Alcatel Supplies WiMAX network in Austria

WiMAX Telecom GmbH, a subsidiary of Swiss WiMAX Telecom AG, selected Alcatel to deploy a turnkey WiMAX network. The first phase of the deployment is expected to be complete later this month. The network will deliver symmetric data throughput of up to 2 Mbps per user. WiMAX Telecom GmbH was the sole provider to obtain the nationwide rights to the WiMAX frequencies in Austria at the auction of October 4, 2004. This is the first commercial broadband wireless access system using the new WiMAX standard in Austria. http://www.alcatel.com In February...

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Alcatel to Upgrade Cable Linking Africa, Europe and Asia

Alcatel was awarded a multi-million US dollar turnkey contract to upgrade the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE undersea cable system linking West & Southern Africa, Europe and Asia. The SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine cable, for which Alcatel has been a major supplier since 1999, is composed of two segments - SAT-3/WASC in the Atlantic Ocean and SAFE in the Indian Ocean, which together span 28,000 km. Alcatel will upgrade the SAT-3/WASC WDM submarine terminals for the segment linking Portugal to South Africa with branches in Spain, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana,...

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FCC Action in Response to Hurricane Katrina

In response to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the FCC announced several actions that it is taking:posted a web page with consumer information that may be helpful to the general public during this emergency situation, including links to amateur radio organizations who may provide alternative communications servicesthe FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology will put in place procedures to help emergency communications services resume and maintain operations in the areas impacted by the hurricanethe FCC's Media Bureau will provide relief...

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Deutsche Telekom Plans 50Mbps BB, 3G HSDPA, SIP Phones and Fixed Mobile Convergence

In conjunction with this week's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin, Deutsche Telekom outlined its plans for high-speed broadband, wireless and converged network services.Fixed Network: Deutsche Telekom plans to invest up to three billion EURs in its German broadband fixed network over the next few years to boost its Triple Play offering. The company expects to push broadband rates to up to 50 Mbps. Pilot trials are currently underway...

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WSJ: SBC Might Change Name to AT&T

SBC Communications is leaning towards adopting the AT&T name following its pending acquisition of the firm, according to The Wall Street Journal. The SBC corporate brand is not widely recognized outside of its home territory, whereas AT&T is a widely known worldwide. http://www.wsj....

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Ciena Reports Revenues of $110.5 million

Ciena reported quarterly revenue of $110.5 million, representing a 6.4% sequential increase from fiscal second quarter revenue of $103.8 million, and an increase of 46.2% over the same period a year ago when the company reported sales of $75.6 million.Ciena's reported net loss (GAAP) for the fiscal third quarter was $51.0 million, or a net loss of $0.09 per share. This loss compares to a GAAP net loss of $141.5 million, or a net loss of $0.25 per share, in the same period a year ago. Overall gross margin improved from 26.2% in the second fiscal...

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Skype Signs up its First Mobile Network Partner -- Germany's E-Plus

Skype announced a landmark partnership with E-Plus, Germany's third largest mobile phone network with 9.8 million subscribers, which marks an important step in Skype's global mobile strategy to move beyond the desktop.Starting in October, Skype software will be bundled with E-Plus' flat-rate data service, allowing people to gain both a high bandwidth Internet connection and free, high-quality Skype calling over E-Plus' mobile network. The flat-rate data service is available throughout Germany for EUR 39.95 per month. Skype will be the only company...

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Unwired Australia Plans 802.16e-based Mobile WiMAX with Navini

Unwired Australia, which operates a wireless broadband network spanning more than 1,200 square miles in Sydney and the surrounding region, will bring 802.16e-based Mobile WiMAX solutions to the Australian marketplace, in partnership with Navini Networks.As part of this partnership, Navini will work to seamlessly and rapidly transition Unwired Australia to the IEEE 802.16e Mobile WiMAX standard through Navini's Ripwave-MX product line.Navini has already announced its Ripwave-MX product line which includes dual mode CPEs, PCMCIA cards and software-upgradeable...

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QUALCOMM Enhances 3G Call Quality with Philips' LifeVibes Software

QUALCOMM has integrated Philips' LifeVibes Voice sound enhancement software onto its Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipsets. The echo-canceling technology is designed to improve the acoustic performance of 3G mobile handsets and improve the clarity of conference and hands-free calls.QUALCOMM said the echo-canceling sound enhancement technology would enable users to make clear and full-duplex conference, videoconference and hands-free calls without audial interference from stationary background noise. QUALCOMM will initially provide support for echo-cancellation...

