ADC and Sumitomo Electric Form Alliance for FTTP

ADC, Sumitomo Electric, and Preformed Line Products (PLP) have formed an alliance to provide an end-to-end solution for fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) networks. PLP provides the access terminals and splice closures needed in any FTTX deployment. ADC delivers fiber connectivity equipment, including ACE hardened outdoor cabinets, fiber termination storage and splicing, and fiber connectorization. Sumitomo Electric provides fiber cable, feeder, distribution and drop cable along with optical components all connectorized with ADC products. http://www.preformed.com...

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Level 3 to Launch Wholesale Hosted IP Telephony Services

Level 3 Communications is preparing to launch a wholesale, hosted IP telephony service aimed at the enterprise market, said Kevin O'Hara, president and COO of Level 3, speaking at this week's Morgan Stanley Global Media & Communications Conference in Boston. The service would let small and medium-sized companies replace their PBXs with a hosted, IP service with a list of advanced features. The "3Tones" service will be based on technology from Level 3's acquisition of Telverse earlier this year. O'Hara said the Telverse technology lets the...

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AT&T Plans a Vonage-style Consumer VoIP Service

AT&T is currently testing a "bring your own access" consumer VoIP service similar to the Vonage model, said David Dorman, AT&T Chairman and CEO, speaking at this week's Morgan Stanley Global Media & Communications Conference in Boston. Dorman sees great potential in such an AT&T branded, consumer VoIP service because of the "many interesting voice features it could offer," like "pick your own area code," "phone number for life," and the ability to reach the service from anywhere over the Internet. Internal testing of the hosted...

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U.S. Wireless Carries Adopt 10-point Consumer Code

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) published a 10-point code of conduct aimed at protecting consumer rights. Key points of the voluntary code are:1. Disclose rates and terms of service to consumers2. Make available maps showing where service is generally available3. Provide contract terms to customers and confirm changes in service4. Allow a trial period for new service5. Provide specific disclosure in advertising6. Distinguish carrier charges from taxes on billing statements7. Provide customers the right to...

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AT&T selects Lucent's Metropolis for Next Gen SONET

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. Financial terms were not disclosed. Lucent Worldwide Services also is providing program management, engineering and installation services to AT&T. http://www.lucent.comLucent's Metropolis...

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Level 3 to Provide Internet Backbone for HNS

Level 3 Communications signed a customer agreement with Hughes Network Systems (HNS) to provide interconnect services to the public Internet for SPACEWAY, a new two-way satellite service launching in 2004. HNS is purchasing (3)CrossRoads Internet access and (3)Center Colocation services from Level 3 in the U.S. The services include connectivity directly to the public Internet for SPACEWAY managed traffic and access to a high-speed terrestrial backbone for operational related information. In addition, HNS plans to colocate several antennas directly...

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Zhone Unveils PON Solution for Triple Play

Zhone Technologies unveiled a PON solution for its Single Line Multi-Service (SLMS) architecture, which is designed to enable telephone carriers to deliver the triple-play of voice, data and video services to their subscribers over a single network. Zhone is introducing new Multiple Access Line Concentrator (MALC) PON optical line termination (OLT) cards. Designed for CO, RT, outdoor cabinet or basement deployment, Zhone's MALC media- and protocol-agnostic packet loop carriers can be configured for traditional and next generation architectures,...

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Cingular Wireless Cradle Reroutes Wireless Calls to Landlines

Cingular Wireless introduced a "FastForward" device that reroutes calls from a mobile phone to a landline phone. The device is designed as a cradle to hold and recharge a wireless phone. Cingular customers with a FastForward device can get unlimited incoming wireless calls (minutes) forwarded to their landline phone in the local calling area -- without the minutes counting against their monthly wireless calling plan. The service costs $2.99 per month, but is free to SBC residential local phone company customers who receive a single bill for...

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Nokia Releases its Latest DSLAM

Nokia introduced its D500 Release 3 DSLAM targetting DSL operators that are evolving from ATM towards All-IP networks. New features include high-capacity streaming media capabilities, Internet Group Management Protocols (IGMP) multicasting and support for SIP Call Control, voice over DSL and ATM, and Voice over Packet. Trials with the Nokia D500 Release 3 are set to begin during autumn of this year with selected customers. http://www.nokia....

