DISH Network Reaches One Million Mark for Digital Video Recorders

The DISH Network has sold its 1 millionth digital video recorder (DVR). The DISH Player's DISH Video-On-Demand DVR service allows viewers to skip recorded TV commercials, record up to 100 hours of programming without videotape, pause live TV, perform slow-motion instant replays, and use four speeds of fast forward and fast reverse. http://www.dishnetwork....

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LightSand Introduces its FICON Extension Solution

LightSand, a start-up based in Milpitas, California announced a family of solutions for extending FICON over IP, SONET/SDH, or dedicated fiber without requiring SAN switches. FICON (FIbre CONnection) is IBM's preferred method of connecting its mainframe computers to storage devices such as the Enterprise Storage System (Shark). Native FICON is limited to 10 km. The cornerstone of LightSand's architecture is a product that extends traditional FICON links over distance using conventional IP. LightSand is also providing a SONET gateway. The two...

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Video Without Boundaries Shows Internet DVD/Set-top

A company called Video Without Boundaries introduced an Internet / DVD Player / Set-top Box designed to play a range of different media types on a TV. The MediaReady 4000 platform can play DVD/MPEG-1/MPEG-2/MPEG-4/MP3 content and has a hard disk drive, Ethernet 10/100BT wired and wireless connections, USB 2.0 and 1394 ports. The Linux platform could be used to download movies from the Internet. The platform was demonstrated to OEMs at this week's Computex show in Taipei, Taiwan.http://vwbinc....

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Pedestal Networks Names ADC Executive as its New CEO

Pedestal Networks, a start-up based in Fremont, California, named Greg Daily as its new CEO, replacing Dan Kohn, general partner of Skymoon Ventures, who served as the interim CEO during Pedestal's two-year product development phase. Daily previously served as general manager of ADC's $200 million Loop Transport Products division. Pedestal Networks developed a universal broadband solution designed to eliminate technical and economic barriers for DSL deployments. The company's first product is expected to be unveiled shortly. http://www.pedes...

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UTStarcom Signs $30M PAS Expansion Contract with China Telecom

UTStarcom announced a $30 million contract to supply its IP-based PAS (Personal Access System) for deployment in the city of Chengdu by China Telecom. Once the expansion is complete, PAS capacity in Chengdu City, with a population of 10 million people, will surpass 1.5 million. Since the initial launch of PAS in Sichuan Province in April 2002, more than 750,000 people have subscribed to receive basic service, while approximately 60,000 subscribers are also data users. http://www.utstar.c...

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AudioCodes is Key Supplier to 3Com for Gateways and Media Servers

AudioCodes is supplying 3Com with gateways and media servers for the IP telephony enterprise market. Specifically, AudioCodes is supplying 3Com with three types of products: Digital Gateways; Media Servers; and Analog Gateways. http://www.audiocodes.com http://www.3com....

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EC's New Radio Spectrum Policy Group Sets Work Agenda

The European Commission's new Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) held its second meeting last week and agreed on a work program of relevant policy issues. On the agenda are issues resulting from the recent World Radiocommunication Conference, the secondary trading of rights to use radio spectrum, and the radio spectrum implications of the eventual EU switchover to digital broadcasting. The RSPG has also launched a public website.http://rspg.groups.eu....

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European Commission Adopts Transition Plan for Digital Broadcasting

The European Commission adopted a plan for migrating to digital radio and television transmission, and ultimately switching off analog transmission, in a consumer-friendly fashion. The plan does not set a common date for mandatory digital transmission, instead calls on EU member states to provide incentives for consumers to migrate to digital television voluntarily. Member states are required to publish their switchover plans by the end of 2003. The EC is also opening debate on what to do with the resulting spectrum when analog broadcasting...

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WSJ: Digital Cable Suffers Higher Churn Than Analog

Leading North American cable operators (MSOs) are experiencing higher churn rates for their digital cable offerings (5% per month) than for their legacy analog services (2.5% per month), according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing market figures from The Yankee Group, the article notes that the sign-up rate for digital cable service has slowed sharply since 2001, leading some analysts to conclude that the long-term migration to all-digital TV is stalling. A chief customer complaint is that the dozens of additional channels provided by digital...