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NETGEAR Joins WiMAX Forum

NETGEAR has joined the WiMAX Forum as a principle member. The company is among the first vendors that provide networking solutions for homes and small- and medium-sized businesses to join the WiMAX Forum."As with MIMO and OFDM, WiMAX is another example of how NETGEAR positions itself ahead of the technology curve in developing solutions for emerging wireless standards," said Patrick Lo, NETGEAR's chairman and chief executive officer. "WiMAX is a potentially significant technology that could revolutionize the way people get broadband access."h...

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China Taizhou CATV Deploys Flexlight GPON

Taizhou CATV, a major service provider and CATV operator in China's Jiangsu province, is deploying a 2.5 Gbps GPON using technology from FlexLight Networks. The network provides full 2.5 Gbps bandwidth with guaranteed quality of service for existing TDM services while allowing Ethernet services to be deployed.Taizhou CATV is currently delivering leased line and Fast Ethernet services to their government, enterprise and educational customers in the Taizhou metropolitan area. http://www.flexlight-networks....

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Lucent Supplies VoIP to Korea's Hanaro Telecom

Hanaro Telecom, Korea's second largest wireline and broadband service provider, will deploy Lucent's VoIP solution to offer enterprise services. Lucent said its solution can enable Hanaro to provide traditional business voice services, such as call forwarding and conference calling, as well as IP-based features that can include interactive voice response, one-number calling and Web-based integrated business features that allow customers to manage their voice services via their computers.The deployment will include the Lucent Feature Server 3000,...

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Verimatrix Introduces Digital Watermarking for IPTV

Verimatrix, a developer of content protection and security solutions based in San Diego, announced an additional level of digital watermarking capabilities that detect piracy to the culpable individual's set-top box. As an optional component to the Verimatrix Content Authority System (VCAS), the user-specific digital watermarking system is the industry's first to embed an electronic fingerprint in video content as it is played back at the set-top box.Verimatrix protects content and video streams, as well as detects digital piracy at its point of...

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Harris to Acquire Leitch

Harris Corporation agreed to acquire Leitch Technology, a provider of professional digital video solutions based in Toronto, for a cash price of C$14.00 per share amounting to total consideration of approximately C$592 million. The deal represents a premium of 44 percent over the twenty-day volume weighted average trading price of C$9.72 for Leitch shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange."This acquisition further positions Harris to lead the broadcast industry's transition to high-definition digital services," said Howard L. Lance, chairman, president...

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BellSouth: 180 Central Offices on Generator Power, 870,000 Lines Out

BellSouth is concentrating on repairing major cables, ensuring telephone switching centers continue to have back-up power until commercial power can be restored, as well as getting communications established for emergency personnel, city and government officials and hospitals.The total number of projected lines impacted in Louisiana is about 1,000,000. Approximately 130,000 lines have been cleared to date as power is restored, and 870,000 lines remain out of service. The actual time it will take to restore service depends upon BellSouth's access...

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BellSouth: 180 Central Offices on Generator Power

BellSouth reported that 180 of its central office locations are currently running on generator due to a loss of commercial power in affected areas. The company has 750,000 customer lines in the areas most heavily damaged areas by Hurricane Katrina.BellSouth said it is still assessing the full impact on the network and its customers' operations, and as a result, it is too early to project the total magnitude of destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. "This is not a normal hurricane restoration situation," said Bill Smith, Chief Technology Officer....

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Walt Disney and Kudelski to Develop Push VOD for Europe

Walt Disney Television International (WDTV-I) Ventures & Business Development Group and the Kudelski Group announced a joint venture to develop and market turnkey Push Video-On-Demand (VOD) and Digital Video Recorder (DVR) services. The Push VOD solution would run on standard satellite, cable, terrestrial and IP Digital Video Recorder hardware platforms, and will be made available to digital television operators worldwide (excluding the US, Canada and Japan).The system will offer a selection of movie and other TV content delivered to a STB...

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Skype Cites Growing Developer Community

Skype announced that more than 400 hardware and software products have been created so far by the more than 100 developers using its Application Programming Interface (APIs), which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.Skype has awarded a first prize of EUR 2000 to Jyve in its first developer competition for a plug-in that lets webmasters enable Skype and call forwarding, presence, browser synchronization and auto-responding features on their sites. Khaos Labs received a special mention for its Free ActiveS COM wrapper, which has been used by...

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Cavalier Telephone Selects Amino's MPEG-4 Set-top

Cavalier Telephone, a CLEC based in Virginia with 180,000 lines, has chosen Amino's AmiNET124 set-top box for its IPTV deployment. The contract is part of a substantial multi-year agreement and deployment will commence in October 2005. Further details of the contract, including value and quantities, have not been disclosed. The AmiNET124 is Amino's first single-chip IP set-top box which supports the new MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video compression standard....

