of 2011. NaviSite offers e-mail and hosting services utilizing IBM Lotus, Microsoft Exchange, and SharePoint. NaviSite made $126 million in fiscal year 2010 revenues. About 1,400 customers use NaviSite services.

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) Chairman Craig McCaw has stepped down from his position late last week. McCaw, 61, was one of the pioneers of mobile phone technology. Clearwire is struggling to build high-speed wireless 4G networks across the U.S. according to Bloomberg.

BNI Video is a company that helps video service providers in the telecommunications industry manage video delivery. This is why some telecommunications companies got together to put money into BNI. Cisco Systems, Comcast Interactive Capital, Charles River Ventures, Castile Ventures, and Time Warner Cable invested $16 million into BNI.

Turner Classic Movies turned 15 years old and they are celebrating by launching a social network.  The social network is called the TCM Classic Film Union and the URL is tcm.com/fan.  The social network has features such as profiles, movie fans, actor and actress fans, and rare photos and video clips centered around Turner Classic Movies.

There are over a million actors, directors, producers, etc. in the database to become fans of.  The TCM social network also has thousands of movies that people can become fans of.  Turner Classic Movies is a part of Turner Broadcasting System inc. and a subsidiary of Time Warner.

Some of the stars include Marlon Brando, John Payne, Bette Davis, John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, etc.  The classic movies in the TCM social network database include Ada, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, North by Northwest, and Gone With The Wind.

“Both companies will be better positioned to compete, with capital structures more suited to their respective needs,” stated Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes.

Time Warner’s spin-off of Time Warner Cable should be completed by next month.  This will make Time Warner purely a media company.  Time Warner initiated the separation possibility of separating its telecommunications cable operations from their content units about four years ago.

This will enable Time Warner to focus on their major media brands such as CNN, HBO, Time magazine, Sports Illustrated, and the Warner Bros. movie studio.

The terms for separating the companies were agreed upon on May 20, 2008.  Since then, it was subject to the government regulation process.  Within the last few weeks, the separation was approved by the FCC and the IRS.  The separation should be complete by March 12.

[via NYT]