NTT DoCoMo's i-mode Subscribers Surpass 40 million

NTT DoCoMo reported that total subscribers to its 2G and 3G i-mode mobile-internet service in Japan surpassed 40 million. The i-mode was first launched in February 1999.
http://www.nttdocomo.com

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MCI Poised to Emerge from Chapter 11

A U.S. bankruptcy court approved MCI's plan of reorganization, setting the stage for the company's emergence from Chapter 11. Michael D. Capellas, MCI chairman and CEO, said "as we see the industry fundamentals continue to shift, the future will be about the convergence of computing and telecommunications. And where these two worlds meet is where MCI will be."http://www.mci.com

• WorldCom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 21-July-2002.

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Bell Labs Builds Novel Semiconductor Laser Using Photonic Crystal

Researchers at Bell Labs have developed a novel semiconductor laser based on a photonic crystal that was made in collaboration with scientists from the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium, California Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Potential applications for the small, surface-emitting laser include advanced optical communications to sensitive chemical detectors. In particular, large arrays of devices might be produced on a single chip, each with its own designed emission properties.


Bell Labs said the development leverages its work in quantum cascade (QC) lasers, which are made by stacking many ultra thin atomic layers of standard semiconductor materials on top of each other. By varying the thickness of the layers, it is possible to select the particular wavelength at which a QC laser will emit light, allowing scientists to custom design a laser.


Unlike a QC laser, the new device uses a photonic crystal that enables it to emit photons perpendicular to the semiconductor layers, resulting in a laser that emits light through its surface. Photonic crystals are materials with repeating patterns spaced very close to one another, with separations between the patterns comparable to the wavelengths of light. When light falls on such a patterned material, the photons of light interact with it, and with proper design of the patterns, it is possible to control and manipulate the propagation of light within the material. Using an electron beam lithography facility at the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium, the researchers were able to superimpose a hexagonal photonic crystal pattern on the semiconductor layers that made the QC laser.


The research has been published on the Web by the journal Science.
http://www.lucent.com/press/1003/031031.nsa.htmlhttp://www.njnano.org

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Edgewater Expands its VoIP Customer Premise Portfolio

Edgewater Networks introduced a VoIP customer premise device that combines T1 CSU/DSU or E1 and an 8-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. The company said its new EdgeMarc 38T resolves NAT/Firewall traversal problems by providing a "voice-aware" firewall that supports SIP, MGCP, H.323 or SCCP to protect the enterprise LAN. It also combines sophisticated traffic management mechanisms including classification, prioritization, queuing, rate limiting and call admission control to ensure toll quality voice when using the same WAN link for both voice and data traffic. It includes the same Dynamic Access Control List functionality of the company's existing EdgeMarc Series appliances which automates the provisioning, configuration and management of VoIP endpoints at the CPE. Finally, the EdgeMarc 38T includes bi-directional passive voice call monitoring (MOS scoring) to produce speech quality assessment statistics that help enforce service level agreements and facilitate problem resolution of network induced voice quality problems. Edgewater Networks is based in Santa Clara, California.

Edgewater is using Psytechnics' non-intrusive voice quality measurement solution in its EdgeMarc Series product family.
http://www.edgewaternetworks.com

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Arianespace Transfers DIRECTV 7S Satellite to Sea Launch

Arianespace secured a Q1 2004 launch slot with Sea Launch for the DIRECTV 7S satellite. Arianespace said it negotiated a seamless transfer of the satellite to Sea Launch because delays in the DIRECTV 7S satellite manufacturing process created a scheduling conflict with a dedicated scientific mission on the Arianespace launch manifest. The DIRECTV 7S satellite is a high priority launch for DIRECTV as the spot-beam spacecraft is slated to serve 60 local television markets across the U.S.
http://www.arianespace.com

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Level 3 Expands Customer Agreement With United Online

Level 3 Communications was awarded a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract that extends and expands its relationship with United Online, a leading provider of value-priced Internet access services with 5.2 million active users, including 2.7 million paying subscribers. United Online operates the NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet consumer services . Under the deal, United Online will use Level 3's dial-up services in hundreds of U.S. cities. Financial terms were not disclosed. Level 3's (3)Connect Modem service is available on a per-port basis for a flat monthly fee or on a metered basis based on the total number of hours used. The monthly charge includes local dial-in numbers, complete network coverage for a specific region, modems to collect the incoming traffic, and managed routers. It also supports V.92.
http://www.level3.com

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Motorola Supplies 3G CDMA 2000 1X to Brazil's VIVO

Motorola's Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS) has been chosen by VIVO, the largest cellular telephone carrier in South America, as its supplier of base stations and transmission equipment for its 3G CDMA 2000 1X network serving the north and center west regions of Brazil. The Motorola mobile infrastructure will service those regions in the VIVO coverage area, including the metropolitan regions of Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil; and Goiania, the cities of Anapolis and Caldas Novas, and the BR-060 highway that runs from Brasilia to Goiania. The system in Brasilia and Goiania has recently gone commercial, with the other regions following in the near future. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.motorola.com

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Airspan Introduces New 802.16 OFDM Platforms

Airspan Networks introduced two new broadband wireless products that operate at 3.5GHz and 5.8GHz.


The new AS4030 is Airspan's high-end point to multipoint (P-MP) platform designed for operators wishing to offer service bundles to medium and large businesses, and to multi-tenant dwellings that require considerable bandwidth for their end users. It can also be configured for a wide range of backhaul applications, including the ability to backhaul traffic from the ever-increasing number of public Wi-Fi Hot Spots being deployed in markets globally. The AS4030 can deliver dedicated IP connections to end customers at speeds of up to 45 Mbps, or 1-4 E1/T1s or combinations of IP and E1/T1 services. The AS4030 is based on 802.16 OFDM technology and can therefore allow operators to provide service in both line-of-sight (LOS) and full non line-of-sight (NLOS) deployments, covering distances of up to 50 kilometers. The product is also a full implementation of the new WiMAX 802.16 standard and delivers 5 bits/Hz over-the-air, setting new standards of spectral efficiency.


The new AS3030 is the point-to-point (P-P) version of AS4030 and delivers IP bit rates of up to 45 Mbps, or 1-4 E1/T1s or a combination of IP and E1/T1 spans. It also uses OFDM technology, which enables NLOS P-P links of up to 10km as well as LOS links of up to 80km. In a P-P configuration, AS3030 will be able to backhaul traffic from a network that uses AS4020 or WipLL products, or from networks using 802.11 Wi-Fi technologies.


Airspan is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with its main operations center in Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
http://www.airspan.com

• In October 2002, Airspan Networks acquired the Marconi Communications (Israel) Limited, which operated the broadband wireless access business of Marconi known in the market as Wireless Internet Protocol Local Loop ("WipLL"). The purchase price of approximately $3 million in cash.

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Siemens Invests in Singapore's PurpleACE for Mobile Storage

Siemens Mobile Acceleration has made an equity investment in Singapore-based PurpleACE, a start-up developing a platform that enables mobile subscribers to deal with content in an entirely new way by extending the limited storage capacity of the devices. Subscribers can backup data from their mobile phones onto a network-based repository and also share their content with other users. Furthermore, MobileBAG enables "super-distribution" of content in a copyright protected environment. Subscribers could choose a piece of content, for example a game, add a personal message, and send it to friends and family. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.siemens.com
http://www.purpleace.com/

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NTT DoCoMo Develops FOMA Compact Flash Card

NTT DoCoMo has developed its first "FOMA" compact flash card, which will enable 3G videophone and other wireless data communication via PCs and PDAs. The card supports packet transmissions of up to 384 kbps for downlinks and 64 kbps for uplinks, as well as 64 kbps for circuit-switched data transmissions.

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Marconi and Appium Partner on Intelligent Network Services

Marconi is to integrate Appium software into its intelligent network (IN) platform allowing service providers to use industry-standard web development tools to create and deploy new Parlay-based services supporting the needs of teleworkers, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. Appium's Parlay X Gateway (Appium-XWay) features industry-standard web development tools. Marconi's IN Service Control Point (SCP) is deployed on the narrowband switch or softswitch layer of some of the largest service provider networks worldwide.
http://www.marconi.com
http://www.appium.com/

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SingTel's ADSL Network Tops 200,000

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) announced that the total number of users on its ADSL network (including those serviced by its wholesale customers) was 219,000 as at 30 September 2003, a 109% increase compared to a year ago. The company claims a 60% share of all broadband users in Singapore.
http://www.singtel.com

• In September 2003, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) decided not to submit a tender for the second Subscription Television Service (Pay TV) license in Singapore. The company said that after careful evaluation of the framework of the license, it concluded that "there is no viable and sustainable business case for SingTel to make the significant investment required to enter the Pay TV market in the current environment.�? Among the factors cited for not pursuing the second Pay TV license from the government were the size of the Singapore market, the well-entrenched position of the dominant incumbent, the availability and access to media content and the infrastructure and equipment costs.



• Instead of becoming a licensed Pay TV operator, SingTel remains keen to work with content providers to offer their video on-demand (VOD) programming in Singapore over its ADSL network. In 2001-2002, SingTel conducted an eight-month Interactive TV trial that provided participants with high-speed digital video programming as well as broadband Internet access. The company said it does not need a Pay TV license to provide video-on-demand and Interactive TV services.

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OIF Begins Work on Management Plane Support of Ethernet/SAN over SONET/SDH

At its recent meeting in Berlin, the Optical Internetworking Forum's (OIF's) Carrier Working Group (WG) unanimously voted to begin a new Carrier Requirements document related to Management Plane Support of Ethernet/SAN over SONET/SDH. This document will enable cost-effective integration of intelligent optical control plane-based networks into carriers' operations infrastructures. The requirements will employ NMS/EMS interfaces such as the Telemanagement Forum's TMF 814 specification.


Other major developments at the OIF meeting include:

• the OIF's Physical and Link Layer (PLL) WG began a new tunable laser project. This project will extend the pre-existing industry standard 300-pin MSA for 10 Gigabit Optical Transponders to support tunable lasers. The benefit of this MSA, and tunable lasers in general, to system companies, service providers and their customers, is to simplify inventory management, enable faster introduction of wavelength-based services and reduce operational costs.