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Hong Kong Broadband Network Deploys Cisco ROADMs

Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) is expanding its coverage and capacity with a Cisco IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN), using Cisco ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) technology together with HKBN's existing ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) optical core. The expanded optical core will assist HKBN in achieving its goals of increasing the scope of its service offerings and expanding its network coverage to 80% of homes in Hong Kong. ROADM enables service providers to add, drop or pass through any combination of...

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airBand Names Mark F. Spagnolo CEO

airBand Communications, a fixed wireless broadband connectivity provider based in Dallas, named Mark F. Spagnolo as the company's new president and CEO. Spagnolo most recently led Broadwing Communications. He also served as CEO of UUNET.airBand said it is serving more than 2,000 businesses, including Continental Airlines, Fujitsu, Solomon Smith Barney, The Staubach Company, and WebMD. http://www.airband....

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MPLS & Frame Relay Alliance and the ATM Forum Complete Merger

The MFA Forum, the new organization formed through the merger of the MPLS & Frame Relay Alliance and the ATM Forum, held its first meeting last month in Ottawa. The merged group will focus on optimizing and interworking the three primary telecoms transport technologies -- ATM, MPLS & Frame Relay -- in a unified and streamlined technical committee and on representing the industry with a single voice."The first meeting of the MFA Forum was a great success," said Andrew G. Malis of Tellabs, and president and chairman of the MFA Forum. "With...

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Harmonic Introduces New HD Multi-Codec Encoder

Harmonic introduced its new DiviCom MV 3500 encoding platform, a multi-format high definition (HD) encoder supporting either MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), SMPTE VC-1 or MPEG-2. The full-featured DiviCom 3500 encoding platform, which builds on Harmonic's existing lines of multi-codec standard definition encoders, provides the performance, video quality and interoperability -- from the headend to the subscriber premises -- that operators need to offer a rich...

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Canon Launches New Network-ready Video Cameras

Canon introduced two network-ready cameras featuring two-way audio features, built-in servers and optical zoom lenses. Both the new Canon VB-C50FSi Fixed Network Camera and the new Canon VB-C50i/VB-C50iR Pan/Tilt/Zoom Network Camera feature an advanced 26X Optical Zoom Lens and a 12X Digital Zoom and 640-by-480-pixel resolution video with up to 30 frames-per-second quality. The two cameras use a quarter-inch, 340,000-effective-pixel CCD for high-quality...

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3Com Teams with Nuasis to Offer IP Contact Center

3Com introduced an IP Contact Center module that routes customer contacts -- phone, email, web and fax -- to customer service agents located anywhere on an enterprise network. The 3Com IP Contact Center product is licensed from Nuasis.The 3Com IP Contact Center module is an IP-based application geared for medium and large enterprise customers. The module consolidates multiple contact center systems such as legacy automatic call distributors (ACDs), interactive voice response units (IVRs), and computer telephony integration (CTI) components on a...

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Senator Sununu Scheduled to Speak at Fall 2005 VON

Senator John Sununu (R-NH) has been scheduled to speak at Fall 2005 VON in Boston on Monday, September 19th.Last year, Senator Sununu proposed the "VOIP Regulatory Freedom Act of 2004," which aimed at encouraging the growth of VoIP by definitively classifying it as an information service and limiting potential state regulations. http://www.von....

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Ericsson Unveils Latest IP-PBX

Ericsson has launched a stand-alone version of its MX-ONE IP communications platform - a full-featured IP-PBX system for enterprises deploying a converged voice and data network from day one.The latest release of the Ericsson MX-ONE system serves up to 7,000 users with integrated mobility and extensive collaboration features, including instant Messaging, corporate directories and presence profile management. It can be integrated with standard enterprise software such as Microsoft Office and IBM Lotus Notes. Ericsson said analog, digital, mobile...

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Microsoft Acquires Teleo for VoIP / MSN Integration

Microsoft has acquired Teleo, a developer of VoIP software and services for the consumer market. Teleo, a San Francisco-based start-up, had launched a beta application that integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer to provide a click-to-call VoIP connectivity to cell phones, regular phones or other PCs. The company was founded in 2003. Financial terms were not disclosed.Microsoft said it will combine the Teleo technology with the existing VoIP investments of MSN to further develop products and services for consumers.http://teleo...

