QUALCOMM Increases Financial Guidance

QUALCOMM increased its financial guidance for its fourth fiscal quarter and the fiscal year ending September 26, 2004, saying it now expects quarterly revenues excluding the QUALCOMM Strategic Initiatives (QSI) segment to increase 60-62% year-over-year and increase approximately 4-5% sequentially. The company is now expecting diluted earnings per share excluding the QSI segment of approximately $0.28-$0.30 in the fourth fiscal quarter, compared to a prior estimate of $0.27-$0.29 and to $0.14 in the year ago quarter. QUALCOMM also anticipates that...

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UK Regulator Announces Wireless Spectrum Proposals

Ofcom, the official telecom regulator for the U.K., announced proposals for more flexible wireless spectrum licensing. Whereas regulators have traditionally adopted a ‘command and control' approach in dictating wireless license terms, Ofcom said it proposes to introduce greater flexibility by reducing restrictions on type of use. Under the proposals, which are subject to public consultation, three key license types -- Business Radio, Fixed Wireless Access and Fixed Wireless Services -- will be addressed as a priority. Holders of these license...

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Digital Television Exceeds 55% in the U.K.

As of 30 June 2004, digital television penetration had increased to 55% of UK households, up from 53% from the previous quarter, according to Ofcom, the official market regulator. A further 4% of households subscribed to analogue cable during the quarter, bringing the total number of households receiving some form of multi-channel television to over 59%. Key trends include:By 30 June 2004, digital television penetration increased to 13,704,459. This represents an increase in overall penetration of 2.4%, with an additional 630,000 households adopting...

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EchoStar Chooses Not to Expand Qwest Partnership

EchoStar Communications (DISH) announced that it has elected not to pursue expansion of its marketing relationship with Qwest. Instead, EchoStar will seek to expand relationships with current and future telecommunication partners that focus on meeting customer demand for single-bill, bundled services. The company said that it would continue to honor its current, year-old relationship with Qwest, in which Qwest has agreed to sell DISH Network satellite TV service to Qwest's customers through the end of the multi-year contract. "We have recently...

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Alcatel Selected for Triple Play in Russia

Sistema JFSC, the largest private non-natural resource-based corporation in Russia, awarded a contract valued at EUR 5 million to Alcatel to build a platform for the delivery of advanced multimedia services to Sistema's residential customers. Under the contract, Alcatel will deliver to Sistema Mass Media, Sistema's media arm, its fully integrated Open Media Suite, which is a middleware solution for delivery of rich media in a triple play service mix. Additionally, Alcatel will provide integration, customization and installation...

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Cedar Point Hires a Cable TV Pioneer

Cedar Point Communications has hired Gordy Halverson as an Executive Advisor. Halverson, a veteran of 35 years in the cable industry, holds a distinguished management portfolio that includes positions as CEO of Telewire Supply and executive vice president, sales for Arris. Halverson also currently holds a seat on the Board of CablePac, which funds lobbying efforts for the cable industry. Cedar Point's SAFARI C³ platform is an integrated carrier class VoIP switch that incorporates all of the components that make up the PacketCable voice switching...

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MERA Unveils High Capacity Session Controller Solution

MERA Systems announced the availability of its new fully distributed session controller architecture designed for large telcos such as Tier 1, major national and international carriers. The MERA MVTS session controller consists of several interconnected signaling and media servers. The signaling servers share a single routing table and can therefore efficiently manage VoIP traffic throughout the entire network, irrespective of their physical location. MERA said the clustered architecture of its session controller allows a capacity increase up...

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Alcatel to Sell its Electrical Power System Activities to Ripplewood

Alcatel will divest all of its electrical power system activities to Ripplewood, a global private equity firm. Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed. Alcatel's power systems activities are comprised of the AEG SVS Power Supply Systems, Alcatel Converters, Harmer & Simmons and Saft Power Systems business lines. They offer a ranges of services, systems and products (power systems, uninterruptible power supplies, power controllers, converters?) to diverse end-markets, such as transportation, energy and water, industries and telecommunications....

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Alcatel Acquires eDial for Advanced Conferencing

Alcatel acquired eDial, a start-up providing conferencing and collaboration solutions for enterprises and service providers, for approximately $27 million (approx. EUR 22 million) in Alcatel stock (ADS) and cash. eDial's product portfolio includes a SIP-based platform and applications for conferencing for voice, data and video. It also provides a solution for real time collaboration that integrates instant messaging, application sharing and presence capabilities. eDial currently serves more than 100 customers through direct and indirect channels....

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Alcatel to Acquire Spatial Wireless for Mobile Softswitch

Alcatel agreed to acquire Spatial Wireless, a start-up offering software-based and multi-standard distributed mobile switching solutions, for approximately US$250 million (approx. EUR 205 million) in Alcatel American Depositary Shares (ADS). Spatial's flagship product, Spatial Atrium, is a multi-standard mobile softswitch that controls distributed media gateways and manages call/session control for voice and data services. It works seamlessly in GSM/EDGE, 3G/UMTS and CDMA networks. It also enables an evolution to 3GPP ...

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