• Joe Berthold, vice president of network architecture at CIENA Corp., was re-named president of the OIF



• directors elected to an additional term include Tom Afferton, division manager at AT&T Labs, who continues as OIF's treasurer and secretary; Marco Carugi, senior advisor, advanced technology, CTO office at Nortel Networks; and Doug Zuckerman, senior scientist at Telcordia Technologies.

http://www.oiforum.com

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Broadwing Extends All-optical Core from Atlanta to Miami

The "new" Broadwing Communications, a fully consolidated subsidiary of Corvis Corp., lit approximately 1,200 additional all-optical route miles along the eastern coast of Florida, extending its all-optical core from Atlanta to Miami. Mark F. Spagnolo, Broadwing's CEO, described the expansion in Florida as "an important first step in the larger network investment plan drawn up by Broadwing's new owners."http://www.broadwing.com

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Comcast Adds 472,000 Cable Modem Subscribers in Q3

Citing strong growth in digital cable service and cable modem connectivity, Comcast reported quarterly cable revenue of $4.374 billion, representing an 8.4% increase over the $4.035 billion for the same period last year. On the one year anniversary of its merger with AT&T Broadband, the company said it has reversed the loss of cable subscribers to DBS, even in the former AT&T systems, made significant progress in its rebuilding program, and raised company-wide margins to 37%. Some highlights of the quarter:

• Cable Modems: Comcast added more than 472,000 new cable modem customers, representing an over 39% increase from last year's Q3. The Q3 growth rate accelerated over Q2. The company now has 4.9 million cable modem customers and is increasing its guidance for new accounts in 2003 from 1.6 million to 1.7 million net additions and expects to end the year with approximately 5.3 million customers, representing a penetration rate of 14.5%. More than 84% of the homes in Comcast's footprint, or over 33 million homes, now have access to high-speed Internet service. This represents the addition of over 1.3 million homes to the service's footprint during Q3. Subscriber growth during Q4 is expected to be driven by continuing increases in penetration, expansion of the service's footprint to 34 million homes, and expanded retail distribution to more than 4,000 retail outlets. ARPU was $42 and in line with the company's expectation. Comcast expects ARPU will hold at current levels.



• Telephony: quarterly telephony revenue declined by 11.5% to $189 million. There was a loss of 55,000 telephony subscribers in the quarter and as a result Comcast now expects to lose a total of 175,000 telephony customers for the full year 2003. Comcast said it continues to focus on the profitability of its telephony service. Margins are currently at 15% and the company is targeting 25% margins in 2004. Long term, the company is focusing on VoIP and is currently putting together a senior management team to lead a major push into this arena.



• Digital Cable: Comcast added over 318,000 Digital Cable subscribers to end the third quarter with 7.273 million Digital Cable subscribers, a pro forma increase of 16.6% over the same prior year period, representing a subscriber penetration rate of 34.0%.



• VOD: is now available to 31% of subscribers including in Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles. VOD availability is expected to increase to over 50% of our subscribers by the end of this year. Comcast said it is very bullish on the future of VOD. Last week, the company received over one million VOD orders for pay-content and free-content in its Philadelphia market alone.



• HDTV: Comcast's deployment is ahead of schedule, having already reached the year-end goal to have HDTV available to 65% of our subscribers. Comcast now plans to have HDTV available to nearly 75% of subscribers by the end of this year. Over 24% of new HDTV customers are new to Comcast.



• DVRs: Comcast plans to roll out Digital Video Recorder (DVR) service beginning in the fourth quarter of 2003 and to have DVRs available to all of the Company's subscribers by the end of 2004. The DVR service will be priced at $9.95 per month.
  
  
• CAPEX: Spending totaled $1.045 billion as Comcast Cable completed the rebuild of over 14,800 miles of plant to end the quarter with nearly 92% of its footprint upgraded to provide two-way digital and high-speed Internet services. The systems acquired from AT&T Broadband are now 89% upgraded to deliver two-way digital cable and high-speed Internet service, up from 85% at June 30, 2003. By the end of the year, Comcast will have 95% of its network upgraded, 15% ahead of its original goal. This accelerated rebuild will be accomplished while maintaining the company's original capital expenditure guidance of $4 billion. Comcast expects to complete its network upgrade in 2004.



• Cash Flow and Net Debt: the company has paid down $5.3 billion in debt so far this year. Cash flow from the cable business exceeded $1.6 billion in Q3, a 35% increase over the prior year and operating cash flow margin continues to improve from 30% last year to 37% this quarter.

http://www.comcast.com

• In October 2003, Comcast, the largest MSO in the U.S., doubled the downstream speed of its residential cable modem service to 3 Mbps from 1.5 Mbps. The upgrade is provided at no additional cost to the end user. Upstream speeds will remain the same at 256 Kbps. The upgrade has occurred in 14 U.S. markets and will be expanded to all Comcast markets based on technical readiness.

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Conexant Report Revenue of $165 Million, up 9% Sequentially

Conexant Systems reported quarterly revenues of $164.7 million, up 9% over the prior quarter and up 24% over the same period last year. There was a pro forma operating profit of $6.7 million. Revenue from ADSL modem and satellite set-top box solutions, two key growth areas for the company, increased more than 30 percent sequentially.


Dwight W. Decker, Conexant chairman and CEO, said his company had "completed its strategic transformation from a broad-based communications semiconductor supplier into a family of focused companies serving distinct markets." During the quarter, Conexant shipped a record number of set-top box components and delivered record unit shipments of ADSL client-side modems. Combined, these two key product areas grew more than 30% sequentially and nearly 60% from the year-ago period.
http://www.conexant.com

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Global Knowledge Names New CEO

Global Knowledge, a provider of IT and network training courses, appointed Joseph W. Cece as its new president and CEO. Before joining Global Knowledge, Cece served as the CEO of BTI Telecom Corp., a Raleigh, N.C.-based telecommunication provider that recently merged with West Point, Ga.-based ITC DeltaCom. Prior to his tenure at BTI, Cece held executive management positions at Digital Access, Suburban Cable, Cablevision Systems Corp. and TV Guide. Global Knowledge is owned by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York investment firm.
http://www.globalknowledge.com

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Alcatel Delivers 4.3 million DSL lines in Q3

Alcatel reported Q3 sales of EUR 3.039 billion, compared to EUR 3.149 billion in Q2 2003. Year over year, sales decreased by 13% (6% at constant exchange rate). Income from operations amounted to EUR 160 million, while net loss was registered at EUR 284 million or diluted EUR (0.23) per share (US$ (0.27) per ADS). Some highlights of the quarter:

• Fixed communications: Q3 revenue decreased sequentially by 4.6% to EUR 1.341 million. The company cited a strong demand for broadband access, particularly in the U.S. market, during the quarter. A total of 4.3 million DSL lines were delivered in the quarter (10 million shipped in the first nine months versus 5 million in the first nine months of 2002). Alcatel also said its IP services offering is gaining a foothold following the acquisition of TiMetra, while ATM sales were weak for the quarter. Voice networks were adversely affected by the usual seasonality and the activity in both terrestrial and submarine optical networks declined. This mitigated the good performance of broadband access. Significant restructuring continues in the optical network division.



• Mobile communications: Q3 revenue decreased sequentially by 2.3% to EUR 815 million. Mobile networks turned in a good performance in the quarter and continued to gain market share. In addition to ongoing 2G sales, a ramp-up in 3G sales was registered during the quarter. In mobile applications, commercial successes were recorded in convergent payment applications (voice/data and prepaid/postpaid) as well as next generation data messaging software (MMS, MMS premium and instant messaging). Mobile phones continued to be weak with 1.5 million phones delivered during the quarter.



• Private communications: Q3 revenue decreased sequentially by 3.7% to EUR 975 million compared with EUR 1.012 billion. The IP/PBX business enjoyed an increase in demand in Europe. Genesys' contact center software business also continued to turn in a good performance. The rail communication and control business also saw increasing demand in signaling networks for main line and urban rail systems and was a significant contributor to the quarter. The overall strategy to develop outsourcing services for carriers began to pay off during the quarter. The segment's gain was offset by a decline in space revenues, which is attributable to timing effects stemming from the lumpiness of that business. However, order intake for the space business continued to be satisfactory.



• Gross margins: improved to 35.6% , up 4% sequentially and up 8% compared to last year



• Headcount: ended Q3 with 69,000 employees worldwide, compared to 84,000 at the same time last year. Total headcount is expected to be about 60,000 at the end of the year.



• 2004 Outlook: Alcatel said it plans to focus on growth drivers in the carrier market; develop its enterprise business; and develop a complete "solutions approach" for systems integration.



• Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO, said "We are pleased to see third quarter results confirm encouraging indications of our return to profitability. Continuing cost savings and gross margin improvements have translated into reaching our EUR 3 billion quarterly sales breakeven target ahead of schedule."

http://www.alcatel.com

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Avaya to Purchase One of its Largest Resellers

Avaya announced an agreement to acquire Expanets, one the nation's largest provider of converged communications for mid-sized businesses, for $152 million in cash, less certain working capital adjustments and liabilities. Expanets, which is a subsidiary of Northwestern Corporation, is one of the largest resellers of Avaya's products in the U.S. Expanets delivers local service and solutions through its team of more than 3,000 associates based in more than 100 offices throughout the country.
http://www.avaya.com
http://www.expanets.com

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CIENA's Metro Networking Granted RUS Acceptance by USDA

CIENA's metro networking solutions have been granted Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Acceptance status by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This enables independent telephone and utility companies to obtain low-interest financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service for the purchase and deployment of CIENA's ONLINE Metro and MetroDirector K2 multiservice platforms in order to help bring broadband services and Internet access to rural areas of the United States.
http://www.ciena.com

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Cablevision Reaches One Million Cable Modem Customers

Cablevision Systems reached the one million customer milestone for its cable modem service in the New York metropolitan region. The service now has a 23% penetration rate, which Cablevision said represents the highest penetration rate for a broadband service in the United States.
http://www.cablevision.com

• In September 2003, Cablevision, which provides cable TV service to more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area, launched a residential VoIP service offering unlimited local, regional and long distance calls throughout the U.S. and Canada for $34.95 per month. The "Optimum Voice" service includes five premium calling features: call waiting, caller ID, call return, three-way calling and call forwarding. Optimum Voice works over a cable modem with household electricity as its power source (no back-up). International calling must be made via prepaid phone cards as there is no other billing other than the monthly flat rate fee. E911 service is provided.

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SupportSoft Supplies Customer Service App to Comcast, Cox

Comcast has deployed SupportSoft's new LiveAssist solution to provide better customer support for its High-Speed Internet service. SupportSoft LiveAssist boosts call center productivity using enhanced online chat and Web push functionality. The companies said that Comcast averages more than 3,000 web-based chat sessions per day using LiveAssist. Service representatives are able to handle multiple customer inquires at a time via chat, as opposed to only one customer at a time via a phone call. LiveAssist also enables the service representative to push support documents out to the customers quicker than via a phone/e-mail approach.


