Vendors Set LTE Licensing Deal

Top network equipment suppliers reached agreement for licensing intellectual property rights (IPR) that relate to 3GPP Long Term Evolution and Service Architecture Evolution standards (LTE/SAE). The parties include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NEC, NextWave Wireless, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks and Sony Ericsson.


The framework is based on the prevalent industry principle of fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms for essential patents. This means that the companies agree, subject to reciprocity, to reasonable, maximum aggregate royalty rates based on the value added by the technology in the end product and to flexible licensing arrangements according to the licensors' proportional share of all standard essential IPR for the relevant product category.


Specifically, the companies support that a reasonable maximum aggregate royalty level for LTE essential IPR in handsets is a single-digit percentage of the sales price. For notebooks, with embedded LTE capabilities, the companies support a single-digit dollar amount as the maximum aggregate royalty level. The parties believe the market will drive the LTE licensing regime to be in accordance with these principles and aggregate royalty levels.


The companies said their framework balances the prevailing business conditions relevant for the successful widespread adoption of the LTE standard, which continues its progress toward definitive adoption by the industry in the applicable standards forums and organizations.
http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.ericsson.com

• In May 2007, a group of world leading telecom technology manufacturers and network operators comprised of Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, France Telecom/Orange, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, T-Mobile, and Vodafone, launched a joint initiative aimed at driving high performance mobile broadband networks based on 3GPP Release 8 "Long Term Evolution / System Architecture Evolution" (LTE/SAE) specifications. The LTE/SAE Trial Initiative targets mobile broadband peak data rates exceeding 100 Mbps. In line with 3GPP requirements, LTE/SAE aims to provide a mobile broadband service that outperforms both 3GPP Release 6 HSPA, as well as current fixed line DSL data rates while maintaining and extending the highly successful mobility and coverage benefits of 3GPP networks such as GSM. Other vendors have subsequently joined the initiative.

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Tata Communications Establishes MPLS Interconnect with Telecom Egypt

Tata Communications
has expanded its Global VPN service to Egypt through a partnership agreement with TE Data, a subsidiary of Telecom Egypt . Specifically, the carriers have interconnected their respective MPLS infrastructures, setting up multiple, redundant network-to-network interconnection (NNI) points between the two companies connecting Tata's European and Indian network hubs with TE Data's facilities in Egypt.


The NNI agreement allows Tata Communications to seamlessly extend its current end-to-end service capabilities by incorporating the TE Data's IP MPLS network footprint in Egypt, using more than 800 access points-of-presence.


Tata currently offers its MPLS services in almost 40 countries and expects to reach over 50 by the end of 2008. It is also increasing the resiliency and depth of its international network with new dual PoPs in four countries and new PoPs in 8 cities within its existing country footprint.
.http://www.tatacommunications.comhttp://www.tedata.net

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MPLS-Inter-Carrier Interconnect (ICI) Spec Released

The IP/MPLS Forum has approved a new MPLS Inter-Carrier Interconnect (MPLS-ICI) specification that defines how carriers can link their networks on a global basis for the delivery of MPLS services. The specification includes methods for the establishment of Label Switched Paths (LSPs); signaling and routing protocols; resiliency; traffic management and QoS; Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM); as well as packet forwarding and security requirements.


Specifically, the MPLS-ICI Technical Specification addresses four common IP/MPLS services: inter-carrier IP VPN services, labeled IPv4 routes, pseudowires or PWE3 (Layer 1 and Layer 2 emulated services over an IP/MPLS network) and traffic engineered trunks. Each of these has unique requirements. The Technical Specification covers issues common to all these uses as well as addresses attributes that are specific to each of the services.


The IP/MPLS Forum said that as enterprise customers have increasingly sought end-end service delivery of VoIP, VPNs and other Layer 2 and Layer 3 services across multiple service provider networks, the carriers only historical means to deliver this has been via bilateral agreements which are limited to basic IP interconnect or the transport of native Layer 2 services over ATM or Frame Relay NNI connections. The MPLS-ICI changes all of that by supporting a rich array of service interconnections using MPLS which can carry a variety of Layer 1, 2 and 3 services.


