Cable & Wireless Selects Cisco's CRS-1 for IP Core

Cable & Wireless awarded a contract to Cisco Systems' for the IP core of its Next Generation Network (NGN). Specifically, Cable & Wireless will deploy 15 Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System routers throughout its network, each equipped with the new Cisco IOS XR software.


Financial terms were not disclosed. 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.cisco.com

• In April 2005, Cable & Wireless announced its GBP 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.



• In May, the metro Ethernet element of NGN was awarded to Tellabs. The first stage on the network went live in London on 19 August 2005.

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Philips Showcases HDTV, Media Centers, Video Phones

Philips showcased new consumer products at IFA 2005 in Berlin under the theme "Sense and Simplicity." Products on display included:

A full range of LCD and plasma FlatTV sets and Cineos audio-video peripherals for HDTV. The HDTV screens use Nexperia chips made by Philips Semiconductors, but most of the assembly is carried out by outsourcing partners, including LG. Philips' Cineos 9000 components feature HDMI digital interfaces, Pixel Plus, high definition video up-scaling, Philips' "SmartAlgo" optical recording, digitast TV and radio reception, SACD and 6.1-channel surround-sound.



The Philips Showline Media Center - to be introduced in October - will be a platform for digital multimedia home entertainment, including high definition, high quality video and audio playback, and wireless connectivity. The box will use Intel processors and is expected to include up to two TV tuners and a large disk drive.


A cordless home videophone designed for making live video calls via broadband. Philips will first launch the VP5500 cordless videophone in the Netherlands as part of Dutch telecommunications operator KPN's InternetPlusBellen IP-based consumer phone service being introduced this year.

Two Streamium Wireless Music Centers - the EISA award-winning WACS700 music system and the WACS5 separate component. Both can store hundreds of CDs and stream that music wirelessly to satellite stations anywhere in the house.
http://www.philips.com

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TOM Online, Skype Announce Joint Venture In China

TOM Online, China's leading wireless Internet company, and Skype will establish a joint venture to further cement their strategic partnership in China's rapidly growing online communication market. The deal will combine Skype's software and services with TOM Online's over 70 million wireless Internet users.


Skype and Tom Online launched their relationship in November 2004 with a customized simplified Chinese version of Skype, which was co-developed by the companies. The co-branded software has attracted about 3.4 million registered users to date, making China one of Skype's top three markets. The latest version incorporates a TOM Online tab, which makes TOM Online's leading wireless products and the contents of its popular media portal directly accessible from within the Skype experience.


The joint venture holding structure will be 51% and 49% by TOM Online and Skype, respectively.
http://www.skype.com/http://www.tom.com/

• China is the world's largest mobile phone market by users with more than 360 million subscribers at the end of June, 2005. Its number of Internet users is expected to grow to approximately 154 million by 2007, according to figures from IDC.

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FCC to Allow Customers in Katrina-Affected Areas to Reinstate Disconnected Telephone Numbers

The FCC waived its rules for aging residential numbers in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The current rules allow carriers to age numbers previously assigned to residential customers for no more than 90 days before making them available for assignment to another customer. Waiver of this rule will allow carriers to disconnect temporarily customers' telephone service, upon request, to avoid billing issues, and to reinstate the same number when the service is reconnected in the future. The FCC has also already granted a waiver to allow carriers to port telephone numbers geographically outside of rate centers affected by the disaster.
http://www.fcc.gov

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FCC Schedules Network Reliability and Interoperability Meeting

The FCC has scheduled the next meeting of the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council for September 21.


During the meeting the Council will discuss potential recommendations in the areas of E911 implementation and evolution, network security, network reliability, and broadband. The Council will also review the status of various working groups.
http://www.fcc.gov

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FCC Reassigns Toll-Free Number 1-800-RED-CROSS

The FCC granted an emergency request of the American Red Cross for reassignment of the toll free number 1-800-RED-CROSS in order to better respond to Hurricane Katrina.


The toll-free database administrator, Database Service Management, was directed to temporarily reassign the toll-free number that spells 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to the national chapter of the American Red Cross. This action is particularly important given the role that charitable donations play in funding the American Red Cross. http://www.fcc.gov

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IP Video Quality Alliance Sets Benchmark for IPTV

The IP Video Quality Alliance (IPVQA), a new industry group backed by IIneoQuest Technologies and BridgeTech, has endorsed a Media Delivery Index (MDI) for measuring and monitoring IP-based networks and insuring subscribers the highest quality of experience of Video over IP and IPTV services.


The Alliance said it has solved one of the major issues in successful deployments of video services over IP networks, namely, the ability to rapidly determine the status of the IP network in regards to delivering quality video. MDI gives network service providers a tool for measuring the quality their subscribers are experiencing on the live video streams as they are transported through the network.


Previously service providers used static IP measurements to predict network performance while delivering streaming video content. IP networks however are known for their fluctuations in behavior due to dynamic traffic patterns. Therefore, static measurements has proven unreliable for predicting streaming video quality. However, by measuring MDI values within the IP network service providers for the first time can accurately predict the quality of the video stream being delivered to their customers.


"MDI has two significant benefits to the service providers delivering video services such as IPTV," says Marc Todd, President and CEO of Ineoquest. "First it insures their users of the highest quality video signal which will speed the acceptance of video over IP and IPTV. Secondly it reduces OPEX costs for the service provider by giving them the ability to remotely identify and diagnose problems in the network, often times before a customer sees the problem. This will eliminate the need for costly truck rolls by the service provider to service problems that can be identified from the central office. The endorsement by the IPVQA is a strong indicator of the market's need of MDI."http://www.ipvqa.orghttp://www.IneoQuest.com

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TI and RadioScape Develop Receivers for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)

Multiple companies attending IFA in Berlin demonstrated product prototypes for the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard that were developed around chips and modules from Texas Instruments and RadioScape. The companies expect consumer brand products to appear on store shelves within the year.


DRM is a universal, non-proprietary digital radio system for the short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave AM broadcast bands, enabling a single tower to broadcast over a large geographic area with near-FM quality sound. DRM is supported by a wide network of broadcasters, equipment OEMs and silicon providers working together to design, promote and deliver low-cost receivers and content for worldwide markets.


TI's DRM350 digital baseband enables developers to create dual DRM/DAB-based devices with a single chip and implement enhanced features on the integrated programmable DSP, such as digital content playback of MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files. RadioScape's RS500 module, a complete DRM solution, is based on TI's DRM350 and includes hardware and software necessary to support any combination of DRM, DAB, FM-RDS and AM.
http://www.ti.com/http://www.radioscape.com/

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