SupportSoft noted that a recently published independent report by Zanthus Research found that over 48% of 550 broadband customers would prefer to use online chat, other web-based tools for customer
assistance or the provider's online support portal for customer assistance.


Separately, SupportSoft announced the successful deployment of its Knowledge Center Suite within Cox Communications. The system is being used by Cox's enterprise IT Help Desk Coordinators to provide technical assistance to the company's 25,000 employees. The help desk coordinators support Cox offices in 25 states and 200 customized software applications.
http://www.support.com

• Earlier this month, SupportSoft introduced its new Real-Time Service Management (RTSM) software platform that will serve as the foundation for all its products. The new release, which is a redesign of the company's existing Problem Resolution platform, is aimed at automating technical support, customer service and IT infrastructure management for enterprises and service providers. In association with the launch of the Real-Time Service Management software platform, SupportSoft also announced 4 core products:
  
  
• Knowledge Center Suite -- which facilitates knowledge-enabled self-service and assisted service. Broadband network operators could use it to automate service and support knowledge creation, publishing, management and access. Customers can use it to access self-help tools on the web.



• LiveAssist -- a highly scaleable real time, online chat solution for call centers and IT help desk organizations. Customers can simply click a button on a company's Web site to engage a service or support representative without resorting to the need to download software plug-ins or wait in a phone queue. Call center service representatives can handle multiple customer sessions at one time to maximize their productivity. This capability was developed in collaboration with a major cable MSO.



• RemoteAssist -- allows service and support representatives to provide faster, more effective resolution to user problems by taking control of the user's system remotely via the Web. The product provides for full privacy, requiring a user's permission for a service representative to remotely manage their computing system. It also works through firewalls.



• Auto Discovery and Metering -- permits enterprise IT organizations to discover, inventory and meter a company's hardware and software assets in real-time.

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SBG Labs Acquires DigiLens' Optical Component Patents and Trademarks

SBG Labs has acquired all of DigiLens' patents and trademarks through an open bid foreclosure sale held by a syndicate of DigiLens' secured lenders. DigiLens, a developer of optical components based on Electrically Switchable Bragg Gratings, had ceased operations as a result of the downturn in the optical telecommunications market. Financial terms were not disclosed.


SBG Labs, which is based in Sunnyvale, California, said it now plans to offer display products and services under the DigiLens trademark in the consumer and automotive display markets.
http://www.sbglabs.com

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Corrigent Names Lucent Exec to Lead Japanese Expansion

Corrigent Systems, a provider of packet-ADM (Add Drop Multiplexer) transport systems for metropolitan networks, announced the expansion of its sales operations with the opening of an office in Tokyo, Japan. The company has hired Akio Ogiso to serve as Country Manager. Ogiso previously served with Lucent Japan as its Managing Director. Corrigent Systems is based in San Jose, California with an R&D center in Israel.
http://www.corrigent.com

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Dartmouth Deploys Cisco IP SoftPhones over WLAN

Dartmouth College is converging voice, video and data onto its wireless IP campus network with equipment from Cisco Systems. Using a headset and Cisco IP SoftPhones on their Windows-based PCs students are able to place free local and long-distance calls from anywhere on campus. SoftPhones will also become available for Macs as well as Palm and Pocket PC handheld devices. The deployment will coexist with legacy wired phones and PBXs.
http://www.cisco.com

• In October 2003, TeleSym also announced that it is supplying Dartmouth with its SymPhone System software, which lets users dial calls from an on-screen dial pad and existing contact lists.

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France Telecom Reports Rapid Rise in DSL, Wireless

France Telecom reported Q3 revenues of EUR 11.65 billion, a 2.7% decrease compared to Q3 2002 on a historical basis, which the company attributed to the sale of TDF and Casema, as well as the negative impact of exchange rates. On a comparable basis, France Telecom's Q3 2003 revenues increased 3.3%, driven by robust growth from Orange and Wanadoo. Some highlights:

• Orange added 1.3 million new customers in Q3, compared to 696,000 net additions in Q2 and 557,000 in Q1. At the end of Q3, Orange had a total of 46.9 million subscribers worldwide. In France, it holds a 49.2% share of the market, while in the U.K. it has a 26.4% share. Orange also experienced favorable ARPU trends in the quarter. Data now represents 12.5% of its network revenues. Orange's 3G network is on track for commercial launch in 2004. Hundreds of sites are now operational in the UK and France.
• 
  
  France Telecom added nearly 400,000 ADSL lines in Q3, giving it a total of 2.5 million lines in service at the end of the quarter. The company said it is on target to reach 3.0 million lines by the end of the year. Revenues from ADSL broadband Internet access (excluding revenues from Wanadoo clients) increased 23% compared to Q3 2002 due to the rapid development of ADSL in France. About two-thirds of the ADSL lines are served by Wanadoo and the remaining third by other ISPs and unbundled lines. A TV over ADSL trial is underway in Lyon.
• 
  
  At the end of Q3, France Telecom had 33.8 million access lines in service in France. It holds a 76.7% share of the local voice market and a 62.9% share of the long distance voice business. The company's fixed line business in France declined by 2.4% compared to a year earlier. France Telecom has launched new fixed-line handsets with SMS features.
• 
  
  Revenues from Business Services increased 2.1% on a historical basis and 0.3% on a comparable basis for Q3 2003 despite a difficult economic climate.

http://www.francetelecom.com

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Bell Canada Adds 104,000 DSL Users in Q3

Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) reported total Q3 revenue of $4.88 billion (Canadian), compared to $4.86 billion last year. Earnings per share were $0.49, compared to $0.40 per share last year. Major trends in Q3 include:

• added 104,000 net DSL customers, for a total of 1,391,000
• 
  
  added 124,000 net Cellular and PCS subscribers, for a total of 4,244,000
• 
  
  added 17,000 net Bell ExpressVu satellite TV subscribers, for a total of 1,352,000
• 
  
  posted data revenue of $931 million, up by 2.5% compared to last year.
• 
  
  Free cash flow (after dividend payments and capital expenditures) was $947 million

http://www.bell.ca

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OFS Files Patent Infringement Suit against Alcatel

Fitel USA Corp., the parent company of OFS, filed a lawsuit against Alcatel in a U.S. District Court charging an infringement of patents related to metro optical systems. The remedies sought include an injunction barring further sale of Alcatel's TeraLight Metro and TeraLight Ultra fibers, as well as damages for past infringement and treble damages for willful infringement.
http://www.ofsoptics.com

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XtremeSpectrum Announces Royalty-Free Licensing for UWB

XtremeSpectrum, a start-up based in Vienna, Virginia, issued a letter to the IEEE promising to offer RAND-Z (reasonable and non-discriminatory-zero licensing) access to the essential patents pertaining to XtremeSpectrum's proposal currently being considered for the IEEE802.15.3a standard, the high speed wireless PAN standard. The RAND-Z guarantees that the essential intellectual property within the XtremeSpectrum proposal will be available, royalty-free, to all of industry to the extent the proposal is selected as the IEEE 802.15.3a standard. The company said its proposal, also supported by Motorola, ParthusCeva, Oki Semiconductor and CRL (Communications Research Laboratory), remains a leading candidate for the 802.15.3a standard and is the only proposal that currently has been implemented in silicon chips.


XtremeSpectrum supplies a UWB chipset capable of achieving 100 Mbps data rates while consuming less than 200 milliwatts (mW) of power. Potential applications include multimedia-centric devices, such as large screen displays, set-top boxes, DVDs, video recorders and digital cameras.
http://www.xtremespectrum.com.

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Sycamore Shows MPLS Services over an Intelligent Optical Core

As part of Isocore's IP/Optical Integration demonstration held in conjunction with this week's MPLS 2003 International Conference, Sycamore Networks demonstrated Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) multivendor interoperability. The demonstration featured an optical control plane using GMPLS signaling and routing protocols, and included Sycamore's SN 16000 Intelligent Optical Switch as well as equipment from industry-leading Layer 2/Layer 3 networking vendors and other optical layer equipment.
http://www.sycamorenet.com
http://www.isocore.com

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net.com Partners with Atreus Systems to Offer IP QoS Service Fulfillment

net.com and Atreus Systems announced a strategic technology and marketing partnership to supply their carrier customers with QoS-enabled IP service delivery systems for use in applications such as voice or data VPNs, VOD, IP TV, bandwidth on demand, and content delivery. The partnership combines net.com's SCREAM service creation platform with Atreus' xAuthority Service Fulfillment operational support system (OSS) to simplify the creation, provisioning and management of advanced IP services. For carriers deploying the solution, subscribers would be able to self-provision services through a web portal, automatically driving changes to QoS, security, authentication, and policy enforcement. Significantly, the joint solution would leverage the DSL Forum's TR-59 specification for delivering IP QoS.


net.com's SCREAM platform is a broadband remote access server (BRAS), compliant with DSL Forum Technical Requirement (TR) 59, that could be deployed at the edge of a network alongside a DSLAM. Atreus xAuthority is a service definition and fulfillment environment designed to scale to millions of subscribers. The Atreus OSS is available with configurable service templates that address provisioning processes and service attributes for a variety of IP-based services, including managed firewall, virtual private networks, voice, bandwidth management and hosted applications.
http://www.net.com
http://www.atreus-systems.com

• Two new technical reports (TR-058 and TR-059) from The DSL Forum will provide the foundation for the next generation of DSL network architecture, supporting end-to-end transport of IP with quality of service (QoS) and multicasting. Specifically, the new technical reports are expected to open up a new range and level of service offerings from value-added ASPs and ISPs, such as multiple VoIP channels, video conferencing, streaming entertainment video, rapid interaction online gaming and remote access to hosted applications. More online at http://www.convergedigest.com/standards/standardsarticle.asp?ID=8971

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NetScaler Introduces Enterprise Application Accelerator for SSL and TCP

NetScaler, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, introduced a new, entry-level Secure Application Accelerator platform for enterprises. The platform provides application-layer security, optimization, and remote access capabilities, including SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) acceleration, TCP optimization, DDoS attack protection, and static/dynamic caching, as well as support for up to 2,500 remote access users via SSL VPNs. Three models are available. Pricing starts at US$10,000.
http://www.netscaler.com

• In January 2003, NetScaler received $13 million in venture capital to support its web application control solutions for enterprises and service providers. NetScaler's web application traffic control systems provide network managers with a single point of control over their web infrastructure. The NetScaler product line uses a “Request Switching�? technology that combines application-level security, protection, optimization and switching into a central point of web application control. The company said it has signed over 100 customers, including Yahoo!, 7-Eleven, WebEx Communications, MSN, MLB Advanced Media, United Online, Belo Interactive and GetThere, a Sabre Company. The funding round was led by new investor Sequoia Capital and included returning investors Goldman Sachs & Co., Bay Partners and Gabriel Venture Partners. Total funding to date now exceeds $60 million.
• 
  
  NetScaler is headed by B.V. Jagadeesh. Before joining NetScaler, Jagadeesh was co-founder and CTO of Exodus Communications.

