NetTest Enhances its SDH/SONET Tester

NetTest introduced a new "Jitter and Wander" option for its SDH/SONET module, a component of the company CMA 5000 Multi Layer Test Platform. NetTest's Optical Transport Analysis (OTA) module is a field portable tester designed to help network engineers to minimize the effects of recurrent phenomenon such as network clock synchronization and wander and timing instabilities during the installation, commission and maintenance of broadband networks. In addition to testing jitter and wander from DS1/E1 up to OC-48/STM 16, the OTA module also provides...

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Zhone and Tellium Complete Merger

Zhone Technologies completed its merger with Tellium. Immediately prior to the consummation of the merger, Tellium implemented a one-for-four reverse stock split. The combined company's shares will commence trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol "ZHNE" effective 14-Nov-03.The combined company is named Zhone Technologies and will be headquartered in Oakland, California. http://www.zhone.com/In July 2003, Zhone Technologies, a provider of next-gen local loop access solutions, first announced its plans to merge with Tellium, a developer...

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Myrio Raises $9 Million in New Investment

Myrio, a start-up based in Kirkland, Washington, raised $9 million in new funding for its middleware solutions for IP-based video services. Myrio has sold its software suite and associated managed services to 18 service providers worldwide. New investors include Siemens Venture Capital, which led the round, and individual industry executives. The company's three existing venture capital investors -- Ridgewood Capital, NeoCarta Ventures and Alexander Hutton Venture Partners -- also invested in this round. http://www.myrio....

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Zhone Announces its Triple Play over Copper Solution

Zhone Technologies outlined its product suite for telcos delivering triple play services over their copper infrastructure. Zhone's Single Line Multi-Service product family now offers both copper or fiber interfaces, supporting TDM, IP or ATM protocols with uplinks including T1/E1 IMA, DS3, E3, OC-3, STM-1, OC-12, STM-4, 10bT, 100bT, and GigE. Line side services include G.SHDSL, ADSL, ADSL2, ADSL2+, VDSL and PON. Zhone is also supplying a residential gateway that combines the functions of a DSL modem, router, Integrated Access Device and up to...

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BT Reaches 1.5 million Wholesale ADSL lines

Citing a "challenging" regulatory environment and lower pricing, BT reported that its quarterly group revenues decreased by 2% year on year to GBP 4.568 billion. New wave initiatives, especially broadband and enterprise solutions generated a 25% increase in turnover in the quarter to GBP 761 million compared to the prior quarter . However, this strong growth was more than offset by a 6% decline in turnover from the group's traditional business. BT blamed a substantial proportion of the decline in traditional turnover on regulatory changes, especially...

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SkyStream Debuts MPEG-4 Encoding and Transcoding

SkyStream Networks announced MPEG-4 encoding and transcoding capabilities for its Mediaplex-20 platform, which provides delivery of video content over IP and ATM networks in low-bandwidth environments. At this week's TelcoTV 2003 conference in Las Vegas, SkyStream is showing the Mediaplex-20 encoding digital video in dual MPEG-4 formats -- ASP and H.264 -- out of the same chassis. The new Video Repurposing (VRP) architecture of the Mediaplex-20 enables transcoding from MPEG-2 video to MPEG-4 format, MPEG-4 encoding of analog video, transrating...

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Metalink's QAM VDSL Shipments to Korea Top 200K

Metalink has now shipped over 200,000-ports of its QAM VDSL chipset to South Korea. The company said its four-band QAM VDSL products are being used by Korean operators to deliver 50 Mbps IP-VDSL over single-pair copper wires. The chipsets support the ITU, ETSI, Chinese, and ANSI band allocation plans. http://www.metalinkBB....

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StarBand Cleared to Exit Chapter 11

StarBand, a provider of two-way satellite Internet services, received approval from a U.S. bankruptcy court to emerge from Chapter 11 protection by the end of the month. The company said its capital structure has significantly improved with the conversion of approximately $113 million of bank debt to equity. In addition, approximately $90 million of debt to Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. will convert to equity and a $14 million post-emergence note. Further, StarBand and Gilat have entered into a new technology and hardware supply agreement providing...

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Broadstream Offers Outsourced Video Headend

Broadstream Communications, a start-up based in Seattle, announced a turn-key video headend service for telcos planning to offer triple-play services. Broadstream will outsource the head-end infrastructure so that telcos pay only a monthly fee, avoiding the cost of building their own headend facilities. The Broadstream service will also provide the digital TV programming -- including broadcast network content, specialty channels, movies, sports and local programming -- as well as digital music programming. Broadstream initially plans to offer...

