Dialpad Claims VoIP Service Profitability in Q4 2003

Dialpad Communications, a privately-held provider of VoIP-based services, announced that it reached profitability in Q4 2003 and was EBITDA positive for the six month period ending 31-December-2003. The company had originally anticipated attaining profitability by December 2004.



Dialpad launched its Internet telephony service in 1999 and quickly grew to over 14 million users for its PC-based calling service. However, Dialpad filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2001, due to the decline in online advertising. The company then appointed Craig Walker as its new CEO and the business was transformed from a free to a pay service. http://www.dialpad.com

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Broadcom Ships "Good Neighbor" 802.11g Afterburner

Broadcom is shipping an enhancement technology that enables its 54g wireless LAN products to provide up to 40% greater throughput than typical standard 802.11g systems without impacting the performance of neighboring wireless LANs.



Broadcom described its "Afterburner" technology as a "good neighbor" enhancement because it boosts wireless throughput without interference to other Wi-Fi networks and while remaining compliant with the 802.11g channel requirements limiting transmissions to a single wireless channel. In contrast, Broadcom said current alternative technologies that promise 108 Mbps performance violate the standard's channel requirements and occupy all usable channels in the 2.4 GHz band, thus causing significant interference to neighboring Wi-Fi networks and other wireless devices in the band, such as cordless phones.



Linksys has incorporated the technology into its new family of SpeedBooster products, while Belkin, Buffalo and others will promote the technology as "125 High Speed Mode."http://www.broadcom.com

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Holland's SURFnet Upgrades with Nortel, Avici, Telindus

SURFnet, the educational and research network organization in the Netherlands, selected Nortel Networks, Avici Systems and Telindus to build a hybrid optical and packet switching infrastructure. The deployment will use Nortel Networks' recently launched Optical Multiservice Edge 6500 and Avici Systems' Stackable Switch Routers (SSR). SURFnet plans to continue to evolve the network over a seven-year period with the most up-to-date features and products from Nortel Networks and Avici Systems. Telindus, a pan-European network integration specialist, will provide the installation and on-site maintenance services support throughout the seven-year period. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.nortelnetworks.comhttp://www.surfnet.nl/en

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Verizon Offers Consumer Online Backup Service

Verizon Online introduced a new "My Storage Place" service for its residential broadband customers. Storage "lockers" are being offered in four sizes:

• 50 MB -- $4.95 per month


• 100 MB -- $6.95 per month


• 500 MB -- $9.95 per month


• 1 GB -- $19.95 per month

Verizon Online is using BigVault Storage Technologies to manage its private, expandable storage and backup services. http://www.verizon.com

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U.S. Supreme Court Rules that States Can Bar Municipal Telecom

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling in a case of whether the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 can pre-empt state and local laws that expressly prohibit municipal bodies from offering telecommunications service.



In 1997, the General Assembly of Missouri passed legislation that barred political subdivisions within the state from offering telecommunications services. The Missouri Municipal League then petitioned the FCC for an order declaring the state law unlawful and preempted by the federal Telecom Act. The FCC refused to declare the state law preempted, although it denounced the Missouri law as a matter of public policy. The Missouri Municipal League then appealed to the Eighth Circuit court, which reversed the FCC decision.



The U.S. Supreme Court has now overturned the Eighth Circuit, allowing the Missouri state law that bars municipalities from offering telecom service to stand. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

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QUALCOMM Shows MSN Mobile Services

QUALCOMM and Microsoft introduced MSN Mobile services enabled through QUALCOMM's BREW solution for CDMA phones. Mobile operators that deploy MSN Mobile services for BREW can enable users to access MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger services using a range of CSMA handsets.



Microsoft noted that there are currently more than 170 million active MSN Hotmail and 120 million MSN Messenger customers worldwide. http://www.qualcomm.com

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Japan's KDDI Tops 1 Million ADSL Subscribers

Japan's KDDI has surpassed one million subscribers for its DION ADSL service. KDDI is offering a number of ADSL options, including a 40 Mbps service, a low-cost 1 Mbps service and a plan that bundles IP phone services.



In November 2003, KDDI launched "Sesame BB," a broadband content program aimed at families. http://www.kddi.co.jp

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LSI Logic to Acquire Velio for $20 Million

LSI Logic will acquire Velio Communications, a start-up developing high-end networking silicon, for $20 million in cash. Velio supplies high-speed interconnect and switch fabric application specific standard products (ASSPs) to network systems companies. The product portfolio includes high-bandwidth data switch fabric, TDM STS-1 switch fabric and related SerDes devices, high-performance interconnect for SAN and engineering services. Velio is based in Palo Alto, California.



LSI Logic also announced the acquisition of the assets of privately held CrossLayer Networks, a provider of Gigabit Ethernet switch ASSPs. CrossLayer's highly integrated solution complements LSI Logic's existing 10/100 Ethernet Switching solutions targeted for Desktop Gigabit connectivity and networking. Financial terms of the CrossLayer acquisition were not disclosed. http://www.lsilogic.com

• In December 2003, Rambus agreed to acquire certain high speed signaling assets from Velio, a start-up based in Milpitas, California. The deal, which was valued at under $13 million, includes related Velio's patent portfolio, the existing Velio licensing business, and a number of Velio personnel. Rambus said that by adding Velio's high-speed signaling technologies to its serial interface offerings, it would accelerate its ability to deliver advanced chip-to-chip interface solutions.