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom Tops 3.36 Million ADSL Lines

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's incumbent telecom operator, had 3.36 million ADSL subscribers as of 30-June-2005, a 23.3% increase year-over-year. Chunghwa added 160,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2005.The total number of internet subscribers was nearly 3.96mn as of 30-June-2005, a 7.1% increase year-over-year. In the second quarter of 2005, Chunghwa added 91,000 new subscribers.At the end of June 2005, mobile subscribers remained at 8.1 million, as the company said it continued to clean up inactive prepaid subscribers to increase the...

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Widevine Releases Cypher 3.0 for Video Content Security

Widevine Technologies introduced Cypher 3.0, its third generation content security suite with new levels of reliability, flexibility and ease-of-use for telco, cable, satellite and internet services providers.Cypher 3.0 now guarantees continuous availability for any type of content, on any device, at any time -- a critical requirement for operators who differentiate on service quality. The systems offers expanded ecosystem support for several new standard and high-definition set-top boxes and PVRs from Amino, ASUS, HwaCom and Motorola. The new...

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Verizon Wins FiOS TV Approval in Florida County

Verizon was awarded a 15-year video franchise by the Manatee County Commission in Florida. Verizon now has the authority to offer FiOS TV to the 235,000 residents in the unincorporated portions of the county. The company said this is the largest population to be served by a Verizon franchise agreement to date.So far, Verizon has placed 1.8 million feet of fiber thus far to serve Manatee County. Verizon will extend FiOS TV to additional geographic areas within the county as wire centers are completed.In addition, Verizon said the Manatee County...

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DISH Network Debuts Six-Way TV Mosaic with OpenTV

EchoStar's DISH Network satellite TV service introduced a new feature that delivers a mosaic of six networks and interactive channels on a single TV screen. The feature makes it easier to find content and surf between channels. Viewers can select between windows of popular networks, including CNN, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, E! Entertainment, Bloomberg and Court TV. The interactive mosaic concept -- six mainstream TV channels integrated with interactive...

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ARCHOS Tunes its Mobile DVRs for CinemaNow VOD

ARCHOS announced a co-marketing agreement to bring the CinemaNow video download service to its new ARCHOS AV 700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder and Gmini 402 Pocket Multimedia Center devices. Consumers will be able to watch their CinemaNow videos on the AV 700's 7" wide screen or connect the device to their TV for full screen viewing. The ARCHOS AV 700 comes in 40- and 100-gigabyte hard drive versions and can store up to 400 hours of video. Currently,...

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Wanadoo's Livecom Integrates Jabber XCP

Wanadoo's Livecom integrated voice, video, and chat service has deployed the Jabber Extensible Communications Platform (Jabber XCP). For Livecom, Jabber XCP serves as its core presence, subscriber management, and multi-media routing technology. Additionally, Jabber XCP provides Wanadoo with a highly extensible service delivery framework for ongoing service innovation. Jabber XCP is a presence and messaging server that supports all standards based messaging and presence protocols, including Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Session...

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Nortel Rolls Out New IP Communication Solutions

Nortel introduced a series of new and enhanced IP multimedia solutions for the enterprise market. The line-up includes:the Nortel IP Phone 1100 Series, which features advanced capabilities including high-resolution displays for graphical content presentation along with USB and Gigabit Ethernet capabilities. Nortel is introducing three new models: the IP Phone 1110, IP Phone 1120E, and IP Phone 1140E, each designed to deliver sophisticated telephony features and applications.Nortel WLAN Handset 2212, which offers enterprises fast access to people...

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Astra Platform Services GmbH Deploys Harmonic Encoders

Astra Platform Services GmbH (APS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES ASTRA and Germany's largest satellite broadcaster, is deploying Harmonic's DiviCom MV 100 multi-codec encoding platform.APS, which was formerly known as Digital Playout Center, provisions broadcast TV services that reach several million subscribers across central Europe. Harmonic's DiviCom MV 100 encoding platform and DiviTrackXE closed-loop statistical multiplexing solution will use MPEG-2 compression to enable APS to significantly increase its channel density. e Harmonic solution...

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Manitoba Telecom Adds VOD to IPTV Service in Winnipeg

Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) has launched on-demand programming to over 40,000 television subscribers in Winnipeg using on-demand software and servers from SeaChange International.MTS TV is a digital television service providing over 200 channels, including more than 25 themed channel packages. In addition to video-on-demand, MTS is adding new features to the MTS TV portal, providing more access to local information such as weather, airport arrivals and departures, school/garbage day, horoscopes and more. All of these new features, in addition...

