France's FREE Deploys Cisco Metro Ethernet for Triple Play

Free, the second largest ISP and a subsidiary of the Iliad Group, is deploying a multi service Gigabit Ethernet-based Broadband Aggregation architecture to support TV-over-DSL services. Specifically, FREE is using Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switches in its QoS-enabled video distribution network. FREE is also deploying Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Interface Modules to provide Gigabit Ethernet aggregation in its metropolitan area networks.
http://www.cisco.com

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Athena Raises $10 Million for Single Chip CMOS Radios

Athena Semiconductors, a start-up based in Fremont, California, raised $10 million in series B funding for its single-chip CMOS radio transceiver IC products. Samsung Electronics led the current round and Needham Capital also joined the round. Several existing investors, including Alliance Ventures, participated in the round as well. The new funding brings the total amount raised to date to $20 millionhttp://www.athenasemi.com

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Nextel's CEO to Head Network Reliability and Interoperability Council.

Timothy M. Donahue, President and CEO of Nextel Communications, was named chairman of the newly re-chartered Network Reliability and Interoperability Council. NRIC VII, which will run from 06-Jan-2004 to 06-Jan-2006, is expected to focus on systems engineering aspects of emergency services. Donahue is the first wireless company executive to chair an NRIC panel.


The role of the NRIC is to develop recommendations for the FCC and the telecommunications industry to insure optimal reliability, security, interoperability and interconnectivity of, and accessibility to, public telecommunications networks and the Internet.
http://www.fcc.gov

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Qwest Acquires Metro Networks from Allegiance Telecom

Qwest Communications agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Allegiance Telecom, a facilities-based national CLEC headquartered in Dallas, Texas for approximately $300 million in cash. In addition, Qwest will issue approximately $90 million of convertible debt. The deal includes networks in 36 metro markets across the U.S., 31 of which are outside the Qwest local service region. Allegiance Telecom, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2003, currently carries approximately $550 million in telecommunications traffic annually. Qwest said it plans to combine and optimize this traffic -- with its existing network traffic. The deal requires approval of the bankruptcy court and certain other government regulatory agencies. In a bankruptcy court sale, other interested potential bidders will have an opportunity to offer higher bids for the assets of Allegiance.


"Upon closing of this transaction, Qwest will have more POPs than any other inter-exchange carrier in the U.S., allowing us to better serve existing customers and immediately expand our ability to serve more businesses than ever before," said Richard C. Notebaert, Qwest chairman and CEO.
http://www.qwest.com
http://www.algx.com

• Allegiance Telecom is headed by company co-founder Royce Holland, who previously was president and one of several co-founders of MFS Communications (acquired by WorldCom).



• For Q3 2003, Allegiance Telecom reported revenues of $188.2 million, a decrease of 4.3% compared with second quarter 2003 and a decrease of 14.3% compared with the third quarter of 2002.

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Level 3 Expands European Network to Vienna

Level 3 Communications has expanded its European network to Vienna, Austria, giving it a presence in 20 of Western Europe's largest markets. In addition, Level 3 is doubling IP capacity on one of the two network rings it operates in Germany. The ring, connecting Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt and Leipzig, will have an expanded capacity of 10 Gbps.
http://www.Level3.com

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Foundry Networks Wins New Contract with BBC

Foundry Networks was awarded a contract lasting up to five years with BBC Technology, provider of products and services to both the BBC and other global media-driven organizations, for networking equipment including Internet routers, Layer 2/3 and Layer 4-7 switch technology and associated services. The BBC is migrating to tape-less television and radio program production based on IP. The contract was signed in July 2003, with a contract effective date starting back in April 2003 -- a framework agreement lasting up to five years.
http://www.foundrynet.com

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U.S. Air Force Ready to Launch GPS II Satellite

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to launch an upgraded Global Positioning Systems (GPS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin aboard a Delta II rocket scheduled on 21-Dec-2003 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The GPS IIR-10 satellite features significant performance upgrades, including an advanced antenna panel, which will increase power for GPS receivers.


Lockheed Martin said there are eight new-generation GPS IIR spacecraft currently on orbit out of a total GPS constellation of 28 satellites. GPS IIR satellites are designed to improve global coverage and increase the overall performance of the GPS constellation. Lockheed Martin has delivered 21 of these satellites to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.
http://www.lmco.com

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The Quilt Signs AT&T as a Select Vendor

The Quilt, a coalition of regional network organizations, named AT&T as a select vendor to provide special discounts on Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks equipment and maintenance. The Quilt gathers more than 20 leading research and education networking organizations in the U.S. Participants in The Quilt provide network service for more than 200 Internet2 universities and thousands of other educational institutions.
http://www.thequilt.net/

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Lucent Names Giere as Chief Marketing Officer

Lucent Technologies appointed John P. Giere as Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Giere was most recently a vice president at Ericsson, where he led the company's global branding and marketing program as well as business development efforts into new markets. Giere will report to Lucent's chairman and CEO Patricia Russo and build a central marketing organization to support the Lucent branding, marketing strategy and global marketing efforts. He will oversee all of the company's marketing initiatives and design a tightly linked team across its wireless, wireline and services businesses to support these efforts.
http://www.lucent.com

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France Telecom Launches TV-over-DSL

France Telecom, in partnership with TPS, announced the commercial launch of TV-over-DSL services. "MaLigne tv" initially is available in Lyon. It will be extended to Paris in spring 2004 followed by a rollout in other French cities. TPS is a content distributor that is jointly owned by French TV stations TF1 and M6.


Two content tiers are offered. The basic "MaLigne tv," which costs EUR 16 per month, provides the TPS L programming package along with a range of VOD movies and TV shows. A "TPS L Prestige" package, priced at EUR 21 per month, adds exclusive coverage of League 1 soccer matches, six different movie channels, all French national channels, plus a range of international channels. An extensive VOD library based on the a-la-carte model is available through France Telecom partnerships with content producers, including TPS, TF1, M6, Arte, France Télévisions and Movie System and through the CNC, Lobster Film, Roissy Film.


The self-install, "MaLigne tv" TV-over-DSL service is being promoted through retail channels, including Carrefour, Darty and FNAC and France Telecom stores.


France Telecom has deployed a dedicated end-to-end architecture for its TV-over-DSL. Its partners include Alcatel for the multicast-enabled DSLAMs , SAGEM for the MPEG-2 set-top decoders, Thalès for the service management platform and Thomson for the video encoders. Digital rights management is provided with the Viaccess conditional access system.
http://www.francetelecom.com

• France Telecom added nearly 400,000 ADSL lines in Q3 2003, giving it a total of 2.5 million lines in service at the end of the quarter. The company said it is on target to reach 3.0 million lines by the end of the year. Revenues from ADSL broadband Internet access (excluding revenues from Wanadoo clients) increased 23% compared to Q3 2002 due to the rapid development of ADSL in France. About two-thirds of the ADSL lines are served by Wanadoo and the remaining third by other ISPs and unbundled lines.

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