Thursday, July 12, 2007

NXP Supplies UMA for Samsung's T409 Dual-mode Handset

NXP Semiconductors' Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) cell-phone solution is being deployed in the first nationwide, commercial rollout of a UMA-based service in North America -- the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service. NXP's chips are used in Samsung Electronics T409 dual-mode handset, which is one of the two devices initially supported by the T-Mobile service. NXP's UMA-enabled Nexperia cellular system solution enables the Samsung phone to seamlessly switch between conventional cellular networks and Wi-Fi hotspots at home, in the office and other public areas for voice, data and multimedia calls.

http://www.nxp.com

Israel's SatLink Deploys Harmonic's Digital Video Headend

SatLink Communications, a leading teleport operator based in Israel, has expanded its channel capacity with a new transport using Harmonic's DiviCom Electra 1000 multi-channel MPEG-2 encoders, the ProStream 1000 with DiviTrackIP statistical multiplexing and NMX Digital Service Manager.



SatLink provides world-class global content distribution services to content providers, broadcasters and governments, including satellite downlink, uplink, turnaround, fiber and IP transmission services, and is backed by shareholders including the Eurocom Group, Barak013 and Globecast.

http://www.harmonicinc.com

http://www.satlink.tv

HomePlug Powerline Alliance Hosts AV Certification "Plugfest"

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance will host a HomePlug AV compliance and interoperability (C&I) product certification "Plugfest" this week. The event, which includes testing performed by an independent laboratory in France, consists of two parts -- compliance testing and interoperability testing. HomePlug member companies will submit products to be tested at the "Plugfest" event to qualify for the "HomePlug AV Certified" logo, which promotes interoperability of products incorporating powerline communications standards and ensures a seamless consumer experience.

http://www.homeplug.org

Conexant Awards Equity Grants to New CEO

Conexant Systems has granted stock options, performance restricted stock units and restricted stock units to Daniel A. Artusi, its new president and chief executive officer, as an inducement material to his entering into employment with the company. Artusi's stock option grant covers 3,000,000 shares of Conexant common stock that will vest in equal annual installments beginning one year from the date of grant over a three-year period. The options have a maximum exercise life of eight years and have an exercise price of $1.53, which was the closing price of Conexant's common stock on the date of grant.



He also received a performance restricted stock unit award of 1,000,000 shares of common stock that will vest based on the company's independent Compensation Committee's determination that the following performance goals have been achieved: one-third if Conexant's common stock sustains an average closing price of $3.00 over a 60 calendar-day period; one-third if the common stock sustains an average closing price of $4.50 over a 60 calendar-day period; and one-third if the common stock sustains an average closing price of $6.00 over a 60 calendar-day period. Any unvested portion of the performance restricted stock units will be forfeited five years after the grant.



In addition, he was awarded 1,500,000 restricted stock units, of which 1,000,000 will vest in equal installments on the first, second, and third anniversaries of the grant date and 500,000 will vest on the first anniversary of the grant date.

http://www.conexant.com

Tiscali Acquires Pipex Broadband for GBP 210 Million

Tiscali S.p.A. has agreed to acquire Pipex Communications' consumer broadband and voice division for a total consideration of approximately £210 million, on a debt-free basis, before adjustments. The corporate broadband customers will remain within the Pipex Group. The subsidiaries being sold to Tiscali are: Switch2 Telecoms Limited, Pipex Homecall Limited, Toucan Residential Limited, Pipex Internet Limited and Toucan Residential Ireland Limited. As of 31-December-2006, these subsidiaries had approximately 570,000 Broadband customers and 480,000 Voice customers.



Pipex's Broadband and Voice division is a leading provider of telecommunications and Internet services in the UK market, reporting revenues of £231.7 million and profit before tax of £13.9 million, excluding amortization of goodwill and inter-company interest, in the year ended 31 December 2006.



Following the sale, Pipex will consist of 3 divisions namely Web Hosting, Business Services and Pipex Wireless (WiMAX). In hosting, Pipex is now one of the two largest hosting providers by subscriptions in Europe (based upon SW-Soft statistics). Pipex's domain name market share has also increased by 25% over the last year, to 2 million domains. More than one in every five domains in the UK is registered through Pipex hosting. Pipex Business Services also reports strong growth, with new contracts from companies including T-Mobile, Servista, Cost Cutter, Red Bull Racing, Rosebys, British Museum and British Library. Pipex Wireless has launched WiMAX services using licensed spectrum in trials in Milton Keynes, Warwick and Leamington Spa. In addition to partners Intel, National Grid Wireless and Ericsson, the division has announced a strategic partnership with Nokia Siemens Networks which covers network infrastructure, services and software. Together, Pipex Wireless and Intel will launch wireless services across the UK.

http://www.tiscali.net
  • In August 2006, Tiscali and Video Networks International agreed to integrate their UK market operations. Under the deal, Video Networks International Ltd (VNIL) would contribute 100% of their UK operations - Video Networks Ltd (VNL) - into Tiscali UK Ltd, fully owned subsidiary of Tiscali SpA, in exchange for an interest in Tiscali UK. As a result, Tiscali SpA would control 88.5% of Tiscali UK, while VNIL would own 11.5%.

NTT DoCoMo's "Super 3G" Tests 300 Mbps Wireless Downlinks

NTT DoCoMo began testing an experimental "Super 3G" system for mobile communications that aims to deliver a downlink transmission rate of 300 Mbps. The company said its Super 3G features low-latency data transmission and improved spectrum efficiency based on a highly advanced version of High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), both of which have evolved from W-CDMA packet transmission technologies standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The 3GPP, a telecommunications standards organization, is currently discussing standardization of Super 3G under the name Long Term Evolution (LTE).



