Aktino Combines MIMO with Copper Bonding to Push Access Rates

Aktino, a start-up based in Irvine, California, unveiled a unique new way of bonding copper pairs into higher capacity "fiber-like" access lines. The solution, which is aimed at business-class services for locations not served by fiber, is a carrier-class product for long-reach DS3 (45 Mbps) over copper.Aktino' uses Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) techniques found in high-performance wireless equipment. Unlike earlier copper bonding solutions, Aktino's silicon performs the bonding at the physical layer, overcoming noise and line impairment...

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Laurel Positions its Edge Router for Triple Play

Laurel Networks unveiled a "drop-in" IP Video Routing Solution that positions its ST200 broadband services router for large scale IPTV and VOD deployments. The rollout includes the introduction of two new line cards that significantly increase the Ethernet density of the company's ST200 broadband services router. These include an Ethernet-optimized network processing blade (NPB-E) that provides 10 Gbps wire-speed performance (not over-subscribed) and a new high-density 10-port Gigabit Ethernet physical interface (PHY) card, which brings port...

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Avaya Releases its Latest IP Telephony Software

Avaya released Version 3.0 of its flagship IP telephony software, adding advanced survivability, reliability and SIP functionality. The Avaya Communication Manager 3.0 provides support for open Web Services-based applications development. This is achieved by a new version of the Avaya Converged Communications Server, a software solution that delivers the application protocol interfaces (API) of Avaya's new IP telephony software and the advanced functionality of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which supports real-time collaboration and presence.The...

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Agere Targets Wireless Converged Access with Network Processors

Agere Systems unveiled its "TrueAdvantage" Wireless Access Solutions aimed at converging 2G, 3G and other wireless access services over a single network.Agere's solution consist of its Advanced PayloadPlus (APP) network processor chips, Link Layer Processor (LLP), TADM, and its Ultramapper and Hypermapper framing and mapping devices. Agere also provides the software and reference designs for telecom equipment manufacturers. The TrueAdvantage solution supports a variety of protocols required for 2/2.5G and 3G networks, such as Transcoder Rate...

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Symbol Handhelds to Use Xten's Software

Symbol Technologies' handheld mobile computers will support Xten's SIP softphones. The first product supported is Symbol's MC50 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA), which is designed for mobile professionals seeking to capture, move and manage information at the point of business activity. http://www.xten.c...

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Broadcom's Latest StrataXGS III Targets Carrier Ethernet Routers

Broadcom announced the second product family in its line of StrataXGS III switch silicon. The new 600 Series of switches, which is designed specifically for carrier applications, includes 3 new devices: the BCM56600, BCM56601 and BCM56602. Each device provides both Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and integrates 12 Gbps "HiGig" SerDes (serializer/deserializer) technology for resilient scaling of StrataXGS devices across backplanes in modular systems. Each of the chips supports IPv6 routing, MPLS, service provider bridging, stacked...

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TI Teams with Microsoft on Mobile-based Portable Media Center

Texas Instruments (TI) is working with Microsoft on future versions of Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Centers. The development is based on a TI system-on-a-chip (SOC), a highly- integrated Digital Media processor targeted specifically for portable applications, capable of supporting QVGA resolution for Windows Media Video 9, as well as up to D1 resolution of other commonly used video formats. TI's Digital Media processor is a multi-core device, embedding a digital signal processor (DSP) and an ARM core. It has an integrated peripheral set,...

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Microsoft Offers Customer Care Framework for Call Centers

Microsoft released a Customer Care Framework that streamlines call center operations for service providers. The software solution is aimed at improving customer service and reduce costs by decreasing average call times, eliminating redundant data requests and delivering better information faster to call center agents.Based on Microsoft .NET technology and Web services architecture, Microsoft Customer Care Framework integrates with existing customer relationship management (CRM) systems, operations support systems (OSS) and business support systems...

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Entrisphere Debuts PON Terminals

Entrisphere introduced an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) designed to interoperate with its Broadband Loop Multiplexer or other standards-compliant Optical Line Terminals (OLTs) for delivering PON-based triple play services to subscriber homes. The first ONT model being introduced by Entrisphere serves single-family homes. It delivers data service at up to 100 Mbps, voice, digital video, IPTV, and other advanced services to subscriber households....

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TVN to Supply VOD Content and Services to Cox

TVN Entertainment signed a multiyear agreement to provide transport of Video On Demand (VOD) programming and services to Cox Communications, the third-largest cable broadband provider in the U.S. with 6.6 million subscribers. The agreement with TVN encompasses all of Cox's On Demand markets.TVN will provide Cox with a variety of content to augment its current On Demand content offerings, including access to TVN's growing slate of basic and specialty on demand networks. http://www.tvn.comTVN is currently offering more than 2,000 hours of VOD programming...

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Verizon Extends Managed IP-PBX Service Nationwide

Verizon's Managed Communications Solution for small- and medium-sized business customers is now available within the company's serving areas nationwide. The hybrid service combines IP features, data networking and remote management using an Alcatel Omni PCX Office PBX managed by Verizon. It was first introduced last fall in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Verizon said its target market includes businesses with multiple office also businesses with 20 to 200 employees.http://www.verizon....