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Nortel Integrates Microsoft Office Communicator with SIP Platform

Nortel has expanded its strategic relationship with Microsoft and plans to integrate Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 and Office Live Communication Server with its open, SIP-based communications solution. The converged solution will provide desktop call control using Microsoft Office Communicator for telephony infrastructures built on Nortel Communication Server 1000. Nortel's open SIP application interface allows companies to further customize the solution.The new Nortel/Microsoft converged office solution will also provide access to critical...

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Telecom New Zealand Selects Alcatel NGN

Telecom New Zealand selected Alcatel to build the IP Voice platform for its Next Generation Network (NGN). Telecom will invest US$220 million in new network and system capability. The first residential customers will migrate onto the new network by early 2007 and eventually all of New Zealand's 2.2 million customer lines will be transitioned to the new platform in 2012.The companies said the investment is a critical milestone in the multi-year, US$1.4 billion transition to a totally new network platform that will deliver triple play (voice, data...

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NDS and Frontier Silicon Collaborate on Mobile Content Protection

NDS and Frontier Silicon, a start-up offering semiconductors for mobile digital television (DVB-H & T-DMB) and DAB digital radio products, agreed to collaborate on joint development and marketing of secure content protection and digital rights management (DRM) for mobile digital TV and DAB digital radio.The agreement will address security concerns that content providers have in releasing premium content into the MDTV (mobile digital television) and DAB radio markets. NDS and Frontier Silicon will develop a secure end-to-end solution with content...

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Meru Partners with Juniper on Secure Wireless VoIP

Meru Networks signed an alliance agreement with Juniper Networks to co-market solutions that enable pervasive, secure wireless VoIP . Meru has joined Juniper's J-Partner Infrastructure Alliance program as a preferred member, and will immediately begin collaborating with Juniper on several fronts, including joint sales engagements and other co-marketing activities.The companies said the combination of Juniper's IP routing and security with Meru's...

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Motorola Announces Cash Tender Offers for Up to $1.0 Billion

Motorola announced the commencement of cash tender offers for up to $1.0 billion of certain of its outstanding debt. The company announced the commencement of an any and all tender offer (the "Any and All Tender Offer") for all $200 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 6.50% Notes due 2008 (the "6.50% Notes") and all $325 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 5.80% Notes due 2008 (the "5.80% Notes"). In addition, the company announced the commencement of a partial tender offer (the "Partial Tender Offer") for its...

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Ericsson Supplies VDLS2 to European Broadband Provider B2

B2 is deploying VDSL2 over Ericsson's IP/Ethernet platform. The company plans to deliver Triple Play services -- Internet, IP Telephony and IPTV. The VDSL2 system is planned to be in operation in October this year. http://www.ericsson....

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Study in Finland Finds 41% Willing to Pay for Mobile TV

A study by Finnish broadcast, content and mobile communications companies found that 41% of pilot participants would be willing to purchase mobile TV services and half thought that a fixed monthly fee of EUR 10 was a reasonable price to pay. Over half (58%) said that they believed broadcast mobile TV services would be popular. Digita, Elisa, MTV, Channel Four Finland (Nelonen), Nokia, TeliaSonera Finland and YLE jointly conducted the pilot in Finland between March and June 2005 with 500 users accessing mobile TV using the Nokia 7710 smartphone...

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Morton Bahr Steps Down as President of CWA

Morton Bahr will step down as President of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Bahr, who led the union for 20 years, is only CWA's third president since its founding in 1938. He won election as CWA president in 1985, a year after the breakup of the AT&T Bell System which had employed a half million workers. During the union's 67th annual convention this week in Chicago, Larry Cohen was elected president of the CWA. Cohen has served as executive vice president of the CWA since 1998, after serving as assistant to President Bahr and...

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D-Link Launches Wireless 3G Router for Mobile Broadband over Cellular

D-Link introduced a Wireless 3G Mobile Router that offers subscribers of wireless carriers the ability to share 3G wireless broadband access at speeds up to 2.4 Mbps with Ethernet and 802.11g connected stations from anywhere a compatible 3G mobile signal is available. The D-Link Wireless 3G Mobile Router will come equipped with a built in Cardbus slot for the insertion of a 3G wireless notebook adapter interface for EVDO, UMTS, Flash-OFDM and HSDPA networks. The router will also feature two USB 2.0 ports, one for providing wireless broadband access...

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Intelsat to Acquire PanAmSat for $3.2 Billion

Intelsat agreed to acquire PanAmSat for $25 per share in cash, or $3.2 billion, creating a larger satellite company that will be a leader in the digital delivery of video content, the transmission of corporate data and the provisioning of government communications.PanAmSat brings a video-centric customer base, including leading providers of cable TV programming, while Intelsat's historical strength has been in providing core telephony and advanced data services to developing and underserved regions around the world. PanAmSat owns and operates a...

