Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Level 3 to Deploy Infinera's Optical Transport

Level 3 Communications plans to deploy Infinera's optical equipment across a substantial portion of its 23,000-mile fiber-optic network. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Infinera's DTN platform will provide DWDM at the network's optical transport layer. The Infinera DTN, based on Infinera's photonic integrated circuits, combines DWDM, digital bandwidth management, and advanced network intelligence. The DTN supports 800 Gb/s of DWDM capacity and delivers manageable and protectable SONET/SDH and Ethernet-based services.


Level 3 is continuing its field trials and interoperability testing, and expects to finish installing the Infinera equipment along a majority of its intercity network routes in the U.S., where demand for IP and transport services is greatest, by the end of 2005.
http://www.infinera.com
  • In October 2004, Infinera, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, raised $52 million in new funding for its Photonic Integrated Circuit technology. The company has raised $205 million to date. Strategic investors in this round include UTStarcom and CTC (Itochu Techno-Science Corporation), both of which are collaborating with Infinera to provide optical networking solutions in Asia.


  • Infinera is offering an optical transport platform based on its Photonic Integrated Circuits. The Infinera DTN supports 400 Gbps, i.e., forty 10 Gbps channels in a half rack, and 800Gbps (eighty 10 Gbps channels) in a full rack.. 100 Gbps line cards support a variety of hot-swappable client interfaces including OC-192/STM-64, OC-48/STM-16, 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN PHY and WAN PHY, and Gigabit Ethernet. The platform runs Infinera's IQ Network Operating System to automate network discovery, configuration, and provisioning via GMPLS.


  • Unlike conventional optical systems, which use analog optical devices for key networking functions, the Infinera DTN uses digital technology. Its photonic integrated circuits convert all traffic from optical to electronic signals, allowing the DTN to add and drop, multiplex, groom, and protect circuits digitally rather than optically. Infinera's Photonic Integrated Circuits include a 100 Gbps transmitter, which integrates ten lasers, ten 10 Gbps modulators, and an optical multiplexer; as well as a 100 Gbps receiver, which integrates an optical demultiplexer and ten photodiodes. Each enables low-cost optical-electrical conversion on a semiconductor chip.

TiVo Adds 319,000 New Subscribers in Latest Quarter

During the three month period ending April 30, TiVo added 319,000 total net new subscriptions, giving it a total of 3.3 million. The installed base of DIRECTV subscriptions is now approximately 2.1 million with the addition of 247,000 net new subscriptions in the quarter; while the installed base of TiVo-owned subscriptions grew by 72,000 in Q1 to a level of over 1.2 million.

http://www.tivo.com

Telenor Deploys Nokia's VDSL in the Artic

Telenor is using Nokia's VDSL equipment to bring IP-based TV and other services to Svalbard, one of the world's northernmost settlements. At 78 degrees north, the Svalbard archipelago, also known as Spitzbergen, forms one of the world's most northern settlements. Sixty percent of the area is covered by glacier, and the inhabitants experience the extremes of long polar nights and summer-long midnight sun.
Under the deal, Nokia will supply its latest generation D500 IP DSLAM and a range of support services. http://www.nokia.com

Deutsche Telekom Appoints CTO and CIO

Deutsche Telekom has established new positions of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO).


Anton Hendrik Schaaf was named CTO, responsible for the key functions of technology and innovation in the Deutsche Telekom Group, which are being combined to create a new unit, and thus also takes over as head of research & development in the group. Schaaf previously served at Siemens, where he was head of the business units Carrier Networks and Carrier Service, as well as the regions Asia / Australia and CIS. Schaaf has been CTO and member of the Siemens Communications Board of Management since October 2004. He began his professional career at Philips.


