Juniper Reports Q3 Revenue of $172 Million

Juniper Networks reported Q3 net revenue of $172.1 million, compared with $152.0 million for the same period last year, an increase of 13%. GAAP net income for Q3 was $7.2 million or $0.02 per share, compared with a GAAP net loss of $88.3 million or $0.24 per share in Q3 2002. Scott Kriens, chairman and CEO of Juniper Networks, described the quarter as "strong,"http://juniper.net

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FCC Commissioner Copps Warns that Policies Will Choke the Internet

In a speech at the New America Foundation, FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps warned that "entrenched interests" are positioning themselves to control the Internet's chokepoints, stifling competition and derailing the original, open vision of the Internet. At issue are upcoming decisions at the FCC that will determine how much control companies will have over Internet access and their ability to discriminate against users, data, websites, or technologies.http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-239800A1.pdf

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ST Telemedia and Global Crossing Secure Final Regulatory Approval

The FCC voted to approve Global Crossing's application for transfer of control to ST Telemedia. Global Crossing subsidiaries hold FCC domestic and international Section 214 authorizations, interests in submarine cable landing licenses and certain radio licenses. In considering the application, the FCC "found that the continued operation of the Global Crossing subsidiaries will benefit competition by preventing discontinuance of service and providing customers choices among providers of telecommunications." The FCC also concluded that "no anticompetitive effects will result from the transaction."


A newly constituted Global Crossing is expected to emerge from bankruptcy protection shortly. ST Telemedia is investing $250 million for a 61.5% ownership position. Global Crossing creditors will receive a 38.5% equity interest.


In a counter view, FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps said approval of this transaction "flies in the face of the historic transition to privatization that has done so much to transform global business in recent years." He noted that ST Telemedia, through a complicated set of holding companies, is wholly owned by the government of Singapore.
http://www.globalcrossing.com

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Israel Defense Forces Selects ECI's XDM for Optical Network

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has chosen ECI Telecom's XDM converged optical networking equipment for a new optical backbone based on SDH and DWDM technologies. Under a three-year agreement, several hundred XDM platforms will be deployed for the Israel Defense Forces' strategic transmission network, providing higher bandwidth and advanced communications capabilities between headquarters, camps, bases and operational sites. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.ecitele.com

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Siemens Subscriber Networks Focuses on Broadband CPE

Siemens Information and Communication Networks has formed a new global unit to handle development and marketing of Siemens broadband CPE solutions. The new Siemens Subscriber Networks is comprised of four research and development centers in Dallas, San Jose, Brussels and Zurich. The Dallas center will be the global headquarters and center of competency of Siemens Subscriber Networks.


Siemens Subscriber Networks is the new name for Efficient Networks.
http://www.usa.siemens.com

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Sprint Offers New Wireless Access Options to Corporate Networks

Sprint began offering a new wireless connectivity service that provides access to corporate networks using a PCS Connection Card with a laptop or PDA via the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network. The PCS Data Link is positioned as a replacement for current Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) and private radio networks, which generally operate at effective throughput speeds of up to 9.6 Kbps. The Sprint Nationwide PCS Network allows peak speeds of up to 144 Kbps and average speeds of 50 to 70 Kbps. The new PCS Data Link offers network-based bandwidth optimization, boosting average speeds two to five times.


For access to corporate networks, PCS Data Link customers can choose from two wireless connectivity options: Sprint Frame Relay PVC or IP-based Virtual Private Network.
http://www.sprint.com/pcsbusiness/products_services/data/cdpd.html

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Net2Phone Launches Corporate Voice Service

Net2Phone introduced a suite of VoIP solutions targeting small and medium sized enterprises. Net2Phone's Max Private Voice Network (PVN) provides a combination of free calls within a controlled IP network in addition to low-cost off-net calls to any phone in the world, irrespective of the user's location or current PBX infrastructure or technology. The Max PVN can connect analog and digital PBXs or regular phones using a software-based management system. Net2Phone is also offering a hosted IP Centrex solution.
http://www.net2phone.com

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SMC Offers 2.4 GHz Wireless Bridge

SMC Networks introduced its EliteConnect 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge and the EliteConnect Power Injector, a companion product that allows the Wireless Bridge to draw its power from the Category 5 networking cable using Power Over Ethernet (PoE). The Wireless Bridge can link LANs across a campus and its can serve as access point for individual wireless clients. List pricing is $599.99 and $89.99 for the PoE option.
http://www.smc.com

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Telkom SA Launches VSAT Broadband Service

Telkom SA, the incumbent fixed-line operator in South Africa, began offering satellite-based broadband VSAT service based on Gilat's Skystar 360E VSAT platform. Enterprise customers anywhere in South Africa can get always-on Internet service at data rates ranging from 64kbps download and 16kbps upload to the top end of 512 kbps download and 128kbps upload. The service will be based on a Gilat VSAT network consisting of a Skystar 360E satellite hub station and thousands of VSAT terminals. Telkom and Gilat Satellite Networks signed a five year agreement last year.
http://www.gilat.com
http://www.telkom.co.za

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First Metro Ethernet Service Standard Ratified

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) ratified the industry's first Ethernet service standard. The new standard, "MEF Technical Specification -- Ethernet Services Model Phase 1," provides a formal definition of Ethernet service capabilities. It will be accompanied towards the end of this year with a companion Services Definitions specification.


