SureWest Launches IP Digital Television over ADSL2

SureWest Communications announced the availability of a digital television service for customers in the city of Roseville that is delivered using an IP-Video over ADSL2 architecture. SureWest's Roseville customers can now get over 260 channels of digital programming including local Sacramento channels, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, plus a wide assortment of specialty and premium programming channels. SureWest's network integrates technologies from multiple vendors.


The Roseville City Council unanimously approved a television franchise agreement on October 1, 2003 where it was announced SureWest's digital video service would be rolled-out in three phases beginninghttp://www.surewest.com

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Microsoft and Disney to Collaborate on Digital Media Initiatives

Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company announced a multiyear agreement to cooperate on digital media initiatives to improve the quality, security and reach of digital content within the home and on Microsoft Windows XP-based PCs as well as on a growing number of home and portable entertainment devices. Under the deal, Disney has licensed Microsoft Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) software on a non-exclusive basis to enable the seamless delivery of secured digital media over the next several years. The companies said they are committed to providing consumers with entertainment content on various platformshttp://www.microsoft.com/

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Telution Supplies OSS and Billing Infrastructure to LDMI

LDMI Telecommunications, an integrated communications provider serving some 120,000 customers in Michigan and Ohio, will deploy Telution's COMX's customer care, order management, and billing suite to support its business-focused voice, broadband, and network services bundles. COMX will replace several order management, billing, and trouble ticketing systems at LDMI. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.telution.com

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Covad Announces VoIP Deployment Plans

Covad Communications announced plans to offer VoIP to business customers and consumers in the majority of the country's top Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) by Q4 2004. Covad intends to initially launch three VoIP products targeted at business customers: Basic Voice, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) Voice, and Virtual PBX for Enterprise users needing a virtual Private Branch Exchange.


A consumer VoIP offering will follow after the launch of Covad's business VoIP services. All three voice products will include unlimited local calling with the option of either bundled domestic long distance minutes, or unlimited domestic long distance calling. These products will support international and inbound toll-free calling. Local number portability, emergency 911 and directory assistance will be standard features. Pricing was not disclosed.


In addition to providing VoIP services directly to its customers and turnkey solutions for wholesale partners, Covad has made and will make investments in its broadband network to support the market entry of its wholesale partners offering their own VoIP products. http://www.covad.com

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Pronto Networks Secures $11.3 Million for Wi-Fi OSS

Pronto Networks, a start-up based in Pleasanton, California $11.3 million in Series B funding for its carrier-class OSS solutions for large Wi-Fi hot spot networks. Pronto's Wi-Fi Operations Support System (OSS) software handles provisioning, authentication, access control, security, pre- and post-paid billing and roaming settlement to large Wi-Fi hot spot operators. The company has announced partnerships with several major players in the industry, including Boingo, iPass, Gemtek Systems, Navini, and most recently, Sun Microsystems and Microsoft. Pronto claims close to 100 customers comprised of both greenfield wireless operators and ISPs, along with tier one operators.


The new funding round was led by US and Europe based BV Capital. Follow-on investments were secured from Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and the Intel Communications Fund, both of which participated in the company's first round in January 2003. http://www.prontonetworks.com

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WilTel Expands Access in Underserved Markets

WilTel Communications is launching a new Extended On-Net Access service targetting Tier 2 and 3 regions of the United States that are typically underserved by national network providers. WilTel is adding 300 on-net access locations along its nationwide fiber-optic backbone to provide colocation and access to its portfolio of services. Enterprise and carrier customers can utilize Extended On-Net in connectivity increments from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps, via either aerial or buried fiber or wireless access. http://www.wiltel.com

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Proxim's Unveils ORiNOCO Wireless LAN Switching

Proxim introduced an ORiNOCO Wireless LAN switching system designed to support voice traffic in corporate WLANs. Proxim said its switching architecture is capable of providing fast roaming to accommodate a user's need to maintain mobility while on voice calls anywhere in the enterprise.


Since voice cannot tolerate session restarts, the system incorporates pre-authentication and per-user, inter-switch tunneling to ensure that voice calls maintain flawless interconnections in highly segmented networks. Proxim's Switching System supports a pre-802.11e-based standard QoS implementation to meet the delay, jitter and latency specifications associated with voice. It also supports an advanced, pre-authentication mechanism that registers voice and/or cellular traffic and automatically supplies the highest levels of QoS across the entire Wi-Fi network. It is also able to intelligently distributes loads.