Peter Thomas Sany was named CIO, where he will be responsible for Information Management and Processes. Sany is currently CTO and deputy CEO at Avaloq, a software company for financial service providers in Switzerland. He was group CIO and responsible for the pharmaceuticals division of Novartis from 1997 to 2003.



http://www.telekom.de

BT Cuts Prices for Local Loop Unbundling

BT Wholesale launched a special offer to make it cheaper for service providers to move customers onto unbundled local loops. Under this variant of unbundling, the LLU operator chooses to unbundle just the broadband channel on the line with either BT or a wholesale line rental operator providing the narrowband voice service. Line sharing is made possible by installing ‘splitters' in the end user's home or office and another within the LLU operator's network equipment. Under line sharing, the end user has contracts with both the narrowband provider and the LLU supplier for the services each provides.


For LLU operators, BT is offering a 42% reduction in the price for migrating their customers from BT Wholesale's other broadband products to its shared LLU offering.


From 1 July, the price for migrating end-customers from BT Datastream and BT IPstream to shared LLU with the same operator will be reduced from £34.86 to £20.00 (ex.VAT). This offer will apply to LLU operators migrating end-customers in bulk per exchange and will be available for a period of 12 months. This special offer follows the 70 per cent reduction in total charges for shared LLU introduced by BT Wholesale in September 2004. With the introduction of these price reductions, the UK is now ranked third in Europe on price comparison for shared LLU.


Paul Reynolds, CEO, BT Wholesale said, "We are fully committed to seeing LLU a success. Industry interest has grown significantly since BT delivered price reductions of up to 70% on shared LLU in 2004, and we are confident that the special offer announced today will further boost demand."


BT's vision is that by January 2006, LLU operators will have the operational capability to deliver more than one million unbundled local loops a year.
http://www.btplc.com
  • According to the Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator, the total number of unbundled lines in the UK is currently just over 47,000 and is increasing at 2,000 lines per week.

Cable & Wireless Chooses Marconi MSPP

Cable & Wireless has awarded a contract to Marconi to supply its multiservice provisioning platform (MSPP) for an initial period of five years. Marconi will supply a range of transport services for Cable & Wireless, including access and customer-located solutions.


The contract does not form part of Cable & Wireless' £190 million investment in its Next Generation Network.
http://www.cw.com
http://www.marconi.com

Cable & Wireless Selects Tellabs' AssuredEthernet

Cable & Wireless awarded a Metro Ethernet contract to Tellabs for its "AssuredEthernet" solution. Cable & Wireless' Next Generation Network (NGN) deployment will include the Tellabs 8800 multi- service router series for delivering Ethernet services with differentiated service level agreements. The platforms will also be used for the migration of Ethernet, Frame Relay, Time Division Multiplex (TDM), ATM and IP onto a single, converged network.


The contract is the first to be awarded by Cable & Wireless as it begins provisioning its Next Generation Network. Cable & Wireless has also issued the tender for its IP core and would anticipate awarding the contract before the autumn. Further tenders for other key elements of the network, including optical network and voice over IP infrastructure, will be issued in due course.
http://www.cw.com
http://www.tellabs.com/
  • Last month, Cable & Wireless announced its £190 million investment in its own NGN to transform its entire core and edge network, the second largest in the UK, to next generation topology. Cable & Wireless said the benefits will include an enhanced ability to offer market-leading IP services; reduce operating costs; accommodate significant growth in traffic; and give our customers the chance to migrate to new services ahead of the equivalent transformation outlined by BT.


  • Earlier this month, Tellabs introduced an entry-price multiservice router (MSR) designed for business-class IP, FR, ATM, Ethernet and TDM/Private Line services at the edge of an IP/MPLS network. The new Tellabs 8830 MSR, which is part of the company's larger Tellabs 8800 MSR line, is multi-service platform that can aggregate ATM, Ethernet, Frame Relay, and TDM services and perform interworking services among these same services, either through the IP/MPLS backbone or in native form. Key features include: A single Universal Line Card (ULC) that accepts a flexible set of different Physical Line Modules (PLMs) spanning DS-3 to OC-192/STM-64 or 10 GigE. The line cards use Tellabs' 10 Gbps custom ASIC for high-density per-flow queuing; ANYPort software-defined service edge enabling any port or channel to be configured in software-only to provide IP, FR, ATM, PPP, HDLC, MPLS or TDM; Scalable single-stage, low-latency design to achieve 80 Gbps in a single shelf; Fully non-blocking switching architecture

