FCC: Wireless Competition Leads to Surging Usage, Lower Rates

The FCC issued its annual report on the state of competition in the mobile telephone -- or Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) -- industry. Although the mobile telephone market has become more concentrated as a result of mergers of Sprint/Nextel and Cingular/AT&T Wireless, the FCC concludes there is effective wireless competition, based on several factors, including: the number of competing carriers providing service in an area, market shares,...

Read More

NTT Sets Optical Record: 14 Tbps over a Single Fiber

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) set a new optical transmission record -- 14 terabits per second (Tbps) over a single 160 km long optical fiber. Significantly, the demonstration ran optical signals at 111 Gbps over a DWDM system supporting 140 channels. This greatly exceeded the current record of about 10 Tbps over a single fiber.NTT said its reach is driven to increase the core capacity of its optical transport network, which currently...

Read More

iSkoot Develops Thin-Client VoIP App for Dual-Mode GSM/WiFi Phone

iSkoot, a start-up based in Cambridge, Mass., introduced a thin Java-based client for enabling dual-mode phones (supporting both GSM/CDMA and WiFi networks) to connect with VoIP services, such as Skype, GoogleTalk, AIM, Microsoft Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. iSkoot's Java-based thin client phone application and network server enables VoIP over three different network connections, WiFi which is typically free, 3G/GPRS data which typically is offered...

Read More

Fonpods Debuts Mobile Podcasting Service

Fonpods, a start-up based in Los Angeles, unveiled its new podcast by phone service. Fonpods' proprietary platform is designed to provide convenient, cost-free mobile access to digital audio content -- podcasts in particular - through the mobile phone. The Fonpods service provides users with PC and Internet content optimized for an on-the-go mobile experience -- creating a fusion of interactive content and portable media -- and allowing users to...

Read More

Tektronix Offers TD-SCDMA RF Field Tester for China

Tektronix announced the addition of TD-SCDMA -- the mobile telecommunications standard developed for China -- as an option to its NetTek Wireless RF Field Tester. Tektronix said it is the first manufacturer to provide TD-SCDMA RF field test and measurement capabilities in a handheld form, enabling network providers, network equipment manufacturers and contractors to more easily diagnose TD-SCDMA Node B transmitter problems and effectively manage the roll out of the new technology.The NetTek Tester is a rugged portable platform with multi-standard...

Read More

DSL Forum Completes VDSL2 System Integrator Interoperability Event

The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) and the DSL Forum hosted the first BroadbandAccess VDSL2 System Integrator Interoperability Plugfest last month, attracting the participation of over 20 companies. Participating companies included system integrators, silicon vendors and test equipment providers.The 20 participating companies brought over 45 engineers from around the world to the UNH-IOL facility. The participating companies were:2Wire, Actiontec Electronics, Adtran, Alcatel, Amedia Networks, Aware, Broadcom Corp.,...

Read More

California Approves Video Franchise Bill

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a statewide video franchise bill that will make it easier for new IPTV competitors to enter the market."The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006," which goes into effect 01-Jan-2007, replaces a decades-old, city-by-city video franchising model with a streamlined, state-issued authorization. AT&T cheered the news. "AT&T has begun a $1 billion initial investment in California to upgrade our digital broadband network, which will deliver faster Internet access speeds...

Read More