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IDT Spectrum Files for IPO

IDT Spectrum, which holds licenses for a large and broad collection of commercial fixed wireless spectrum in the United States, filed an SEC registration statement for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its Class B common stock. The company is developing a fixed wireless network platform that will integrate wireless spectrum with operational management capabilities and a flexible architecture to serve the specialized backhaul and telecommunications connectivity needs of a variety of customers, such as cellular phone network providers,...

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Adelphia Deploys Ciena Optical Ethernet for Distance Learning Network

Adelphia Communications has deployed Ciena's optical Ethernet platforms across western New York to interconnect 106 school districts serving 189,000 students with a wide range of applications for distance learning, including video conferencing and broadband data networking. The deployment is based on multiple optical Ethernet platforms from Ciena, including the CN 4300 Managed Optical Services Switch; the CN 2200 Managed Optical Ethernet Multiplexer; and the CN 2101 WaveSplicer, a passive CWDM Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer hardened for outside plant...

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eDonkey Surpasses BitTorrent as World's Largest P2P Network

eDonkey 2000 has overtaken BitTorrent to become the world's largest P2P file trading network, according to an updated analysis of worldwide Peer-to-Peer (P2P) traffic from CacheLogic.While BitTorrent remains extremely popular in Asia (with the notable exception of South Korea, where 92% of all P2P traffic is eDonkey), European, North American and Latin American users have shifted to eDonkey for the vast majority of file trading. The data for this study was obtained through CacheLogic's Streamsight Analysis Network Program, which enables analysis...

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Cisco Enhances IOS for Catalyst 6500 Switches

Cisco Systems released several Internetwork Operating System (IOS)-based software enhancements for its flagship Catalyst 6500 Series switches. Specifically, Cisco has evolved its existing IOS software for the Catalyst 6500 switches so that modular Cisco IOS subsystems now run in independent, self-healing processes. This has the following benefits:Minimizes unplanned network downtime through faster fault containment and recovery with Process Fault Containment and Stateful Process Restart features;Simplifies software changes through subsystem In-Service...

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Korean National Supercomputing Center Deploys Force10

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Korea's national supercomputer center, has deployed Force10 Networks' TeraScale E-Series in an international grid network to connect the country with scientists and researchers worldwide via the Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD).The Force10 TeraScale E600 is the foundation in an international grid network that connects Daejon, Korea, with Seattle. In addition, the E600 is connected to the Korea Research Environment Open Network (KREONET2), a high...

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SAMSUNG Demonstrates WiBro Handovers -- 802.16e

Samsung Electronics demonstrated Wireless Broadband (WiBro) Hand-over technology that allows devices to be connected seamlessly to Internet servers or other networked devices while commuting or moving at speeds up to 60 km/h. Wireless Broadband (WiBro) is based on Mobile WiMAX technology developed by Korea 's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and industry players. In February 2002, the Korea government allocated 100 MHZ...

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MCI Unveils Integrated Security Services Portfolio

MCI introduced its NetSec integrated portfolio of Managed and Professional Security Services spanning MCI's Internet "cloud" network to the enterprise premise "core" infrastructure. The new suite of global services delivers advanced, comprehensive threat intelligence and flexible security management for business and government customers.MCI said that unlike other point-solution providers, its is the first managed services company to take advantage of a carrier's Internet backbone network and a global managed security services provider's customer...

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Scientific-Atlanta and Microsoft Collaborate on IPTV Set-Top Boxes

Scientific-Atlanta and Microsoft announced that they are working together on IPTV set-tops for supporting initiatives such as SBC's Project Lightspeed.The new line of Scientific-Atlanta IP set-tops, which will be integrated with the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform, will support advanced codecs such as MPEG-4 Part 10/H.264 and VC-1 and will include standard- definition (SD), high-definition (HD), and whole home SD/HD digital video recorder (DVR) devices, as well as innovative gateway products that can serve an entire home with a single...

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National Semiconductor Debuts Video Decoder with RGB Conversion

National Semiconductor introduced a video decoder chip with an integrated 2:1 multiplexing (MUX) video switch that uses analog technology to convert standard and high-definition video (YPbPr) signals to a computer video (RGB) format. The chip could be used to enable video output directly from consumer devices such as DVD players or game consoles to personal computer monitors. The chip also performs all the necessary sync processing to generate horizontal and vertical sync signals from standard (SD) and high-definition (HD) video formats. http:...

