DragonWave Adds Frequencies to BB Wireless Platform

DragonWave, a start-up based in Ottawa, Canada, announced the expansion of its AirPair product family with the addition of 11, 13 and 15 GHz to their frequency portfolio and new protection options with the UpMast Radio Switch (UMRS). The new frequencies will significantly reduced susceptibility to rain, especially in high rain-rate regions, and provide considerable improved reach and network availability.



The UpMast Radio Switch (UMRS) complements the industry leading mesh restoration capability of the AirPair product. For single links the UMRS will provide improved network availability at a low overall cost, by enabling radio redundancy with a single modem. UMRS will be compatible with existing AirPair equipment, enabling in the field network hardening.



Dragonwave said these new product introductions will support all the major AirPair features, including Gigabit Ethernet with capacity scalability to 200 Mbps full duplex in 50 MHz channels, and 170 Mbps in 40 MHz channels.



The DragonWave flexible bandwidth radio platform can scale from 10 to 200 Mbps in 10 Mbps increments. Available in both full outdoor and indoor/outdoor configurations, the AirPair product operates within both licensed and unlicensed radio frequencies of 11-to-26-GHz.

http://www.dragonwaveinc.com

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NeoPhotonics Ships One Million Bi-Directional Transceivers for FTTH

NeoPhotonics has reached the shipment milestone of 1 million Bi-Directional (Bi-Di) transceivers for FTTH applications, primarily for networks in Japan.

http://www.neophotonics.com

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New Edge Networks Tests Flat-Rate National Pricing for Business WAN

New Edge Networks launched a three-month trial of flat-rate pricing for wide area network locations anywhere in the United States.



Under the simplified flat-rate pricing, New Edge Networks guarantees a $159 monthly rate for every remote site on an any-size, private WAN if at least 85% of a company's locations qualify for DSL service within New Edge Networks' core and extended DSL network called BigFoot. Pricing is for a private business-class wide area network that does not touch the Internet.



Where DSL service is not available, New Edge Networks will substitute 128k Frame Relay connections for the same price. This frame relay access option typically costs $300 to $800 per site, depending on location and carrier. This is what forces the average cost per location for most businesses to surge above the $159 a month rate.

http://www.newedgenetworks.com

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Sirius Telecom to Deploy Veraz ControlSwitch

Sirius Telecommunications, which provides switch services, switch partitions, and private line services to large international telecom carriers, will deploy Veraz Networks' products to replace its existing switching infrastructure. The initial deployment will include installations in New York and Los Angeles. In deploying Veraz's programmable ControlSwitch, Sirius will shift its network to a centralized, automated, software-driven network and thus enable Sirius to better streamline its operations.

http://www.veraznetworks.com

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Optical Solutions' GPON Deployed in Oregon

Cal-Ore Telephone is using Optical Solutions' FiberPath Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) system to deliver voice, video and data services to a new residential development in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) serves over 850 square miles of California and Oregon with four exchanges. Recently the company expanded services beyond its traditional exchange borders to provide voice, video and data services to a development in neighboring Klamath Falls, Oregon. The FiberPath system features GPON technology, and is compliant with ITU FSAN standards.

http://www.opticalsolutions.com

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Meru Delivers RF Signal-Level Wireless Security

Meru Networks introduced a wireless security solution that provides protection of wireless networks at the Radio Frequency (RF) signal level. The new Meru Security Services Module is software that works in combination with Meru's wireless LAN product portfolio. It leverages Meru'sAirShield Technology, which uses advanced micro-scanning, radio scrambling and transmission jamming techniques to ensure military-grade, radio frequency security for a enterprise network. In addition, unlike other wireless security solutions, Meru's Security Services Module conducts its scanning without disrupting network services. This is a critical feature for enterprises deploying both voice and data over wireless for mission-critical applications, as these kinds of applications cannot tolerate the kind of transmission interruptions that existing security solutions necessitate.

The Meru Security Services Module functions as part of Meru's System Director operating system and is installed on the Meru WLAN System's Controller. As such, the Module can be used in conjunction with Meru Access Points or Meru Radio Switches. The Security Services Module delivers three key features for enterprises, as follows:

• Continuous Micro-scanning with no disruption to network service -- an AP will inspect packets and scan channels for security violations while transmissions destined for other APs continue uninterrupted. If a packet is incoming to the scanning AP, that AP processes the packet in a few microseconds, then continues to scan. This micro-scanning ability lets every AP on the network act simultaneously as a monitor and Wi-Fi access point without disrupting service to clients -- especially critical for running wireless VoIP.



• Radio Jamming to eliminate rogue transmissions before they add any traffic to the network. Once the Security Services Module scans and detects a rogue, it jams the rogue so that its transmissions appear as white noise on the network and all authorized clients and APs ignore the transmission. Unlike traditional rogue access solutions, Radio Jamming prevents rogue packets from ever being seen on the network, reducing network traffic overhead and ensuring that rogues have no chance to commit spoofing-type attacks.



• Transmission Scrambling to prevent attacks before they happen -- even those from passive or eavesdropping hackers. Traditional WLAN security solutions take packets and randomize the bits, giving only the sender and receiver the key to recovering the information. Meru's Security Services Module goes one step further and adds an RF-level scrambling in which only the sender and receiver are able to see the transmission and all other clients see only white noise. Meru's patented WRC/OD antenna technology accomplishes this without requiring any additional software on the client.

http://www.merunetworks.com

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TI's PIQUA Aims to Improve IP Service Quality

Texas Instruments introduced a scheme that leverages its digital signal processor (DSP) technology and embedded software solutions to monitor and improve the quality of IP-based services, such as voice, data and video.