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T-Systems Selects Lucent for Optical Backbone in North America

Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems International selected Lucent Technologies to increase the capacity of the North American element of its international backbone ("Telekom Global Net") from 2.5 Gbps to a full coverage 10 Gbps network. Specifically, Lucent will provide T-Systems with its LambdaUnite MultiService Switch (MSS), a next generation optical transport system and switch, with an element capacity of 320 Gbps. Further capacity expansion to a multiple 10 Gbps or even 40 Gbps meshed network is possible. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.lucent.com
http://www.t-systems.com

• In June 2003, T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom's IT and network integration business, opened a new headquarters for the Americas in New York City. The carrier is targeting network solutions for the North American operations of multinational corporations that already do business with T-Systems in Europe.
• 
  
  In April, Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems division extended its IP-VPN MPLS network services into North America.
• 
  
  In March 2003, T-Systems selected Lucent Technologies' LambdaUnite MultiService Switch for its global backbone, "Telekom Global Net" (TGN). The LambdaUnite is designed to bridge traffic from metro networks onto optical core backbones. The deployment will quadruple the capacity of TGN's network across 10 European countries. It also offers the advantage of a meshed structure, instead of the ring structure employed in older systems. In addition to LambdaUnite, T-Systems is also integrating Lucent's WaveStar TransLAN card, a plug-in card that upgrades SDH multiplexers with Ethernet interfaces and facilitates the provisioning of Ethernet services to corporate customers.
• 
  
  In January 2002, Lucent shipped its first LambdaUnite Multiservice Switch (MSS) to Deutsche Telekom for testing.

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Telefonica Selects Juniper Routers for Brazil

Telesp, Telefonica's Brazilian subsidiary, has selected Juniper Networks' entire suite of routing platforms for a new IP backbone network in Brazil. While initially deployed to support voice service expansion throughout Brazil, Telefonica's Next-Generation Network (NGN) will ultimately enable the convergence of voice, data and video services in a single network. The equipment will be installed and supported by Siemens Brasil. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.juniper.net

• Telesp, Telefonica's Brazilian subsidiary, has selected the Siemens' SURPASS platform for its next generation network. Siemens Information and Communication Networks (IC Networks) is installing a virtual trunking solution based on the Surpass hiQ Call Feature Server, the Surpass hiG IP Gateway and the Surpass hiR Media Server. Installation is expected to be complete by December 2003.

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Harmonic to Raise $66 Million in Share Offering

Harmonic announced the public offering of 9 million shares of common stock at a price of $7.40 per share for an aggregate public offering price of $66.6 million. The company increased the size of the offering to 9 million shares from an original plan of 7.5 million shares.
http://www.harmonicinc.com/

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Volo Launches Wholesale Packet Voice Service

Volo Communications announced today a new, nationwide, wholesale VoIP service for ISPs, Tier 1 & 2 carriers, CLECs, DSL providers and MSOs. The Wholesale Packet Voice Service bundles local and long distance phone services along with a full suite of hosted enhanced calling features, including voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, 3-Way calling, repeat dialing, call transfer, caller ID block, and virtual phone numbers. These services are accessible to consumers from a standard PC, telephone or IP phone. A web-based interface is available for customers to perform online account management, including Web-based Voicemail retrieval, view account activity and select phone numbers nationwide. The wholesale voice services are offered over Volo Communications' private IP network, which uses MPLS links between switches on its national backbone.
http://www.volocommunications.com

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Russia's Golden Telecom and AT&T Provide MPLS Access to SWIFTNet

Golden Telecom will provide access to SWIFT's Secure IP Network (SIPN) in Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries via AT&T's MPLS-based VPN service. The agreement allows Golden Telecom to provide ordering, installation and maintenance of the service and conclude agreements for the provision of access to SWIFT`s SIPN with the full support of AT&T.


Four global telecommunications providers, including AT&T were selected by SWIFT to provide SWIFT users the world over with connectivity to SIPN. AT&T has concluded a master agreement with SWIFT that provides access to SIPN for SWIFT users through a managed network IP VPN based on MPLS.


Golden Telecom operates metropolitan overlay networks in Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk and Nizhny Novgorod and intercity fiber optic and satellite-based networks - including 150 combined access points in Russia and other countries of the CIS.
http://www.goldentelecom.com

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Nortel Networks Tests WLAN Mesh

Nortel Networks announced plans to trial a new public wireless LAN architecture aimed at lowering the costs of backhaul links by 70%. The new technology, which will be tested by MIT and BT, is an outgrowth of 'peer-to-peer' and 'ad hoc' networking research at Nortel Networks Ottawa Wireless Technology Lab. The new public wireless LAN architecture includes a peer-to-peer access point architecture - with smart antennas, integrated routers, and adaptive routing and security capabilities - to backhaul data wirelessly to wired broadband networks. This minimizes the need for expensive wired backhaul connections like T1 lines. One of BT's leading enterprise customers will test the technology. The MIT Media Lab will also set-up a trial network.
http://www.nortelnetworks.com

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Mindspeed Posts 15% Sequential Rise in Quarterly Revenue

Mindspeed Technologies reported quarterly revenues of $23.2 million, representing a 15% increase over the previous quarter. Mindspeed's pro forma operating loss for the quarter was $18.2 million, an improvement of 27 percent over the pro forma operating loss of $25.0 million in the prior quarter.


Mindspeed said more than 75% of its sequential revenue growth during the quarter came from new products launched in fiscal year 2001 and thereafter, with particularly strong demand for VoIP, fiber-to-the-home, and DS3/E3 carrier solutions. Raouf Halim, Mindspeed's CEO, said "We believe that the telecom carrier markets are in the early stages of a sustainable recovery worldwide."http://www.mindspeed.com

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Liberty Satellite Announces Termination of Agreement to Restructure Astrolink

Liberty Satellite & Technology has exercised its right to terminate the previously announced agreement to restructure Astrolink, the planned next-generation global broadband satellite network. Liberty Satellite acquired 31.5% of Astrolink in March 2000, with the remainder owned directly or indirectly by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Telespazio.


As a result of the termination of the restructuring agreement, Liberty Satellite will receive $7.8 million in cash in exchange for its equity interest in Astrolink and for all notes evidencing loans made by Liberty Satellite to fund Astrolink's continuing operations during the period that the restructuring agreement was pending. In addition, all claims related to Astrolink among its equity holders and creditors have been released or settled.
http://www.libertysatellite.net/http://www.astrolink.com/

• Astrolink was formed in 1999 to establish and operate a global communications system to deliver next-generation broadband service.
• 
  
  In November 2001, both TRW and Lockheed Martin announced that they were halting further investment in Astrolink.
• 
  
  In May 2002, Liberty Satellite & Technology, Lockheed Martin, TRW and Telespazio S.p.A. agreed to a proposed restructuring of Astrolink. The restructuring plan proposed a settlement of all claims among the parties and their affiliates relating to Astrolink and the acquisition of all the assets of Astrolink by Liberty Satellite. Subject to consummation of the transactions and any necessary regulatory approvals, Liberty Satellite said it planned to pursue a revised operating plan for a new Astrolink system, taking into account current financial and market factors.

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BellSouth Expands IP Telephony Partnership with Nortel Networks

Nortel Networks extended its relationship with BellSouth to supply IP telephony solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses and branch offices. The companies have been offering joint enterprise voice solutions for 21 years and are now extending the portfolio to help companies migrate toward converged networks. Included in BellSouth's packaged IP migration solution are Nortel Networks Business Communications Manager converged voice and data platform and Nortel Networks Norstar Integrated Communications Systems.
http://www.nortelnetworks.com

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IDT and Net2Phone Partner on Outsourced Cable Telephony

IDT will provide local and inter-exchange network access, termination, origination and other related services to Net2Phone for the provisioning of cable telephony services. Net2Phone offers an outsourced managed replacement telecommunications service that cable operators can sell to their residential subscribers. Under the deal, IDT will provide Net2Phone Cable Telephony with its IXC and CLEC services at favorable rates. IDT will also support Net2Phone in its sales efforts to cable operators. In exchange for such favorable pricing, access to LEC and IXC facilities and exclusivity to market to cable operators, Net2Phone will grant IDT shares of its Class A common stock, which will vest at the rate of 1.38 million shares per year for five years, subject to certain performance standards to be met by IDT regarding the provision of such services.


The companies said their partnership would enable the delivery of features that raise the level of the consumer offering to that of replacement phone service, including but not limited to 911 service, CALEA, Operator Assisted Services, and procuring inbound telephone numbers. IDT's network includes switching facilities in over 20 US cities and additional points of presence in more than 10 countrieshttp://net2phone.com
http://www.idttelecom.com

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Australia's Bright Telecommunications Selects Alloptic

Bright Telecommunications, a service provider based in Perth, Australia, selected Alloptic for a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) system to be deployed in the city's Victoria Park neighborhood. The new system provides a bundle of television, Internet and telephone services. Pirelli Australia is serving as integrator for the project. Bright Telecommunications is a subsidiary of Western Power. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.alloptic.com

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Nokia to Ship 100 million Color MMS Phones in 2004

At the 2003 Nokia Mobile Internet Conference (NMIC) in Nice, France, Nokia shared its vision of a mobile services mass market and unveiled five new mobile devices. Nokia said it expects to ship approximately 100 million terminals having color displays, Java and MMS in 2004. In addition, the company said its EDGE technology is taking an increasingly important role in its terminal range. So far, Nokia has launched 8 EDGE-enabled phones to date, and it foresees virtually all of its future GPRS and WCDMA phones to include EDGE technology. In 2004, Nokia expects to have approximately 15 EDGE handsets in the market and cumulative deliveries of EDGE-enabled handsets to reach approximately 100 million by the end of 2005.