Proxim also said that it is integrating its core voice-over wireless LAN technology as described above into partner Ethernet switching platforms. http://www.proxim.com

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District of Columbia Selects Cisco Infrastructure

The city government for the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) is deploying an OC-48 SONET backbone using equipment from Cisco Systems to eventually link over 300 sites throughout the city. The networking infrastructure for DC-Net will be built using a combination of Cisco's optical, IP, and Ethernet networking equipment. For core SONET (optical) services, OCTO selected the Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Provision Platform. The network will use Cisco 12000 series routers at the core and Cisco 7300 series routers at the edges of its IP networks. Cisco Catalyst 3550 series switches will provide the bulk of the Ethernet services for DC-Net. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.cisco.com

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Vendos Showcase Traffic Engineered VPN Services at MPLS World

Twelve companies are participating in a demonstration of QoS-enabled VPN services over an MPLS network at MPLS World Congress in Paris this week. The demonstration highlights how dynamic, constraint-based routing and signaling, Traffic Engineering (TE) and Differentiated Services (Diffserv) can guarantee the quality of real-time applications, including voice and video, across MPLS. Participating companies include: Agilent Technologies, Alcatel, Avici Systems, Cisco Systems, Ixia, Marconi, Native Networks, Navtel Communications, Nortel Networks, RAD Data Communications, Riverstone Networks and Tellabs.


The demonstration was preceded by a "hot-stage event" conducted at The European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) in Berlin in January.


The EANTC's Berlin test established basic interoperability of RSVP-TE and OSPF-TE among all vendors, without any signaling or routing issues. For the first time, vendors utilized MPLS Experimental (EXP) bits, IP Type of Service (ToS) Diffserv mapping, as well as E-LSPs and L-LSPs. This testing proved that MPLS Layer 2 point-to-point Ethernet, VPLS, Layer 3 VPN and TDM services interoperate in a multi-vendor environment over TE MPLS cores. http://www.mplsforum.org/. http://www.eantc.com

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FCC's Kevin Martin Warns of Threat to Local Access Rules

The battle to preserve local competition is more tenuous today than it was last year,
said FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin in a video taped presentation for the Comptel-Ascent Alliance Convention in Anaheim, California. (Martin had been scheduled as a keynote speaker for the event but had to return to Washington urgently to prepare for congressional hearings on the Janet Jackson Superbowl affair). Last year, the battle to preserve local competition culminated in the Triennial Review Order, which Martin defended as being in the best interest of consumers. He credited UNE-p for the creation of tens of thousands of industry jobs and for savings consumers billions of dollars in telephone costs. Nevertheless, Martin conceded that the Triennial Review Order, as it relates to local access, is likely to be overturned in the coming weeks by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Martin believes the FCC should defend the Triennial Review Order ruling through the appellate process and to the Supreme Court if necessary. He said he is hopeful that the other two commissioners who joined him on the majority vote for this decision will support an appeal should the court overturn the order. Martin also warned of a growing consensus in Washington toward a broad rewriting of the Telecom Act of 1996. Members of the Comptel-Ascent Alliance, which represents the interests of CLECs, were told to let their voices to be heard in Washington.


The FCC will address VoIP issues in its General Meeting scheduled for this week. http://www.convergedigest.com/regulatory/regulatory.asp?category=Regulatory

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Powell Urges Industry to Adopt "Net Freedom" Principles

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell issued a challenge to high-speed Internet providers to adopt a set of four voluntary "Net Freedom" principles:

• Freedom to Access Content. Consumers should have access to their choice of legal content.



• Freedom to Use Applications. Consumers should be able to run applications of their choice.



• Freedom to Attach Personal Devices. Consumers should be permitted to attach any devices they choose to the connection in their homes.



• Freedom to Obtain Service Plan Information. Consumers should receive meaningful information regarding their service plans.