"The MPLS-ICI provides a standards-based definition for carrier interconnect that allows services to be transported over MPLS from one provider edge to the other provider edge in a secure, consistent and transparent manner," said Nabil Bitar, Editor of the MPLS-ICI specification and Director, Packet Network Architecture at Verizon Communications. "In addition, because MPLS is a multi-service transport technology, an MPLS-ICI eliminates the need to have multiple interconnect technologies at the carrier connection points, enabling carriers to simplify network, reduce OPEX and CAPEX, and improve ROI. These are the same factors that initially motivated carriers to deploy MPLS for their converged packet backbone networks."http://www.ipmplsforum.org

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Vendors Show SFP+ Optical Interface Interoperability

The Ethernet Alliance conducted a multi-vendor interoperability test of Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) short-reach (10GBASE-SR) and long-reach (10GBASE-LR) optical interfaces.


The testing was recently held at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL) by the Ethernet Alliance SFP+/EDC subcommittee and included AMCC, Avago Technologies, Broadcom, ClariPhy, Cortina Systems, ExceLight Communications, Finisar, Gennum, Inphi, Intel, JDSU, MergeOptics, NetLogic Microsystems, Opnext and Vitesse.


The test demonstrated multiple SFP+ SR and LR optical transceivers and physical layer (PHY) ICs interoperating over 270 meters of OM3 multimode fiber and 10 km of single-mode fiber. In addition, the group demonstrated multiple SFP+ SR and LR optical transceivers and PHY ICs interoperating with XENPAK, X2, and XFP optical transceivers over the same distances.


SFP+ modules are hot-pluggable, small-footprint optical transceivers intended for datacom applications. SFP+ interfaces offer the smallest, lowest-power solution for 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) to enable increased density in enterprise applications.


SFP+ modules and PHY ICs are being developed for SR, LR, LRM (long-wavelength multimode) and ER (extra-long-wavelength) optical reaches per IEEE Std. 802.3ae-2002 and IEEE Std. 802.3aq-2006. Electrical and mechanical interface specifications for SFP+ modules, direct attach cables, and hosts are under definition by the SFF Committee, a multi-source agreement group with broad industry participation.


"We expect the move to smaller SFP+ modules will help increase the port density and reduce the cost of 10 Gigabit Ethernet line cards," said Jag Bolaria, senior analyst, Linley Group. "Demonstrating interoperability between 10GBASE-SR and 10GBASE-LR SFP+ modules with existing XENPAK, X2 and XFP modules showcases the readiness for deployment of SFP+ modules."http://www.ethernetalliance.org

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Nokia Siemens Networks Signs Gateway Deal with GENBAND

GENBAND announced a five-year OEM agreement under which Nokia Siemens Networks will be the preferred supplier of trunking media gateways for their global fixed network market. The companies have also reached a definitive agreement for GENBAND to acquire Nokia Siemens Networks' SURPASS hiG fixed line trunking media gateway product line. Nokia Siemens Networks will continue with its fixed core networks solution portfolio and provide service and support to its current installed base and future customers.


GENBAND said the deal strengthens its position in the fixed network gateway market and expands its international reach, especially in the APAC and CALA regions. GENBAND will also attain a team in Brazil, focused on hiG research and development, program- and product management.http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.comhttp://www.genband.com

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ICO Successfully Launches G1 Satellite for Mobile TV

ICO Global Communications announced the successful launch of its North American geosynchronous satellite, ICO G1, on board an Atlas V 421 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. ICO G1, which was constructed by Space Systems/Loral using the Loral 1300 platform, has a total mass of 6634kg, making it the largest satellite ever launched by an Atlas rocket, and is the largest commercial satellite ever launched.

ICO is planning to offer a converged mobile media service called "mim" that addresses a wide variety of consumers' entertainment, information, and two-way communication needs: live and stored mobile TV in vehicles, interactive navigation, and roadside assistance, all with nationwide coverage. ICO mim will provide multiple channels of high-quality mobile video to portable, larger-screen (4.5 to 10 inch) user devices.

The ICO G1 satellite will operate in the 2 GHz S-band and will provide coverage to the United States and most of North America. It S-band antenna has an aperture of 12 meters and was built by Harris Corporation. ICO G1 also pioneers the use of a ground-based beam forming (GBBF) system for both satellite-receive and satellite-transmit directions. The company expects that GBBF will provide unprecedented flexibility in operation for the spacecraft to form S-band antenna beams, flexibility in assigning frequencies and power, and will accommodate any modulation protocol within ICO's licensed spectrum. GBBF can form up to 250 transmit and 250 receive independent S-band beams.