Among the new product offering being introduced was the Nokia 7700, the company's first media category device featuring a "true mobile Internet and personal media experience" via a 640x320 color touch screen. Additional features include music and video streaming and playback, an integrated VGA camera, FM radio, multimedia messaging and email support, as well as a full complement of personal information management features. The Nokia 7700 media device will also support the Nokia Streamer SU-6 accessory, the first mobile DVB-H/IP Datacast receiver designed to demonstrate the mobile phone television experience. The Nokia Streamer attaches to the Nokia 7700 like a battery pack, and will be used in a pilot project to showcase the future of digital broadcasting on mobile devices.
http://www.nokia.com

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Cox Increases Financial Guidance, Subscribership and Programming

Cox Communications reported total quarterly revenue of $1.5 billion, an increase 15% compared to a year ago, based on significant growth in all its major service categories. The increase was attributed to growth in advanced service subscriptions (including digital cable, high-speed Internet access and telephony), higher basic cable rates and a $5 price increase on monthly high-speed Internet access adopted in select markets in Q4 2002. Cost of services, which includes programming costs, other direct costs and field service costs, was $622.2 million for Q3 2003, an increase of 15% over the same period in 2002. Operating income increased 46% to $161.4 million for Q3 2003, and operating cash flow increased 20% to $543.5 million. Some additional highlights:

• the company increased its guidance on advanced-service revenue generating units (RGUs) from the original guidance of 1.0 million to 1.1 million net additions. The company now expects to add 1.1 million to 1.2 million advanced-service RGUs in 2003 driven by bundled offerings. The company expects to be free cash flow positive for the full year 2003.



• ended the quarter with just over 6.3 million basic video customers, up 0.7% from September 30, 2002.



• ended the quarter with 11.1 million total RGUs, up 4% for the quarter, driven by 8% growth in advanced-service RGUs. Total RGUs and advanced-service RGUs were up 12% and 33%, respectively, compared to September 30, 2002.



• achieved Cox Digital Cable net additions of 121,744 customers, ending the quarter with just under 2.1 million digital cable customers. Cox Digital Cable is now available to 98% of the homes in Cox's service areas with penetration of its basic video customer base exceeding 32%.



• added 169,290 high-speed Internet customers, a record net add quarter, ending the quarter with 1.8 million high-speed Internet customers.



• added 73,019 Cox Digital Telephone customers, ending the quarter with 0.9 million telephone customers, representing year-over-year growth of 40%.



• reduced capital expenditures to $382.7 million for the quarter, down 8% from the third quarter of 2002.

http://www.cox.com

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Wanadoo Adds 252,000 Broadband customers in Q3

France Telecom's Wanadoo service added 252,000 broadband subscribers in Q3, giving it a total of 2 million broadband customers. Of this total, there were 138,000 broadband additions in the month of September. Wanadoo had 8.893 million Internet access customers in Europe, including 2.071 million broadband customers (ADSL and cable).


Growth in Wanadoo's broadband customer base stemmed primarily from ADSL access, which represented 1.836 million customers at end September 2003, an addition of 239,000 customers in Q3. Broadband customers now account for 23.3% of the total customer base, compared with 20.7% at the end of Q2.


Wanadoo's customer base in France totaled 4.363 million active subscribers at end September 2003, including 1.488 million with ADSL access. In the U.K., Wanadoo had 2.604 million customers, including 123,000 broadband customers. In Spain, Wanadoo had 1.417 million customers, including 148,000 with ADSL service. In the Netherlands, Wanadoo had 500,000 customers, including 236,000 broadband customers.
http://www.francetelecom.com/

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Verizon Reports Customer Growth, Continued Positive Cash Flow

Verizon Communications posted its fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth, noting a continued shift from traditional services to wireless, long-distance, broadband and bundled offerings. Total Q3 reported operating revenues of $17.2 billion were up 1% compared to the same period last year. Reported earnings were $1.8 billion and EPS was 64 cents, or 67 cents before one special item related to pension settlements. Some highlights of the quarter:

• domestic telecom revenues were $9.9 billion -- a decline of 4.1% compared with Q3 2002 and essentially flat compared with Q2 2003.



• Long Distance: added 1.3 million net long-distance lines. Long-distance revenues increased 17.2% to $1.0 billion in Q3 2003, compared with Q3 2002.



• Wireless: added 1.4 million net subscribers in Q3 -- the highest quarterly increase in its history -- bringing its customer total to 36.0 million. ARPU was more than $50 in Q3, up 1% over the prior-year quarter. Verizon Wireless added 1.2 million net retail customer in Q2.



• DSL: added 185,000 DSL lines giving it a total of 2.1 million lines. approximately 74% of Verizon's 56.2 million access lines qualify for DSL service . The company said it will hit its target of 80% by year's end.



• Bundling: approximately 44% of Verizon's residential customers have purchased local services in combination with either Verizon long- distance or Verizon DSL, or both.



• Access Lines: The total number of switched access lines in service declined to 56,155,000 from 58,456,000 at the end of Q3 2002. The number of resale and UNE-p lines increased to 5,378,000 from 3,891,000 at the end of Q3 2002. UNE-p net additions for Q3 were 479,000 compared to 518,000 UNE-p line losses in Q2.



• Data services: signed nearly 330 Enterprise Advance contracts in Q3, giving it over 800 customers in total for its corporate data networking service. The average contract length is 2.5 years. The company has signed 59 of the Fortune 500 firms. Revenues for high-capacity and data services were $1.8 billion in Q3, down slightly from the year-earlier period



• Debt: there was $800 million in free cash flow for the quarter. Net debt was reduced to $44.7 billion at the end of Q3, compared to $51.8 billion at year-end 2002.

http://www.verizon.com

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Agere Reports First Profit and 11% Sequential Revenue Rise

Agere Systems reported its first quarterly profit since its IPO and its first quarter of positive cash flow from operations. Quarterly revenue was $504 million, up 11% compared to the prior quarter and up 3% compared to a year ago. Net earnings were $11 million or $0.01 per share. Agere said the revenue increase was driven by 18% sequential growth in its Client Systems business, with strength in sales of chips for cell phones, hard disk drives and other PC-related applications. Margins exceeded 40%.


John Dickson, president and CEO of Agere, described the quarter as the strongest in the company's history as a public company.
http://www.agere.com

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MCI Hires Former U.S. Senator Warren B. Rudman

MCI has retained former U.S. Senator Warren B. Rudman as a senior advisor to Chairman and CEO Michael Capellas and its Board of Directors. Senator Rudman will focus his attention on ethics and corporate governance, assisting the company in completing and implementing its expanded corporate governance initiatives.


Rudman served two terms in the U.S. Senate as is perhaps best known for co-authoring the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit reduction law. Additionally, Rudman was Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee.
http://www.mci.com

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Lucent and Juniper Announce IP/MPLS Enhancements

Lucent Technologies and Juniper Networks announced two milestones in IP/MPLS integration that are the result of the joint development agreement the companies signed as part of their strategic partnership announced in May of this year. The joint IP VPN and Multiservice MPLS Core Solutions consist of Lucent multiservice switches, Juniper Networks routers, Lucent OSS solutions, and network services from Lucent Worldwide Services.


First, the joint Lucent/Juniper integrated VPN solution allows service providers to offer corporate customers new "IP-enabled frame" services -- new IP services over existing Lucent multiservice switches and Juniper Networks routing platforms. This includes the ability of Lucent Navis OSS to manage Juniper Networks routing platforms.


Second, service providers will be able to carry ATM and Frame Relay services over a packet-based MPLS network while maintaining the same quality and reliability as is available today on an ATM-based network. The trunking is the initial step in the companies' joint plans to deliver ATM-to-MPLS interworking.
http://www.lucent.com/partner/alliances/juniper.htmlhttp://www.juniper.net

• In May 2003, Lucent Technologies and Juniper Networks unveiled a strategic partnership focused on delivering joint core, data, broadband and metro optical network solutions to service providers. Under the non-exclusive alliance, Lucent becomes a worldwide reseller of the entire Juniper product line (with the exception of the J20 product developed in conjunction with Ericsson). The partners said the deal was not simply a reseller agreement, as both companies are committed to joint development efforts to integrate their products for maximum value. The companies have entered into a cross licensing agreement for certain intellectual property. The joint solutions encompass VPN services over a common IP/MPLS core network , an MPLS Core for evolving ATM and Frame Relay networks (available Q1 2004), IP Centrex, Enhanced DSL, and Ethernet Optical Edge (under joint development).

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Cisco Names 3 More Enterprise IP Communications Customers

Cisco Systems named three new IP Communications customers in the financial services market: VirtualBank, Cole Taylor Bank and Fairbanks Capital Corp. Fairbanks Capital, a residential mortgage loan servicer, has deployed the Cisco IP/VC Videoconferencing system to replace a legacy ISDN system. Cole Taylor Bank, Chicago's largest independent bank serving small to mid-size businesses, has deployed a converged voice and data network comprising 900 IP phones across 12 facilities. VirtualBank, a provider of wealth management services, has adopted a single IP-based network serving more than 300 IP telephony users with Cisco Unified Messaging across the company. In addition, Cisco's IP Contact Center is performing call routing, computer telephony integration and reporting as an integrated part of VirtualBank's existing Interactive Voice Response system from Edify.


Cisco said additional recent wins in the financial services sector include the Cottonport Bank, Dah Sing Financial Holdings, First Commercial Bank, Southtrust Bank and State Street Corporation.


Cisco now claims more than 10,000 IP communications customers worldwide and has shipped in excess of two million IP phones.
http://www.cisco.com

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Brix Develops Service Assurance Solutions for Cable Networks

Brix Networks, a start-up based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, introduced a service assurance solution that lets cable operators continuously monitor the quality and performance of their triple-play voice, video, and high-speed data services. The cable-centric version of the BrixWorx service assurance software system can be used to constantly monitor the quality and operation of VoIP calls, as well as the overall performance of the IP backbone. The new release extends Brix Networks' current support for the H.323 and SIP VoIP signaling standards to also now include the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) and the Network-based Call Signaling (NCS) specification - the control and signal protocols of choice for PacketCable networks.


