OpVista Extends ROADM Capability

OpVista announced a new the ROADM Interface Card (RIC) for its OpVista2000 DWDM platform, which scales to 800 Gbps. The RIC extends OpVista's single wavelength reconfigurability to existing DWDM systems.



The OpVista2000 delivers an any-to-any architecture by making all wavelengths available at all sites. Coupled with OpVista's scalable, reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (S-ROADM) capability, operators can provision any wavelength anywhere, down to single wavelength granularity.



The company said its approach provides full flexibility with a low total cost of ownership.

http://www.opvista.com

• OpVista's investors include Sevin Rosen, Incubic, US Trust's Excelsior Venture Partners, and WTI

Read More

Avaya Reaches National Agreement With Unions

Avaya reached a tentative national agreement on a 3-year contract with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The tentative agreement, which covers about 3,000 employees, will be submitted to the CWA and IBEW membership for ratification votes that usually conclude in four to six weeks.

http://www.avaya.com

Read More

Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom Selects Cisco Optical for Int. Expansion

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), the incumbent telco in Taiwan, has selected Cisco Systems' ONS 15454 Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP), for its expansion into overseas markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S.



CHT has extended its coverage from six to 12 cities overseas. The current project is part of CHT's initiative to embrace a Cisco IP Next-Generation Network (NGN) infrastructure. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.cisco.com

Read More

FCC Concludes Air-to-Ground Auction, Two Winning Bidders

The FCC concluded its auction of two nationwide Air-Ground spectrum licenses in the 800 MHz band. The winning bidders for the two licenses were AC BidCo and LiveTV (a unit of JetBlue).



The spectrum that was auctioned is currently used by Verizon Airfone to provide seat-back telephone service. However, Airfone's non-renewable license expires in May 2010 and, within two years of the grant of the new Air-Ground licenses, the company must cease operations in the three MHz of the band corresponding to License C, thereby allowing the new licensee to begin providing service to the public. Airfone may continue to operate in the remaining one MHz of the band (corresponding to License D) until its license expires in 2010.



The three MHz C block license was won by AC BidCo LLC with a bid of $31.3 million, and the one MHz D block license was won by LiveTV LLC with a bid of $7 million.



The four MHz of Air-Ground spectrum in the 800 MHz band can be used to provide a range of communications services to passengers on commercial and other aircraft, including broadband Internet access.

http://www.fcc.gov

Read More

SJ Mercury News: Intel to Sell Certain Communications Units

Intel is preparing to sell certain money-losing communications business units, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Intel has spent $10 billion for its entire collection of communications businesses over ten years. The newspaper speculates that Intel will likely keep communications businesses that support its core computing business, such as its storage processors, WiFi and WiMAX silicon, while selling off technologies such as network processors and chips for mobile phones.

http://www.mercurynews.com

Read More