NCTA: New FCC Chairman Makes First Appearance

In his first industry appearance since being appointed the new Chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin told an audience of cable executives that FCC must continue its deregulatory approach, preferring market and competition to regulation. The first questions put to Martin were "how do you define indecency? Will you seek to extend indecency regulations to cable and satellite?" Martin deflected the questions, saying only that the FCC is a creature of Congress, and that the FCC only reacts to public input. The first item on his agenda, said Martin, is...

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Laurel Selected for FTTH Rollout in Texas

Grande Communications has selected Laurel Networks' ST50 Broadband Routing Platform to support a large-scale rollout of fiber-to-the-home in locations across Texas. The Laurel ST-series broadband platform provides the edge routing functionality for delivering advanced services such as VoIP, video-on-demand and IP VPNs. Grande will use the platform to recognize and separate high-speed data traffic from set-top box (digital receiver) traffic. http://www.laurelnetworks.com http://www.grandecom.comIn January 2005, Grande Communications began deploying...

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Telution Collaborates with Microsoft on Unified Order Management

Telution collaborated with Microsoft on a unified Order Management and Customer Care solution for cable operators unveiled at this week's NCTA's 2005 National Cable Show in San Francisco. The collaboration combined Telution's COMX, an order management and assurance solution for both traditional and IP-based communication providers, with Microsoft's .NET technologies. COMX's ordering capabilities simplify complex service bundle delivery, from service offer management and order entry to workflow configuration and order fallout management. The integration...

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Occam Supplies Broadband Loop Carrier to Tennessee IOC

Tennessee-based Millington Telephone has selected Occam Networks' BLC 6000 System to upgrade and expand its existing access network to deliver VoIP and high-speed data over DSL. The company also plans to deliver IP video services in the future. Millington is upgrading its entire existing access network and expanding it to with shorter loops to provide better service and higher quality services to it subscriber base over a two-year period. The independent operating company (IOC) has installed the BLC 6000 at two sites, service has been turned up...

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Microsoft to Extend Connected Services Framework to Broadcast and Film Industries

Microsoft is extending its recently announced Connected Services Framework to the broadcast and film industries. The Connected Services Framework, an integrated, server-based software solution, aims to help broadcast companies and film studios streamline the creation, management and delivery of digital content. Microsoft is collaborating with Avid Technology, North Plains Systems, OmniBus Systems, Panasonic and Telestream Inc. to offer a comprehensive solution with Connected Services Framework at the core.The Microsoft Connected Services Framework...

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RADCOM Introduces Portable Convergent Test Platform

RADCOM released its new P1000 portable Performer platform, a test solution for field troubleshooting of cellular, data and VoIP networks. Like RADCOM's existing rack-mounted version, the portable device can capture data at rates up to 2.4 Gbps. The unit offers three protocol, technology and rate independent hardware processors, allowing for field testing of up to three different lines, simultaneously. It can be used for real-time troubleshooting and protocol analysis of WAN/LAN/ATM/PoS/Metro networks at all seven layers. It also features Global...

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MCI Provides IPv6 for Cray Supercomputers

MCI is providing Cray with an IPv6 network to perform interoperability testing on its leading Cray X1/X1E Supercomputers as well as other Cray supercomputer products when IPv6 is added. Cray is also using IPv6 to test and develop next-generation software and applications for its customers worldwide. Cray will leverage MCI's IPv6 overlay network that rides on its global IP backbone.MCI said it has long been a proponent of IPv6, supporting native IPv6 services since 1998 when it deployed the first production IPv6 capable network in the U.S. , the...

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AOL Germany Selects NetCentrex for Residential VoIP

AOL Germany will use NetCentrex' MyCall Residential Solution to introduce new SIP-based services on the German residential market. AOL will use the NetCentrex solution to extend existing broadband Internet services into the voice communications market, adding value to its current offer and opening up new integrated services. AOL Germany, which is one of the country's leading Internet providers, has around 2.8 million members. Founded in 1995, the company is headquartered in Hamburg and a staff of approximately 1,400. NetCentrex said it has already...

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Verizon to Sell Midtown NYC Building

Verizon announced a buyer for its 41-story headquarters building at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in NYC. Equity Office, the nation's largest publicly held office building owner and manager, will purchase for $505 million 1,030,000 square feet, or nearly 80% of the office tower, including approximately 30,000 square feet of retail space. Verizon New York would continue to occupy more than 200,000 square feet of the midtown Manhattan tower.Verizon intends to relocate its world headquarters to its recentlyrenovated building at 140 West St. The 1926...

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Brazilian MSO Selects Motorola BSR 64000 CMTS/Edge Router

NET Servicos de Comunicacao, the largest cable operator in Brazil, selected Motorola's BSR 64000 CMTS/edge routers to serve as the foundation for enhanced IP services, including voice, throughout Brazil. The initiative marks NET Servicos' first expansion into IP-based voice services, and the first step on a path toward unifying the company's wireless and switched network assets on an IP platform.Motorola will provide both network infrastructure and consumer premise equipment, including cable modems with integrated telephony and wireless features...

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Canada Requires VoIP Providers to Support 9-1-1 in 90 Days

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a decision requiring VoIP service providers to provide the same level of 9-1-1 emergency service that is provided by the incumbent telephone companies within 90 days. Specifically, the Commission requires VoIP service providers providing either nomadic VoIP service or foreign exchange VoIP service to implement, within 90 days of the date of this decision, an interim solution which provides a level of service comparable to Basic 9-1-1 service. In addition to the above...

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Optibase Adds H.264 (MPEG-4) Video Codec

Optibase announced H.264 encoding support within its carrier grade TV streaming solution. H.264, also known as MPEG-4 part 10 AVC (Advanced Video Coding), can provide DVD-quality video at less than 1.5 Mbps, and is considered promising for full-motion video over cable, satellite, and ADSL. http://www.optibase.c...

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Lingo Offers Local Phone Numbers in Mexico

Lingo announced a new capability that lets its U.S. customers add "local" phone numbers in Mexico to their VoIP phone service. Lingo phone numbers are being offered in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.Lingo already offered local numbers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the U.K.. http://www.lingo.c...

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Samsung Unveils Enterprise Telephony Solutions

Samsung Telecommunications America's Business Communications Systems group unveiled a broad suite of enterprise telephony solutions. The line-up includes IP-enabled iDCS communications platforms for large to small enterprises and a suite of "OfficeServ" Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications for PCs. The company also unveiled an E-mail Gateway solution and a Single-Line integrated Mobility (SLiM) solution for mobile professionals. Samsung said its iDCS suite of communications platforms scale up to 400 stations. Some highlights:Samsung's...

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Optibase Delivers IPTV for Vietnamese ISP

FPT Communications, a Vietnamese Internet Service Provider (ISP), has chosen the Optibase MGW 1100 Media Gateway to launch a new live television streaming service to its DSL subscribers. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.optibase....

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