Nan Chen, President of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), said "The drive for the acceleration of the adoption of Metro Ethernet has achieved significant momentum." The MEF has surveyed the service provider community and found over 50 providers offering or in the midst of rolling out Ethernet-delivered services.
http://www.metroethernetforum.org

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DivXNetworks Licenses Video Codec for PVR Software

DivXNetworks has licensed its DivX video compression technology to SnapStream Media Inc. for use in its personal video recording (PVR) software. SnapStream' Personal Video Station software allows consumers to compress and playback television shows in high-quality DivX video directly on their PCs or other devices. A free electronic programming guide (EPG) also lets users schedule recordings. The solution competes with Windows XP Media Center Edition and TiVo. The DivX video codec MPEG-4 compatible video compression technology and claims to offer DVD-quality at 10 times greater compression than MPEG-2 files, enabling full length films to fit on a CD.
http://www.divxnetworks.com

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WSJ: Battered Telecoms Face New Challenge -- Internet Calling

The Wall Street Journal published a front page story describing the "new gold rush in telecom" -- VoIP. The article traces the growing market share for VoIP in both the home and business markets, noting that investors are now bullish on the technology and have been driving up the prices of VoIP companies, such as Sonus Networks. On the corporate side, examples are given of major companies that have adopted a converged network. On the consumer side, the article highlights recently legal developments affecting Vonage and other service providers entering the market.
http://www.wsj.com

• In September, David Dorman, AT&T Chairman and CEO, said his company is currently testing a "bring your own access" consumer VoIP service similar to the Vonage model.



• Information on how to participate in AT&T Consumer Digital Solutions' beta test for broadband phone service is available online: http://beta.ataclick.com/

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Bell Canada and India's Reliance Infocomm to Test Microsoft's IPTV

Bell Canada plans to among the first telecommunications companies to trial Microsoft's IPTV solution. The test will deliver Bell ExpressVu digital programming over Bell Canada's IP broadband network.


Separately, Reliance Infocomm, which operates a high-capacity wireline and wireless network across India, agreed to protype and test Microsoft's IPTV solution.
http://www.microsoft.com/tv/

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Microsoft Announces Broadband IPTV Initiative

Microsoft announced a new technology initiative to develop IPTV solutions for broadband network operators. Microsoft said it would work closely with key industry partners and service providers to offer a compelling pay-TV experience that scales for serving millions of potential viewers. Planned features include instant channel changing, multimedia programming guides with integrated video, and multiple picture-in-picture capability on standard television sets. High-definition television, next-generation digital video recording and video on demand (VOD) functionality will also be supported.


The end-to-end solution will be based on Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series encoding technology, which has approximately three times the efficiency of MPEG-2 and twice that of MPEG-4. The Microsoft TV solution also will be designed to support the range of Windows Embedded operating systems for IPTV set-top boxes, including Windows CE .NET. It will also include digital rights management (DRM) technology to help secure content while adding new standards-based service protection to provide higher levels of security for video assets and TV services. Microsoft said its architecture will scale to millions of subscribers through intelligent management of video assets and their delivery.


Key partners for Microsoft TV include Harmonic and TANDBERG for real-time video encoding for broadcast and IPTV telecommunications companies; Juniper Networks for its IP-based infrastructure platforms; Intel for computing, communications and consumer electronics devices for the home; Pace Micro Technology for digital TV set-tops; and Thomson for its video technologies, products and services.


Moshe Lichtman, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV Division, said "With IP networks reaching scale and maturity, the next generation of TV services is within our reach."http://www.microsoft.com/tv/default.mspx

• Microsoft recently unveiled its Windows XP Media Center 2004 operating system and announced digital content providers. Key capabilities of Windows XP Media Center 2004 include: advanced PVR functionality; the ability to connect the Media Center PC to a standard or widescreen TV or a high-resolution display; support for adaptive de-interlacing and video scaling; the ability to record TV shows on standard DVDs or Video CDs; support for 5.1 surround sound; and the ability to browse an online programming guide up to 14 days in advance.



• Windows XP Media Center 2004 will also include an "Online Spotlight" service that highlights downloadable content from Microsoft partners, including CinemaNow (1,200 movies on-demand), Movielink (new releases and classic films from the big Hollywood studios), MSN TV (news, weather and financial information), Napster (500,00 tracks of downloadable music), WildTangent (online gaming), Musicbrigade (an archive of music videos), and Live365 (an Internet Radio network with some 5,000 stations).



• In September 2003, Microsoft decided to submit the compression technology used in the Windows Media Video (WMV) 9 codec to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) C24 Technical Committee for consideration as an openly available international standard.

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