Ikanos Introduces IPTV-Optimized, Multi-Mode VDSL2

Ikanos Communications introduced IPTV-optimized, multi-mode VDSL2 chipsets for Central Office (CO), Remote Terminal (RT) and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE).



The company said its fifth generation chipsets are designed to provide the highest throughput and density, with the lowest power consumption per port. All chipsets comply with mandatory and optional features of the VDSL2 (ITU-T G.993.2) standard. Both CO and CPE chipsets also support VDSL1 (ITU-T G.993.1), ADSL (ITU-T G.992.1), ADSL2 (ITU-T G.992.3) and ADSL2+ (ITU-T G.992.5) and offer true plug-and-play multi-mode operation per port. The chipsets support all band plans that are defined in the standards for their respective profiles.



Significantly, Ikanos has enhanced its chipsets with integrated QoS capabilities at the PHY layer. An on-chip DSP engine provides seamless Dynamic Rate Repartitioning (DRR) for real-time, demand-driven reallocation of bandwidth between different services on the same line. This provides priority for voice or video packets across the line.



Ikanos is also adding enhanced impulse noise protection schemes for optimal IPTV delivery. The chips provide support of dual latency, dual interleaving over all network interfaces, and offer maximum interleaver and deinterleaver memory for highest impulse noise protection.



The full chipset consists of:

• The Fx100100-5 CO/RT chipset and the Fx100100S-5 CPE chipset, which support all VDSL2 profiles -- 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 12a, 12b, 17a and 30a --and are optimized for 30 MHz spectrum operation to offer 100/100 Mbps performance, and



• The Fx10050-5 CO/RT chipset and the Fx10050S-5 CPE chipset, which support VDSL2 profiles -- 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 12a, 12b and 17a -- and are optimized for 17.6 MHz spectrum utilization to offer 100/50 Mbps performance.

The four-chip architecture enables density of 48 ports, in small form-factor, power-constrained line cards.


http://www.ikanos.com

Read More

Huawei Selected for Japanese IP-based HSDPA Radio Access Network

eMobile has selected Huawei as a key 3G equipment supplier for the roll out of its new UMTS and High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network in Japan. Initial deployments for the all IP-based HSDPA radio access network will start in several larger metropolitan areas such as Sendai and Sapporo. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Huawei said its entrance into the Japanese market further solidifies its global position in UMTS and HSDPA infrastructure.

http://www.huawei.com

Read More

UK Removes Retail Price Controls on BT Line Rental and Calls

Twenty-two years after retail price controls were first imposed to limit increases in the price of line rental and calls for BT customers, Ofcom, the UK market regulator, announced their removal.



Ofcom said the removal of retail price controls is enabled by -- and reflects -- the rapid growth of competition and continued reductions in the cost of phone services for customers. More than 10.7 million households and small businesses now use providers other than BT Group plc for their phone calls -- including more than 4.6 million cable customers -- and the UK has some of the cheapest phone costs in the world.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk

Read More

AT&T Launches Homezone -- Combining Satellite and Broadband Content

AT&T began offering its "Homezone" service in San Antonio, Texas and the state of Ohio -- its first markets. AT&T Homezone combines AT&T DISH Network Digital Satellite TV with AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service. In addition to live satellite TV programming, the service uses the broadband connection to provide access to hundreds of movies, television shows and short films. Up to 5 downloaded titles can be stored on receiver at any one time. A rental charge is applied once the film is played.



The AT&T Homezone receiver can support up to two televisions at the same time with access to recorded programs, movies, photo and music collections from either TV. The second TV receives its signal through a home's existing coaxial cable wiring.



2Wire is the CPE provider for the AT&T Homezone receiver.



The AT&T Homezone receiver can also be used to consolidate digital music from PCs in the home. It also connects to the AT&T Yahoo! LAUNCHcast streaming digital radio service.



The Homezone service is $9.99 per month (new AT&T | DISH Network subscribers only). This is in addition to the service fees associated with AT&T | DISH Network programming and AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet. The standard DVR service fee of $5.98 per month also applies.

http://www.att.comhttp://www.2wire.com

• In April 2006, AT&T announced plans to offer the Internet-based Akimbo video-on-demand service as part of its upcoming AT&T's Homezone TV service.

Read More

AOL Launches Spanish Channel on In2TV

AOL launched a Spanish-language channel on its "In2TV" service. The channel features more than two dozen popular television series with Spanish language tracks along with targeted advertising.

http://www.aol.com

Read More

Exponential-e Deploys Axerra's Pseudo-Wire

Exponential-e, a specialist provider of bespoke network solutions to the UK corporate market, is deploying Axerra Networks' Pseudo-Wire solutions in its PowerVoice PBX service, a voice solution which enables companies to utilize their existing investment in high capacity Ethernet access circuits, delivering true voice and data integrated access and free 'on-net' calls without changing their PBXs.



