Anritsu to Acquire NetTest A/S

Anritsu, the largest Japanese provider of communication solutions, agreed to acquire NetTest, a provider of network monitoring systems and field use communications test products, from Axcel, its parent company. Financial terms are not disclosed.


NetTest is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and has 480 employees. Other primary locations for R&D facilities are in the U.S., France and Italy. For the year ended December 31, 2004, NetTest had revenues of approximately US$94 million with sales in over 70 countries.


NetTest's products address IP Next Generation Networks and their convergence, including UMTS/3G mobile and VoIP. The company also provides high-level field solutions that address the broadband access network.


Anritsu's president, Hiromichi Toda, stated "the acquisition of NetTest will accelerate Anritsu's vision to be a global market leader in test and measurement."


NetTest has been owned by Axcel II and management since December 2002. Since the acquisition by Axcel and management, NetTest has repositioned itself from an all optical strategy to a network performance strategy.
http://www.anritsu.com
http://www.nettest.com

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Wisair Awarded FCC Certification for UWB Chipset

Wisair received FCC certification for its development system based on its Ultra Wideband (UWB) chipset solution. Wisair said it is the first WiMedia/MBOA company to receive FCC certification for UWB. The FCC certification was achieved through a close collaboration between Wisair and TDK Test Services.
http://www.wisair.com/

• Wisair's investors includes Intel Capital, NTT, NIF Ventures, Apax, Vertex, RAD Group and Tamar Ventures.

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QUALCOMM to Acquire Flarion for OFDMA Technology

QUALCOMM will acquire will acquire Flarion Technologies, a pioneer of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex Access (OFDMA) mobile broadband technology, for $600 million in stock and cash.


Flarion, a start-up based in Bedminster, New Jersey, developed a fast, low latency air interface technology that combines attributes of TDMA and CDMA. Flarion's flash-OFDM mobile broadband system is a packet-switched radio access network with QoS capabilities that overlays onto a mobile operator's existing cell sites and spectrum. Flarion's platform provides a seamless routing interface to the operator's existing IP network. The company is now shipping its second-generation FLASH-OFDM modems and chipsets support typical downlink speeds of 1 Mbps and peak user burst rates of 3 Mbps (Downlink Modulation: 16 QAM, QPSK) using 1.25 MHz FDD spectrum, and typical uplink speeds of 300 to 500 Kbps and peak user burst rates of 900 Kbps (Uplink Modulation: QPSK).


Earlier this year, Flarion unveiled its "Flexband" architecture for on-demand video, voice and data services for mobile operators with either 1.25MHz or 5MHz licensed spectrum. Flexband leverages Flarion's BeaconTone technology, which maximizing data capacity and throughput for each individual subscriber. BeaconTone technology enables subscriber devices to continuously monitor in-band interference and instantaneously select the most optimal carrier to deliver maximum bandwidth and performance. At the time, Flarion said a fully supported 5MHz multi-carrier system voice calls increase to 186 per sector and data rates increase to 15.9Mbps peak and 6Mbps sustainable. Flexband would be able to support over 600 subscribers consuming 1GByte of data per month, according to the company.


QUALCOMM said it will continue to focus on raising throughput and lowering cost of 3G CDMA networks with advances in receive diversity, interference cancellation, multi-carrier and speech compression.


The company expects the introduction of VoIP on data-optimized RF carriers and the integration of wireless LAN and multicast technologies, such as OFDM-based FLO (Forward Link Only) technology, to provide increased opportunities for operators using various frequency bands and the air interface technologies best suited to the service offering.


"With this acquisition, QUALCOMM will be in a stronger position to support advanced development in both CDMA and OFDMA technologies," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, CEO of QUALCOMM.


QUALCOMM estimates that it will issue stock with a value of approximately $267 million, assume existing Flarion options and warrants with a fair value of approximately $128 million, and pay approximately $205 million in cash, net of Flarion's projected cash balance.
http://www.qualcomm.com/http://www.flarion.com/

• Flarion Technologies was founded in 2000 by Dr. Rajiv Laroia, who previously was with Bell Laboratories. In 1997, he became head of Bell Labs' Digital Communications Research Department in the Wireless Research Center where he and his team started to develop FLASH-OFDM technology based wireless data system.



• In October 2004, Siemens Communications has agreed to integrate Flarion Technologies' FLASH-OFDM technology into its portfolio of mobile broadband solutions. The companies have also signed a memorandum of understanding under which Flarion will develop basic 450 MHz-band equipment according to Siemens specifications. The companies noted that the 450 MHz frequency band in many countries had been occupied by analog mobile telephony, and is now available due to the migration to digital mobile networks. In particular, mobile operators in Eastern Europe who do not hold UMTS licenses are looking for an affordable mobile broadband solution for the 450 MHz band.

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IPSTAR Launched Aboard Ariane 5

Arianespace successfully launched the THAICOM 4 (IPSTAR) spacecraft, the heaviest commercial satellite to date, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.


Built for Shin Satellite, Plc of Thailand, iPSTAR-1 is designed to provide both enterprises and consumers throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand with various levels of Internet access services.


iPSTAR-1 has a total data throughput capacity of over 40 Gbps. The satellite will provide users with data speeds of up to 8 Mbps on the forward link and 4 Mbps on the return link. From its 119.5 degrees East longitude orbital position, iPSTAR-1 will use its seven on-board antennas to create 112 spot and regional beams in the Ku and Ka frequency bands. The satellite will generate 14 kW of electrical power throughout its planned 12- year service life.


iPSTAR-1 was built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L). With a launch weight of 14,341 pounds (6505 kilograms) it will be the heaviest commercial satellite ever delivered to geosynchronous orbit.


http://www.arianespace.com/http://www.ipstar.com

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Alcatel and Datang Ready TD-SCDMA for China

Alcatel Shanghai Bell and Datang Mobile completed the industrialization phase of TD-SCDMA in China and are now ready to deliver TD-SCDMA products to the China 3G market. The companies said they are now ready to provide an end-to-end TD-SCDMA solution, including core, access, application platform and terminals.