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XO Launches Wholesale Local Voice Residential Solution

XO Communications is broadening its Wholesale Local Voice services platform to support competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) that offer local and long distance services to residential customers in competition with the RBOCs. XO currently provides wholesale voice service for business-focused CLECs.The XO Wholesale Local Voice services platform enables CLECs focused on residential customers to transition off of the RBOCs' unbundled network element platform (UNE-P) and utilize central office and transport services from XO.XO offers its Wholesale...

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Verizon Expands EV-DO Network and Cuts Prices

Verizon Wireless expanded its EV-DO wireless broadband network to seven new markets and cut the price for unlimited BroadbandAccess to $59.99 per month -- a 25% reduction -- for customers with any Verizon Wireless monthly voice plan. For non-voice customers, BroadbandAccess is available for $79.99 monthly access for unlimited use with a one- or two-year customer agreement.New Verizon EVDO markets include Baton Rouge, LA; Charlotte and Raleigh Durham,...

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Verizon Signs 5 Additional FiOS Programming Deals

Verizon announced separate content agreements for it FiOS TV service with The America Channel, Blackbelt TV, Expo TV, LIME and the Pentagon Channel. Terms were not disclosed.Verizon previously announced agreements with network groups such as NBC Universal Cable, Starz Entertainment Group, Showtime Networks, A&E Television Networks, Discovery Networks and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and is close to finalizing agreements with several other major content-partners.http://www.verizon....

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Granite Ventures Raises $350 Million Venture Capital Fund

Granite Ventures has closed Granite Ventures II, a $350 million venture capital fund that will focus on investment opportunities in early-stage communications and software companies. In the past 13 years, Granite Ventures has invested in more than 80 companies, including Digimarc, DigitalThink, InfoGear, Internap, NetBoost, Nexabit, Siebel Systems, Sierra Wireless, SnapTrack, Tumbleweed Communications and Vignette. http://www.granitevc.comGranite Ventures began as the early-stage venture capital group at Hambrecht & Quist in 19...

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ShoreTel Unveils 6th Generation IP PBX

ShoreTel unveiled the sixth generation of its distributed IP PBX voice solution, featuring a new Office Anywhere capability that supports mobile users irrespective of their location and the device they are using at the moment. ShoreTel is also enhancing its management and integration capabilities with integrated software distribution, media encryption, on-net dialing, and increased support of international operations. ShoreTel has also delivered...

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VNL's IPTV Service First to Complete Migration to MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)

Video Networks Limited (VNL), provider of the HomeChoice entertainment and communications service, has completed the migration of its broadcast line-up to MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), becoming the world's first revenue-generating broadcast television service delivered exclusively using MPEG-4. VNL's HomeChoice IPTV service is currently available to 2.4 million homes across London and Stevenage. HomeChoice currently offers over 80 broadcast and on-demand entertainment channels including BAFTA award-winning interactive music channels and more than 5,000...

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FCC Grants 30-Day Extension on VoIP E911 Order

The FCC has granted VoIP service providers an additional 30 days -- until September 28, 2005 -- before it begins enforcing the requirement that VoIP providers obtain affirmative acknowledgements from 100% of their subscribers that they have read and understood an advisory concerning the limitations of their E911 service. To be eligible for this extension, VoIP service providers must have filed a report on or before August 10, 2005 regarding steps taken toward compliance. On July 26, 2005, the FCC released a Public Notice stating that it would delay,...

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California Permitted to Implement to Technology-Specific Overlay Area Codes

The FCC granted a petition by the California Public Utility Commission to implement two technology-specific, specialized overlay (SOs) area codes for the state of California. The telephone numbers to be assigned in the SOs include those numbers used for services and technologies such as vehicle response systems, E-Fax, automated teller machines, point-of-sales machines, multi-line fax machines, and VoIP services. One of the SO area codes will cover the northern portion of the state and the other SO area code will cover the southern portion of...

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AirNetAnnounces Field Trial of its Super Capacity, Adaptive Array

AirNet Communications, a developer of software-defined wireless base stations, announced a field trial agreement with an unnamed large, tier 1 operator. The trial will test AirNet's "Super Capacity" adaptive array base stations in a dense urban, major metropolitan market. The trial cell sites will include a challenging combination of extremely dense wireless penetration and difficult radio frequency (RF) planning characteristics. AirNet will provide the Super Capacity base stations at the selected cell sites. The large operator will conduct a battery...

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Amino Combines its IPTV Set-top Software with Philips' Nexperia Chip

Amino is porting its IPTV set-top software stack to Philips' Nexperia home entertainment engine PNX8550, creating a reference design for IPTV set top box vendors. The open software platform is capable of supporting a range of IPTV middleware and conditional access solutions, including customized third-party applications for IPTV service providers. http://www.aminocom....