ICO will be conducting alpha trials for its fully interactive mobile video, navigation and emergency assistance service to be known as ICO mim (mobile interactive media) later this year. The mobile television component of ICO mim will use the DVB-SH standard, and is the first deployment of DVB-SH in the United States.

"With our launch of ICO G1, ICO is now poised to deliver a new generation of mobile services for consumers," commented Tim Bryan, chief executive officer of ICO. "We look forward to meeting our 12th and final FCC milestone by May 15, 2008, when we anticipate certifying that ICO G1 is operational. Later this summer we will commence market trials in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina for our mobile interactive media service, ICO mim, which we expect to launch commercially later in 2009."http://www.ico.com

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Network Evolution -- Qwest Communications

1. Impact of Video Traffic -- Will an exa-flood of video traffic swamp the Internet? 2. Migration to 40 - 100 Gbps -- When will the transition from 10 Gps to 40 Gbps occur? 100 Gbps? 3. Carrier Ethernet -- What is driving the market for Carrier Etherner? 4. PBT -- Will PBT or PBB-TE gain traction versus IP/MPLS? 5. Future Net Technologies -- Looking ahead, which networking technologies show greatest promise for your network?

Pieter Poll, Chief Technology Officer, Qwest

Location: Spring VON.x, San Jose, California

 

http://www.qwest.com

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Tiscali Int. Net Deploys Juniper T1600 Core Router

Tiscali International Network (TINet), the wholesale carrier division of the Tiscali Group, is deploying the Juniper Networks T1600 multi-terabit core router. TINet exclusively focuses on serving wholesale customers with high capacity IPv4 and IPv6 Transit, Layer 2 MPLS services for IPTV and data transport and with its global Ethernet private lines service. The 1600s will be installed in several Points of Presence throughout Europe and America to accommodate fast traffic growth and to support 40 Gbps technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Juniper's T1600 core router features 1.6 Tbps of throughput in a single half-rack chassis. All JUNOS routing features are supported on the T1600, including point-to-multipoint (P2MP) MPLS that delivers efficient core video distribution. The T-series routers also include optical network integration via10GE optical interfaces and 40 Gbps interface cardshttp://www.juniper.net

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RAD Enhances Demarc Device for Carrier Ethernet Access and WiMAX/LTE Backhaul

RAD Data Communications introduced its ETX-A series of intelligent demarcation units designed to support managed Carrier Ethernet services and WiMAX/LTE backhaul traffic. The first product in the series, the ETX-202A, provides key functions at customer premises, multi-tenant units (MTUs), remote cell sites, and aggregating hubs. Specifically, it offers bandwidth control mechanisms to classify, police, schedule, and shape high-priority traffic to ensure that it is not delayed or discarded even when the link is congested. At MTUs or WiMAX/LTE hub sites, the ETX-202A aggregates traffic from multiple customers or cell sites and ensures fair distribution of bandwidth in accordance with the carrier's policies. Intelligent traffic engineering, including a WRED policy, ensures that queues are not congested and high priority traffic is not dropped, even when links are oversubscribed.


RAD's ETX-202A builds on the company's exiting line of Ethernet private line (EPL) port-based ETX Metro Ethernet demarcation products, adding support for Ethernet virtual private line (EVPL) and flow-based services with flexible mapping of the user traffic into Ethernet flows. It is a carrier class solution with redundant power supply and environmentally hardened options.


In addition, the ETX-202A features end-to-end Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) based on IEEE 802.1ag and ITU T Y.1731, enabling mobile operators and Ethernet service providers to monitor their services proactively, measure end-to-end performance and ensure they receive the contracted Service Level Agreement (SLA). Fault monitoring and performance measurement include frame delay, frame delay variation, frame loss, and availability.


RAD also noted that its ETX-202A can test end-to-end Layer-2 link integrity with the help of wire-speed MAC swap loopbacks, so that the ETX exchanges source and destination MAC addresses of the incoming packets. This loopback can be performed per port, per VLAN or per flow. It passes through Ethernet bridges and does not disrupt traffic flows, which are not being tested.


RAD's ETX-202A is MEF-9 and MEF-14 EPL and EVPL certified.http://www.rad.com

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