TD-SCDMA is one of three ITU 3G standards. The other two are W-CDMA and CDMA 2000.
http://www.alcatel.com

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ST and Sumitomo Join HomePlug Powerline Alliance

STMicroelectronics and Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) have joined the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.


The HomePlug alliance noted several major events underway: HomePlug AV, an in-the-home technology focused on easily transporting High-Definition Television (HDTV) and other high-speed digital content throughout homes is nearing its specification release; HomePlug BPL, a to-the-home technology, has just completed its Market Requirements Document (MRD); and the HomePlug Command & Control effort is ramping up for technology evaluations.


The alliance is also planning this year's conference with the theme "Proven Worldwide Standards." The HomePlug Powerline Technology Conference will be held September 27-28, 2005, at the Embassy Suites at the San Francisco Airport.
http://www.homeplug.org

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Texas Legislature Passes Telecom and Video Franchise Deregulation Bill

The Texas House voted 144-to-1 to pass a bill that updates regulation of telecommunications in the state and allows for a single statewide franchise provision for companies entering the cable television business. The bill, Senate Bill 5, was passed by the Texas Senate earlier this week and now awaits final approval by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.


The state-issued video franchise will not require mandatory build outs and will keep existing municipal cable franchise agreements in place until they expire.


In addition to providing for a single state franchise for cable TV services, the legislation covers a number of other areas, including broadband over powerline (BPL) services, telecom wholesale services, the deregulation of certain ILEC markets, and oversight of consumer cable TV service complaints.


SBC: In a statement, SBC Texas President Jan Newton said "This action is a testament to the legislature's commitment to Texas consumers. This is a new era of communications - one marked by new technologies, unprecedented choice and unparalleled convenience. Lawmakers recognize the potential in this marketplace and have moved to seize on its opportunities and promise. Nowhere is this promise greater than in Texas, which today demonstrated again that the voice of the consumer rises above all others. By passing this bill, lawmakers have encouraged new competitors - using new technologies - to build broadband infrastructure and provide a next-generation video alternative to cable."


Verizon: Verizon Southwest Region President Steve Banta said "All Texans should be proud that our state is the first in the nation to open up the video market so that consumers can have a choice of video providers. Consumer choice and competition among video providers will result in new and innovative services and better pricing. We are excited about the opportunities we now have to offer FiOS TV services to customers we serve in Texas."


Texas Cable & Telecommunications Association: Speaking in opposition, Tom Kinney, president of Time Warner Cable-Austin Division and chairman of the board of the Texas Cable & Telecommunications Association (TCTA), said "SB 5 is bad for consumers, bad for competition and bad for Texas -- and should not become law... Should this special interest legislation actually become law in Texas, we would expect there to be a number of legal challenges. The next step in this process will almost certainly be the courts, where the substantial legal issues contained in this legislation hopefully will be resolved in a more thoughtful way, without the undue influence of hordes of SBC lobbyists trying to sway the outcome in their favor."http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/792/billtext/SB00005F.HTM

• In July 2005, U.S. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) proposed a bill that would eliminate the requirement that video service providers obtain a local or state cable franchise agreement in order to provide video service. The federal legislation seeks to promote inter-modal competition between telcos and cable operators by making it easier for telcos to launch video services.

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Former WorldCom CFO Sentenced to Five Years

Scott Sullivan, the former CFO of WorldCom, was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Sullivan had plead guilty to conspiracy charges in the collapse of WorldCom and later testified against his former boss, Bernie Ebbers. In a statement before the sentencing, Sullivan expressed shame and remorse for his behavior. He could have been sentenced to as much as 25 years.

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• In July 2005, Bernard J. Ebbers, the former chief executive officer of WorldCom, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the WorldCom fraud. Ebbers is 63 years old. During the six week trial, Ebbers had taken the witness stand in his own defense, trying to pin the blame for the fraud on his subordinate Scott Sullivan, the company's chief financial officer. Five former WorldCom executives, including Sullivan, have already pleaded guilty in the case.



• In August 2002, a federal grand jury indicted Sullivan on seven charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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ZyXEL Combines Wi-Fi Hotspot Finder with Access Point

ZyXEL Communications introduced a portable device the size of a stick of gum that combines a Wi-Fi hotspot finder with an access point.
The ZyXEL AG-225H locates all the 802.11a and 802.11b/g access points in range and provides detailed information like SSID, encryption and security, operational channel, radio band, and signal strength on its LCD display. It also functions as a USB 2.0 client adapter and soft access point that allows users to instantly share wireless access with others. The soft access point feature could be used in conference rooms, meeting rooms and hotels where there is one wired network connection but multiple users. The device is powered by a LiON battery, allowing users to scan the environment for hotspots without turning on their computer.


ZyXEL said its device detects all 802.11a and 802.11b/g access points, including 802.11-compatible MIMO and Pre-N networks on both 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. It uses the ZyDAS smart chipset for USB Wireless Client Adaptors. ZyDAS is a subsidiary of ZyXEL Corporation.


List price for the ZyAIR AG-225H is $99.
http://www.us.zyxel.com

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