Agere Offers USB 2.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

Agere Systems introduced a USB 2.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and an ExpressCard form-factor Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. The first product turns a USB 2.0 port into a Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection. The second product enables a PC to support 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet in a compact mini-size ExpressCard compatible with the latest generation of notebook PCs featuring an ExpressCard slot. http://www.agere.com

Cisco to Acquire FineGround for WAN Optimization

Cisco Systems will acquire FineGround Networks, a start-up based in Campbell, California, for approximately $70 million in cash and options. FineGround offers network appliances that accelerate, secure, and monitor application delivery while minimizing bandwidth usage.


FineGround uses application-optimization techniques resulting in bandwidth efficiencies, decreased latency, and server offload across the network. The company claims its appliances can dramatically improve end-user response times by up to 5 times, reduce application bandwidth usage by up to 90% , and reduce the load on servers by up to 90%. In addition, FineGround solutions allow organizations to secure and mitigate the risk of web-enabled business transactions by incorporating application firewall functions.


"This acquisition further enhances Cisco's strategy to converge application acceleration, security and a highly available network infrastructure seamlessly in the data center," said Jayshree Ullal, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco's Security Technology Group.


FineGround will become part of Cisco's Security Technology Group and CEO Nat Kausik will continue to lead the team.


FineGround was founded in June 2000 and has 42 employees.
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.fineground.com

TelTel Adds Music to its SIP-Enabled VoIP

TelTel, a provider of SIP-based global Internet telephony service with presence-enabled features, is adding music and audio programming channels to its peer-to-peer network. The company also announced that it has signed up more than 1 million users.


TelTel currently provides 13 channels of audio entertainment in two languages, and plans to expand the range of offerings in the near future. A TelTel user only needs to click on "My Channel" on the softphone and can immediately enjoy a wide variety of content.


TelTel is searching for media content partners. Similarly, nearly any telecom service provider using SIP, including the SIP termination and SIP origination service providers, also can become TelTel's partner through the same partner program. TelTel's user base now has more than one million users, making it the world's largest SIP-based Internet Telephony user community.
http://www.teltel.com
  • 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.


  • 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.

Acterna Launches VoIP Test and Performance Mgt Solution

Acterna introduced VoIP support features for its NetComplete Service Assurance solution, which provides performance monitoring, turn-up test and troubleshooting functions for service providers.


Acterna said its NetComplete enables VoIP service providers to obtain visibility of the end-customer voice experience throughout the entire lifecycle of a call. This includes service-assurance functions such as service monitoring, rapid fault isolation, and tier-two troubleshooting so they can address the challenges of delivering carrier grade VoIP. As components of NetComplete, Acterna's NetAnalyst Test Management and NetOptimize Performance Management applications work in conjunction with its QT family of distributed test heads. Together, they provide VoIP demand testing and proactive monitoring by means of active call generation or passive call monitoring.

http://www.acterna.com

ADC Supplies FTTX to City of Provo, Utah

ADC announced that it is shipping its OmniReach FTTX solutions for the fiber network owned and operated by the City of Provo, Utah. The City owns the network infrastructure and private businesses lease the system to deliver "triple play" services. The ADC OmniReach FTTX products deployed by the iProvo network includes Fiber Access Terminals and Central Office cable management systems.
http://www.adc.com

Enterasys to Collect $47.5 Million Tax Refund

Enterasys Networks announced that the Internal Revenue Service has completed its field audit of the company's federal tax returns for fiscal years 1999 through 2002 and concluded that the company is due a tax refund of $47.5 million. The refund is subject to review and approval by the Joint Committee Reviewer of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation. http://www.enterasys.com