• Velio Communications had raised over $95 million in three rounds of funding since its inception in October 2000. Investors included Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Institutional Venture Partners, Global Catalyst Partners, Capital Research Group and HarbourVest Partners.

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Fujitsu Debuts 2nd Gen 10Gbps Ethernet Switch Chip

Fujitsu Microelectronics America and Fujitsu Laboratories of America introduced their second-generation, 10Gbps Ethernet switch chip featuring CX-4 high-speed electrical interface. The new device allows systems designers to use copper cabling instead of optical interfaces in the interconnects between the switch chassis.



The 10 Gbps switch chip could be used for compact, low-power and low-cost switches for servers, data centers, clusters, high-performance computing, enterprise and metro area networks. Fujitsu said a 12-port, 10Gbps Ethernet switch system requiring under 50 watts of power could be built within a 1U height to support the 15-meter distances incorporated in the IEEE 10GBASE-CX4 standard, with extensions to 25 meters.ttp://www.fla.fujitsu.com

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AOL for Broadband to Add Major League Baseball Content

AOL for Broadband subscribers will gain access to live audio and condensed video for regular-season Major League Baseball games, the playoffs and World Series, at no additional cost. America Online said the deal would expand the on-demand, sports programming available to its broadband members. http://www.aol.com

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Japanese Broadcasters Adopt AVC/H.264

Six leading Japanese broadcasters agreed to adopt AVC/H.264 as the video coding technology for digital terrestrial broadcasting to mobile devices. The announcement represents a breakthrough on royalties and other terms of license between broadcasters and MPEG LA, the group that represents multiple patent holders for the IEEE 1394 Standard, the DVB-T Standard, the MPEG-4 Visual Standard and the MPEG-4 Systems Standard.



Under the accord, broadcasters will have the option of paying a one-time fee of US$2,500 for each encoder used in transmitting the AVC/H.264 video. The one-time fees will be offered as an alternative to annual fees. They will cover the use of AVC/H.264 video for free cable and free satellite as well as free terrestrial broadcast television.



Broadcasters covered in this deal include NHK, TBS, NTV, TV Asahi, Fuji TV and TV Tokyo. The companies expect to initiate mobile broadcast services in the first quarter of the year 2006. http://www.mpegla.com

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AT&T Expands its Business VoIP Services

AT&T will accelerate its commitment and timetable to provide VoIP services for businesses. Specifically, AT&T's accelerated rollout touches on three key areas:

• Equipment interoperability -- three more equipment companies -- Alcatel, Nortel Networks and Siemens -- have been added to the list of IP PBXs that are certified as interoperable with the AT&T network. The company has previously announced IP PBX interoperability with Avaya and Cisco Systems.



• "VoIP-Enabling" the Networking Portfolio -- AT&T will introduced a broader set of VoIP-enabled options across its managed data and virtual private networking portfolio. Plans include an IP local service option for its managed services customers. AT&T said it has already "VoIP-enabled" most of its managed services portfolio.



• VoIP Applications -- AT&T has committed to developing and introducing IP Centrex, call center and teleworker solutions. Trials for these three services will begin by mid-year.

http://www.att.com

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TI's DSL Ports Top 24 Million in 2003

Texas Instruments (TI) shipped more than 24 million DSL ports in 2003, and has now shipped over 40 million DSL ports to date. The company cited growing customer momentum in Asia and rapid adoption of the AR7 DSL modem-on-a-chip.



Texas Instruments also noted that Greg Bathrick, who heads the company's worldwide DSL product management group, was elected to the DSL Forum's Board of Directors earlier this month. Bathrick also serves as co-chair for the DSL Forum's operations and network management working group, and the DSLHome technical working group. http://www.ti.com

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Jerusalem Global Ventures Invests in VideoCodes

VideoCodes, a start-up developing code domain processing (CDP) software for digital video infrastructure vendors, secured $2 million in Series A financing led by Jerusalem Global Ventures. VideoCodes specializes in software-based CDP of MPEG-2 SD (standard definition) and HD (High Definition) video streams without the need to decode and then re-encoding of the signal.



VideoCodes was founded in 2003 by Avi Rubinstein, Uri Bendelac and Yossi Korakin. Rubinstein previously served as General Manager of ECtel US and SVP Marketing and Business Development of Ectel. Bendelac previously served as CTO at Terayon Israel and VP R&D at Combox. Korakin previously was VP R&D at Meicom, acquired by DSPG. http://www.video-codes.com/

• VideoCodes is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

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T-Mobile Venture Fund Invests in BelAir Networks

T-Venture, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom AG, made a $2 million investment in BelAir Networks, a supplier of cellular LAN infrastructure.



The BelAir Networks cellular LAN solution combines WLAN and cellular technologies. It integrates wireless access and a patented, multiple point-to-point mesh wireless backhaul in a single system to provide more coverage and capacity for data, video and voice services than current wireless networking options. The company has raised $24 million to date.



BelAir is based in Kanata, Ontario, with offices in Reston, Virginia and Carlsbad, California. http://www.belairnetworks.com

• BelAir Networks is headed by Bernard Herscovich who previously was the President of Breezecom and Vice President of Wireless at Newbridge Networks.

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CableLabs Appoints David Reed as Chief Strategy Officer

CableLabs has promoted Dr. David Reed to Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer.



CableLabs also reorganized its PacketCable Department, renaming it to Advanced Network Systems (ANS) and appointed Ed Miller as Vice President Advanced Network Systems as leader of the overall effort. http://www.cablelabs.com

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