Covad and Z-Tel to Use Line Splitting for Bundled DSL Services

Z-Tel Technologies with begin bundling its local and long distance services with the DSL broadband services it resells from Covad based on a process called line splitting. Through this process, Z-Tel will "split" the loop it buys from local phone companies to offer Z-Tel local, long distance and Covad's DSL service on the same line. Z-Tel will offer DSL services under its own name. Customers will receive one bill from Z-Tel for all telecommunications services, and Z-Tel will be the first point of contact for customer service. The new service will be available by the end of 2003.
http://www.ztel.com
http://www.covad.com

• In May 2003, Z-Tel Technologies signed a two-year, non-exclusive agreement enabling it to deliver broadband services using Covad's DSL network. Z-Tel will offer DSL services under its own name, so customers will receive one bill from Z-Tel for both voice and broadband services.

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Redback Releases NetOp Policy Manager Based on RADIUS

Redback Networks released a policy and service management software application based on the RADIUS protocol that enables Redback's existing SMS and SmartEdge platforms to provision and control revenue generating IP services. Redback's new NetOp Policy Manager is designed to work over residential and business broadband access technologies including DSL, Wi-Fi, cable modem, leased lines, ATM/Frame Relay and Ethernet. Service providers with existing Redback SMS and SmartEdge platforms could use the NetOp Policy Manager to automate the delivery of new services -- such as tiered bandwidth services and URL filtering for parental control or complex video and Wi-Fi services. For instance, Redback's NetOp Policy Manager could be used for broadband services priced and delivered based on the number of bytes used (volume-based), amount of time used (duration-based) or time of day. The NetOp Policy Manager could also be used for Wi-Fi services that use the same subscriber management infrastructure as an existing DSL or cable modem network. Redback noted that a major ISP in Korea is using the NetOp policy manager for a broadband URL Filtering service (parental control) that generates up to $2 in incremental income per month for each subscriber. Reback is offering multiple licensing options for this type of software. It can be licensed as run-time software with feature enhancements based on a feature roadmap, or the entire source code can be licensed which allows service providers the flexibility to customize the product.
http://www.redback.com

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SGI to Resell TeraBurst Optical Networking for Visualization Apps

Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) will begin reselling optical networking equipment from TeraBurst Networks, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California. The Teraburst gear will be used for connectivity between SGI Reality Center facilities for distributed visualization applications. Teraburst's V2O platform converts the video signal from SGI systems to a standard telecom-ready signal for either OC3 or OC48 SONET-based optical networks. The optical network allows users to see the stereo frame rates and image quality generated by the SGI Onyx system, enabling a new level of remote, collaborative visualization. For example, multisite command-and-control teams can use the high-performance, high-resolution and long distance graphics distribution capabilities from TeraBurst to leverage the data fusion capabilities of an SGI Onyx system to interact with multiple remote high-resolution data and video streams in a 3D environment.
http://www.sgi.com/visualization/van/http://www.teraburst.com/

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Qwest and Sony to Offer Entertainment and Gaming for DSL

Qwest Communications signed an agreement with Sony Pictures Digital Networks to provide gaming and entertainment packages for Qwest's DSL customers. DSL customers purchasing MSN Broadband powered by Qwest within the next six months can select either a Broadband Games Pack from Sony, a retail value of $110, or a Broadband Entertainment Pack from Sony, a $169 retail value, as a value-added feature available at no extra cost.


The Broadband Games Pack includes online and/or downloadable games.