DoCoMo is conduction an indoor experiment to test transmission speed using one transmitting and one receiving antenna. The company will then expand the experiment to examine downlink transmission by employing up to four Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas for both the base station (transmission side) and mobile station (receiving side); the goal is to achieve a downlink transmission speed of 300Mbps. MIMO is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which different data streams are spatially multiplexed using multiple antennas for both transmission and reception on the same frequency. Also to be examined is the "handover function" -- switching of the connection between two base stations.



DoCoMo will also examine the functionality of applications for voice and image transmission, games and the like, key capabilities impacting the Super 3G system's marketability.



DoCoMo, aiming to achieve sustainable, efficient use of 3G spectrum resources, is leading the discussion over LTE. DoCoMo believes Super 3G will allow the company to make a smooth transition to 4G in the future.



http://www.ntt.co.jp
  • In July 2006, DoCoMo began accepting proposals from suppliers seeking to develop Super 3G equipment and expects to complete development of Super 3G technology by 2009.

Nokia Siemens Networks Outlines Job Cuts in Germany

Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH and its employee representative have negotiated a restructuring that calls for the reduction of 2,290 jobs in a socially acceptable manner. Focus is on three locations in Munich with job reductions totaling 1,500 and about 450 in Berlin. The job reductions result from overlaps in different areas and functions of the new merged company, adjustments in the product portfolio and in Sales as well as from more efficient processes.

http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

European Commission Seeks Closer Cooperation on Telecom Rules

The European Commission published a report that concludes that although the EU's Telecom Rules have led to significant benefits for citizens and enterprises alike, important challenges remain for national and European regulators.



The Commission's review mechanism of national regulatory decisions, an important part of the EU Telecom Rules, has led to more coherent market analyses, greater transparency and has ensured that regulation only exists in markets which need it to be competitive. However, the Commission's report also found that, in a number of cases, the solutions which national regulators impose in order to remedy a lack of competition vary, leading to the risk of a fragmentation of the internal telecoms market to the detriment of consumers and operators with pan-European business activities.



"Close Cooperation between the European Commission and national regulators is crucial for building a truly dynamic and fully functioning single telecoms market," said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding. "By overseeing the day-to-day implementation of the EU Telecom Rules, the Commission has been able to create more legal certainty for companies wishing to invest EU-wide. Although this has improved competition throughout the EU and benefited consumers by lower prices and more choice, we must now remove the remaining inconsistencies to level the playing field in Europe and to promote the development of pan-European operators and services."



The report is available online.

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/ecomm/article_7/

UN Secretary-General Calls to Broaden ITU's Agenda

UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon visited the ITU's headquarters in Geneva and called on the organization to pursue a broader vision. He said ITU is providing the basic groundwork for the international community and should contribute to global agendas such as climate change, which would have long-term implications for the future of humankind. "ITU is one of the very important stakeholders in the area of climate change," said Mr Ban Ki-moon.



Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of ITU, welcomed Mr Ban Ki-moon to ITU, hailing it as a historic visit -- the first to ITU by a UN Secretary-General. Appreciating the importance accorded by Mr Ban to the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in world development, Dr Touré said that the first priority for ITU is to close the digital divide by 2015, in line with the UN's Millennium Development Goals. "If ITU does not meet the MDG, then no one else will -- because ICT is a tool for everyone," said Dr Touré. Applauding the UN Secretary-General's support for ITU's mission, Dr Touré added, "Together we can help the world to communicate. If we do this, the world will be a better place."



Earlier, Dr Touré laid out a framework for bridging the digital divide and his vision for achieving cyberpeace. He called for all partners to engage in cybersecurity and for a global approach to emergency communications to enhance disaster preparedness and relief.

http://www.itu.int

Devicescape Introduces "Wi-Fi Buddies" for Home Wi-Fi Net Sharing

Devicescape Software introduced a new "Wi-Fi Buddies" service that enables consumers to securely share access to home or other personal Wi-Fi networks with friends and family for expanded Wi-Fi coverage.
Devicescape already provides an auto-connect service that makes it easy for consumers to connect their devices to over 100,000 hotspots worldwide including commercial, municipal and free networks.
"Wi-Fi Buddies" now enables user to add their home network as a hotspot for their own devices; securely share these networks with selected friends and family; and expand their own Wi-Fi coverage by requesting access to their friends and family members' home networks.



Devicescape is available for free via download for laptops that use Mac OS X, Windows XP and Vista PCs, Windows Mobile 5 & 6 Smartphones, the Nokia N800 and 770 web tablets, Nokia Eseries and Nseries phones, and the Linksys WIP 300 VoIP phones.

http://www.devicescape.com

Carlo Gavazzi Debuts ATCA Systems

Carlo Gavazzi Computing Solutions unveiled its new 633 Series of 13U
AdvancedTCA systems, designed to address power requirements, thermal
management challenges and network equipment-building system (NEBs)
requirements of the telecommunications, enterprise, and datacom
marketplaces. The new 633 series, which complies with the PICMG 3.0
AdvancedTCA specification, is available with a 14-slot Dual Star or Full
Mesh backplane topology. The system features unique dual-redundant
Pigeon Point Systems shelf management modules and accommodates 14
AdvancedTCA boards and their RTMs. All field-replaceable units are
intelligent devices and communicate to the shelf managers through the
IPMI.



The 633 Series is equipped with a front removable push/pull intelligent
cooling system, featuring six dual fan modules to cool up to 220 watts
front side and 30 watts back side.



http://www.gavazzi-computing.com