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Salira Supplies Triple Play EPON for Chinese MSO

Salira Optical Network Systems is supplying a "triple-play" optical network solution to GuangZhou Pantong Information Broadband Network (Panyu Cable), which provides cable TV and associated services to the Panyu district of the city of GuangZhou, China. The Ethernet, passive optical network (EPON) architecture is expected to scale to reach 260,000 endpoints and deliver 80 channels of broadcast TV, video on-demand (VOD), VoIP and high-speed Internet access.Panyu will be using Salira's 2500 optical line terminal, Salira 2300 multi-customer optical...

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SINA.com Sources Video Content from China Cable Company

China Cable and Communication, a cable network operator located 130 km south of Beijing, will provide web-based broadband interactive video to the SINA Group, which operates web sites serving the global Chinese audience. SINA's portals and web sites have more than 66 million registered users worldwide. There will be a monthly service fee for each channel of video content. http://www.sina....

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IPCC Names Industry Leaders to its Board of Directors

The International Packet Communications Consortium (IPCC), which is dedicated to the development of the market for all products, services, applications and solutions that utilize packet-based communications, elected its new Board of Directors:Michael Khalilian, IPCC Chairman; CTO, NTT/CaerusMatt Collier, IPCC Treasurer; Senior Vice President, Enhanced Services, Level 3 Communications Martine Lapierre, Chief Technology Officer/Vice President Mobile Communications Group, Alcatel Doug Wadkins, Senior Manager of Customer Solutions, Cisco Systems John...

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MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance Approves Voice Trunking over MPLS

The MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance has approved the I.366.2 Voice Trunking Format over MPLS Implementation Agreement (IA), which enables the transfer of compressed voice over a converged MPLS backbone using existing ATM Adaptation Layer 2 (AAL2) technology. Such voice trunking capabilities could be supported by carrier or Provider Edge (PE) routers, multi-service edge switches and dedicated gateway equipment.Specifically, the I.366.2 Voice Trunking Format over MPLS Implementation Agreement defines MPLS transport of AAL2 Common Part Sublayer Packets...

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Spirent Introduces Fibre Channel Storage Routing Tester

Spirent Communications introduced a storage routing tester for Fibre Channel networks. Spirent's Storage Routing Tester (SRT) is a software module that runs on the company's SmartBits Test System. The solution can simulate an entire network of up to 239 switches with a single Spirent Fibre Channelmodule, enabling users to stress test SAN equipment. http://www.spirentcom....

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Alcatel Supplies DSL + Wi-Fi in Cambodia

Alcatel has supplied a DSL and Wi-Fi network to Cogetel, the leading ISP in Cambodia. For this project, Alcatel has delivered public WLAN "hot spots" covering prime locations in Phnom Penh, the country's capital. The hot-spots are connected through Cogetel's DSL lines over a multiprotocol network provided by Alcatel. http://www.alcatel....

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InfiniCon Secures $15 Million for its 10 Gbps Fabric Designs

InfiniCon Systems, a start-up based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, secured an additional $15 million in series C funding for its shared I/O and switching solutions for next-generation server networks. InfiniCon's designs are based on the InfiniBand Architecture. InfiniCon's InfinIO 3000 Switch Series, which targets the requirements of scalable HPC and database clustering environments, packs thirty-two 10 Gbps InfiniBand ports into 1U of rack space. InfiniCon also features an InfiniBand switching "Ports on Demand (POD)" technology that lets...

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Pulse~LINK and Fujitsu Microelectronics Develop UWB Chips

Pulse~LINK, a start-up based in San Diego, and Fujitsu Microelectronics America will jointly develop a digital baseband processor for Ultra Wideband (UWB) WLAN applications using Fujitsu's 0.11-micron CMOS SoC ASIC technology. Pulse~LINK has demonstrated 400 Mbps UWB transmission and is developing an FCC-compliant solution with about a 100-meter range. Under the agreement, Fujitsu Microelectronics will provide design and manufacturing services for the digital baseband processor, one of two SoC ASICs that form Pulse~LINK's high-speed secure WLAN...

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