Bulldog Selects Marconi's Access Hub for London Network

Bulldog Communications selected Marconi's next-generation Access Hub platform for deployment in 38 local exchanges in central London. The equipment will support a new suite of double-play services from Bulldog that combine 4Mbps broadband plus primary line telephone service for both home and small business users. The deployment, which started in September, will initially support more than 100,000 DSL lines. http://www.marconi.comhttp://www.bulldogbroadband.com

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Turkey's Teletek Selects Veraz's Softswitch

Teletek, a greenfield telecommunications service provider based in Turkey, has selected Veraz Networks' ControlSwitch softswitch platform and its I-Gate 4000 media gateway to launch services in the recently deregulated Turkish market. The Veraz programmable ControlSwitch provides routing flexibility and multi-protocol support necessary for international networks, including both country SS7 variants as well as global IP peering using both H.323 and SIP. http://www.veraznetworks.com

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Cisco to Acquire BCN Systems for Routing Software

Cisco Systems will acquire BCN Systems, a privately-held developer of software for routing applications, for approximately $34 million in cash. In addition, the acquisition price may be increased by as much as $122M depending on the degree to which certain development and product milestones are met after close. Cisco said BCN's technology and expertise will contribute to the continued evolution of its routing platforms and will support Cisco's ongoing efforts to speed the delivery of next-generation data, voice and video services over a converged network. The BCN team will become a part of Cisco's Routing Technology Group, under senior vice presidents Prem Jain and Mike Volpi. http://www.cisco.comhttp://www.bcn-inc.net/

• BCN Systems, which is based in Santa Clara, California, was founded in April 2004 and has 45 employees.



• BCN Systems was founded by Michael Beesley, who was the lead engineer on several mid-range routers at Cisco including the c4500/4700 and c7200 up until his departure in 1997. Beesly later served at Juniper Networks, where he was one of the lead engineers on the M40, the lead engineer on the M20 and pivotal in the design and implementation of the T640.

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Terawave Supplies FTTP for Seoul Subway System

Korea's DACOM Corporation selected Terawave Communications' TW-600 FTTP platform to integrate POTS, data, and video on a common platform for the deployment of a new telecommunications infrastructure for Seoul's subway system. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.terawave.com

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Qwest Expands Availability of Business VoIP Service

Qwest Communications has extended the geographic availability of its business VoIP service to include more than 100 cities across the U.S. Qwest initially launched OneFlex in August 2004.



Qwest's VoIP offerings include OneFlex Integrated Access, which bundles voice and data services over a single Internet connection that dynamically adjusts to accommodate their needs, OneFlex Hosted VoIP; and IP Centrex Prime, an IP-enabled interface allowing enterprise business customers with traditional Centrex services to migrate from their existing PBX connections to VoIP. http://www.qwest.com

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3Com Launches Convergence-Ready, Power over Ethernet Switch

3Com introduced a new "Baseline Plus" web-configurable switch that enables small-and-medium business (SMB) customers to take advantage of Power over Ethernet (PoE) and 3Com's prioritization technology for IP telephony. The new 3Com Baseline Plus switch offers web-configurable management features, automated QoS for voice prioritization, flexible media Gigabit uplinks along with PoE on all 24 10/100 ports. The switch also supports PoE-enabled wireless LAN access points. The switch lists for $1,295. http://www.3com.com

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Ciena Reports Q4 Revenue of $82.0 million - an 8.5% Sequential Rise

Ciena reported Q4 revenue of $82.0 million, representing an 8.5% sequential increase, and an increase of 16.1% over the same period a year ago. Ciena's reported net loss (GAAP) for Q4 was $495.1 million, or a net loss of $0.87 per share. This loss includes a goodwill impairment of $371.7 million and compares to a GAAP net loss of $115.0 million, or a net loss of $0.24 per share, in the same period a year ago. Gross margin improved from 24.9% in Q3 to 29.5% in Q4. During the quarter, Ciena reduced ongoing research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative operating expenses by 9% sequentially. The company said 35% of the quarter's total revenue resulted from recently acquired products targeting high-value data and service delivery applications.



For the year, Ciena's revenue totaled $298.7 million, representing an increase of 5.5% over 2003 revenue of $283.1 million. On a GAAP basis, Ciena's reported net loss for the fiscal year was $789.5 million, or a net loss of $1.51 per share. This compares to a GAAP net loss of $386.5 million, or a net loss of $0.87 per share, in fiscal 2003.



"Our fiscal fourth quarter was significant in a number of ways: we delivered stronger-than-expected revenue growth and improved gross margin, and we lowered our cash burn," said Gary Smith, Ciena's president and CEO. "There is more work to be done, but we have made meaningful progress in a number of strategic areas. In addition to expanding the breadth of product we are selling to existing customers, we also have developed new channel partnerships. These actions support our specialist approach to the market and our focus on specific applications that have a major impact on our customers' businesses."



