The service, initially available only to Verizon’s 4.5 million FIOS subscribers, will empower customers to use mobile devices (such as cell phones and tablets), computers, and/or FIOS TV to monitor and manage equipment based on Sigma Designs’ Z-Wave technology. Z-Wave devices use wireless mesh network technology (not Wi-Fi) to communicate with a base station or gateway that interfaces with the outside world through a broadband network.

The technology has been around for a while (Schlage’s Link home automation system is based on Z-Wave), and you can find dozens of Z-Wave devices on Z-Wave’s web site, and at Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers. But to use Verizon’s service, you’ll need Verizon’s Z-Wave gateway, which the company includes in each of three different Verizon startup kits ranging in price from $70 to $220.

The $70 Home Monitoring Kit also provides a web cam and a lighting control module; the $170 Energy Control Kit includes a switch for controlling a 110-volt appliance, a thermostat control, an energy consumption reader, and a remote control that you can use inside the home. The $220 Home Monitoring and Control Kit (shown above) includes all the gear in the other two kits. Additionally, Verizon offers a bunch of other Z-Wave devices as add-ons, including door locks and door and window sensors.

To use the system, you will plug the gateway into a free Ethernet port on your broadband router, then connect the additional gear (the energy reader connects to an electrical breaker box, for example). Adding a device to the Z-Wave mesh network involves pressing buttons on the device and the gateway. During setup, Verizon will give you a password-protected web site to access the system remotely. (Verizon’s site doesn’t say which smartphones the service will support, and Verizon hasn’t responded to my e-mail queries.)

The Z-Wave network uses the 908mhz band, so it doesn’t interfere with Wi-Fi, which uses the 2.4ghz and 5ghz frequencies—but some cordless phones also operate in the 900mhz band. Sigma Designs says Z-Wave systems can support up to 200 devices.

Originally, the service (called “Isis”) was to bypass the traditional credit card companies altogether: charges would appear directly on consumer’s cellular phone bills. The abrupt 180 may be due to ensuring Isis has any chance of success — leveraging the power of Visa and MasterCard could go a long way.

Discover was originally the key partner in the effort, but its market share–only 3.3 percent share of credit card transactions–likely gave retailers pause on dealing with the group. (85 percent of all credit transactions processed through Visa or MasterCard.)

Isis says that Discover remains a partner, but it was open to including other partners. It remains to be seen though if it ever gets off the ground now, since the carriers now have no way of making money off the venture — the whole point of it in the first place.

This could be interesting to watch — considering that Sprint is developing its own network, Google’s testing its own system, and Microsoft is working with Verifone to bring NFC to Windows Phone. It’s a busy time for NFC, and nobody wants to get left behind.

In order for the FCC to be sued over the rules, it must be in the 30 days following its publishing in the Federal Register. That has not happened yet. While the carriers attempted to deal with this issue by saying it was a move to protect its spectrum rights, the court just did not buy that.

Verizon sued the FCC first in January of this year, followed less that a week afterwards by MetroPCS. In both cases, the wireless companies accused the regulatory body of overstepping its bounds and questioning if the FCC has the authority to regulate ISPs’ network management.

The two companies mistake puts them in a conundrum: they can no longer use their current arguments to make their case. However it’s pretty certain that the carriers will find new issues to sue over, and the FCC will still end up in court over its efforts.

Verizon referred to the court’s move as “another procedural step in the process,” while MetroPCS declined to comment due to it being “a legal matter.”

The FCC obviously sang a different tune. “We are pleased the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed with the Commission that Verizon and MetroPCS were premature in challenging the Open Internet framework,” spokesperson Robert Kenny said in a statement. “The Commission’s policy preserves Internet freedom and openness and strikes the right balance for consumers and businesses across America.”

If you recall, we recently picked up a new (old) house and our plate is full of projects – including some relevant to a digital media blog. So, on with the story…

I’ve continued to make progress removing and recycling speaker and aerial antenna wire as I encounter it. There’s no way I’ll extricate it all, and fortunately I’m not quite OCD enough to have to. But it’s no longer an eyesore in various built-ins and closets.

The Verizon FiOS experiment continues, although we had a very slight set back last week when the contract crew missed their 9:30 – 10:30 appointment to bury the fiber. As I had to get into work, the company sent out a manager so I could go over an alternate run through the yard that wouldn’t sever our custom drainage system in three places. After some debate, he relented and marked my route. However, when the crew eventually arrived that afternoon they weren’t satisfied with the electric and copper markings in the neighbor’s yard (where the phone box resides), which put the project on hold over the long Christmas weekend. On Monday, the utilities were (re)marked and the line went in. As far as I can tell, they pretty much followed my path although I’m not sure how they handled the single drainage pipe they’d have to bypass. But cable, electric, and water continue to function – so I’ll call it a success.

While the fiber’s been dropped at the existing Verizon phone box, I’m hoping the installer can run it straight into the house so as to skip the sullying of my new siding (expected next week at the earliest). Worse case scenario, I hope I can convince him (or her) to remove the copper box and put the fiber one in it’s place. And, speaking of that siding, the company was a little put off when we chatted yesterday (regarding their delay) and I requested a few minutes of the project lead’s time before or during the install so I could discuss what I don’t want reattached. Given their initial reaction, I may be the one on the ladder removing the coax run so they’re not liable.

Lastly, in honor of the holidays, we caught Elf via Vudu on our temporary bedroom television. And while the speakers leave a lot to be desired and the set “boots” a tad too slowly, I’m fairly impressed with the 26″ Vizio Internet-connected TV. Netflix streaming and Vudu VOD without the clutter of another box is quite nice and Vizio’s wireless streaming capabilities have been extremely reliable. Although, at the end of the day (or spring), this TV will still most likely move to my basement lab/office.

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny.)

According to Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir, the company is in the process of getting the go-ahead from the content owners — the technology to make this app a reality is already in place. If Verizon gets it out quick enough, it could be one of the first with live streaming capabilities.

Probably not though — Kheradpir said the app is targeted for a fourth quarter release. But it could be faster if the content owners move quickly to give Verizon the go ahead, his comments seem to suggest.

Dish has announced a Sling-based app for iOS and Blackberry, but that is not slated to debut until October. Other offerings, such as AT&T’s UVerse TV app, allow for streaming but it’s prerecorded content delivered from the company itself and not the user’s set-top box at home.

Now, I’m not saying that the Verizon TV tablet as reported is not going to materialize, but it looks clear that the company is at least ready to work with already existing platforms — which is a good business move overall.

[Hat tip: GigaOm]

Gruber speculates this is where the phone would need to be in order to make it to a January 2011 release, which seems to be the date many are fixated on for its release. He cautions however that the news does not necessarily mean Verizon’s getting it: there are other CDMA carriers after all.