Exponential-e delivers bespoke network solutions, connecting company LANs regionally, nationally and internationally to create private, global networks. These dedicated customer networks are created within Exponential-e's PureEthernet VPLS-enabled NGN.



Axerra's Pseudo-Wire solutions enable Exponential-e to deliver traditional E1 and emerging services as it backhauls PBX traffic over Ethernet. Axerra's AXN Pseudo-Wire Gateways and Access Devices provide Circuit Emulation Pseudo-Wire, Frame Relay and HDLC Pseudo-Wires, ATM Pseudo-Wires, plus Ethernet and IP aggregation services while preserving security and QoS/CoS over next-generation packet-access networks.
http://www.axerra.comhttp://www.exponential-e.com

	Using Pseudo-Wires for Mobile Wireless Backhaul over Carrier Ethernet
The continued evolution of mobile wireless services is toward technologies that are intrinsically packet-oriented, such as HSDPA and HSUPA, and indicative that packet access networks, rather than TDM-based T1s and E1s, are the logical transport for backhaul in the RAN.

Read More

Juniper Posts Q2 Sales of $567.5 million, Comments on Stock Option Grants

Juniper Networks reported Q2 sales of $567.5 million, compared with $493.0 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of 15 percent.



The company said it has not completed its review of past stock option practices and therefore could not provide detailed GAAP financial results for the quarter. The Audit Committee has determined that the actual measurement dates for financial accounting purposes of stock option grants issued in the past differ from the actual recorded dates of such awards. Accordingly, Juniper believes it will need to record additional non-cash charges for stock option expenses, but it has not yet determined how much and what additional impacts are to be expected.



Juniper also announced $1.3 billion in write-downs from its balance sheet. The company said its market capitalization has declined since March 31, 2006, and therefore it is evaluating the carrying value of certain long-lived assets, consisting primarily of $4.9 billion of goodwill recorded on its balance sheet at June 30, 2006.



The majority of the goodwill was recorded based on stock prices at the time merger agreements were executed and announced. Juniper expects to record reductions in the carrying value of goodwill and long-lived assets for the Service Layer Technologies segment of approximately $1.3 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2006. Should the company's market capitalization decrease further, Juniper said it is possible that there could be additional reductions in goodwill in future periods.



Juniper also announced a stock repurchase program valued at up to $1 billion. The company $2.25 billion in net cash and investments on its balance sheet.



Siemens represented over 10% of sales for the quarter.



Sales to Verizon represented 10% of total revenue, not including a large order deferral.

http://www.juniper.net

Read More

Flextronics and Juniper Enter Into Outsourcing Relationship

Flextronics will provide a portion of new product introduction, manufacturing, and logistics services on a worldwide basis for Juniper's security and networking products. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.flextronics.comhttp://www.juniper.net

Read More

QUALCOMM Completes First HSUPA Test calls

QUALCOMM announced the successful completion of the industry's first HSUPA test calls delivering 2.0 Mbps on the uplink. QUALCOMM's Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM7200 chipset, the first HSUPA solution, was used for the test calls and interoperability testing. The company said ten leading device manufacturers are already designing handsets based on the chipset.

http://www.qualcomm.com

• HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access), which is analogous to HSDPA (downlink) technology, promises eventual peak rates up to 5.76 Mbps and QoS capabilities.

Read More

Global Crossing Offers Video Endpoint Management Service

Global Crossing added Video Endpoint Management Service to its collaboration services portfolio. The service handles network administration typically associated with videoconferencing and eases the complexity of monitoring global enterprise customers' videoconferencing endpoints. It provides real-time, 24 x 7 video endpoint and network monitoring and gives customers improved root cause analysis capabilities that diagnose transport versus equipment errors.

http://www.globalcrossing.com

Read More

ADC Issues Earnings Warning, Blames Slower Deployments Due to Carrier Consolidation

ADC cuts financial expectations for its third fiscal quarter, ending 28-July-2006. The company now expects sales from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2006 to be in the range of $330-$335 million and for fiscal 2006 year to be in the range of $1.280-$1.300 billion. Previous annual guidance provided on May 31, 2006, which included the estimated results for the APS France services business, was that ADC's fiscal 2006 year sales would be in the range of $1.350-$1.390 billion (approximately $1.320-$1.355 billion without the APS France services business.) ADC had not previously provided guidance on sales for the fiscal 2006 third quarter.



