Infinera Goes Live with Photonic IC Technology

Infinera, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, announced the first commercial deployment of its Photonic Integrated Circuit technology. Germany's freenet is operating a nationwide network of Infinera DTNs. Unlike conventional optical systems, which use analog optical devices for key networking functions, the Infinera DTN uses digital technology. Infinera has created its own photonic chips that combine dozens of active and passive devices for managing light. The chips converts all traffic from optical to electronic signals, allowing the...

Read More

Marconi Forms Partnership with Huawei

Marconi and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. are working on a mutual distribution agreement that would see each company sell certain products from the other's product portfolio into their respective customers. Marconi will distribute certain of Huawei's carrier grade data products into its key customers. Huawei will distribute Marconi's next-generation access radio products into its key customers. The two companies have also discussed how Marconi can use its extensive services structure to support Huawei's pursuit of equipment business in the European...

Read More

NCTA Sees Antitrust Issue in SBC-AT&T Deal

Robert Sachs, President & CEO National Cable & Telecommunications Association, issued a statement urging caution in the proposed SBC acquisition of AT&T: "The proposed combination of the largest and second largest telephone providers in SBC's 13-state region raises obvious antitrust concerns that regulatory authorities will have to scrutinize carefully. Cable companies, other phone competitors, consumers and business users alike have a vital interest in ensuring that this new telco behemoth does not act anti-competitively to thwart...

Read More

Cable Operators Announce Digital Carriage Agreement

the Association for Public Television Stations and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association announced a progressive digital television carriage agreement covering the nation's local public television stations. The deal ensures that local public television stations' digital programming will be carried on cable systems serving the vast majority of the nation's cable subscribers. There are currently 356 Public Television stations in the U.S. As of the end of January, digital signals from about 100 Public Television stations were being...

Read More

Atheros Ships its 20-Millionth Wireless Chipset

Atheros Communications shipped its 20-millionth chipset during the fourth quarter of 2004. In just under three years, the company has delivered six generations of WLAN silicon. In its Q4 financial report, Atheros said demand for its solutions is at an all-time high. Revenue in the fourth quarter was $41.7 million, compared with $38.3 million in the third quarter, an increase of nine percent. Gross margins in the fourth quarter were 44.5 percent, compared with 45.6 percent in the third quarter, at the upper end of the company's guidance. ht...

Read More

Network Implications of SBC + AT&T Merger

SBC Communications confirmed its plans to acquire AT&T in an historic deal valued at approximately $16 billion that is likely to reshape the U.S. telecom market. The companies expect that the combination of a converged, IP backbone with global scale, a high-density of local broadband access lines, and with a nationwide IP-based UMTS/HSDPA wireless network (Cingular) will be the foundation for truly integrated, next-generation services. The companies cited more than $15 billion in identified short term synergies created through their merger....

Read More

Agere Teams with HCL on Network Processor Designs

Agere Systems introduced a simplified Functional Programming Interface (FPI) software platform that runs on its network processors, such as its PayloadPlus APP550 for multiservice networking gear. Agere's improved FPI software features a comprehensive suite of protocols and services for target applications. In addition, the software facilitates quick addition of revenue-generating, differentiating features with relatively small, localized changes in code. Agere also announced a service agreement with HCL Technologies to help enable telecom equipment...

Read More

MCI to Link Moonv6 IPv6 Network to Commercial Internet

MCI is collaborating with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) to connect the North American IPv6 Task Force's Moonv6 network to the commercial Internet backbone, allowing nationwide direct connection to the test bed. The connection will give test participants a native, non-tunneled connection to Moonv6 via MCI's MAE Services network exchange points. MCI's MAE infrastructure facilitates nationwide Layer 2 interconnectivity and public peering between Internet service providers. MAE Services connection points are...

Read More

XO Launches Broadband VoIP Service for Businesses

XO Communications is preparing to launch "Xoptions" Flex, its new bundled VoIP solution for business customers with a broadband connection. The service provides unlimited local and long distance calling over XO's Tier 1 IP network. XOptions Flex will be available for a flat monthly price and include more than a dozen standard voice applications and features for each phone line including call forward, three-way calling, and hunt groups. XOptions Flex will be available in Boston, New York and Washington, DC in early March followed by full nationwide...