"I would emphasize that consumers also have a role in this challenge to preserve ‘Net Freedom,'" said Powell. "I encourage consumers to challenge their broadband providers to live up to these standards and to let the Commission know how the industry is doing."http://www.fcc.gov

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Corvis Announces Private Placement of Up to $300 Million

Corvis Corporation announced a private placement of $225 million of senior unsecured convertible notes to several institutional investors. The definitive agreement provides that Corvis may require the investors to purchase, or the investors may, in limited circumstances, require Corvis to issue, up to an additional $75 million of senior unsecured convertible notes as well as associated warrants.


The company said it intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes in support of its service development and new market initiatives, and for strategic acquisitions for Broadwing Communications, a consolidated subsidiary of Corvis. http://www.corvis.com

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Broadwing Announces Bandwidth on Reserve for Carriers and Large Enterprises

Broadwing Communications introduced a new high capacity private line offering aimed at telecommunications carriers, MSOs, and large enterprises. The CoreConnect enables customers to reserve significant quantities of bandwidth (OC-12, OC-48, OC-192)on the Broadwing backbone, and then deploy it and pay for it where and when it's needed. CoreConnect is a private line solution that combines the benefits of network ownership with the advantages of facilities leasing. Broadwing said circuits can be provisioned rapidly, providing customers with flexibility, visibility and scalability. http://www.broadwing.com

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Lucent and BroadSoft Announce VoIP Partnership

Lucent Technologies will sell a new "Accelerate VoIP" solution for service providers that combines the BroadSoft BroadWorks network communications platform and the Lucent Softswitch and gateways from the Lucent Accelerate portfolio. New York-based Choice One Communications will trial the new joint solution in preparation to offer VoIP services to enterprise customers throughout its service region. The strategic relationship between Lucent and BroadSoft also includes joint development and marketing efforts. http://www.lucent.comhttp://www.broadsoft.com

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OnFiber Cites Growing Momentum

OnFiber Communications, a privately-held carrier based in Austin, Texas reported that its 2003 annual revenue grew 100% over 2002. The company said that by the end of 2003 it had accumulated more than $50 million in recurring services revenue. The company became EBITDA positive in the first quarter of 2003 and ended the year with EBITDA margin of approximately 20%. In the third quarter of 2003, OnFiber achieved operating cash flow positive status. OnFiber expects to be free cash flow positive in 2004.


The OnFiber network currently reaches or passes almost 1,000 commercial buildings and Points of Presence (POPs) in twelve metro markets across the U.S. http://www.onfiber.com

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Z-Tel Selects Cisco for VoIP Residential and SMB Services

Z-Tel Communications, a CLEC based in Tampa, Florida will use Cisco Systems' equipment to launch VoIP services aimed at residential and small business customers in Georgia and Florida. Z-Tel's VoIP solution is powered by Cisco's Broadband Local Integrated Services Solutions (BLISS), including PIX 525 Firewall, Catalyst 4506 Switch, and IAD 2430. Z-Tel also relies on Cisco Info Center, Cisco Works RWAN, Cisco Works LMS, Cisco Media Gateway Manager, and CNS Configuration Engine. The deployment has earned Z-Tel the Cisco Powered Network designation. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.cisco.comhttp://www.ztel.com

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France's Completel Upgrades Riverstone Routers for VPLS

Completel Europe N.V. , an alternative carrier based in France, will upgrade more than 50 of the Riverstone Networks' RS 8600 multi-service metro routers and RS 38000 metro core routers in its network. The upgrades will enable it to deliver Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) to their business customers nationwide. The upgrade uses Riverstone's Gigabit Ethernet MPLS cards and RapidOS software. Completel currently has more than 850 buildings connected with Ethernet. Upgrading the Ethernet edge switches to MPLS enables a more scalable network that supports multi-point Ethernet VPNs and other new services. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.riverstone.net

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BT Selected for AstraZeneca's Global MPLS Network

AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, selected BT to provide and manage its new global IP network. The multiservice IP network will connect 82 sites worldwide over BT's MPLS backbone. BT will retain responsibility for operation, supervision, maintenance and helpdesk functions. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.bt.com/globalservices

