PRIMUS Canada Launches Broadband Phone Service

PRIMUS Canada introduced a consumer VoIP service for broadband users in Canada. Customers can select from Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton local numbers. Operator services and 911 will not be offered at launch, however development is underway. The service is priced at $19.95 per month, 15% less on average than the basic service customers pay now for traditional residential phone service, according to the company. http://www.primustel...

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Panasonic Shows Power Line Network for HDTV

Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) has developed a high-speed home power line IP networking technology capable of high-definition video transmission. The network enables the distribution of broadband connectivity to every room in a house via existing home power lines using an adapter about the size of an audiocassette tape. The device connects a broadband Internet link, such as ADSL or optical fiber, to the existing power lines in the home. The system uses OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) and Wavelet technology to reduce...

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UTStarcom Sells Shares to Banc of America Securities

UTStarcom agreed to sell 12.1 million shares of its common stock to Banc of America Securities. The company also granted Banc of America Securities an over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1.8 million shares of its common stock. Shares of UTStarcom (UTSI) closed on 08-Jan-04 at $41.34.The company said it intends to use the proceeds of this transaction (excluding any over-allotment option) from the offering for strategic and general corporate purposes such as, but not limited to, acquisitions, investments, working capital or capital expenditures....

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USCarrier Expands its Regional Network with Acquisition

USCarrier Telecom, an Atlanta-based wholesale carrier, will acquire Lightwave, an Alabama based fiber-optic network company for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes more than 5,000 fiber miles, SONET, DWDM multiplexing equipment and dark fiber. USCarrier is also purchasing additional points of presence from Mobile to Montgomery; Montgomery to Panama City; Panama City to Mobile and Montgomery to Columbus, Georgia. This will add to USCarrier's current Southeast footprint, making the total 11,800 fiber miles throughout Georgia, Alabama and Florida....

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Vodafone chooses Tellabs' Next-Gen SDH

Vodafone Hungary deploy Tellabs' integrated transport and access solutions under one unified management system. The next-generation SDH and access solution will be used for the mobile transport infrastructure. The network includes both the Tellabs 6300 managed transport and Tellabs 8100 managed access systems as well as the Tellabs 8100 network management system that provides end-to-end integrated network management. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.tellabs....

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MSN Adds Video for Broadband Users

Microsoft launched MSN Video, a new service that delivers free broadband video content to all MSN.com and My MSN visitors in the U.S. The service was launched with a range of content partners, including Discovery Communications, NBC News and NBC Entertainment, NHL.com and Showtime Networks. Microsoft is supporting the service with high-speed streaming video advertising. The spots are integrated with MSN Video's high-resolution news, sports, entertainment and other programming.Initial content partners on the MSN Video service include NBC, Discovery...

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Bill Gates Highlights In-home Media Connectivity

"Our vision is to deliver the software that enables a seamless technology experience for people wherever they are -- in the home, in the office or on the go," said Bill Gates in a keynote address to the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show. Gates emphasized the growing value of software services and highlighted some of the company's efforts to extend the reach of digital media beyond the PC. These include: Windows Media Center Extender Technology, which enables consumers to access their digital entertainment, such as live and recorded...

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Equant Unveils New Strategy

Equant announced a five point reorganization to better meet the new communications needs of multinational companies. Going forward, Equant's services expertise will be centered around five business practices: consulting; project management; service management; integration services; and managed services.The new focus is also aimed at reinforcing Equant's Data and IP solutions. The company already serves 1,000 global businesses with IP VPNs. Equant plans to further strengthen its leadership in Europe, and increase its presence in North America....

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Nortel Networks and Avici Enter Partnership

Nortel Networks will integrate, sell and support Avici Systems' carrier-class core routers under a three-year strategic agreement. As part of this agreement, Avici and Nortel Networks plan to engage in joint marketing activities, solutions development and technology collaboration. These activities will initially be focused on the service management and operations integration necessary to deliver seamless convergence of multiservice networks over an IP/MPLS core, along with associated support for new IP/MPLS services. Avici products will be integrated...

