Telecom Italia Targets "Ultra-Broadband" with NGN2 Rollout

Telecom Italia outlined a multi-year strategy to defend its domestic fixed-line and mobile markets by launching a Next Generation Network 2 (NGN2) project to deliver "ultra-broadband" services in line with market demand and the regulatory framework.In a press event covering its 2007-2009 business plan, Telecom Italia said it is now expecting its domestic wireline revenues to fall between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2007 compared to last year, while mobile revenues...

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Spectrum Owners Reach WiMAX Roaming Agreement

Members of the WiMAX Spectrum Owners Alliance (WiSOA) have signed the first WiMAX roaming agreement, and formed a partnership with MACH Sarl and Trustive BV, both of whom specialize in the provision of roaming services.The parties describe the agreement as the crucial first step in what will provide for seamless "GSM-like" roaming amongst WiMAX networks, and roaming partnerships with global WiFi and 3G networks -- expediting the rollout of interoperable WiMAX services worldwide.WiSOA members include: Austar, Max Telecom, Nextwave Wireless, Unwired,...

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Alcatel-Lucent Selected for East Africa Submarine Cable System

The East Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) consortium selected Alcatel-Lucent to build an undersea cable system that will span nearly 10,000 km, linking eight countries from Sudan to South Africa, via Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique. Landings will be located in Port Sudan, Djibouti (Djibouti), Mogadishu (Somalia) Mombasa (Kenya), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Toliary (Madagascar), Maputo (Mozambique) and Mtunzini (South Africa). The cable system will have a scalable capacity of 320 Gbps. It will also interconnect...

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European Commission Charts "Television without Frontiers" Directive

The European Commission reported growing consensus about the future legal framework for Europe's audiovisual sector as outlined in a modernized "Television without Frontiers" Directive under consideration by the European Parliament. The goal to create a new level-playing field in Europe for emerging audiovisual media services (video on demand, mobile TV, audiovisual services on digital TV). European TV- and filmmakers will be given more flexibility...

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Turin Supplies Optical Transport Platform for the Caribbean

Columbus Communications, a Barbados-based carrier delivering wholesale and metro access services throughout the Caribbean region, has standardized on Turin Networks' Traverse and TraverseEdge platforms for high-capacity multiservice transport and delivery of new Ethernet and TDM access services.Columbus Communications' New World Networks division is the principal owner and operator of ARCOS, a 10,000km undersea fiber optic network that links the United States with the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Venezuela,...

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Comcast and Sinclair Sign Content Carriage Agreement

Comcast and Sinclair Broadcast Group reached a four-year extension to their retransmission consent agreement. The agreement, which expires on March 1, 2011, provides for the continued carriage of the analog and digital signals of 37 stations in 23 markets owned or operated by Sinclair. The agreement also provides for the carriage of digital multicast channels which Sinclair is currently broadcasting in Baltimore and Richmond, as well as certain other multicast channels which the stations located in Comcast markets may broadcast in the future.Sinclair...

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D-Link Adds Support for Microsoft NAP

D-Link has added support for Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) policy enforcement technology, which is built into the Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn" operating systems and allows customers to better protect network assets from unhealthy computers by enforcing compliance with network health policies.D-Link will be supporting Network Access Protection in its xStack Switch series, including DES-3500, DES-3800 and DGS-360. In the past two years, D-Link xStack series have made significant strides in the enterprise and telco markets....

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AT&T and Yahoo! Respond to WSJ Report on Strained Partnership

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal published a report claiming that the five-year old, strategic partnership between AT&T and Yahoo! was under stress, in part because AT&T was no longer having trouble attracting broadband subscribers and had been approached by other Internet companies willing to pay to gain access to the AT&T customer base. At stake is about $250 million in fees that AT&T pays to Yahoo! each year.AT&T and Yahoo! issued a joint statement to respond to the speculation regarding their partnership. The companies...

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Vonage Affirms Financial Stability Following Verdict in Verizon Patent Case

Vonage, which is currently serving 2.2 million VoIP subscriber lines, issued a public statement to assert its financial stability in the wake of its loss in the recent patent court case with Verizon. Vonage asserted that it is not going out of business and that there will be no loss of service to its customers, even in the event that the monetary award ($58 million) and royalties are ultimately upheld/paid.If the judge issues an injunction, Vonage is confident it will be able to successfully stay it and the company expressed confidence in the...

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Clearwire Completes IPO, Raising $600 Million

Clearwire, the broadband wireless services provider founded by Craig McCaw, raised $600 million in an initial public offering (IPO). In the first day of trading, shares (Nasdaq: CLWR) fell 1.5% from the opening price to close at $24.62.Following the IPO, Craig McCaw owns a 34% equity stake and holds a 49% voting stake in the company. Clearwire is based in Kirkland, Washington. http://www.clearwire.comIn February, Clearwire agreed to acquire all 2.5 GHz spectrum currently licensed to, or leased by, BellSouth, now AT&T. The sale price is $300...

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