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IBM Develops Real-Time, On Demand Data Protection Software

IBM introduced new software that continuously protects information -- on laptops, desktop PCs and file servers -- from viruses, file corruption, or accidental deletion. The software, IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, creates a copy of designated file types on the local machine within milliseconds, and then sends another copy to a remote server. IBM said the software involves more than 10 patents pending on technologies for capturing continuous changes to data in tandem with remote scheduled back-up. A beta version of the software...

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SBC Provides Optical Ethernet for Westar Satellite Services

SBC Communications will provide Broadcast Video TV1 Service, which delivers high-speed fiber-optic connections designed for real-time delivery of broadcast-quality video, to Westar Satellite Services, a privately-held company based in Texas that provides traditional uplink and downlink video services via satellite and terrestrial broadcast transmission, including multimedia and streamed media content distribution. SBC companies will also provide Westar with SBC PremierSERV Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) through OPT-E-MAN switched Ethernet connections....

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BBC to Offer Video Content Online

The BBC is preparing to launch a video player application that lets viewers legally download up to seven days of its most recent TV programs. For UK viewers, a simulcast of BBC One or BBC Two would be available online at the same time as the television broadcast."MyBBCPlayer", which is expected to launch in 2006, would also let viewers purchase additional content. http://www.bbc.co...

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Former Alcatel Exec Joins Siemens Communications

Andreas Bernhardt, who previously CEO of Alcatel SEL AG in Germany, will join the Group Executive Management of Siemens Communications. Bernhardt, who has worked for Alcatel SEL since 1983, was appointed CEO of Alcatel SEL AG in Germany in 2000. Among his other activities, Bernhardt serves on the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations in the Federation of German Industries (BDI), on the Economic Council of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, and on the Board of Trustees of the Founders' Association for German Industry (Stifterverband für...

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Vonage Prepares for IPO

Vonage is preparing to file registration papers for an initial public offering (IPO) that is expected to raise $600 million for the firm, according to various media sources. Vonage did not officially comment on the reports. The company has an estimated 800,000 users. http://www.vonage....

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T-Com Upgrades Broadband Access Routers with Juniper/Siemens

T-Com, the fixed-network unit of Deutsche Telekom, has completed the upgrade of Junipers Networks E-Series Broadband Service Routers as part of its DSL-based broadband access network. Siemens implemented an intelligent logistics and modification process that ensured that the upgrade was completed on-time and without disrupting network operations, by working in close cooperation with T-Com and Juniper Networks, Siemens AG's global partner for IP networks and routers.T-Com is using Juniper Networks E-series Broadband Routers as a Broadband Remote...

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Passave Files for IPO

Passave, a developer of EPON chipsets, filed a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public offering of its common stock. Merrill Lynch & Co. will act as the sole book running manager for the offering with JPMorgan acting as joint lead-manager. CIBC World Markets and Jefferies Broadview will act as co-managers. Passave supplies FTTH semiconductors for ONTs and OLTs. The company's GigaPASS architecture integrates gigabit PON to Ethernet interfaces, wire speed protocol processing and...

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Samsung Unveils Smallest Satellite DMB + EV-DO Phone

Samsung Electronics introduced its fourth and smallest satellite DMB + CDMA2000 1x EV-DO (800MHz) phone, featuring a pivotal LCD screen that rotates 90 degrees into landscape mode. With the new B250, users can make phone calls or send and receive text messages even while watching TV. The DMB broadcast received by the phone can also be relayed to a regular TV. The B250 has external buttons that allow users to play MP3 files without opening the phone....

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Agere Names CFO

Agere Systems has named Peter Kelly chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately. Kelly, who was previously the company's executive vice president of global operations, replaces John W. Gamble, Jr., who has accepted a position at another company.Kelly joined Agere in September 2000 as vice president of operations for the company's Integrated Circuits division and was named head of Agere's global operations in August 2001. He has been instrumental in reinventing the company's supply chain and manufacturing strategies. Prior to coming to...

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Microsoft Releases Presence Tools for Live Communications Server

As an initial proof point demonstrating Live Communications Server as a real-time collaboration platform, Microsoft introduced controls and new samples that show developers how to incorporate real-time collaboration capabilities into applications. Controls and new samples include these:Presence Controls for Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 (previously called Real-Time Collaboration Presence Toolkit) enable developers using Microsoft Visual Studio development system to easily insert presence icons into applications to provide status information...

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