FCC Rules that Competitive Carriers Get Access to Inside Wiring in MTUs

The FCC acted to eliminate barriers to competitive entry in multi-unit buildings where a new entrant seeks to compete against an incumbent provider for voice or video services.Specifically, the FCC clarified that:Competitive video services providers must not be forced to cut through sheet rock to connect their cable wiring to cable home wiring inside a unit. The FCC found that wiring behind sheet rock is "physically inaccessible" for the purposes...

Read More

FCC Targets Next Gen Emergency Alert System (EAS)

The FCC adopted an order seeking to strengthen the nation's Emergency Alert System (EAS) while developing fully digital next generation technologies and delivery systems.The order requires EAS participants to accept messages using Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), the groundwork for Next Generation EAS delivery systems, no later than 180 days after FEMA announces its adoption of standards in each case. The use of CAP aims to ensure the efficient and...

Read More

FCC Extends Disability Access Requirements to VoIP

The FCC extended the disability access requirements that currently apply to traditional phone services to providers of interconnected VoIP services and to manufacturers of specially designed equipment used to provide those services.The FCC's existing Section 255 rules, adopted in 1999, requires:that manufacturers of telecommunications equipment or Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to ensure that their equipment is designed, developed and fabricated...

Read More

Nortel and BT Partner on Trading Floor Communications

Nortel and BT have collaborated to bring to market a solution that enables investors' phone calls and communications to be monitored and accessed on or off the trading floor.BT's ITS Anywhere for Nortel extends consistent mobile access to all trading information by allowing calls and information to be viewed on remote and off-floor devices at the same time as it's received by trading floor turrets and multimedia desktop devices."By liberating voice trading communications from its traditional fixed location, a virtual trading environment can be...

Read More

Home Gateway Initiative Outlines Next-Gen Requirements

The Home Gateway Initiative (HGI), which was founded by nine telecom operators (Belgacom, BT, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, KPN, TeliaSonera, NTT, Telefonica and Telecom Italia) in 2004, has begun work on its third specification document for next gen Home Gateways.The key features addressed will include:designing the Home Gateway for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based Next Generation Network (NGN) environments; the growing need for supporting...

Read More

PMC-Sierra's FTTH Milestone: Four Million ONUs Deployed

PMC-Sierra announced a significant milestone: its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) solution is now deployed in more than four million Gigabit EPON Optical Network Units (ONUs). PMC-Sierra noted that Gigabit FTTH deployment is outpacing DSL broadband access in Japan (according to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications), and in Korea.PMC-Sierra and DASAN Networks recently announced a Korea Telecom contract for expected deployment of 800,000 EPON ONUs this year in Seoul. In China, benchmark testing is underway on equipment from three...

Read More

Ciena Posts Revenues of $193.5 million, up 17% Sequentially

Ciena reported revenue for its fiscal second quarter ended April 30, 2007 of $193.5 million, representing a 17.2% sequential increase from fiscal first quarter revenue of $165.1 million, and an increase of 47.5% over the same period a year ago. Ciena's net income (GAAP) for the fiscal second quarter 2007 was $13.0 million, or net income of $0.14 per diluted share. This compares with a reported GAAP net loss of $1.9 million, or a net loss of $0.02 per share, for the same period a year ago. Second quarter 2007 highlights include:Overall gross margin...

Read More

Level 3 Provides Multiple 10 GigE Links to Jupiter Hosting

Level 3 Communications' Content Markets Group will upgrade Jupiter Hosting's Internet access service to multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GigE) circuits. Under the terms of the expanded multi-year service agreement, Level 3 will replace multiple single-gigabit Ethernet ports with 10 GigE circuits in three of Jupiter Hosting's Silicon Valley, California locations. The upgrades are needed to support the expansion of the Jupiter Hosting network, enabling the firm to better serve its existing managed hosting customers, as well as to facilitate its entry...

Read More

EMBARQ Receives MEF Service Provider Certification

Embarq has received Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) 9 certification for its suite of Ethernet services, including Ethernet LAN, Ethernet Private Line and Ethernet Virtual Private Line. Iometrix, MEF's certification lab, linked into the EMBARQ network to conduct the certification tests from a subscriber's point of view. MEF compliance shows the EMBARQ Ethernet services fully integrate with customers' overall network infrastructure. http://www.embarq....

Read More

Kazakhtelecom Selects Amdocs OSS

Kazakhtelecom has selected Amdocs' billing and mediation solutions to support the delivery of its next-generation services. The implementation of Amdocs Charging 7 and Amdocs Service Mediation Manager 7 will enable Kazakhtelecom to offer modern, differentiated services and service bundles. Financial terms were not disclosed.Amdocs Service Mediation Manager 7 is pre-integrated with Amdocs Charging 7 to create a unified network-to-bill process that guarantees an accurate flow of information from mediation to billing. Both products are featured in...

Read More

Networx Enterprise Contracts Awarded to AT&T, Level 3, VZ, Qwest, Sprint

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which is the central procurement agency for the U.S. government, awarded its Networx Enterprise contracts to five carriers: AT&T, Level 3 Communications, Verizon Business (MCI), Qwest, and Sprint.The Networx Enterprise contract provides a streamlined means for federal agencies to access a broad range of networking services.By leveraging the government's telecommunications services buying power,...

Read More