GlobeCast WorldTV Supply Verizon FiOS with International TV Content

France Telecom's GlobeCast subsidiary will supply international television content for Verizon's FiOS TV and broadband platforms. GlobeCast WorldTV will initially furnish Verizon with signal transport and licensing rights for up to 37 top tier international channels in 18 languages from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In addition to the 37 channels initially available to Verizon, GlobeCast WorldTV has plans to provide Verizon with access to another 40 channels during 2007. The agreement allows Verizon to make GlobeCast WorldTV programming available to consumers on both a linear and VOD distribution basis, thereby positioning Verizon to have one of the largest multicultural video offerings in the US.



GlobeCast WorldTV is currently broadcasting 206 global television and radio brands from 42 countries in 35 languages via direct-to-home satellite, cable, IPTV, broadband and mobile platforms.

http://www.globecast.com

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TIA and USTELECOM Agree to Host NXTcomm Event in June 2007

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) have set aside their differences and agreed to host a single industry event -- NXTcomm -- in Chicago from June 18-21, 2007.



NXTcomm will replace both GLOBALCOMM and TelecomNEXT in 2007.



"TIA is pleased to join forces once again with USTelecom to create NXTcomm," TIA President Matt Flanigan said. "Our organizations' members want one premier show. GLOBALCOMM and TelecomNEXT exhibitors want one premier show. The industry wants one premier show. And in June, 2007, that one premier show arrives at Chicago's McCormick Place, when USTelecom and TIA unveil NXTcomm, the one venue to showcase the leading telecommunications companies in the new converged ICT industry who are merging communications and entertainment via innovations fueled by broadband deployment."



NXTcomm will be a 50-50 ownership venture held in an independent company that will be overseen by a Board of Directors with equal representation from the two trade associations.

http://www.NXTcommshow.com

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Connexion by Boeing Makes Final Payment to SES AMERICOM

As a result of its decision to terminate the "Connexion by Boeing" service, Boeing has made payment of $70 million to SES AMERICOM relating to termination of the AMC-23 satellite contract.

http://www.ses-global.com

• In August 2006, Boeing decided to exit the in-flight broadband market and will shut down its "Connexion by Boeing" service over the coming months. The company will take a pre-tax charge of up to $320 million, or $0.26 per share, in the second half of 2006, for write downs of the network assets, payments of early termination fees to airlines, and other costs related to shutting down the service.

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Cisco Debuts New Logo

Cisco Systems has begun using a new logo. The company has also launched a revamped website.



http://www.cisco.com

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Fujitsu and Cisco Introduce IP/MPLS Core Router for Japan

Fujitsu Limited and Cisco Systems launched sales in Japan of a four-slot model of the co-branded "Fujitsu and Cisco CRS-1" Carrier Routing System. The new router model delivers the same 40 Gbps of switching capacity per slot as other models in the series, providing a total switching capacity of 320 Gbps. It also uses the same I/O modules and forwarding engines as existing 8-slot and 16-slot models.



Under a strategic partnership announced in December 2004, Fujitsu and Cisco offer customized solutions that take into account the particular requirements of the Japanese market.http://newsroom.cisco.com

• In September 2005, Cisco Systems introduced a compact version of its CRS-1 Carrier Routing System designed for deployment at regional Points of Presence (POPs), MSO hub locations and data center peering sites. The new platform is especially aimed at broadcast IPTV services and offers a multistage switch fabric with native multicast capabilities.

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Ixia and Anite Offer Video Telephony Handset Test Platform

Ixia and Anite, a supplier of test and measurement technology for the wireless industry, have integrated two of their key products to simplify video telephony certification.



Ixia's IxMobile video telephony terminal emulator and the Anite SAS wireless toolset together perform both base station and terminal emulation to provide a repeatable and versatile test environment for handset certification. The IxMobile and Anite SAS are seamlessly integrated via IxMobile's programmatic interface to communicate with the handset under test over a contained, RF interface.



The company's said their collaboration helps ensure handsets conform to the test cases selected by the Global Certification Forum (GCF) for video telephony application enabler certification.



IxMobile emulates video telephony terminals communicating with handsets under test for protocol analysis, conformance and inter-operability testing. Wireless handset manufactures can use IxMobile to develop and test 3G video applications, while network operators use IxMobile for handset interoperability testing and acceptance, as well as video telephony network optimization to continually assess and improve quality of experience for their customers.



