SBC Appoints Five Execs to Manage IPTV Project

SBC Communications has appointed several executives to its new IP-based video, voice and Internet access program, Project Lightspeed.

The $4 billion project is designed to deploy fiber-based technologies to 18 million households across 13 states by 2007. The company plans to offer the first set of products under the U-versem brand by late 2005 or early 2006.

The programming team--Amy Friedlander, Chris Lauricella, Richard Wellerstein, Richard Levine, Martin Sansing and Denita Willoughby--will be based in Los Angeles.

The group comes from Santa Monica, Calif.-based Xanthum Partners, DirecTV, Sony Pictures, Roll Strategy and one member is a nine-year SBC veteran.