In addition to BrixWorx for Cable, Brix said it plans to offer cable operators related product test suites and enhancements that will allow them to conduct end-to-end and edge-to-edge testing between Brix hardware Verifiers, for inside-out testing from Verifiers to phones, and for "Golden Phone" testing from phones to Verifiers.
http://www.brixnet.com

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Nokia Unveils Wireless Accelerator for Enterprise Applications

Nokia unveiled an enterprise data acceleration product designed to efficiently optimize communication over narrowband wireless and fixed networks. With the Nokia Wireless Accelerator, corporate data traffic to and from the mobile device can be compressed and optimized for faster viewing. The platform supports both client-server and server-only acceleration models. Nokia said the Wireless Accelerator works transparently with existing services, including its IP security and IP VPN solutions.
http://www.nokia.com

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Covad Names New Head for Network Infrastructure

Covad Communications named Stephan DeRodeff as Vice President, Broadband Technologies. DeRodeff will be responsible for the management and vision of the technology path for Covad's network infrastructure. Prior to joining Covad, DeRodeff most recently served as senior vice president at software start-up Cplane, Inc. He has held a variety of senior management positions in both large enterprise and start-up environments. His experience also includes leading facilities management, network engineering and network operations systems at U S West and product development and management at Oracle.
http://www.covad.com

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AudioCodes Launches 'Ardito' Media Gateway Boards

AudioCodes introduced a line of media gateway boards designed for enhanced voice services and Contact Center platforms. The new "Ardito" line of media gateway boards provides PSTN capabilities with an optional VoIP software license. The Ardito boards offer a selection of firmware-based media processing capabilities including low bit rate message record/playback, real time multi-party conferencing, comprehensive IVR support, G.168 compliant echo cancellation, fax processing, DTMF detection and generation and call progress tone detection. Ardito products permit each channel to operate independently and perform full media processing functions while utilizing the full flexibility in the endpoints for future upgrades. Ardito boards support a wide range of PSTN protocols including CAS, ISDN PRI and SS7 MTP3 termination.
http://www.audiocodes.com

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Microsoft Uses Atheros 802.11G Chip for Xbox Wireless Adapter

Atheros Communications' 802.11g wireless-system-on-a-chip (WiSOC) chipset is being used for Microsoft's new Xbox Wireless Adapter. The Xbox Wireless Adapter began shipping in the U.S. and Canada this month at an estimated U.S. retail price of $139.


Separately, Atheros announced it has shipped its 10-millionth wireless chip. The company shipped its first WLAN chip in September 2001.
http://www.atheros.com

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ADVA Adds 8-channel CWDM Capability to its FSP 2000

ADVA Optical Networking announced a major new release of its Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 2000 system with enhanced Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) functionality. ADVA's new 8-channel CWDM card with a next-generation universal transponder design and Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers replaces the need for separate cards for specific groups of protocols, data speeds, and fixed interfaces. New CWDM ring functionality expands network topology options from simple
point-to-point configurations to include linear add/drop and ring topologies.


The new 8-channel CWDM card includes a universal transponder design that transports all typical enterprise protocols for speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps at all CWDM wavelengths between 1470nm and 1610nm. SFP transceivers on the card adapt to single mode and multimode 850nm and 1310nm requirements and various protection schemes can be optionally included.


The parallel use of CWDM/DWDM and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) technologies enable up to 512 applications to be transported over one single fiber pair up to 200 kilometers. Additional features include
per channel TDM with channel bit rates ranging 8 Mbps up to 10 Gbps.
http://www.advaoptical.com

• ADVA's FSP 2000 was launched in May 2001 and is now on its seventh major feature release. The platform is also sold by Cisco Systems as the Metro 1500.

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NETGEAR Reports Growth in Unit Shipments

NETGEAR reported Q3 revenue of $75.8 million, up 10% over the prior quarter and up 18% compared to the same quarter last year. The was a net loss (GAAP) of $4.0 million, as compared to net income of $2.3 million for the same period last year. Excluding special charges, pro forma net income per share was $0.09 per basic share and $0.08 per diluted share.


NETGEAR said unit shipments in all its product categories (Ethernet switching, wireless, and wired routers and gateways) grew sequentially from Q2 2003 to Q3 2003. Ethernet switching products, primarily for small businesses grew 16% sequentially in units, and wireless products, including wireless cards, access points, routers, firewalls and home gateways, grew 25% sequentially in units. Wireless shipments increased from 628,000 nodes in Q2 2003 to nearly 800,000 nodes in Q3 2003. As expected, unit shipment growth of wired routers and firewalls was up 7% sequentially because of the ongoing accelerated adoption of more popular wireless technologies.


Reported net revenue in North America grew 8% to $46.2 million in Q3 2003, compared to $42.8 million in the second quarter of 2003. The company said sales in North America were buoyant due to strong back-to-school seasonal promotions.
http://www.netgear.com

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MCI Supplies International ATM Service to China Wireless

MCI will supply international ATM connectivity service for China Wireless Communications' Broadband Wireless Access Network in Beijing. The companies said the agreement will provide China Wireless' broadband access network with the international reach of MCI's network. Financial terms were not disclosed. NAVIS Communications, an MCI Solutions Partner, consulted on the agreement.
http://www.naviscom.com

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Equinix Achieves First Quarter of Positive Cash Flow

Equinix reported its first full quarter of positive operating cash flow. Revenues for the quarter were $30.9 million, representing a 53% increase over the same quarter in the prior year and a 9% increase over Q2 2003. Recurring revenues, consisting of colocation, interconnection and managed services were $28.4 million, a 78% increase over the same quarter last year and a 9% increase over second quarter 2003. Net loss for Q3 was $19.7 million, or a basic and diluted net loss per share of $2.12.


Equinix added 60 new customers in the third quarter including Amazon.com, Apple Computer, Comcast IP Services, Deutsche Boerse AG, GTSI, Keynote Systems, KVH Telecom, Macromedia, SAIC, Savvis and Standard Bank Asia Limited. The company received additional orders in the quarter from greater than 45% of its existing U.S. customers including EDS, IBM, Microsoft and the U.S. Government. The company ended the quarter with greater than 650 customers.
http://www.equinix.com

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i2 Telecom Releases 4-Channel VoIP Microgateway for Small Business

i2 Telecom, a start-up based in Boca Raton, Florida, introduced a 4-channel "Microgateway" that provides four VoIP over broadband channels for small businesses. The E-VoIP 4000 works with small business phone systems to provide four simultaneous voice channels for IP trunking to remote offices, or to provide domestic and international long distance VoIP calls. The rack-mountable system provides full pass-thru service to standard telco lines, enabling users to switch between VoIP and PSTN for local or emergency calls. The unit works with i2 Telecom's worldwide network to provide the VoIP service. The E-VoIP 4000 is available through i2 Telecom's network of VARs at a suggested price of $1,495.
http://www.i2telecom.com

• Earlier this month, i2 Telecom launched its flagship InternetTalker product, and announced that it was working with Staples and NETGEAR to deliver a total voice solution for small and medium sized business customers.



• In January 2003, i2 Telecom acquired SuperCaller Community, a small engineering company that was working on a VoIP microgateway.

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Entone Secures $16 Million for its Video Servers

Entone Technologies, a start-up based in San Mateo, California, secured $16 million in second round funding for its video on demand (VOD) infrastructure solutions. Entone provides software for video servers and home entertainment gateways used in VOD and PVR applications. The funding round was co-led by Menlo Ventures, Palomar Ventures, and BA Venture Partners.


Entone said one of its strategic advantages is that it partners with leading server vendors, such as IBM and HP, allowing it to ride the innovation and price curves of off-the-shelf components. A single Entone StreamLiner Video Server can deliver 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps of video and contain over 800 hours of MPEG2 content.
http://www.entone.com

• Entone Technologies was co-founded by Mark Evensen (current Chairman), who previously was General Manager of Technology Development at PCCW HKTelecom and lead architect for their interactive television and Internet services, and by Tim Warren (current CTO), who previously developed a modernized betting system based on UNIX and TCP/IP for a large, Asian gaming concern.

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SEI, NEC and NTT-BB Test Forward Error Correction for Video Delivery

Sumitomo Electric Industries, SEI Networks, NEC and NTT-BB will launch a field trial to measure the effectiveness of forward error correction (FEC) in improving the delivery of video content over residential connections. Currently, broadband content providers use packet re-transmission techniques to recover from packet loss.


The FEC technology used for this trial was developed by SEI Networks based on the "Raptor" technology of Digital Fountain, a start-up located in San Francisco. Forward error correction provides a means for receivers to repair lost packets. Users participating in the trial will be provided an IP set top box developed by SEI Networks. The trial gets underway in December and is expected to run through the end of January 2004.
http://www.sei-networks.com/index_E.htmlhttp://www.nec.com/

• Digital Fountain's Meta-Content technology analyzes and then represents each content file as a series of unique mathematical equations. The equations are transmitted instead of the original content bits, enabling the receiving computer to reconstruct a perfect copy of the original content. Digital Fountain said the unique advantage of its technology is that all users can be treated as a single group, meaning that server capacity is no longer a strict function of the number of users. The company claims that in multicast environments, a single Fountain Server could provide unscheduled access to a virtually unlimited number of users. In a unicast network, Streaming Fountain supports up to 4,000 video streams at 700 kbps quality , 10,000 video streams at 300 kbps quality, or up to 60,000 narrow-band streams.


• 
  Digital Fountain is led by Cliff Meltzer, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Cisco Systems' IOS Technologies Division, where he oversaw development and marketing of IOS. The company was co-founded by Dr. Michael Luby, previously a computer science professor at both the University of Toronto and University of California at Berkeley, and Jay Goldin, formerly a management consultant with the Pacific Rim Consulting Group in Hong Kong and China.

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Equinix Takes Over Sprint Data Center in Santa Clara

Equinix agreed to sublease Sprint's E|Solutions Internet Center in Santa Clara, California and acquire certain related assets. The 160,000 square foot data center, where Sprint currently hosts the web operations of some of the top names in the Internet, will become Equinix's 15th Internet Business Exchange.


In addition to operating two IBX centers in the Silicon Valley area, Equinix also operates centers in the New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong and Tokyo areas. Its facilities will now encompass over 1.2 million square feet.
http://www.equinix.com

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MobileAccess Networks Secures $10M for Converged Wireless Networking

MobileAccess Networks, a start-up based in Vienna, Virginia, raised $10 million in venture funding for its work in converged wireless enterprise networking. The company's products leverage patented techniques for the transmission of Radio Frequency (RF) signals over optical fibers. The MobileAccess product line includes a modular, chassis-based solution that supports multiple wireless data and voice services within the same building or campus on a single broadband infrastructure. The MobileAccess infrastructure simultaneously supports multiple wireless services including public safety, cellular, paging, PCS and WLAN. For instance, The American Red Cross has deployed the platform at its headquarters in Washington D.C. in order to extend cellular, paging and PCS services for three major wireless service providers throughout the facility. Additional wireless services could also be supported.


HarbourVest Partners, LLC and Pitango Venture Capital co-led this financing round. Also invested in this round are Poalim Ventures and current investors.
http://www.mobileaccess.com

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First Avenue Networks Enters Market for 39 GHz Spectrum Leasing

First Avenue Networks, which holds extensive 39 GHz spectrum licenses across the U.S., introduced a new flexible, spectrum leasing service aimed at telecommunication operators and enterprise customers. First Avenue Networks said it aims to provide a very low-cost and capital-efficient way for telecommunication providers to obtain and utilize spectrum. Operators can lease 39 GHz spectrum for as little as $500 per link, per year.