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neuf telecom Rolls Out TV-over-DSL using Cisco Aggregation Network

neuf telecom, formerly the LDCom Group, is rolling out TV over ADSL services to French residential customers using a 10 Gigabit Ethernet Broadband aggregation network from Cisco Systems. The QoS-enabled IP video distribution network uses Cisco 7600 Series routers and Catalyst 3550 Series switches to support the triple-play (data, voice and video) of services over IP. Neuf telecom runs its own fiber into the local exchanges, where the Catalyst switches aggregate Gigabit Ethernet uplinks from the DSLAMs. Cisco 7600 Series routers with 10 Gigabit Ethernet Interface Modules are used for transport across the MPLS-enabled network core. The same MPLS-enabled core architecture also supports Ethernet VPN connectivity for large businesses and service provider customers, based on the Cisco IOS MPLS Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Following a successful pilot project in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, neuf telecom has deployed an infrastructure that will help enable Canal+ Group, France's largest pay-TV operator, to deliver its TV content offering to ADSL residential subscribers in the city of Marseille in March and will expand its geographical reach of services in the near future.


neuf telecom has been offering DSL to residential customers since 2001. The carrier operates its own nationwide network across France. http://www.cisco.comhttp://www.neuf.com

• In December 2003, 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. http://www.convergedigest.com/DSL/lastmilearticle.asp?ID=9740

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Cablevision and RealNetworks Offer Broadband Games

Cablevision is partnering with RealNetworks to make more than downloadable games available to Cablevision's one million Optimum Online cable modem users in the New York metropolitan area. Optimum Online customers can play in excess of 180 downloadable games -- each available for an hour of free play. Consumers also have the ability to purchase and own games on a transaction or subscription basis.


Last year, RealNetworks and Cablevision began offering free streaming Internet radio to all Optimum Online customers with Rhapsody Radio Plus. http://www.optimumonline.comhttp://www.Realarcade.com

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Juniper to Acquire NetScreen for $4 Billion

Juniper Networks agreed to acquire to NetScreen Technologies in a stock for stock merger valued at approximately $4 billion based on closing stock prices for 06-Feb-2004. NetScreen is a provider of network security and access solutions for enterprises and carriers. Its high-performance platforms provide multiple layers of network and application-level protection. The deal requires approval by the stockholders of both companies and by regulatory authorities. Both companies are based in Sunnyvale, California.


Scott Kriens, chairman and CEO of Juniper Networks, said "'This is a combination of two strong companies.... our collective customers have told us security, reliability and performance are mission critical to their network users."


For its most recent fiscal quarter ended 31-Dec-2003, Netscreen reported record revenues of $81.0 million, an increase of 59% over revenue of $51.1 million in the same quarter last year and an increase of 13% over revenue of $71.6 million in the quarter ended 30-September-2003. Net income (GAAP) was $6.4 million, or $0.07 per basic and diluted share. During the quarter, NetScreen completed its own acquisition of Neoteris, a leading supplier of SSL VPN products. http://www.juniper.nethttp://www.netscreen.com

• For comparison, Juniper Networks' acquisition of Unisphere Networks (then a division of Siemens) in was valued at $740 million when it was announced in May 2002. The deal consisted of US$375 million in cash and 36.5 million JNPR shares.

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HyperTransport 2.0 Clocks a 75% Performance Boost to 22.4 Gigabytes/second

The HyperTransport Technology Consortium released version 2.0 of the HyperTransport Technology I/O Link Specification, boosting performance 75% to 22.4 Gigabytes/second without significantly changing the electrical specification. HyperTransport is a chip-to-chip interconnect technology that replaces existing multi-level buses in systems such as personal computers, servers, embedded architectures and high performance appliances.


The new HyperTransport Release 2.0 Specification introduces three more powerful bus speeds and mapping to PCI Express, an emerging I/O interconnect architecture. HyperTransport's speed capability extends from the 1.6 Giga Transfers/second (GT/s) of Release 1.1 Specification to 2.0, 2.4, and 2.8 GT/s using dual-data rate clocks at 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 Gigahertz, delivering a maximum aggregate bandwidth of 22.4 Gigabytes/second. The electrical protocols supporting the new clock rates are backward compatible with all previous versions of the HyperTransport electrical specifications.


HyperTransport technology is being used in products such as Microsoft's Xbox, Apple's Power Mac G5, Cisco's high-end routers, IBM's and Sun Microsystems's servers, notebooks and Tablet PC's based on Transmeta's Efficeon-processor, and all AMD's Athlon64- and Opteron-based PCs, servers and supercomputers. http://www.hypertransport.org

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