TI's new "PIQUA" utilizes real-time calculations to instantly assess quality parameters related to the user's experience, allowing both equipment manufacturers and service providers to dynamically adapt to changing conditions and make adjustments which today are either impossible or done manually. These quality management tools enable the discovery, monitoring and repair of services, devices and networks, allowing operators to proactively manage factors like echo, dropped-packets and line-delay.



In addition, PIQUA's real-time diagnostic tools and historical reporting capabilities will make it possible for operators to identify trends and avert problems before customers are even impacted.



PIQUA's IP Services Quality Management includes:

• Proactive monitoring and management


• Reacting to performance degradation before customers' call


• Threshold-based alerts


• Real-time diagnostics


• Historical reporting


• Identifying trends, averting problems, post-call review


• Empowering subscriber support center personnel with valuable measures, analysis tools and recommendations

TI is initially working with industry partners, including Motive and Viola Networks. The company will also enlist original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs) and third-party suppliers of network provisioning tools to make PIQUA part of their solutions. The first implementations of PIQUA, targeting VoIP applications, will be available in customer and third- party equipment later this year.

http://www.ti.com/piqua

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Charter Offers Unlimited Music Downloads for Cable HSD Customers at $9.99 per month

Charter Communications introduced a new "Charter Music To-Go" tier for its premium music download service. In addition to the ability to purchase music downloads individually, Charter Music To-Go enables customers to download personalized playlists to more than 25 compatible MP3 players as part of their subscription. The music is available to the customer for the duration of the subscription. Charter Music To-Go is available to high-speed Internet customers for $9.99 per month.

http://www.charter.net

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Motorola to Support MicroTCA and VMEbus Gear

Motorola announced plans to support bptj MicroTCA-based communications servers and VMEbus- based products. This coexistence strategy is designed to help equipment manufacturers and system integrators bring new communications capabilities to the embedded market quickly while preserving the rich set of real-time I/O capabilities of VMEbus.



Developed initially for the telecommunications industry, MicroTCA meets evolving communications requirements and shares many of the same characteristics, such as small physical size, scalability and low entry cost, that made VMEbus successful in the embedded market. For these reasons, Motorola is developing MicroTCA-based solutions that will coexist with its VMEbus product lines.

http://www.motorola.com

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AT&T Trims New DSL Pricing to $15

AT&T launched a limited-time, online-only promotional DSL offer for $14.99 a month (other monthly charges apply) for new residential customers.

The $14.99 price point provides downlink speeds from 384Kbps to 1.5Mbps and requires a six-month term commitment.

In addition, the company is renaming its DSL service -- AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet.

http://www.att.com

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Agere Triple Performance of USB 2.0 Device Microcontrollers

Agere Systems introduced a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 system-on-a-chip with an on-board microprocessor that processes data more than three times faster than widely deployed 8051-based USB 2.0 device controllers.



The new chip integrates an ARM7TDMS microprocessor and processes 40 million instructions per second (MIPS), compared to 12 Mbps for competing designs.



USB 2.0 PC-based applications that might benefit from the added performance include cameras, MP3 players and scanners. One example could be boosting the speed at which a scanner performs image processing.



The chip supports both high-speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) and full-speed (12 Mbps) data transfers.

http://www.agere.com

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Cablevision's Optimum Lightpath Deploys Atrica's Carrier Ethernet

Cablevision's Optimum Lightpath group, which provides business communications services in the New York metro area, has deployed Atrica's Carrier Ethernet Systems. The carrier operates an extensive fiber network in New York state. Optimum Lightpath is now offering E-Line and E-LAN Ethernet services and dedicated Internet Access via Ethernet service, all of which are delivered via a single converged network. Key features include flexible bandwidths and SONET-like 50ms protection.



Atrica said it was chosen for its performance in five critical functionality areas: support of TDM traffic via Circuit Emulation; guaranteed end-to-end Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with CIR and EIR; sub-50ms resiliency; scalability of the network architecture; and carrier-class service management and provisioning, as well as its compliance with the Metro Ethernet Forum's Global Carrier Ethernet Service Definitions. Specifically, Optimum Lightpath is offering Ethernet via Atrica's Carrier Ethernet Systems which are Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) and E-LAN (Ethernet multipoint-to-multipoint) services compliant with the MEF 9 technical specification for such services.



Atrica equipment deployed includes the A-2000 family of Carrier Ethernet Edge Switches, the A-4000 family of Carrier Ethernet Aggregation Switches and the Atrica Service Platform for Ethernet Networks (ASPEN), an integrated service provisioning and management system.

http://www.atrica.com

Migrating Enterprise Clients to Ethernet-based Services

Some of the vertical markets currently leading the demand for Ethernet services include schools/universities, government organizations, financial storage networks, high technology centers, and wholesale telecommunications operators. Growth markets for Ethernet services include manufacturing, healthcare, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), DSL backhaul, and residential services. While they can certainly win new customers with a broad range of Ethernet service offerings, carriers should first look to their existing customers as migration candidates.

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