MetaSwitch Achieves First RUS Listing for Packet Voice Switch

The MetaSwitch VP3500 Next Generation Class 5 Switch has been accepted for listing by the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The RUS listing follows a successful field trial with Yukon Telephone in Whittier, Alaska - the first such trial to include VoIP served natively by a Class 5 switch. The trial network included support for VoIP to Occam Networks Broadband Loop Carrier equipment, as well as traditional POTS lines via GR-303 from AFC's AccessMAX multi-service access platforms. http://www.metaswitch....

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T-Systems and Telecom Italia Offer Wholesale IP VPNs

T-Systems' carriers' carrier division, International Carrier Sales & Solutions (ICSS) and Telecom Italia Sparkle are partnering to offer a wholesale IP VPN solution. The companies said their jointly developed wholesale IP VPN solution allow carriers to differentiate themselves from competitors by offering their clients a customizable service. The wholesale VPNs are aimed at helping carriers and ISPs to cater to small, medium and large enterprise outsourcing needs, while establishing a base for value-added services such as managed security,...

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FCC Eyes Changes to Telco Customer Account Record Exchange

The FCC is considering whether to impose mandatory minimum information sharing requirements on all local and long-distance telephone companies in a bid to increase the accuracy of billing information and decrease consumer complaints. AT&T, Sprint and MCI have jointly requested changes in The Customer Account Record Exchange (CARE) system, which is the voluntary industry standard for exchanging the customer information necessary to establish and maintain customer accounts, and to execute and confirm customer orders and customer transfers...

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FCC Amends International Settlement Policy

The FCC took another deregulatory step regarding its International Settlement Policy (ISP) by exempted a substantial number of additional routes from the ISP. This action provides U.S. carriers greater commercial flexibility to take advantage of a constantly changing global telecommunications market. The FCC expects the action will translate into lower rates for consumers. The International Settlement Policy was designed to ensure nondiscriminatory treatment of U.S. carriers by foreign carriers with market power and serves as a framework by which...

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Nortel Delays 2003 Financial Statements, Restatements Likely

Nortel Networks has delayed the filing of annual financial reports for 2003. Nortel Networks said it is likely that it will need to revise its previously announced unaudited results for 2003 and for certain quarterly reports in 2003. The company also expects to restate its previously filed financial results for one or more earlier periods. An independent financial review is underway. The delay in filing the annual report may impact some of the company's public debt indentures and certain of their support and credit facilities. The company outlined...

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BT Announces 4 Broadband Innovations

BT unveiled four innovations aimed at transforming its broadband DSL service across the UK. Flexible Bandwidth: DSL users will be given the power to temporarily boost their bandwidth to up to 2 Mbps for faster downloads of premium content, such as DVD-quality streamed videos or online gaming. Users who continually need to accelerate their broadband speed will be given the option to instantly upgrade to a higher tier DSL service. A trial of these capabilities is scheduled to start next month. BT Rich Media: working in partnership with Real Networks,...

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EchoStar Adds 340,000 Net Subs in Q4

EchoStar Communications added approximately 340,000 net new subscribers during the fourth quarter of 2003, giving it a total subscriber base of 9.425 million at year's end. The company added a total of 1.245 million subscribers for the full year. http://www.dishnetwork....

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Siemens to OEM ADVA's FSP 1500 Optical System

Siemens has extended an existing OEM contract to include ADVA's Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 1500 product. ADVA's 1500 enables carriers to deploy Ethernet, storage, and legacy voice services in a variety of configurations over their existing SDH/SONET networks The FSP 1500 is installed at the customer premise site as a network termination device and uses Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) technology to aggregate up to eight LAN, storage, and voice applications on a combined STM-16/OC-48 interface. The applications are then seamlessly transported...

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VocalTec Raises $9.8 Million in Private Placement

VocalTec Communications, a supplier of carrier-class packet voice platforms, raised $9.8 million in a private placement with institutional investors. http://www.vocaltec....

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Interoperability Established between Xilinx FPGAs, Intel Net Processor

Interoperability testing has been completed between Xilinx's Virtex-II Pro FPGAs and the Intel IXP2800 network processor. Both the media and switch fabric (MSF) interfaces were tested on the processor. Various features of the SPI-4.2 solution have been emphasized. The Xilinx SPI-4.2 core features an optimized burst mode configuration for data transfers to the Intel IXP2800 network processor to ensure efficient use of the processor's memory space. The companies said the interoperability would accelerate the development of Ethernet, Packet-Over-SONET,...