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Amino, Kasenna and Minerva Launch NetVision

Minerva Networks, a supplier of video networking infrastructure, Kasenna, a supplier of video management and delivery software, and Amino Communications, a specialist in set-top boxes, unveiled a joint solution for the delivery of interactive television services over broadband networks. The new "NetVision" platform combines service management software (middleware), video management and delivery software, client software and a set-top box.The back-office management software (Minerva iTVManager) and the video management and delivery software (Kasenna...

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Cisco and Paradyne Tests IP Video over DSL

Cisco Systems and CC&I Engineering, which specializes in switched digital video systems integration, have built what is described as one of the largest IP test beds for consumers video services over DSL. The test bed at Cisco's Customer Proof-of-Concept Lab (CPOC) in San Jose uses Cisco's Catalyst switches and Paradyne's IP-based DSLAMs connected over a fiber ring using Gigabit Ethernet.The companies said their tests showed that Paradyne's compact (1U) GranDSLAM 4200IP maintained "excellent video quality" even when the combined multicast video...

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PMC-Sierra Debuts SERDES for OBSAI Basestation Spec

PMC-Sierra announced a SERDES transceiver that complies with the new Open Base Station Architecture Initiative's (OBSAI) Reference Point 3 (RP3) interface specification. OBSAI comprises over 50 industry companies working together to define wireless base station specifications. The RP3 interface interchanges formatted air interface user data as well as fast control data between the baseband processors and the radio (RF) modules.PMC-Sierra's QuadPHY 10GX is a 4 port bi-directional 1.2 to 3.2 Gbps serial transceiver that allows base station manufacturers...

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Thomson Unveils Intel-based Video Compression Platform for DSL

Thomson introduced a new, Intel-architecture-based video delivery platform for DSL, cable or satellite network operators. Thomson's "Cobra" platform will support current and next-generation video codecs, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2, Windows Media 9 Series, and MPEG-4 Part 10 (JVT). The company said it has worked closely with Intel, Microsoft TV and Alcatel to create an efficient platform for delivery of a wide range of services, including Internet, audio and video content and gaming. Thomson's Cobra platform will support a range of set-top...

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SBC Provides 2004 Outlook, Updates Major Trends

SBC Communications expects to see its wireline revenue stabilize and then return to growth by the end of 2004, said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC Chairman and CEO, at a company-sponsored conference. The company is hoping to save $1.3 billion in annual expenses by 2006 by further trimming its capital expenditures and improving its overall productivity. Some major trends underway at SBC include:the company is on-track to launch a bundled SBC DISH TV video service in early 2004. SBC will have pricing flexibility in launching the service and will...

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Nortel Networks Provide VoIP Migration in Dominican Republic

CODETEL, a Verizon company and the Dominican Republic's principal telecom service provider, has selected the Succession Media Gateway 9000 for its VoIP network migration. Under terms of a recent agreement, Nortel Networks will deploy an IP network for CODETEL, transitioning its local access network, international long-distance and other voice and data traffic onto one packet-switched infrastructure. The deployment will include Nortel Networks Succession Communication Server 2000 superclass softswitches and Passport Packet Voice Gateways, as well...

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Nortel Network Adds IP Capabilities to Succession Media Gateway 9000

Nortel Networks has added IP network support to its Succession Media Gateway 9000, its next generation access platform that already supported ATM. The Succession Media Gateway 9000 enables subscriber lines to connect directly to an ATM/IP packet backbone for delivery of switched services such as POTS and non-switched services such as ADSL. It supports standards-based control protocols and next generation DSP technologies. The platform can be deployed at all point of presence locations, including wire centers, co-location cages, outside plant...

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FCC Opens Additional 5 GHz Spectrum, Harmonizing with Global Rules

The FCC made available an additional 255 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.470-5.725 GHz band for used by Radio Local Area Networks (RLANs) and unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices. This increases the spectrum available for use by unlicensed devices in the 5 GHz region of the spectrum by nearly 80% -- and is a significant increase in the spectrum available for unlicensed devices across the overall radio spectrum. The FCC order will also harmonize the spectrum available for these U-NII devices throughout the world, enabling...

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