Anite's SAS interoperability toolset reduces the cost and time taken to bring a certified handset to market. This is achieved by providing a network simulation environment in which handsets may be tested in a variety of real-world conditions.

http://www.anite.com/telecomshttp://www.ixiacom.com

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France Telecom and Motorola Test Video Handovers between EDGE and WiFi

Researchers at France Telecom and Motorola have demonstrated a Network Controlled Seamless Mobility solution that permits video streaming applications to perform a seamless handover between EDGE and WiFi occurs at the optimized instant for the network operator and user. In this solution, the handover decision is managed with centralized information regarding radio link conditions, access networks load, application quality of service (QoS) needs, user preferences, and operator policies.



The project is a result of the partnership signed by companies in January 2005.
http://www.motorola.comhttp://www.francetelecom.com

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Tektronix and LitePoint Develop WiMAX Test Solution

Tektronix is working with LitePoint Corporation to create an end-to end test solution for WiMAX. The companies said their joint effort will encompass new test tools for trouble-shooting WiMAX application design utilizing a Tektronix Real-Time Spectrum Analyze. http://www.tektronix.comhttp://www.litepoint.com

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Nokia and Orange Enter Software Platform Collaboration

Nokia is working with Orange to facilitate device customization and strengthen the role of S60 devices in Orange's device portfolio. The focus of the collaboration is to create an Orange specific software package to complement S60 software on Symbian OS and to accelerate the Orange device customization process.


http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.orange.com

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Taiwan's Accton Offers Wi-Fi Phone for Skype

Taiwan's Accton Technology Corporation announced the availability of its first certified Wi-Fi Phone for Skype for its OEM/ODM customers. The unit has been officially certified by Skype's engineering and certification center.



The device also supports common Wi-Fi encryption protocols including, WEP, WPA, and WPA2 with PSK support.

http://www.accton.com

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Nokia and Orange Enter Software Platform Collaboration

Nokia is working with Orange to facilitate device customization and strengthen the role of S60 devices in Orange's device portfolio. The focus of the collaboration is to create an Orange specific software package to complement S60 software on Symbian OS and to accelerate the Orange device customization process.


http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.orange.com

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ARM and Spirit Form Strategic Partnership

SPIRIT DSP, which supplies embedded voice and audio software stacks, has formed a strategic partnership with ARM.



SPIRIT's software audio and voice engines now run on the ARM AudioDE audio processor. ARM will also promote SPIRIT audio and voice software solutions to its partners, OEMs and processor vendors worldwide.

http://www.spiritdsp.com/http://www.arm.com/

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XM Satellite Reaches 7.185 million subscribers

XM Satellite Radio added more than 285,000 new net subscribers during Q3 2006 for a total of more than 7.185 million subscribers. The third quarter results are consistent with the company's previously- stated guidance that it will end the year with total subscribers between 7.7 million and 8.2 million.
http://www.xmradio.com

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SIRIUS Satellite Radio Passes 5.1 Million Subscribers

SIRIUS Satellite Radio ended q3 with 5,119,308 subscribers, 135% above third quarter 2005 ending subscribers of 2,173,920. SIRIUS added 441,101 net subscribers in the third quarter of 2006, a 23% increase over year-ago third quarter net subscriber additions.



SIRIUS has led the satellite radio industry in net subscriber additions for four consecutive quarters, with 61% of total satellite radio net additions in the third quarter of 2006.



The company also reiterated its guidance of 6.3 million subscribers by year-end 2006.

http://www.siriusradio.com

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Sonus Networks Appoints AT&T Fellow as Chief Scientist

Sonus Networks has appointed Vikram Saksena as its Chief Scientist, where he will shape and support the company's advanced technology direction, guide the future development of its wireless solutions, and increase the company's technical focus on external audiences and government agencies.



