Stanford Researchers Develop Silicon Germanium Modulator

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a solid-state optical modulator made of silicon and germanium described as a major breakthrough in optoelectronics. The discovery promises a small, low-cost means of converting light beams into data streams on chip at high rates.Conventional wisdom held that a germanium-based modulator was impossible. The key to the discovery was in understanding how the "Stark" effect, which occurs when a strong electric field causes an atom to change a wavelength of light, can be made to work in materials compatible...

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Telecom Italia Readies "Superphone" and IPTV Launch

Telecom Italia and TIM announced plans to launch fixed-line to mobile video-calling and image transfer services beginning in December. Under the "fixed/mobile" packages, Telecom Italia fixed-line videophones and TIM UMTS phones can video call one another.The companies' videophone plus UMTS phone package will be available at rates starting from EUR 199. Starting in November, the companies will also allow customers to make calls at reduced prices between their home phone and three cellphone numbers of their choice and vice versa (Teleconomy Famiglia...

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QUALCOMM Completes CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A Call

QUALCOMM reached a milestone in the development of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A networks and handsets -- the completion of an end-to-end call. The Rev. A standard represents the next evolution of the EV-DO technologies that support the 3.1 Mbps forward and 1.8 Mbps reverse link data rates and higher system capacity required for next-generation wireless multimedia. QUALCOMM completed the test calls using equipment based on its Cell Site Modem (CSM) CSM6800 chipset for base stations and the Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM6800 chipset for mobile handsets....

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Siemens Invests in GlooLabs for Remote Access to Home Media

Siemens Acceleration in Communications has made an equity investmnet in GlooLabs, a start-up offering software for remote access to multimedia content. GlooLabs' GlooNetT is a Java-based platform that allows digital media stored on a home computer to be accessed remotely through any Internet-enabled computer, mobile phone, or PDA. The funding will allow GlooLabs to expand its product portfolio and ramp-up operations for large scale customer deployments. Siemens said seamless access to personal media and other data has become considerably important...

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BT Outlines IPTV Plans Combining Broadband with Digital Terrestrial

BT outlined its vision for nationwide next generation TV delivered over broadband and incorporating digital terrestrial channels. BT, which previously disclosed plans to use Microsoft TV IPTV Edition, announced its selection of Philips to supply set top boxes. Every set top box will include a personal video recorder (PVR) capable of storing up to 80 hours of programming and capable of delivering High Definition content. BT said its service will be a world first combining access to digital terrestrial channels, an extensive video on demand library,...

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Verizon Adds 389,000 BB Customers, Cites Initial Take-up at FiOS

Verizon Communications reported Q3 oerating revenues of $19.0 billion, up 5.4% on a comparable basis from $18.1 billion last year. Q3 revenues at Verizon Wireless increased 14.2%, or $1.0 billion, to $8.4 billion, year-over-year. Q3 revenues on a comparable basis at Domestic Telecom were $9.4 billion, a 0.7% decrease compared with the third quarter 2004. Domestic Telecom revenues in the third quarter 2005 were flat with the second quarter 2005 on a comparable basis. Some highlights:Wireless:1.9 million net customer additions, up 14.6 percent;...

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Alvarion Cites Growing WiMAX CPE Shipments

Alvarion shipped 5,000 BreezeMAX PRO subscriber units, out of 10,000 ordered, since the WiMAX-compliant device became available in September 2005. Alvarion said the BreezeMAN PRO CPE was designed to 802.16-2004 specs, and that it intends to seek certification from the WiMAX Forum as quickly as possible. http://www.alvarion....

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OPNET Launches WiMAX Model Development Consortium

OPNET Technologies is forming model development consortium focused on WiMAX (802.16). "The purpose of our WiMAX model development consortium is to establish a framework that is shared by leading industry and government organizations," stated Taylor Salman, Director of Business Development for OPNET. "The result will be a powerful simulation modeling suite for WiMAX network planning and design." The consortium is led by OPNET and includes representatives from several leading technology companies, with Motorola participating as a Founding Member....

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DOJ Approves SBC/AT&T and Verizon Mergers with Conditions

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) cleared the pending mergers of SBC/AT&T and Verizon/MCI with a short list of conditions. These include divesting connections to about 350 commercials buildings where each of the telecom giants would have monopolistic control. The Department of Justice said it coordinated with the FCC to investigate objections to the mergers. The DOJ noted that Verizon, Verizon and MCI are the only two firms that own or control a direct wireline connection to hundreds of buildings in the metropolitan areas of Washington-Baltimore;...

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France Telecom Reaches 6.9 Million DSL, 142,000 MaLigne TV, 484,000 VoIP

France Telecom reported Q3 2005 revenues of EUR 12.26 billion, up 3.8% compared to EUR 11.82 billion on an actual basis in Q3 2004. However, the revenue growth was offset by a fall in earnings at TP and on a 7.4% decline in business services, prompting the carrier to cut its outlook for the rest of the year. Some highlights:ADSL: As of 30-Sep-2005, there were 4.0 million customers in France (+61.2% year-on-year) and 2.9 million ADSL customers...

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Alcatel Revenues Rise to EUR 3.289 Billion

Alcatel reported Q3 2005 revenue of EUR 3.289 billion, an increase of 8.8% over the same period last year at a current EUR/USD exchange rate. Operating profit was EUR 278 million, an 8.5% operating margin. Net income (group share) was EUR 266 million, with EPS at EUR 0.19, including EUR 0.07 of net one-time capital gains. However, citing higher investment costs in its mobile division and weaker sales in China, Alcatel trimmed its margin target for the year.Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO, said: "We were particularly pleased to see our fixed communication...

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Motorola and Intel Team on Mobile WiMAX (802.16e)

Motorola and Intel plan to collaborate on specification efforts within the WiMAX Forum in order to advance the use of mobile WiMAX technology, based on the proposed IEEE 802.16e standard, for both fixed and wireless broadband applications.In addition to working jointly to advance WiMAX standards, the companies plan to work together on interoperability testing of Motorola mobile devices, network equipment, and customer premises equipment with Intel products."WiMAX is beginning to deliver on its promise to provide broadband wireless access to businesses...

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AT&T Name Lives On Following SBC Merger

SBC Communications will adopt the AT&T name and brand following the expected completion of its acquisition later this year.At close, the new company will unveil a new logo. After completion of the merger, the transition to the new brand will be heavily promoted with the largest multimedia advertising and marketing campaign in either company's history, as well as through other promotional initiatives. At close, the company will also announce the stock market ticker symbol it intends to use."The AT&T name has a proud and storied heritage,...

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