First Avenue Networks holds over 750 FCC-issued licenses for the 39 GHz spectrum band, covering approximately 950 million channel POPs. Each 39 GHz spectrum channel has 100 MHz available and can carry up to OC-12 (622 Mbps). Most applications utilize 45 Mbps (DS-3) to 155 Mbps (OC-3).
http://www.firstavenet.com

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Tellabs Demos IP-Optical Integration

Tellabs has demonstrated the dynamic delivery of IP services over an optical core using a GMPLS control plane with routing. The test, which was conducted at the Isocore Internetworking Lab, used the new Tellabs 8820 multi-service switch router, the Tellabs 5500 NGX-S transport switch and the Tellabs MetroWatch element manager's GMPLS software. During the Isocore testing, the Tellabs 8820 multi-service switch router combined the functionality of an edge router, ATM multi-service switch, Frame Relay switch and Ethernet edge switch into one platform. The Tellabs 8820 multi-service switch router interoperated and enabled three MPLS-based applications during the Isocore multi-vendor testing:

• Layer 2 VPNs using the IETF Martini draft, which defines point-to-point MPLS connections that support virtual local networks or Frame Relay/ATM;



• Layer 3 VPNs using the IETF's RFC-2547bis specification, which enables IP/MPLS-based IP VPNs



• Virtual Private LAN services (VPLS) using the IETF's VPLS-over-MPLS draft, which enables carriers to offer point-to-point or point-to-multi-point WAN extensions of customers' LAN-based Ethernet networks

Tellabs said its MetroWatch element manager's GMPLS software enabled the first- ever interworking between the IETF's GMPLS and ITU's OIF-UNI specifications for signaling between the IP routing network and optical transport network.
http://www.tellabs.com

• In September 2003, Tellabs introduced a new carrier-class, medium capacity (42 Gbps) "managed edge" platform designed to extend IP/MPLS from the edge of the core network to the local exchange or even to the customer premises. The new Tellabs 8600 system could be used by service providers to implement MPLS VPNs and Ethernet over MPLS, delivering application aware services such as intranet interconnectivity, extranet, business Internet access and corporate voice with QoS.

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Level 3 to Provide AOL with 10 Gbps Wavelengths, Collocation

America Online will expand its use of Level 3's colocation services in the U.S. and Europe. Under new agreements, Level 3 is now providing America Online with 10 Gbps wavelength circuits in the U.S. and Europe, which will be integrated into AOL's IP network, which is named ATDN. In addition, America Online purchased metropolitan dark fiber in the U.S. earlier this year.


Level 3 said the new contracts are incremental to the managed modem and other America Online customer agreements previously disclosed by Level 3, and the America Online contracts that Level 3 assumed as a result of the Genuity acquisition.
http://www.Level3.com
http://www.atdn.net

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CommScope to Acquire Avaya's Structured Cabling Business

Avaya agreed to sell its Connectivity Solutions business to CommScope for approximately $263 million. Avaya's Connectivity Solutions group provides structured cabling for businesses and telecommunications service providers. Its products include SYSTIMAX structured cabling solutions for enterprises, ExchangeMAX structured cable and apparatus for telecommunications service providers and integrated cabinet solutions. Structured cabling connects voice, data and video equipment in office buildings and in telephone central offices. Integrated cabinets house cable terminations, wiring and connection devices for voice, data and wireless equipment. Avaya said Connectivity Solutions had fiscal 2003 sales of approximately $542 million and operating income of approximately $3 million. The group has about 2,000 employees primarily in manufacturing facilities in Omaha, Nebraska, Bray, Ireland and Brisbane, Australia. The business has administrative offices in Richardson, Texas. As part of the deal, CommScope will assume Connectivity Solutions' leases and purchase its facilities, as well as up to $75 million of certain specified liabilities primarily related to employee matters.


CommScope provides broadband coaxial cable for Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) applications, as well as fiber optic and twisted pair cables for LAN, wireless and other communications networks.
http://www.commscope.com
http://www.avaya.com

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NTT, Motorola Team on Multicast MPLS for Broadcast Applications

NTT Network Service Systems Laboratory and Motorola Computer Group have collaborated on the development of Multicast Multiprotocol Label Switching (M-MPLS) technology designed to serve as a broadband transport mechanism for access networks. The draft specification enables the simultaneous distribution of large volumes of data, such as streaming video, and real-time interactive multimedia communication for millions of users. The two companies are developing a number of new service applications, the first of which are video distribution over DSL and FTTH networks. A demonstration of the technology is being presented at the MPLS 2003 International Conference in Washington, D.C. this week.


Motorola and NTT said they plan to move M-MPLS into the IETF standardization process. Motorola intends to offer functionality such as M-MPLS in a new range of application-enabling platforms based on the AdvancedTCA specification. Motorola will also offer this draft specification M-MPLS software through its NetPlane software product line.
http://www.motorola.com/computer

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Motorola Offers Volume Pricing of $310/Unit for Canopy Broadband Wireless

Motorola announced new volume pricing plans for its 5.7GHz Canopy wireless broadband customer premise equipment (CPE). The 5.2 gigahertz (GHz) subscriber module currently lists for $515 per unit. Purchased in a 100-pack, the new price lists for $380 per unit. A 500-pack lists for $340 per unit. For larger service providers, there is a new 2,500-pack plan listing for $310 per unit. The lower pricing enables wireless service providers to more effectively compete with DSL and cable modem services.
http://www.motorola.com

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Netgear Offers 802.11g Gateway for ADSL 2 and ADSL 2+

Netgear introduced a 802.11g wireless gateway supporting ADSL 2 and ADSL 2+ standards, which support downstream speeds up to 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps respectively. The device combines five functions in a single box -- ADSL modem, router, switch, firewall, and 802.11g wireless access point. It has a North American list price of $155. Netgear is also launching a companion wired gateway and firewall router supporting ADSL 2 and ADSL 2+http://www.netgear.com

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TAZZ Networks Raises $10.5 Million for Subscriber Systems

TAZZ Networks, a start-up based in Providence, Rhode Island, closed a $10.5 million investment round for its subscriber and service enablement solutions. The new funding round was led by BlueStream Ventures, and included first round investors, Lazard Technology Partners, Pilot House Ventures Group, Zero Stage Capital and Point Judith Capital.
http://www.tazznetworks.com

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Visual Networks Tunes its Visual UpTime Management Suite

Visual Networks introduced a modular version of its performance management platform enabling companies to purchase UpTime Select capabilities all at once, or one module at a time. Visual UpTime Select includes new core capabilities, the unbundling of proven UpTime functionality into modular software components, and flexible purchasing options, including "Pay Per View" pricing. New core capabilities include a Service Summary application, Web-based management capabilities, active troubleshooting views, auto discovery of protocols, an enhanced reporting module and an integration module providing interfaces to third-party reporting packages and manager of manager platforms such as HP OpenView and Aprisma SPECTRUM.


Separately, Visual Networks announced the availability of an integrated solution combining the Visual UpTime Select solution with the Aprisma SPECTRUM product. In addition, Visual Networks also announced that J.M. Huber Corporation is using its Visual UpTime performance management solution to optimize bandwidth for its migration to an IP-based MPLS network.
http://www.visualnetworks.com

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Time Warner Telecom Supplies Metro Ethernet for Denver Hospitals

Time Warner Telecom was awarded a five-year contract to deliver local metro Ethernet data services to HCA/HealthONE in Denver. The service will enable HealthONE to establish a virtual private network between six of its hospitals in the Denver metro area for data communications and dedicated Internet access. The health care provider's Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) uses large image files of up to 100 MB in size, such as a magnetic resonance L-Spine image. The new network increases capacity by 10-fold. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.twtelecom.com

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Ucentric Develops Whole House Software App

Ucentric Systems, a start-up based in Maynard, Massachusetts, is developing a "Whole Home Music" software application for integration into set-top boxes and consumer electronic devices. The music application automatically discovers and aggregates all the digital music files stored on networked appliances like media centers, set-top boxes and/or PCs.
http://www.ucentric.com

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Microsoft Promotes Portable Media Center Devices

Microsoft is seeking to establish a new category of mobile devices that allow people to take all their digital media content from their Windows XP computers, including digital videos, home movies, digital music, television shows, and digital photos, and play them on a variety of output devices. Portable Media Centers, which are expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2004, will support Windows Media 9 Series audio and video formats, as well as MP3. Users will be able to sync Windows XP-based digital media content to the device to listen to thousands of hours of music on the go, watch digitally recorded television shows, home movies, or digital videos, and store and view digital photo albums.


Device manufacturers such as Creative, iRiver International, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SANYO Electric Co. Ltd. and ViewSonic Corp. have announced they are developing Portable Media Center devices. Microsoft has also signed original design manufacturers (ODMs) Tatung Co. and AboCom Systems.
http://www.microsoft.com

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Lucent is chosen as one of Verizon's Next Gen SONET Suppliers

Verizon has chosen Lucent Technologies as one of several providers of next generation SONET equipment. Under the three-year agreement, Verizon will deploy the Lucent Metropolis DMX portfolio of metro optical networking products, and the LambdaUnite MultiService Switch (MSS), a high-capacity, multi-service switch which will manage traffic from many metro access networks. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Lucent's Metropolis product family includes the DMX Access Multiplexer for central office and large enterprise applications, the DMXpress for customer premises applications, and a new DMXtend box for enterprise and loop access applications. All three systems provide metro Ethernet over SONET (EoS) using Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) and Virtual Concatenation technology.


Lucent's LambdaUnite is designed to bridge traffic from metro networks onto optical core backbones. The single-shelf system was recently optimized for smaller metro applications, supporting in-service upgrades from 160G to 320G, as well as to 640G. Mesh restoration capabilities were also added to help carriers migrate to new mesh-based networks, while at the same time, leveraging traditional protection architectures.
http://www.lucent.com

• In September 2003, AT&T awarded a multi-year agreement to Lucent Technologies to supply its Metropolis DMX Access Multiplexer and Metropolis DMXtend Access Multiplexer for deployment in the AT&T intelligent optical network. The equipment enables AT&T to deliver a full range of SONET and Ethernet services, while leveraging their installed SONET infrastructure.



• In June 2003, Lucent announced a contract to supply its Metropolis DMX Access Multiplexer to BellSouth.

