DSL Forum Targets 500 Million Lines by 2010

The worldwide installed base of DSL now tops 100 million -- representing a 60% expansion in 2004 -- according to data produced for the DSL Forum by industry analyst Point Topic. The figure stood at 96 million as of the end of 2004.


China, which has the largest DSL population, added 8.5 million DSL lines in 2004, compared to the U.S., which added 3.93 million DSL lines for the year. Meanwhile, France added 3.25 million, the U.K. added 2.8 million, Italy added 1.73 million and Germany added 1.4 million.


VDSL had at least 5 million lines in service as of the end of 2004 -- mostly in Korea, Japan and China.


The DSL Forum has set a new target of reaching 500 million DSL lines in service by 2010.
http://www.dslforum.org

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Vendors Showcase Voice Roaming between Mobile and Wi-Fi

At this week's CTIA Wireless 2005 conference in New Orleans, BridgePort Networks and its MobileIGNITE alliance are showcasing voice roaming between mobile (GSM and CDMA) and Wi-Fi networks. The demonstration shows seamless roaming of calls using a single mobile phone number identity over both live mobile and Wi-Fi networks. For example, as attendees enter an area where the Wi-Fi signal offers a clearer connection, a multi-mode phone automatically connects using low cost VoIP technology to send and receive calls.


Participants in the MobileIGNITE alliance include BridgePort Networks, Commoca, VeriSign, First Cellular, IMC and PCTEL.


Visitors to MobileIGNITE participating member booths can test MobileVoIP Live! on a Windows Mobile-based GSM and Wi-Fi Smartphone, with a unified cellular and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based VoIP user interface to make and receive phone calls.


Calls will be made on live mobile networks through roaming relationships provided through VeriSign (with International Mobile Communications for the GSM network and First Cellular of Southern Illinois for the CDMA network), combined with a wireless LAN network based on Airespace WLAN infrastructure.


The showcase is the result of the work of a number of BridgePort Networks' partners in its MobileIGNITE alliance program for MobileVoIP interoperability.

http://www.bridgeport-networks.com

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TriQuint Wins DARPA Contract to Develop Gallium Nitride Wideband Module

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a multiyear contract to TriQuint Semiconductor to develop high power wide band amplifiers in gallium nitride. Gallium nitride High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) devices provide the higher power density and efficiency required for high power phased array radar, electronic warfare, missile seeker and communications systems.


TriQuint said the contract is in two phases. The first phase, lasting three years and valued at $15.8 million, covers the development of gallium nitride material and devices to improve performance and reliability. The second, optional phase covers years four and five and is valued at $15.9 million. This phase will develop gallium nitride high power, wide band amplifiers and package technology for insertion into Department of Defense (DoD) systems.


TriQuint is the prime contractor and is teamed with BAE Systems, Emcore Corporation, II-VI Incorporated, Lockheed Martin and Nitronex on the program. http://www.triquint.com

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Verizon Makes Strides in UNE-p Deals

Verizon Communications noted progress in reaching agreements with wholesale customers for unbundled network element platforms (UNE-Ps). As of March 10, 2005, more than 20 carriers have signed up for Verizon's Wholesale Advantage commercial offering nationwide. In addition, more than 30 carriers have signed up for its interim commercial offering.
http://www.verizon.net

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BellSouth Reaches 100 Wholesale UNE-P Deals

BellSouth has signed 100 commercial wholesale local voice platform agreements with its competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC) customers. These deals allow CLECs to lease portions of BellSouth's network at commercially negotiated rates. BellSouth said these 100 agreements cover more than 530,000 access lines served by CLECs in BellSouth's region. CLECs doing business in the BellSouth territory have approximately 2.7 million lines in service using the complete platform of unbundled network elements (UNE-P).
http://www.bellsouth.com

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TelTel Tops 800,000 SIP Users

TelTel, a SIP-based global Internet telephony service with presence, has signed-up over 800,000 users for its online community, primarily by word-of-mouth. The TelTel service is described as "Instant Voice" (IV), which is Instant Messaging-like (including buddy lists), but voice-centric. It provides free calls to and from anywhere on the Internet and real-time presence information with multiple levels of privacy. For PC-to-Phone calls, if you have at least three friends in your Friends List, you can make free calls to certain phone numbers.


The TelTel network uses standards-based SIP to deliver "managed peer-to-peer" Internet Telephony versus the "best efforts" service of pure peer-to-peer Internet telephony providers, such as Skype. The encoding technology can deliver better-than-toll quality sound. TelTel also tunes the call route to reduce latency.


TelTel's SIP-based network allows any device that "speaks SIP" (including IP Phones, IP PBX and Terminal Adapter) to connect and interoperate with its users through an auto-provisioning function. The company is seeking partnerships from other telecom providers. as well as SIP-device manufacturers.
http://www.teltel.com

• TelTel is headed by Sherman Tuan, who previously founded AboveNet Communications, a leading Internet Data Center service provider that was acquired by Metromedia Fiber Networks in a multi-billion dollar deal.



• TelTel is based in Santa Clara, California.

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Airspan and Yozan to Build Japan's First WiMAX Network

YOZAN, a telecom operator serving the Tokyo Metropolitan area, selected Airspan to deploy a Tokyo-wide WiMAX network. The Yozan MetroZone will deliver IP connectivity, and support Voice, Video and broadband data services. Trials will start in Q2 and commercial rollout is expected in Q4. Airspan expects to complete deliveries of the base stations by the end of March 2006. The contract is valued in excess of $12 million.


The initial network will be based on a rollout of 600 cells in central Tokyo, and it will gradually expand to provide coverage throughout the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area and surrounding eight prefectures. This project will use Airspan's software-upgradeable radio technology, which will initially support 802.16-2004 and will later be upgraded to support 802.16e. Customers on this network will use Airspan's unique Self-Installable Indoor WiMAX customer premises equipment. This CPE provides WiMAX connectivity to the Base Station and Wi-Fi coverage inside the customer premises via its integrated Wi-Fi Access Point.
http://www.airspan.com

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