More cable news from across the web:
> CableLabs CEO Phil McKinney said his organization will open an SDN/NFV interoperability laboratory. Light Reading story
> The deadline for Time Warner Cable shareholders to elect what form of consideration from Charter Communications they'd prefer in exchange for their common stock has been extended to May 12. Press release
> TiVo says it now has 7 million subscribers for its set-top platform. Press release
> Sony Playstation Vue subscribers in Texas and Oklahoma now have access to the Longhorn Network. Burnt Orange Nation blog post
> Atlantic Broadband says its customers now have access to HBO through the MSO's TiVo-powered video interface, giving them access to HBO's on-demand library. Press release
> Ericsson announced a corporate restructuring that includes business units dedicated to the IT and cloud sectors, news that comes alongside a reshuffled management team and relatively sluggish first quarter results. Article
> Call quality using Wi-Fi on cell phones always has been an issue, and engineers at Republic Wireless have been obsessed with refining the process to make it better. Now, they're introducing Bonded Calling, a type of "patch" that intelligently senses sub-optimal conditions on a Wi-Fi network and responds by patching the gaps in a Wi-Fi call with redundancy on a cell data network. Article
> SkySafe is offering a way to avoid drone collisions with planes by using radio frequency signals to wirelessly bring drones to the ground when they're flying in areas they shouldn't be. Article
> Verizon continued to emphasize its ongoing strategies of targeting high-end wireless subscribers and expanding into media and advertising during its first-quarter earnings call Thursday. But it also pointed out recent cost-cutting efforts, underscoring the increasingly competitive landscape of the U.S. mobile market. Article
And finally… TWC has released a new version of its TechTracker app that includes Uber-like location information of customers' assigned service techs. Press release