ITU Outlines its Future Global Standards-Setting Efforts

The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly drew to a close, following 8 days of meetings in Florianópolis, Brazil by 475 delegates from 75 countries. The event focused on next-generation networks (NGN) and the process for setting future global standards. Key outcomes of the meeting included:streamlined the ITU-T work programme with the goal of achieving greater efficiency in the production of ITU standards (ITU-T Recommendations). a new Study Group on NGN was createdthe adoption of new resolutions on Internet-related issues (ENUM, spam,...

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White Rock Provides Faster SONET Upgrades

White Rock Networks announced an upgrade to its VLXpert Element Management System (EMS) that significantly boosts the speed at which a customer can download new network element software to a remote White Rock network element being upgraded. White Rock said a three-node OC-192 BLSR ring can now be upgraded with a new software image in as little as sixteen minutes, whereas other transport systems often take as much as one hour to upgrade even the first network element. http://www.whiterock....

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Juniper Reports Revenue of $375.0 million

Juniper Networks reported Q3 revenue of $375.0 million, compared with $172.1 million for the same period last year, an increase of 118%. GAAP net income for the third quarter was $48.8 million or $0.09 per share, compared with a GAAP net income of $7.2 million or $0.02 per share in the third quarter of 2003. "We are once again pleased with our revenue and earnings growth for the quarter, and as a result we are investing that success in scaling the business for continued expansion," said Scott Kriens, chairman and CEO of Juniper Networks. ht...

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Riverstone Reports Preliminary Revenue of $16.6 million

Riverstone Networks reported preliminary quarterly revenues of approximately $16.6 million, an increase of 28% over the preceding quarter rand a 44% increase over the same period last year. Riverstone expects to report improved margins, saying its margins "are approaching a range more typical of a company of its size in the networking sector. " Cash was positively impacted during the second quarter by receipt of $28 million in proceeds from the previously announced sale of the company's enterprise technology platform to Hewlett Packard in June,...

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Marconi Provides Trading Update

Marconi issued the following trading update for the three months ended 30 September 2004. Sales from Continuing Operations £305 million - consistent with full year guidance Up 6 per cent on Q1 FY05 In line with Q2 FY04 reported sales (£305 million) Up 4 per cent on Q2 FY04 at constant currency (£293 million) Higher level of tender activity and customer trials Modest increase in Q2 adjusted gross margin from Continuing Operations compared to previous quarter (Q1 FY05: 32.2 per cent) to approximately 33 per cent Solid progress in H1 adjusted...

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MetaSwitch Demonstrates Softswitch for PSTN Migration at Global MSF

As part of the Global Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF) Interoperability event (GMI 2004), MetaSwitch demonstrated H.248, SIP, MGCP and SS7 interoperability. A MetaSwitch VP3500 Series Softswitch, comprised of a MetaSwitch Media/Signaling Gateway and separate MetaSwitch Call Agent was located at British Telecom's GMI facilities in Ipswich and successfully interoperated with call agent, media gateway, access gateway and customer premise equipment from multiple vendors. MetaSwitch's Class 5 Softswitch product suite provides multiple components...

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FCC Clears Spectrum for Advanced Wireless Services in 1710-1755 MHz Band

The FCC allocated spectrum to allow Federal operations to be cleared from spectrum that has been allocated for advanced wireless services (AWS). The action is an important step towards the future auction of 90 MHz of spectrum for AWS. The Commission previously allocated the 1710-1755 MHz (1.7 GHz) and 2110 2155 MHz (2.1 GHz) bands for AWS. The 1.7 GHz band was transferred from the Federal Government for private sector use, but Federal operations at certain locations were to remain in this spectrum indefinitely. The U.S. Department of Commerce's...

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FCC Gives Go-Ahead to Incumbents on Deep Fiber Buildouts

The FCC took action to relieve incumbent local telephone companies of most obligations to lease advanced fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network facilities to competitors at a regulated, cost-based price. Specifically, incumbents are relieved from unbundling requirements for fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) loops, where fiber is extended within 500 feet of a customer's premises. The new rules free companies to choose between FTTH or FTTC networks based on marketplace characteristics, rather than disparate regulatory treatment. The FCC also clarified that incumbent...

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HP to Launch Wi-Fi Printers with Broadcom's 802.11g Chips

HP is using Broadcom's 54g chips for a line of Wi-Fi-enables printers. The companies expect printers to be a next logical step in the wireless computing revolution. http://www.broadcom....

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UTStarcom Signs $37 Million Contract with China Netcom

UTStarcom was awarded a contract valued at approximately $37 million to help China Netcom expand its IP-based PAS (Personal Access System) network in 11 cities in China's Hebei Province. Currently, the penetration rate for PAS is only about 3 percent in the province, which has a total population of approximately 68 million residents. UTStarcom noted that over the last several quarters, there has been a maturation of the PAS market in China as operators are spending less on new network construction and are currently focused on optimizing and expanding...

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AT&T Introduces Local Residential VoIP Plan

AT&T introduced a CallVantage Local Plan that provides unlimited local calling for $19.99 per month. It includes all of the advanced features of the CallVantage service. Local toll and long distance calling in the U.S. and to Canada will be billed at $0.04 a minute. http://www.CallVantage....

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Verizon Expands DSL Availability in Rural Areas

Verizon has upgraded its network to enable DSL service on more than 1.2 million telephone lines. For the first time, Verizon Online DSL service is available to qualifying local customers in Idaho, Ohio and South Carolina. Additionally, the high- speed Internet access service is now available in more communities in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. http://www.verizon.com/n...

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BellSouth Plans to Accelerate Fiber Build out in 2005

In the wake to the FCC ruling exempting Fiber-to- the-Curb (FTTC) loops from unbundling requirements, BellSouth said it plans to increase the number of homes it annually equips with an advanced fiber platform by 40% in 2005. "The FCC has taken a step in the right direction by putting functionality over form with their decision to treat Fiber-to-the-Curb and Fiber-to-the-Home architectures equally. We urge the FCC to take the additional step of making clear that there are no unbundling requirements under Section 271 for broadband elements. As the...

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Vonage Completes Enhanced 9-1-1 Trial in Rhode Island

Vonage and Intrado successfully completed a VoIP E9-1-1 trial in the state of Rhode Island. As a result of a successful collaboration with Rhode Island E9-1-1, Vonage was able to deliver both caller's location and call back number to 9-1-1 emergency services personnel for 9-1-1 calls placed using its broadband phone service. Emergency call are routed over Vonage's 9-1-1 server using industry standard SIP protocol. The Vonage server then queries Intrado for routing instructions. The call is then directed to the selective router that serves the Rhode...

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SBC "Project Lightspeed" Targets Rapid Fiber to the Node Deployment

SBC Communications vowed to dramatically accelerate its plan to build a new fiber-optics network into neighborhoods, following the FCC's ruling clarifying broadband rules. SBC now aims to provide 18 million households with "super high-speed data, video and voice services" by year-end 2007 -- rather than five years as previously announced. Under Project Lightspeed, SBC will provide integrated IP-based television, ultra-high-speed broadband, IP voice and wireless bundles of products and services. Through Project Lightspeed, the company will deploy...

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FCC Adopts Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Rules

The FCC adopted rules to encourage the development of Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL) while safeguarding existing licensed radio services against harmful interference. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the FCC have concluded that the interference concerns of licensed radio users can be adequately addressed under the Part 15 model. Specifically, the new order adopted by the Commission:sets forth rules imposing new technical requirements on BPL devices, such as the capability to avoid using any specific frequency...

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