ADC blamed lower sales of copper and fiber connectivity products resulting from what it believes are short-term impacts of both customer consolidation activity affecting current spending rates and customers' current inventory levels being higher than current deployment rates.



"Given the current environment in which our larger wireline and wireless customers are consolidating and integrating operations, these short-term variations can be difficult to plan for and we do not believe they are reflective of the long-term prospects for our business. We are not alone in the industry with the current softening of the outlook for the remainder of our fiscal year. We still expect to grow our business year-over-year and remain confident that we can deliver long-term growth and profitability in our business," said Robert E. Switz, president and CEO of ADC.

http://www.adc.com

Read More

Verizon Wireless Selects Nortel for CDMA 1xEV-DO Rev. A Upgrade

Verizon Wireless selected Nortel to supply its CDMA 1xEV-DO Revision A technology beginning in the third quarter of 2006. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Nortel has been a key supplier to Verizon Wireless' nationwide network for over a decade. Nortel was the primary infrastructure supplier in San Diego for Verizon Wireless' initial commercial deployment of BroadbandAccess, which leverages EV-DO Revision 0 technology, in October 2003.



EV-DO Rev. A is capable of providing peak data rates of up to 3.1 Mbps on the forward link and up to 1.8 Mbps on the reverse link.

http://www.nortel.com

• In June 2006, Verizon Wireless selected Lucent to deploy CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) technology into its nationwide network. Lucent's Rev. A solution, which consists of incremental hardware and software upgrades to Verizon Wireless' existing Lucent-supplied base stations, will enable Verizon wireless to introduce a range of new services such as enhanced push-to-talk, messaging, and VoIP. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Read More

NTT America Launches Multi-Continent 10 Gigabit Ethernet Access

NTT America began offering 10GigE access to the NTT Communications Global IP Network, which offers connectivity to major locations throughout Asia, North America and Europe. The service, which is available for both IPv4 and IPv6 transport, offers GIN service provider customers guaranteed reliability and accountability through financially backed service level agreements.

http://www.nttamerica.com

Read More

Verizon Signs NFL Network for FiOS TV

Verizon has signed NFL Network as a content partner for its FiOS TV. Beginning Aug. 1, NFL Network will be found in FiOS TV Premier, the 180- plus channel, all-digital programming package selected by most FiOS TV customers. In addition to NFL Network's regular programming, Verizon also carries NFL Network's high-definition feed and NFL Network on Demand. NFL Network previously was part of the FiOS TV Sports package, which delivers more than a dozen different sports channels for $5.95 per month.

http://www.verizon.com

Read More

QUALCOMM Reports Q2 Revenue $1.95 billion, up 44% YoY

QUALCOMM reported quarterly revenue of $1.95 billion, up 44 percent year-over-year and 6 percent sequentially. Net income was $643 million, up 15 percent year-over-year and 8 percent sequentially. Diluted earnings per share were$0.37, up 12 percent year-over-year and 9 percent sequentially.



"Our results this quarter were driven by continued customer demand for our broadly segmented chipsets with particular strength in 1xEV-DO and WCDMA. WCDMA handset shipments continue to increase and WCDMA Mobile Station Modem (MSM) unit shipments increased 24 percent from the March quarter. We shipped a record number of cell site modem voice-equivalent channel elements in the quarter, which was primarily driven by demand for our EV-DO Rev A CSM6800 solution. Several operators, including KDDI, Sprint Nextel, Telecom New Zealand and Verizon have announced plans to upgrade their CDMA networks to EV-DO Rev A technology as early as this calendar year," stated Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chief executive officer of QUALCOMM.

http://www.qualcomm.com

Read More

Motorola Posts Sales of $10.88 billion, up 29& YoY

Motorola reported record quarterly sales of $10.88 billion, up 29 percent compared to second-quarter 2005 sales of $8.41 billion. Earnings were $.55 per share, versus earnings of $.37 per share in the year-ago quarter. Some highlights:

• Handset shipments reached a record 51.9 million units. Motorola now claims 22 percent of the global handset market.



• Launched 11 new handsets: 5 for GSM networks, 4 for CDMA and 2 for iDEN. Notably, shipments for iDEN handsets posted a record Q2 performance.



• Shipped a record 2.4 million digital entertainment set-top devices, including approximately 680,000 with digital video recorders (DVR).



• Shipped a record 900,000 voice-enabled modems



• Q3 sales are forecast to be between $10.9 billion and $11.1 billion, an increase of 20 to 23 percent versus the prior-year quarter, driven primarily by continuing momentum in the company's Mobile Devices business.

http://www.motorola.com

Read More