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Verizon Wireless Announces National 3G Rollout

Verizon Wireless announced the nationwide expansion of its BroadbandAccess service which is based on Evolution-Data Optimized (EV- DO) 3G technology. The BroadbandAccess commercial service, which delivers average user speeds of 300-500 kbps, is expected to be available in many major U.S. cities this summer. Since October 2003, Verizon's BroadbandAccess service has been deployed in Washington D.C. with Lucent Technologies, and in San Diego with Nortel Networks. http://www.verizonwireless....

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Broadcom Ships its 11 Millionth 802.11g Chipset

Broadcom has shipped more than 11 million of its 54g wireless LAN chipsets, its implementation of the IEEE 802.11g wireless LAN standard. The company estimates that its share of the US retail market for 802.11g products has recently risen to 78%. Broadcom introduced its 54g product in November 2002. http://www.broadcom....

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MCI Sees Improved Cash Position

MCI plans to reduce the size of its Debtor-in-Possession Credit Facility to $300 million from $1.06 billion. The credit facility was arranged at the time the company filed for reorganization under U.S. bankruptcy laws. Since then, MCI has accumulated cash balances which currently are in excess of $5 billion. With no currently expected need to borrow funds, MCI has elected to decrease the credit facility and thereby reduce the commitment fees it is paying. MCI anticipates the reduced size credit facility will only be used when necessary to provide...

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BellSouth Converges Business Services over T1 and PRI

BellSouth it has expanded its integrated access solutions to enable business customers to integrate voice, data and Internet functionality over both T-1 and PRI platforms. This provides increased flexibility to add data services to underutilized voice circuits for a fraction of the cost of installing additional dedicated data circuits. The solution also includes an integrated access device that resides on the customer premise. Pricing for BellSouth Integrated Solutions starts at $639 per month for the T-1 version, which includes eight voice lines,...

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Verizon Previews "iobi", Plans $3B in Network Upgrades

Verizon Communications is preparing to launch a new "iobi" (eye-OH-bee) service that leverages application intelligence across all the its networks - wireline, wireless, data or IP - to link a customer's various communication devices into a seamless, customized, personal communications network. Verizon is also preparing to launch a related customer premise device ...

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Covad Announces Strategic Relationship with Broadwing

Broadwing Communications will offer business class DSL service to its enterprise customers through a new strategic alliance with Covad Communications. The Covad DSL connectivity will be offered as a last-mile access alternative for Frame Relay and Internet Protocol (IP) based services in the country's top Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Covad's nationwide DSL network, which currently covers more than 45 million homes and businesses, will link to Broadwing's nationwide, all-optical network. Broadwing expects to begin offering this service...

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DIRECTV Activates 405,000 Net New Subscribers in Q4

In its best quarterly performance in company history, DIRECTV added 861,000 gross owned-and-operated customers in Q4 2003. After accounting for quarterly churn, which was a monthly average of 1.45%, DIRECTV added 405,000 net new owned-and-operated customers in the quarter -- a 39% increase over the fourth quarter of 2002. For the full year, DIRECTV added a record 3,006,000 gross owned-and-operated customers, and after accounting for full-year churn of a monthly average of 1.5% , 1,187,000 net new customers activated DIRECTV service in 2003. As...

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RealVideo 10 Codec Claims DVD Quality Video at 1 Mbps

RealNetworks announced the public availability of RealPlayer 10 -- its first major new player release in two years. The company said its RealVideo 10 codec delivers a 30% efficiency improvement over RealVideo 9, enabling DVD quality video at approximately 1 Mbps and HiDefinition quality video at approximately 5 Mbps. It also offers the ability to pause live streaming video.Tbe RealAudio 10 codec also adds a new capabilities, including support for the AAC codec for use in CD ripping and music downloads, RealAudio Multichannel for home theatre experiences,...

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Scientific-Atlanta Adds VoIP to Cable Modem

Scientific-Atlanta introduced a cable modem with an embedded media terminal adapter (EMTA), enabling cable operators to offer advanced telephony and high-speed data service from one device. The new product, which is PacketCable 1.0 certified, provides two RJ-11 ports. http://www.scientificatlanta....

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