The Broadband Entertainment Pack includes Movielink movie downloads; music downloads from Sony Music; Video and music creation software tools from Screenblast; and a 30-day subscription to SoapCity Download, which provides downloadable episodes of daily soap operas.
http://www.qwest.com

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Seranoa Secures $9 Million for IP Edge Concentrator

Seranoa Networks, a start-up based in Boxborough, Massachusetts, secured $9 million in additional funding for its IP edge concentrators, which aggregate incoming TDM access circuits onto Gigabit Ethernet trunks. Participants in the funding round include Advent International, St. Paul Ventures, YankeeTek Ventures, FA Technology Ventures, Schoffstall Ventures, and private investors. Seranoa has now raised $25 million to date.
http://www.seranoa.com

• Seranoa's WANport T3 Edge Concentrator is an IP-aware layer-2 switch positioned as a lower cost alternative to edge router line cards. The company said the vast majority of edge router cost is tied up in line cards for subscriber aggregation. Seranoa's WANport concentrators aggregate up to 12 incoming channelized T3 access circuits onto redundant Gigabit Ethernet trunks for connectivity to popular edge routers. The Seranoa concentrators would front-end existing edge routers.

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UTStarcom Plans Two-for-One Stock Split

UTStarcom intends to pursue a two-for- one stock split, to be effected in the form of a one-for-one stock dividend. Hong Lu, president and CEO of UTStarcom said the proposed stock dividend reflects confidence "in the long-term growth opportunities" for UTStarcom.
http://www.utstar.com

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Zarlink Ships its Latest Fast Ethernet Switching Chips

Zarlink announced volume availability of a new family of small Fast Ethernet switching chips featuring QoS capability. The six-device product family consists of eight-port Fast Ethernet switches with a Gigabit uplink, as well as five- and nine-port switches. Available in managed or lightly managed options, the switches provide full wire-speed forwarding at Layer 2 and classification at Layers 2 through 4. The Gigabit uplink versions are expandable to 16 ports. The designs are Zarlink's sixth generation of Ethernet switching chips.
http://www.zarlink.com

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Turk Telecom to Deploy Redback's SmartEdge 800 Service Gateway

Turk Telecom, Turkey's incumbent PTT network provider, has selected Redback Networks' SmartEdge 800 Service Gateway and its new NetOp Policy Manager platforms for the rollout of its nationwide broadband network. Redback's platforms are expected to be deployed in POPs throughout Turkey. The installation and support of these products will be handled by Meteksan, Redback's local solutions integration partner. The equipment will be use to provide broadband connectivity and value-added IP services to both businesses and consumers. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.redback.com

• In June 2003, Redback Networks announced the integration of its subscriber management systems (SMS) technology in its SmartEdge platform. The combined feature set will allow service providers to utilize the same Redback network management, policy management, user profiles and billing systems in an edge platform with dynamic policy enforcement, carrier-class IP routing, ATM mediation, MPLS VPNs, multicast and QoS capabilities. At the same time, Redback is introducing the SmartEdge 400, a smaller version of its SmartEdge 800 platform. The new platform is designed for deployment in smaller central offices and POPs, whereas the SmartEdge 800 is positioned for larger POPs.

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CableLabs Certifies Gateways from NETGEAR and Scientific Atlanta

CableLabs awarded certified status for CableHome 1.0 compliance to two more products: residential gateways from NETGEAR and Scientific Atlanta. The CableHome standard builds on the DOCSIS standard to allow for the distribution of broadband service throughout a consumer's home.
http://www.cablelabs.com

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Japan Reaches 8 Million DSL Users and 458,000 FTTH Lines

Japan's Ministry of Home Management, Posts and Telecommunications posted official Internet access figures as of 30-Jun-2003. The report indicates a rapid rise in the number or DSL users over the past 12 months, an accelerating trend in FTTH deployments and continued growth in cable modem services.
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/Statistics/number_users030731.html

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NTT Group Adds 520,000 DSL and 109,000 Optical Access Lines in Q2

Over the past three months, the various division of the NTT Group have added a total of 520,000 ADSL lines and 109,000 optical access lines (B-FLETS service). Together, NTT East and NTT West now serve 3,069,000 DSL lines and 308,000 FTTH lines. Meanwhile, the numbers of ISDN lines served by NTT East and NTT West dropped by 75,000. Overall, the NTT Group reported consolidated revenues of 2,672 billion yen ($22 billion) for the quarter ending 30-June-2003.
http://www.ntt.co.jp

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