Tejas Networks Secures $15 Million for SONET/SDH

Tejas Networks, a start-up based in Bangalore, India, completed a $15 million Series C round of financing for its next generation SDH/SONET products. Since it's founding in 2000, Tejas equipment has been deployed in over 25 live carrier networks worldwide. The company has also forged several international OEM partnerships. The new funding was led by Battery Ventures. Existing investors Dr. Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande, Intel Capital and IL&FS Investment Manager also participated in the round. http://www.tejasnetworks....

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Atheros Introduces Smart-Antenna MIMO Wireless Chipset

Atheros Communications introduced a wireless chipset that employs multiple-radio, smart-antenna technologies to deliver MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) performance and throughput to standard 802.11 WLAN products. The new chipset uses phased array beamforming, cyclic delay diversity, and optimal receive combining to deliver higher performance even when the new chipset is only on one end of a wireless connection. Atheros said its design is unique in its ability to boost performance when on both ends of a wireless link (multiple input and...

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VOOM Expands HD Programming

VOOM announced plans to expand its satellite-delivered HD programming and add a full array of popular cable networks in standard-definition (SD). In March 2005, VOOM programming will increase from its current total of 130 channels to 355 HD and SD channels. The HD lineup will grow from 39 channels to 71 channels. To facilitate the expansion, VOOM is leasing 16 transponders on the SES Americom AMC-6 satellite, which VOOM refers to as "Rainbow 2."http://www.voom....

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Broadcom Offers IP Set-top Box with H.264

Broadcom announced a reference design platform for IP set-top boxes incorporating the H.264 advanced video compression technology. The H.264 compression technology (also known as MPEG-4 Part 10/Advanced Video Coding (AVC)) produces digital-quality video streaming at less than 1 Mbps (for standard definition television applications), enabling telecommunications companies to offer high quality digital broadcast services to subscribers over their current network infrastructures. Broadcom's IP set-top box reference design includes its single-chip IP...

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Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony Agree on Powerline Networking

Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic), Mitsubishi Electric and Sony are establishing an alliance for high-speed power line communication (PLC) specifications for networking consumer electronics. The new alliance, tentatively called the CE-Powerline Communication Alliance (CEPCA), will promote PLC-capable home networking worldwide by encouraging other consumer electronics and information technology companies to collaborate. Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony are already working collaboratively in interface technologies and the potential...

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BellSouth Initiates Technical Trial of Microsoft TV IPTV Edition

BellSouth is launching a technical trial of Microsoft TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform over its DSL network. BellSouth plans to leverage new DSL technologies, including ADSL2+ and copper pair bonding, as well as its deep fiber network, to test a feature-rich IP video offer during the first half of 2005. The company said it is currently completing testing of IPTV hardware and software within its labs and will later expand its trial to set-top boxes within customers' homes selected for the trial. BellSouth will then...

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TiVo Outlines its Competitive Strategy

TiVo unveiled its next generation service strategy for digital video recorders (DVR) using either broadcast or broadband IP networks. The company seeks to further differentiate itself from generic cable and satellite DVRs by offering consumers greater choice, bringing together music, home videos and digital photos, broadband and broadcast content on their own "Personal Entertainment Network." TiVo plans to pursue an open software platform which will enable third parties to develop applications and distribute content to the TiVo subscriber base....

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Motorola Debuts "Ojo" Personal Videophone

Motorola unveiled its new Motorola Ojo Personal Videophone at the 2005 International CES trade show in Las Vegas. The unit transmits full-motion video (30 fps) with synchronized audio over broadband services. For video calls, Motorola Ojo uses the MPEG-4 coding standard (H.264), which enables transmission of 30 frames-per-second video with synchronized audio at data rates as low as 110 Kbps. Ojo supports SIP and network-based call signaling (NCS),...

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Marvell Integrates TCP/IP into 802.11a/g Single Chip

Marvell introduced an 802.11a/g featuring integrated TCP, UDP and IP networking and designed for high volume consumer electronic products such as gaming consoles, digital still cameras, digital video cameras, printers, cellular phones, PDAs and MP3 players. The chip features an integrated ARM CPU, audio codec interfaces for true high-fidelity sound, high-speed serial host interfaces including USB 2.0, SDIO, and SPI to ensure interoperability with a variety of host systems. Sampling is underway. http://www.marvell.c...

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UTStarcom Cites Weakness in China for Revenue Shortfall

UTStarcom expects to report Q4 2004 revenue in the range of $740 million to $745 million, versus initial guidance of $875 million to $885 million. The company cited difficult market conditions in China as the primary reason behind the lower than expected financial results . The company said its China operations were adversely impacted by several factors, including an overall slowing of the Chinese economy, maturation of the PAS market, and decreased capital spending. In particular, UTStarcom said there were disruptions associated with changes...

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Alvarion Targets First WiMAX Broadband Mobility Within a Year

Alvarion expects to complete development of a mobile WiMAX solution based on the 802.16e standard within a year. The target launch in 2006 is intended to coincide with the availability of WiMAX-enabled devices such as laptops and PDAs that utilize chips currently under development. Mobile WiMAX, as defined in the 802.16e standard, will offer mobile data solutions that deliver broadband services of several Mbps per subscriber or more with full QoS capabilities that enable applications such as VoIP. Alvarion also has established a dedicated business...

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Momentum Builds for Secure Video Processor Alliance

The Secure Video Processor (SVP) Alliance announced that twelve new companies have joined the content protection organization, illustrating the endorsement of SVP technology from across a broad array of industries. The group promotes content protection based on conditional access technology. New members include Broadcom, Humax, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, TFT-LCD and Twentieth Century Fox, among others. The SVP Alliance is also joined by seven new associate members including: ADB, BSkyB, Caton Overseas, DIRECTV, Macrovision, Pace Micro...

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SBC to Adopt "U-Verse" Brand for Broadband IP Services

SBC Communications will promote its forthcoming IPTV, accelerated broadband and wireless/wireline services under the "U-verse" brand when the services begin rolling out later this year. At the heart of the U-verse portfolio is Project Lightspeed, the company's previously announced approximately $4 billion initiative to deploy fiber to 18 million households across 13 states by the end of 2007. "This is the year when excitement and dependability finally get on the same page -- when connections and electronics finally come together to provide the...

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DIRECTV Demonstrates MPEG-4 AVC HD via Satellite

DIRECTV has demonstrated the first live MPEG-4 AVC/DVB-S2 high-definition (HD) transmission via satellite. DIRECTV plans to use the encoding technology to expand its video offer by launching hundreds of local and national HD channels later this year and in 2007. The demonstration used equipment from Tandberg, Radyne/Comstream, Conexant, Broadcom and ST Microelectronics. MPEG-4 AVC/DVB-S2 significantly reduces the amount of bandwidth required to deliver HD via satellite. DIRECTV will continue to use MPEG-2 for standard definition broadcasts and...

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Samsung Develops MIMO Wi-Fi for Consumer Electronics

Samsung Electronics has developed a high-throughput wireless AV entertainment (HiWAVE) technology for delivering distortion-free connectivity over a 20 meter range. The system leverages high-throughput MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology to minimize channel distortion and interference, enabling network devices to transmit data streams over great distances. The system has been designed to effectively service multiple AV streams for the home network environment. HiWAVE's throughput of more than 60 Mbps enables streaming of HD video....

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