As for its outlook, Ciena said it expects first quarter revenue to increase by between 7% to 10%. http://www.ciena.com

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Optibase's MGW 5100 Now Enables IP/TV in Ireland

Industria, an Irish broadband solution provider, has integrated Optibase's MGW 5100 IP platform in a video head-end solution for Magnet Networks, a competitive operator in the Dublin area. The video head-end solution, which will enable triple play services will deliver tens of live video channels over a fiber network designed to reach subscribers in multi-dwelling units. http://www.optibase.com

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Covad Completes Nationwide Rollout of Business VoIP

Covad Communications has completed the nationwide rollout of its business-class Covad VoIP service, which is now available in 125 major metropolitan markets across the U.S.

Covad VoIP offers two services: Covad vPBX and Covad PBXi. Covad PBXi is designed to work seamlessly with existing PBX equipment. Covad vPBX is designed as a full PBX alternative. Covad and Covad's dealer network install the service, train users and provide complete customer support.

Covad also features a Dashboard user interface for managing local and long-distance services, visual fax and voice mail, Instant Messaging, audio and web conferencing, call logs, directory services, "Find me/Follow me" and other features. http://www.covad.com

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U.S. Senate Passes Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act

The U.S. Senate passed a Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (H.R. 5419) to facilitate the clearing and auction of 90 MHz of spectrum held by the federal government for Advanced Wireless Services. The bill also includes funding for state and local governments for wireless E911 and addresses accounting issues involving the Universal Service Fund. The legislative package, which was passed by the House of Representatives last month, now goes to the President for consideration.



When fully developed, the wireless E-911 system will enable law enforcement personnel and emergency responders to pinpoint the location of callers using wireless handsets. Grants from the $250 million fund would be available to states that have not diverted money from their dedicated E-911 accounts. http://www.senate.gov

• In November 2002, the FCC first allocated the additional 90 MHz of spectrum in the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz bands that can be used to provide new advanced wireless services, i.e. 3G or IMT-2000. The spectrum was previously used by the federal government, microwave licensees and multipoint distribution services.



• In October 2003, the FCC implemented service rules for the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz spectrum bands, effectively opening the bands for new 3G. The new rules cover application procedures, licensing, technical operations, and competitive bidding. The spectrum will be licensed by geographic areas under the FCC's market-oriented, competitive-bidding rules. The licenses for these bands will have an initial 15-year term with 10-year renewal terms. Licensees will be required to show that they have provided substantial service by the end of the license term; however, no interim construction requirements have been imposed.

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Siemens to Acquire Chantry Networks for WLAN Management

The Siemens Communications Group will acquire Chantry Networks, a Boston-based start-up that provides secure integrated mobility management solutions for WLANs. Financial terms were not disclosed. Unlike traditional Layer 2 switch-based offerings, Chantry Networks' BeaconWorks provides wireless connectivity directly over IP. Intelligent wireless subnets enable differentiated provisioning and policing between different types of user groups, over one physical network.
The Chantry architecture is ready for later integration of WiMAX, and the access points are designed in such a way that devices from different third-party manufacturers can be integrated.



Siemens said the acquisition would expand its expertise within the HiPath portfolio to the rapidly growing WLAN market. http://www.chantrynetworks.comhttp://www.siemens.com/hipath

• Founded in April of 2002, Chantry Networks is headquartered in Boston with product development center in Toronto and offices in Chicago, Denver, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. and has more than 70 employees.



• Investors in Chantry Networks include Flagship Ventures, Primaxis Technology Ventures, Venture Coaches/Skypoint Capital, Ventures West and Siemens Venture Capital.



• Chantry Networks is headed by Peter N. Vicars, who previously served as President and CEO of Cayman Systems, a provider of broadband access solutions. The company was co-founded by Brian Collie, formerly Vice President and General Manager of Nortel Networks' Wireless LAN & PAN Division, and Robert Myers, who previously was Senior Product Architect for Nortel Networks' Dial Access product line.

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Connexion by Boeing and Vodafone to Link Mobility Services

Vodafone will be the first global mobile telecommunications operator to undergo trials with Connexion by Boeing, aimed at extending Vodafone's laptop data mobility services in flight. The trial, due to start this month, will test the Vodafone customer experience with the Connexion by Boeing real-time, in-flight Internet service, which operates in a similar manner to ground based public Wi-Fi. Following successful completion of trials and Vodafone entering into a full agreement with Connexion by Boeing, Vodafone customers will be able to access the Internet or their corporate VPN, and have sessions billed to their Vodafone account.