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AirMagnet Releases New Version of its WLAN Sniffer

AirMagnet, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, introduced the third generation of its laptop and handheld-based WLAN security products. The new release adds 22 features, including support for 802.11g, service level monitoring and assurance for Wi-Fi and VoIP, new denial-of-service protection and expanded signal quality and QoS assessment. The company also introduced "AirMagnet Reporter," a product that aggregates data captured by the mobile products in a variety of formats. The AirMagnet products perform WLAN troubleshooting, intrusion detection and security policy enforcement.
http://www.airmagnet.com

• AirMagnet is headed by Dean Au, who previously was senior vice president of the Sniffer Technology Division of Network Associates. Its technical team is led by Chia Chee Kuan, who previously was technical staff member at Packet Design. Prior to Packet Design, Mr. Kuan was the first software engineer at Precept Software (acquired by Cisco Systems). The company is based in Sunnyvale, California.

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Saudi Telecom Expands Use of CSG's Customer Care and Billing

Saudi Telecom will expand its use of CSG Systems' customer care and billing solutions. Saudi Telecom currently uses CSG's ICMS platform to support its existing prepaid and post paid mobile, wireline and Internet businesses, which currently serve more than 8 million subscribers across Saudi Arabia and neighboring nations. The expansion agreement was solidified with the support of CSG's partner, IBM Middle East and Saudi Business Machines Ltd (General Marketing and Services Representative for IBM WTC). Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.csgsystems.com

• In September 2003, CSG Systems, which provides billing and customer care solutions for some 265 service providers, unveiled Kenan FX, a new offering that combines CSG's existing applications with an integrated customer care and billing framework for the telecommunications marketplace. The Kenan FX framework brings together the Kenan billing engine and revenue-enabling solutions with new ordering and customer management products that are pre-integrated, share a common look-and-feel for all customer-facing functions and use a common middle layer architecture. CSG Systems will offer Kenan FX through a variety of delivery models, including an in-house software solution, a service bureau or managed operations. The company is targeting the convergent global telecommunications marketplace, including next generation mobile, wireline, broadband and IP service providers.

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Broadsoft Introduces Multimedia Conferencing Server With Hosted Voice Platform

Broadsoft introduced an integrated communications platform for hosted PBX, Voice VPN, unified messaging and conferencing functions. The new BroadWorks Conferencing Server software, which operates on standard hardware, provides business subscribers with an always-available meet-me conferencing account. Using a web interface subscribers can send out meeting notices in advance, and conference in as many as 96 attendees on the fly. Conference participants can also share Microsoft Office documents.


Separately, Broadsoft announced that eight new service provider customers have chosen its BroadWorks hosted communications platform: ACC Telecom, CyberSouth Networks, Fox Communications, MetTel, Reynwood Communications, Tiogan Networks, Virtual IP, and Who's Calling.


In addition, Onvoy, a service provider based in Minnesota, has deployed its BroadWorks platform for delivering hosted communications services to businesses.
http://www.broadsoft.com

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Entropic Raises $29 Million for Multimedia Distribution via Home Coax

Entropic Communications, a start-up based in San Diego, raised $29 million in series B funding for its communications chips for enabling broadband multimedia distribution in the home. Entropic's initial products will allow the existing cable coaxial cable inside a home to be used for HDTV, high speed data, Internet, voice, and multi-room gaming. Entropic's core technology, which is called c.LINK (CableLink), enables communications backwards through cable splitters. The company was incorporated in January 2001 and expects to ship its first products next year.


Investors in Entropic Communications include Anthem Venture Partners; China Development Industrial Bank; Cisco Systems; CMEA Ventures; Comcast Interactive Capital; The Dow Employees Pension Plan; Intel; Liberty Associated Partners, LP; Mission Ventures; Motorola; Panasonic; Redpoint Ventures; Revolution Ventures; Time Warner; and YAS Broadband Ventures.
http://www.entropic-communications.com

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AOL for Broadband Launches Daily Sports Show

America Online will begin offering its broadband users a new twice-daily program called AOL Sports: 180. The show is hosted by CNN Headline News sports anchors and features up to 180 seconds of the highlights from sporting events that day.
http://www.aol.com

• In October 2003, America Online announced plans to expand its usage of RealNetworks' media technologies in the latest release of its broadband service. In addition, AOL has begun to deploy RealNetworks' Helix Universal Servers as part of its streaming infrastructure. AOL said its members are currently streaming up to 3 million songs and videos per day.

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XM Satellite Radio Tops One Million Subscribers

XM Satellite Radio recently surpassed 1 million subscribers, reaching this major milestone in less than two years since its national debut in November 2001. The company noted that it took 12 years for satellite television to reach the one million customers mark.
http://www.xmradio.com

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Force10 Networks and IBM Sign Worldwide Partnership Deal

IBM will resell the Force10 Networks' E-Series E1200/600 high density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet product family under a worldwide partnership agreement announced by the firms. In addition, IBM Global Services will provide end-to-end support for the E-Series switch/routers -- including consulting, implementation, and technical assistance center (TAC) support -- for enterprise customers worldwide.


Force10 Networks and IBM also entered a manufacturing partnership whereby IBM builds the EtherScale ASICs used within the E-Series platform. In addition, Force10 augments its E-Series system with IBM's PowerPC processors.


Force10 Networks said its E-Series is purpose-built for high performance grid, clustering and utility computing applications. Grids allow geographically distributed organizations to share applications, data and high capacity computing resources. IBM is active in many of the largest grid computing projects worldwide.
http://www.force10networks.com

• In April 2003, The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) selected IBM to help build a massive data-management system built on Grid computing. IBM's “Storage Tank�? virtualization technology will be used to manage huge amounts of data using a single file namespace regardless of where or on what operating system the data reside. IBM and CERN will work together to extend Storage Tank's capabilities so it can manage and provide access from any location worldwide to the torrent of data -- billions of gigabytes a year -- that CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is expected to produce when it goes online in 2007. The Large Hadron Collider is a particle accelerator that aims to recreate -- on a tiny scale -- conditions that existed shortly after the Big Bang.

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National Center for Supercomputing Selects Force10

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois has selected Force10 Networks' E-Series E1200 high-density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch/routers. The equipment is being used in Phase II of NCSA's portion of the TeraGrid project. Force10's E-Series switch/routers have already been deployed in Phase I of the project at NCSA, as well as at the three other original TeraGrid sites: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the Center for Advanced Computing Research (CACR) at the California Institute of Technology, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.force10networks.com

• Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), TeraGrid is a multi-institutional effort to build and deploy the world's most comprehensive computing infrastructure for open scientific research. IBM is providing integration services for the project. The NSF TeraGrid project will initially use a dedicated 40 Gbps wide area "backplane" to connect computers, storage facilities, visualization systems and applications at Argonne and other TeraGrid sites. Clusters connecting to the grid use 10-Gigabit Ethernet interconnections between Gigabit Ethernet-attached Linux servers.



• Force10 Networks' 10 Gbps Ethernet switch/router supports up to 336 ports of Gigabit Ethernet or 28 ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE) per chassis. Six custom ASICs deliver non-blocking, line-rate forwarding across all ports, even with access control lists (ACLs) or QoS applied. Force10's software delivers full functionality L2 switching and L3 routing. The company initially is offering two models: the full-size E1200 featuring 14 line-card slots, 1.2 Tbps non-blocking switch fabric, 40 Gbps bandwidth per line-card slot, redundant route processor modules (RPMs), redundant switch fabric modules (SFMs), redundant power and hot-swap of all key components; and the half-sized E600, which uses the same cards.

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iBasis Deploys NexTone's Multiprotocol Session Controllers

iBasis is deploying NexTone's Multiprotocol Session Controller in its global VoIP network to address interoperability and security issues in peering with its large number of carrier customers. The NexTone MSC provides iBasis with call admission control, route enforcement and the regulation of bandwidth consumption to manage multimedia flows across IP interconnects for both carrier and enterprise boundaries. Additionally the NexTone MSC provides stateful protocol interworking between SIP and H.323, different implementations of T.38 fax, as well as between multi-vendor VoIP networks. NexTone said its platform enables carriers to quickly adapt their peering points to the nuances of partners' VoIP networks. Typical areas of incompatibility include VoIP signaling, T.38 fax interconnection, and DTMF.


iBasis, which operates a Cisco-powered network, is one of the ten largest carriers of international phone calls. Its VoIP network has over 850 POPs in 90 countries and is currently carrying approximately 3.5 billion minutes per year. In addition to its wholesale international call completion service, iBasis provides retail international prepaid calling cards through major calling card distributors, and offers a hosted prepaid billing platform, as well as global access to providers of enhanced services such as prepaid calling cards and audioconferencing.


NexTone said its session controllers are now deployed in over 75 carrier networks.
http://www.nextone.com/

• In August 2003, NexTone announced that ITXC had deployed its Multiprotocol Session Controller in its global VoIP network. The Multiprotocol Session Controller on the border of ITXC.net serves as an intermediary to affiliate VoIP networks, providing dynamic call-admission control, SIP/H.323 signaling interworking and network address translation (NAT) capabilities. The NexTone solution also eliminates many of the T.38 fax interoperability issues that are common among different equipment vendors' VoIP gateways.



• NexTone Communications was founded in February 1998 by Raj Sharma and Sridhar Ramachandran. Sharma previously held a director's position with Newbridge Networks product marketing division. Ramachandran previously worked at GE Spacenet, Bay Networks and Hughes Network Systems. Nextone is based in Germantown, Maryland.

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NTT, NEC, Furukawa and Mitsubishi Test GMPLS

NTT, NEC, Furukawa Electric, and Mitsubishi Electric have successfully tested interworking between an MPLS network and a GMPLS photonic network. The trial verified cooperation between GMPLS routing and signaling technologies and demonstrated that a GMPLS communication path could be set up based on routing information from the MPLS network


The work was conducted by the jointly operated Photonic Internet Lab. The GMPLS domain consists of a photonic MPLS router (IP/wavelength) from NTT, a digital cross connect (TDM/wavelength) from NEC, a GMPLS supported MPLS router (IP/TDM/wavelength) from Furukawa Electric, and optical cross connect (wavelength/fiber) from Mitsubishi Electric. All the equipment runs a GMPLS-compliant routing protocol (GMPLS OSPF-TE). Each active component advertises the function and the layer that it handles. This allows all GMPLS equipment to recognize the layers handled by other equipment.


The interworking experiment will be demonstrated at this week's MPLS2003 exhibition in Washington, D.C.
http://www.ntt.co.jp/news/news03e/0310/031024.htmhttp://www.pilab.org

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