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Nortel Reports 2004 Results

Nortel Networks reported Q4 2004 revenues of $2.6 billion, up sequentially 20%, and Q4 2004 net earnings of $133 million, or $0.03 per common share on a diluted basis.Wireless Networks revenues were $1.28 billion, an increase of 21 percent sequentially and a decrease of 11 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Enterprise Networks revenues were $651 million, an increase of 10 percent sequentially and a decrease of 31 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Wireline Networks revenues were $461 million, an increase of 22 percent sequentially...

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DIRECTV U.S. Adds 505,000 Net Subscribers in Q1

DIRECTV added 505,000 net subscribers in the U.S. during Q1, giving it a total customer base of 14.45 million subscribers, an increase of 14% compared to a year earlier. Average monthly churn was 1.49% during the period. ARPU climbed to $65.78 from $63.57 a year earlier. The higher ARPU was attributed to an increase in the average number of set-top receivers per customer and an increase in the percentage of customers subscribing to local channels. DIRECTV U.S. generated quarterly revenues of $2.80 billion, an increase of 35% compared to last...

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ZyXEL Selects Ikanos' 100100 Chipset

ZyXEL Communications, a leading supplier of DSL router and VDSL equipment, will use Ikanos' Fx 100100 chipsets for triple play solutions. ZyXEL's new symmetric 100 Mbps offering incorporates a VDSL switch, a hostless modem and a residential gateway supporting symmetric 100 Mbps bandwidth. The Fx 100100 is designed for use in Optical Network Units (ONUs) and Optical Line Terminals (OLTs) while the Fx 100100S-4 is designed for Subscriber Located Equipment (SLE) and Optical Network Terminals (ONTs). http://www.ikanos.com http://www.zyxel.c...

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Microsoft's Xbox Live to Use Limelight's CDN

Microsoft's Xbox Live will utilize Limelight Networks' content delivery network (CDN) to provide on-demand games and other multimedia content to its full network of online subscribers. Limelight Networks said its content delivery network now has over 400 customers, including Akimbo, ABC Radio Networks, Belo Interactive, Buymusic.com, DreamWorks, IFILM, Live365, Marimba, Musicmatch - Yahoo!, NC Interactive, NPR, Real Networks Rhapsody, Radio Free Virgin, radioio, and Valve Software. http://www.limelightnetworks.com http://www.xbox.c...

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Vitesse Samples Octal GigE Over Copper Transceivers

Vitesse Semiconductor announced sample shipments of octal Gigabit Ethernet over copper transceivers (PHYs) designed for high-density, multi-port switch designs. The PHYs support Ethernet In-Line Power, a requirement for Power-over-Ethernet applications such as VoIP phones, wireless access points, and security cameras. Vitesse said the PHYs consume less than 500 mW of power per port which is 30% less than competitive offerings. The PHYs utilize integrated MAC and media-side terminations to minimize system complexity and to eliminate 500 compone...

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MCI Accepts Verizon's Bid, Qwest Withdraws

MCI's Board of Directors accepted a new acquisition bid from Verizon provides at least $26.00 per MCI share comprised of $5.60 in cash which would be paid upon approval of the transaction by MCI's shareholders, plus the greater of 0.5743 Verizon shares for every share of MCI Common Stock or Verizon shares or cash valued at $20.40. For its part, Qwest issued a statement confirming that it is dropping out of the bidding war for MCI. "It is no longer in the best interests of shareowners, customers and employees to continue in a process that seems...

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Motorola Pushes Ojo Personal Video Phone into Retail

Motorola's new Ojo Personal Video Phone is moving into major retail channels in the U.S. beginning later this month. The unit captures and sends full motion video at 30 frames per second using MPEG-4 coding standard (H.264). Motorola says it delivers the video conference with synchronized audio at data rates as low as 100 Kbps. Residential broadband service is required for video telephony calls. A monthly service fee of $14.95 is required to send...

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AT&T Unveils Dynamic Network Applications (DNA) for Businesses

AT&T unveiled a portfolio of IP-based Dynamic Network Applications (DNA) that leverage its global MPLS network and its IP VPN services.The first service available in the portfolio will be AT&T Voice DNA(SM), a network-based VoIP solution for enterprise branch offices and remote locations, as well as for smaller businesses. The service offers standard business-class capabilities and advanced features, such as mid-call move, which gives customers the ability to move a call from one phone to another without disruption; personalized call...

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Qwest Offers 5 Mbps DSL

Qwest Communications will begin offering a "Choice DSL Premier" service with downlink speeds up to 5 Mbps, which is up to three times faster than Qwest's previous top speed of 1.5 Mbps. The uplink speed is up to 896 kbps. Customers who order Qwest Choice DSL Premier with MSN Premium for their home will receive the service for $29.99 per month for the first two months with a qualifying Qwest home phone package ($34.99 per month without). After two months, the price is $49.99 per month with a qualifying Qwest home phone package ($54.99 without)....

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