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AOL and Covad Announce "Broadband Connect" Relationship

America Online and Covad Communications announced a deal to provide new connectivity options to AOL for Broadband members. Covad's Broadband Connect product is a new class of DSL service without any accompanying content or applications. Covad's Broadband Connect service provides up to 1.5Mbps (downstream and 256Kbps upstream for $34.95 a month with a 12-month contract. An additional plan offering connection speeds of up to 3.0Mbps downstream and 384Kbps upstream for $39.95 a month with a 12-month contract will also be offered. http://www.covad.comhttp://www.aol.comIn...

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IEEE Forms Wi-Fi Performance Study Group

The IEEE has formed a new Wireless Performance Prediction (WPP) study group to help standardize the metrics and methods which describe Wi-Fi's performance. Organizations participating in the WPP study group include Azimuth Systems, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Texas Instruments and Broadcom, regulatory agencies FDA and NIST, and independent testing organizations such as the University of New Hampshire's Interoperability Labs (UNH-IOL) and Iometrix. http://www.azimuthsystems....

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Ixia Introduces Power over Ethernet Test Solution

Ixia introduced a Power over Ethernet (PoE) test solution for validating power-enabled equipment. Ixia's new hardware conforms to the IEEE 802.3af standard for PoE via emulation of the powered device (PD). It is designed to operate in conjunction with Ixia's line of Ethernet network interface modules, which provide data traffic generation and analysis, to verify that data is not impacted by varied power load conditions. Each Ixia PoE test module is capable of emulating four independent and isolated PDs with up to 16 watts dissipated per PoE port....

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Juniper's E-series Completes OSMINE

Juniper Networks' E-series routing platform completed the Telcordia OSMINE Services process for the Telcordia TIRKS system. TIRKS is part of an integrated solution that supports the total network provisioning process for special service circuits, message trunks and carrier circuits. TIRKS is used by RBOCs to plan, assign, provision and inventory telephone networks. http://www.juniper....

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FCC Approves Globalstar License Transfer

The FCC formally approved a request to have control of Globalstar's operating licenses and regulatory authorizations transferred to a new Globalstar operating company that is majority-owned by Thermo Capital Partners. Globalstar offers satellite telecommunications services, for both voice and data. http://www.globalstar.comIn early December 2003, Thermo agreed to acquire Globalstar's operating and marketing assets, subject to certain conditions including approval for the transfer of control of these FCC licenses and authorizatio...

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Comdial Launches SIP-based Enterprise Systems

Comdial Corporation launched a new portfolio of integrated VoIP applications, platforms, software and endpoints under its new "CONVERSip" brand. The product set includes:CONVERSip MP5000 Media Platform: an evolutionary enterprise platform for offices with 40-400 employees. It provides unified messaging, workgroup call center and call recording capabilities. CONVERSip MP1000 Media Platform: an all-in-one communications platform for small offices with 4-40 employees including voice mail, unified messaging and auto-attendant. It is based on SIP and...

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Cox Selects Internet Photonics for VOD in Omaha

Cox Communications will deploy Internet Photonics' LightStack MX, LightStack NCS, and LightHandler platforms for a VOD rollout in Omaha, Nebraska. The LightStack MX is a DWDM multiplexing transport platform and the LightHandler is an optical add/drop multiplexing and amplification system that supports up to 40 wavelengths. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.internetphotonics.comIn February 2004, CIENA agreed to acquire privately held Internet Photonics, a supplier of carrier-grade optical Ethernet transport and switching solutions,...

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Taqua Announces 3 More Rural ILEC Customers

Taqua announced three more incumbent service provider (ILECs) customers for its iX7000 Class 5 packet switch: Cassadaga Telephone (serving western New York), Searsboro Telephone (serving the communities of Searsboro and Killduff, Iowa), and South Canaan Telephone (Pennsylvania). http://www.taqua....

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AT&T to Provide Priority Calling for Key Officials during Emergencies

AT&T Government Solutions was awarded a follow-on 10 year, $61.3 million contract by the National Communications System to provide priority calling services for key government and industry officials during emergencies. The contract, called Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), was first awarded to AT&T in 1993. http://www.att....

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