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AT&T to Support Telecoms Sans Frontieres

AT&T announced a global agreement to support Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF), a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to providing emergency telecommunication services. TSF's mission is to supply telecommunications capabilities for humanitarian aid teams on the ground, while enabling victims to restore contact with the outside world by for example, calling their families and friends from whom they have lost contact. Less than 48 hours after learning of an emergency, TSF can arrive on the scene anywhere in the world and set up an operations...

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Verizon Expands Business SHDSL Service to New Markets

Verizon began offering its new Business SHDSL service in a number of new markets across the U.S. The service is now available in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Prices range from $149.95 to $369.95 per month, according to speed, which ranges from 192 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. http://www.verizon....

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SBC's Whitacre Sees Growth in DSL but No Incentive for FTTP

SBC Communications added its three millionth DSL customer earlier this week. Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC chairman and CEO, said DSL growth continues to accelerate "as more consumers and businesses move to broadband." Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Global Media & Communications Conference in Boston, Whitacre announced plans to make DSL available to nearly 80% of SBC's customers in 2004, compared to 67% today. Other highlights of Whitacre's address include: The Echostar partnership is on track to launch a co-branded "SBC dish" satellite TV service...

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Motorola and Proxim Expand Strategic Relationship

Proxim and Motorola expanded their strategic relationship to include a licensing and distribution agreement under which Proxim's Wi-Fi and wireless broadband solutions will be offered to Motorola CGISS' commercial and industrial customers. The license and distribution agreement is initially estimated at $10 million through 2004 for Proxim. http://www.proxim.com http://www.motorola.com/cg...

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CableLabs Names VP for Go2Broadband and a Chief Architect

CableLabs has hired Jenifer Cistola as Vice President of its Go2Broadband project, a service that creates an Internet-based electronic commerce tool to assist affiliated computer makers, retail partners, and content providers in selling cable services. Cistola previously served as Vice President of Product Marketing at Scientific Atlanta.CableLabs also named Ed Miller as Chief Network Architect. Miller returns to CableLabs in a role that will focus on defining the next-generation network architecture for cable systems as well as working with CableLabs...

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Hong Kong's PCCW Deploys VideoTele.com's Digital Headend

Hong Kong's largest telecommunications provider, PCCW, selected VideoTele.com's Astria content processor solution for delivering DVD-quality TV channels over its broadband network. PCCW's network supports one of the largest deployments of DSL lines in the world, with a broadband retail customer base of 480,000 subscribers. VideoTele.com's Astria content processor accommodates both analog and digital broadcast video from multiple sources in a variety of formats. It provides real-time processing and conditioning of all the audio and video content...

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Cometa AnnouncesWi-Fi Launch in Seattle

Cometa Networks, the wholesale Wi-Fi service provider backed by AT&T, Intel and IBM, unveiled network plans for 250 new Seattle hotspots. Locally based AT&T Wireless will be Cometa's premier service provider for the Seattle market launch. In addition, Sprint, AT&T and iPass will also provide Wi-Fi service to Seattle area customers. http://www.cometanetworks....

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Cramer Names Razi Imam Americas VP of Marketing

Cramer Systems announced the appointment of Razi Imam as Vice President of Marketing for the Americas. Imam joins Cramer from CoManage, where as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, he was instrumental in building CoManage's market profile in data integrity and OSS. http://www.cramer....

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Worldwide DSL Subscribership Reaches 46.7 Million

The DSL Forum announced that DSL subscribers increased by 5.2 million in Q2 2003, reaching a total base of 46.7 million worldwide. There were 10.7 million new subscribers overall during the first half of 2003. According to research by Point Topic, seven of the 54 countries that now have commercial broadband DSL services accounted for almost 75% of the world's subscriber growth: Japan added 2.6 million; China and the USA added in excess of one million each and four European countries added more than half a million new DSL subscribers each.The DSL...

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Japan's Yahoo! BB Adds 156,000 VoIP Lines in August

Yahoo! BB, the Japanese broadband service provided by Softbank and Yahoo! Japan, issued its latest monthly progress report. Yahoo! BB Subscribers   Aug-03 Jul-03 ...

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Wayport Hires SBC Executive to Serve as COO

Wayport announced the appointment of Greg Williams as chief operating officer (COO), a newly created position at the company. Most recently, Williams was president of SBC IP Communications Inc. and previously served as president of Prodigy Communications. He has also held executive roles in many SBC divisions including wireless systems, service activation, strategic planning, labor relations, network distribution services and regulatory relations. http://www.wayport.netIn August 2003, SBC Communications announced a roaming agreement with Wayport...

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