Read More

ARRIS, Xtend Achieve DOCSIS 2.0 using Extended HFC Spectrum

Xtend Networks and ARRIS (announced the ability to offer dedicated high-bandwidth spectrum to commercial customers using standard DOCSIS products. In the tests conducted at ARRIS' laboratories, engineers used off-the-shelf Xtend and ARRIS DOCSIS products under a normal testing environment. Reliable operation and high performance were achieved at 256 QAM modulation downstream and 64 QAM SCDMA modulation upstream. Xtend's products are based on the ability of advanced application technology and Block Division Multiplexing to increase the available...

Read More

Sprint Joins the WiMax Forum

Sprint has joined the WiMAX Forum as a Principal Member to lend its support to that organization's mission of global interoperability standards formation for broadband wireless access products.Sprint said it is anxious to conduct technical trials as test equipment becomes available. http://www.sprint....

Read More

TiVo Opens Application Platform to Third Party Developers

TiVo released an early-access software development kit (SDK) that allows third parties to create entertainment and information applications that extend the TiVo service. TiVo recently announced a new service strategy to give broadcasters a way to deploy media rich broadband applications to TiVo subscribers,. TiVo subscribers will be able to access such applications from their broadband-connected TiVo Series2 DVRs, whether they're hosted by TiVo servers or running locally on their home PC. TiVo expects a wide variety of applications will be created,...

Read More

ECI Telecom Expands FTTP Portfolio with New Indoor ONTs

ECI Telecom introduced a new family of standards-based indoor Optical Network Termination (ONT) devices for residences and businesses being served by Broadband Passive Optical Network (BPON). The new Hi-FOCuS B-Light family of indoor ONTs joins the existing family of outdoor ONTs. Both the indoor and outdoor ONT units interconnect various customer-owned devices, including telephones, PCs, and TVs to the operator's BPON network. The products are based on the ITU G.983 standard. http://www.ecitele....

Read More

Passave Establishes U.S. Headquarters in Santa Clara

Passave, a supplier of FTTH silicon has opened a new U.S. headquarters. Based in Santa Clara, California. The new U.S. headquarters office incorporates a state-of-the-art development laboratory for support of customers throughout the design-in and deployment of Passave chips in their systems and networks. Passave recently opened Passave Japan KK subsidiary in the world's largest FTTH market, and a new R&D center in Herzlia, Israel. Passave's EPON solution is compliant with the IEEE 802.3ah standard for Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM). ...

Read More

America Online and Roadrunner Align Broadband Efforts

Time Warner Cable and America Online, both subsidiaries of Time Warner Inc., agreed to develop and market a customized broadband offering with attractive pricing for their current AOL and Road Runner subscribers as well as prospects across the Time Warner Cable footprint. As part of this relationship, America Online will manage the advertising and search opportunities for both the new offering and the Road Runner portal. The new broadband offering will consist of a special edition of the AOL client optimized for broadband that is combined with...

Read More

IP Unity Names Motorola Exec to Board

IP Unity has appointed Cas Skrzypczak, general partner at Global Asset Communications, and Adrian Nemcek, an executive vice president of Motorola, Inc. and president of Motorola Networks, to its board of directors. Casimir Skrzypczak joined Global Asset Capital after retiring from Cisco Systems where he served as senior vice president of Customer Services Advocacy. Adrian Nemcek, as president of Motorola Networks, is focused on providing customer solutions for existing cellular radio access, IP networks, telco wireline access, iDEN technology,...

Read More

Sylantro Names New Feature Server Customers

Sylantro Systems named two new customers, VoEx and STS Telecom. Both companies have integrated Sylantro's applications feature server and hosted communications applications as part of their comprehensive new service strategies to deliver richer, differentiated alternatives to Unbundled Network Element Platform (UNE-P) service offerings. STS Telecom, a South Florida-based telecommunications service provider, has deployed Sylantro servers and applications as part of the new EVOLUTION enterprise VoIP offering that will be initially deployed in 30...

Read More

Japan Telecom Implements Cisco Optical Platform

Japan Telecom has deployed the Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP) for its new "Otoku Line" fixed telephone service introduced in December 2004. The Cisco ONS 15454 MSPP forms a metro access ring independently deployed on a nationwide basis. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.cisco.com http://www.japan-telecom.co...

Read More

Analog Devices Announces Blackfin Processors

Analog Devices (ADI) announced the availability of four new network-enabled Blackfin Processors designed for embedded audio, video and communications applications. The Blackfin architecture combines the audio and video processing capabilities of DSPs and media processors with the programming capabilities of embedded 16/32-bit microprocessors. The new devices are targeted at IP-based video delivery, including IPTV set-top boxes. ZTE, China's largest listed telecommunications equipment provider, has adopted ADI's new Blackfin eMedia Platform for...

Read More