The companies said access by Vodafone customers to Connexion by Boeing's in-flight Wi-Fi service is expected to launch first on Lufthansa flights in and out of Europe. http://www.connexionbyboeing.com

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AT&T Wins $174 Million Siemens AG Contract

Siemens AG has awarded a four-year, global networking contract valued at $174 million to AT&T. The contract extends and expands a long-standing relationship between the two companies. AT&T is Siemens' primary networking services provider in North and South America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe, providing a standardized 800-plus node network-based IP VPN. Under the new agreement, AT&T is delivering an integrated solution supporting Siemens' Network eXchange (SNX) strategy, which will provide a common communication model across Siemens and its business partners. The managed IP VPN solution is based on AT&T's global MPLS platform. http://www.att.com

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nex-G Develops WiMAX Platform

Singapore-based nex-G Systems Pte Ltd. introduced as WiMAX platform based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standards, incorporating early 802.16e mobility features. The nex-G WiMAX portfolio includes outdoor subscriber units, base stations and backhaul solutions. nex-G said its carrier-class "Horizon" Base Station supports simultaneous connection for up to 16,000 subscribers over up to 16 sectors.



nex-G currently offers a range of 802.11 Wi-Fi access points, customer premise equipment (CPE) and backhaul solutions. http://www.nex-g.com/

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VoicePulse Plans Video Phone Service

New Jersey-based VoicePulse announced plans to incorporate videophone service into its existing consumer VoIP service in the second half of 2005. With the recent widespread use of camera and video-enhanced mobile phones, company executives believe videophones in the home are the next logical step. http://www.voicepulse.com/

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Xilinx Enables Aurora Lightweight Serial Connectivity Protocol

Xilinx announced the availability of FPGA-based Version 2.2 reference design cores for the high-speed serial I/O protocol Aurora. The release will enable chip-to-chip, backplane, box-to-box and board-to-board connectivity applications to communicate from 600 Mbps to 10 Gbps per lane.



Aurora is an open protocol, licensed at no cost, which can be implemented in any silicon device/technology including FPGAs, ASICs and ASSPs. It provides a transparent interface to the physical serial links, allowing easy use of the links for carrying data from proprietary or industry standard protocols such as Ethernet or TCP/IP. http://www.xilinx.com

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Vonage to Develop Videophone with Viseon

Vonage plans to integrate its service with Viseon's next generation broadband video telephone. The two companies announced a partnership to target both consumers and small businesses, enabling them to make videophone calls and to visually communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world.



"Vonage is pleased to partner with Viseon to develop this first-of-a-kind videophone service. Our ability to offer both consumers and small businesses the opportunity to make video calls is another enhancement to the way people make phone calls," stated Jeffrey A. Citron, chairman and CEO of Vonage.



Viseon is preparing to launch a new VisiFone II consumer broadband videophone in Q1 2005. http://www.vonage.com

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China Telecom Selects Alcatel 7750 Service Router

China Telecom has selected the Alcatel 7750 Service Router (SR) and 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM) to support differentiated IP and Ethernet services over its nation-wide IP/MPLS network, ChinaNet2. The contract was won through Alcatel Shanghai Bell. The 7750 SR will also enable the operator to integrate its voice and service level agreement (SLA)-based data services into one unified IP/MPLS platform. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.alcatel.com

• In November 2004, Juniper Networks announced that its routing platforms have been awarded the largest share of the contract for China Telecom's next-generation backbone network, which is also known as ChinaNet Next Carrying Network (CN2). The Juniper gear will be deployed exclusively for China Telecom's national core backbone and eight South China provincial backbone networks. Specifically, China Telecom will deploy the T640, T320 and M320 routing platforms with MPLS .



• Earlier in November 2004, Cisco Systems announced that China Telecom had selected its equipment for the business network portion of the ChinaNet Next Carrying Network or CN2. In October 2004, China Telecom selected Lucent Technologies for upgrades to its national optical backbone network. Under the project, Lucent will provide its WaveStar OLS 1.6T high-capacity DWDM system to build a transmission network spanning over 2,400 kilometers across China. The contracts were awarded as part of China Telecom's National Transmission Backbone Expansion Project.



• In September 2004, it was announced that China Telecom will deploy Nortel Networks Optical Long Haul 1600 Optical Line Systems to expand its optical backbone networks in the cities of Wuhan, Guangzhou, Changsha, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Chongqing, and Chengdu.



• In August 2004, Alcatel Shanghai Bell announced a contract to supply 1.3 million Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) to China Telecom in southern China.

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Allstream and BT Announce Strategic Relationship

Canada-based Allstream and BT announced a partnership to deliver global IP solutions to Canadian and multinational companies with cross-border and international requirements. Allstream will be able to both extend its global reach and gain access to BT's advanced product and network services portfolio on a worldwide basis. BT will continue to use Allstream to connect its global customers who have requirements in Canada.



The first outcome of this collaboration is the launch of Allstream's Global Business IP service, which extends the reach of Allstream's national MPLS network by leveraging BT's extensive global network to offer seamless international service and support to enterprise customers. The service will allow customers to interconnect locations worldwide simply and efficiently. http://www.allstream.comhttp://www.bt.com

• In June 2004, Manitoba Telecom Services completed its acquisition of Allstream (formerly AT&T Canada). Allstream operates a nationwide network spanning 18,000 km and is focused on the business market.



• In July 2004, Allstream extended its Master Services Agreement (MSA) with AT&T Corp. through December 2006. The MSA enables the two companies to offer customers seamless cross-border routing, an attractive capability for Contact Centres with locations in Canada and the United States.

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