Saksena has been with Sonus since 2003, most recently as Chief Architect where he was responsible for next generation technologies and service provider solutions. Prior to Sonus, he spent 16 years at AT&T building their data network services, software and network infrastructure for Frame Relay, ATM, and IP. He became an AT&T Fellow and Chief Technologist of the Data Networking Business Unit responsible for service and technology innovations around IP Quality of Service, Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS), and Voice over IP. After AT&T, he served as the CTO and VP of Engineering of two start-up companies, MaxComm Technologies and Narad Networks.

http://www.sonusnet.com

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Embratel Awards CDMA2000 1X Expansion Deal to Nortel

Embratel, Brazil's main long distance service provider and a subsidiary of Telmex group, awarded a CDMA2000 1X expansion contract to Nortel. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Nortel's wireless infrastructure being deployed for Embratel includes CDMA2000 1X radio base stations, base station controllers, CDMA Packet MSC and other related equipmenthttp://www.nortel.com

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Helio Hybrid Combines EV-DO and Wi-Fi Roaming for $85/month

HELIO introduced its "Hybrid" access solution that combines a laptop's 3G card and free Wi-Fi access for a monthly fee.



The Helio Hybrid wireless connectivity package (Hybrid Connector software combines a PCMCIA EV-DO card and a Data Connect membership for 3G and Wi-Fi hot spot roaming. Users can manage their wireless connection to Wi-Fi hot spots and a nationwide 3G network. Provided software discovers and organizes available wireless connections including tens-of-thousands of free Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide, the over 55,000 commercial Wi-Fi hot spots in the Boingo Wireless network and 3G in more than 220 major U.S. markets.



The Helio Hybrid card and Hybrid Connector software are free with a two year membership costing $85 per month.



HELIO is the U.S. joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink.

http://www.helio.com

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GENBAND Acquires North American Circuit-switch Business from Siemens Networks

GENBAND has acquired Siemens Networks' DCO (Digital Central Office) circuit-switch business and has exclusively licensed other technology, enabling GENBAND to provide open interfaces for next generation network solutions to both the DCO and the Siemens North American EWSD installed base. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Siemens will continue to service and support the installed base of 1,100 EWSD switching systems.



GENBAND, a long-time Siemens technology partner in which Siemens has an investment, will acquire the DCO business which includes personnel, the product portfolio as well as its service and support infrastructure for more than 2,500 DCO host and remote switches across North America.

http://www.siemens.com/networkshttp://www.GENBAND.com

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Verizon's Chief Marketing Officer Sees Advantage over Cable

Verizon's all-fiber broadband and TV network will prove to be a strategic advantage over all competitors, said Bob Ingalls, Verizon Telecom Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Office, speaking at the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council's meeting in Las Vegas.



"The claims by the competition -- most notably the cable industry -- that they offer a similar fiber-dense network fall a mile short -- the last mile," said Ingalls.



Last week, Verizon plans to pass 18 million premises with its fiber network by the end of 2010 -- more than half the approximately 33 million households in the company's 28-state wireline service area. The company is on target to pass 6 million households by the end of this year.



Verizon is also seeing strong customer demand for FiOS TV, which was launched in its first market just over a year ago. By the end of the third quarter of 2006, Verizon expects to have more than 100,000 FiOS TV customers, and the company estimates that about two-thirds of FiOS TV customers have discontinued their cable TV service.



Verizon has set a target of 175,000 FiOS TV customers by year-end 2006 and making the service available to 1.8 million households. This would be a market penetration rate of approximately 10 percent.



Verizon's goal is for FiOS TV to have a market penetration rate that ranges from 20 percent to 25 percent by 2010 -- or from 3 million to 4 million FiOS TV customers -- based on its estimate that approximately 15 million households will be video-ready by then.

http://www.verizon.com

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Ikanos Cuts Q3/Q4 Outlook

Citing product delays and weakness in its markets, Ikanos Communications cut its revenue expectation for Q3 and outlook for Q4.
Ikanos now expects Q3 revenue approximately $36 to $37 million, compared to previously issued guidance of between $40 to $43 million. Additionally, the company announced preliminary revenue estimates for its fourth quarter to be approximately $24 to $26 million.



"While we had orders for our fourth generation and newly released fifth generation chipsets in Q3, our shipments of these solutions were limited due to product delays and manufacturing constraints. Looking to our fourth quarter, we believe that revenue will be affected due to the general weakness in the overall communications sector and some deployment delays. Additionally, carriers in Japan are currently working through their existing equipment levels thus impacting our Q4 revenue. We believe this will largely be resolved by the end of the year," said Rajesh Vashist, chairman and CEO of Ikanos Communications.

http://www.ikanos.com

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