Broadcom Execs Take Leaves of Absence Following SEC Charges

Broadcom's Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Henry Samueli, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel, David A. Dull, have each taken leaves of absence as executive officers of Broadcom pending resolution of a civil complaint filed against them by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to its previously- disclosed investigation of Broadcom's historical stock option granting practices.


Also pending resolution of the civil action, Dr. Samueli has resigned as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. The Board has named John E. Major, an independent director of the company since January 2003, to serve as non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. http://www.broadcom.com

Read More

SingTel Adds 244,000 Mobile Subscribers, Market Penetration at 129%

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) announced a double-digit growth in net profit and double digit growth in revenue for its fourth quarter ended 31 March 2008, driven by its Singapore business, which posted another record number of mobile net additions, and the strengthening of the Australian dollar. Group revenue in the three months ended 31 March 2008 increased 11 per cent to S$3.76 billion from S$3.38 billion a year ago. Underlying net profit for the quarter posted a 9.2 per cent gain to S$968 million from S$886 million, helped by a strong performance from the regional mobile associates.


Some operational highlights:

• In Singapore revenue from Data & Internet grew 12 per cent to S$356 million in the fourth quarter driven mainly by strong corporate data and broadband growth.



• For the quarter, SingTel added 19,000 broadband customers and retained its leadership position with 54.3 per cent market share.



• SingTel's Wireless@SG also attracted 496,000 customers since its introduction of which 203,000 do not subscribe to SingNet's residential broadband service.



• Mobile Communications posted another strong quarter with revenue increasing 15 per cent to S$339 million from a year ago. In a market with a penetration level of 129 per cent, SingTel added a record 244,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter. This brings SingTel's total number of users to 2.57 million with a market share of 43.4 per cent.



• SingTel added 207,000 prepaid customers to 1.19 million users and 37,000 postpaid users as at 31 March 2008.Average revenue per user rose 2 per cent for postpaid customers and 16 per cent for prepaid customers from a year ago.



• During the next fiscal year, capital expenditure in Singapore as a percentage of operating revenue is expected to rise to mid-teens level because of mobile capacity expansion and an upgrade of the fixed-line network.



• In Australia, Optus achieved a 4.5 per cent increase in revenue to A$1.94 billion despite the ACCC's mandated reduction in mobile termination rates by 25 per cent to 9 cents per minute from 1 July 2007 and Optus' decision to exit the unprofitable consumer fixed-line resale market.



• Optus Mobile operating revenue grew 6.5 per cent to A$1.09 billion with 135,000 new subscribers added in the quarter, including 87,000 postpaid additions, taking the total number of mobile customers to 7.14 million. 3G customer numbers increased 21 per cent from a quarter ago to 1.4 million.



• Mobile EBITDA margin was 35 per cent, declining 4 percentage points from a year ago reflecting acquisition and retention costs to grow the postpaid segment.



• SMS and other data revenue were at 29 per cent of ARPU, up from 26 per cent a year ago with stimulation of SMS and increased take-up of data services. The proportion of non-SMS data revenue grew to 6.0 per cent of ARPU in the current quarter compared to 4.2 per cent a year ago.



• On 7 May 2008, Optus announced it would embark on a further investment program to expand its nationwide mobile network beyond 96 per cent population coverage to reach 98 per cent by December 2009.



• The 3G network provided coverage to 68 per cent of the population as at 31 March 2008.



• During the quarter, Optus Consumer and SMB Fixed saw continued Unbundled Local Loop (ULL) growth, with 317,000 customers provisioned with telephony and/or broadband services.



• As at 31 March 2008, Optus had installed equipment in 357 ULL exchanges. The ULL build will comprise a total of 366 exchanges with a coverage footprint of 2.9 million premises.

http://www.singtel.com

Read More

Belgacom Resells Alcatel-Lucent's Integrated Communications Solution

Belgacom has selected Alcatel-Lucent's Business Integrated Communications Solution (BiCS) portfolio as its preferred midmarket communications offer. The Alcatel-Lucent Business Integrated Communication Solution is a multi-service, single-server communication solution for enterprises with 500 users, supporting 1000 users later this year. Key features include:

• Communication server: OmniPCX Enterprise IP telephony & Alcatel-Lucent 4645 voice mail



• Management: OmniVista 4760 Network Management System



• Contact Center: OmniTouch Contact Center Standard Edition



• Communication: My Instant Communicator



• Openness to third party application: XML APIs for simplified third party application integration



• High reliability via hard disk mirroring



• " Try before Buying," five free licenses of key communication applications (e.g. UC, contact center agents)

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Read More

FCC Seeks Comments 700 MHz D Block Spectrum Reauction

The FCC is seeking public comment on how to proceed with the reauction and licensing of the 700 MHz D Block spectrum while maximizing the public safety and commercial benefits of a nationwide, interoperable broadband network.




In July 2007, the FCC adopted rules for the 700 MHz Band spectrum that included the creation of a 10-megahertz license in the D Block to be part of a 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership with the adjacent 10 megahertz of spectrum dedicated to a Public Safety Broadband License. The 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership was designed to achieve the important public policy goal of promoting public safety interoperability, allowing police, fire and other first responders to better communicate with one another in times of emergency.


Because the D Block did not meet its $1.3 billion reserve price in the 700 MHz Auction, the FCC intends to re-auction this spectrum under revised rules.


Issues for which comments are sought include:

• the rules governing public safety priority access to the network during emergencies;


• the performance requirements and license term;


• whether to license the D Block and public safety broadband spectrum on a nationwide or regional basis;


• the various fees associated with the shared network;


• whether or not it would be appropriate for the Public Safety Broadband Licensee or any of its agents, advisors, or service providers to serve as a mobile virtual network operator to manage access and use of the 700 MHz D Block of spectrum by first responders;


• the process for the D Block licensee and the Public Safety Broadband Licensee to negotiate a Network Sharing Agreement;


• the potential for requirements that the Public Safety Broadband Licensee be a non-profit organization and that no for-profit entities, apart from certain outside advisors or counsel, be involved; and


• auction-related issues, such as whether to restrict auction participation and how to determine a reserve price.

http://www.fcc.gov

Read More

Pulse~LINK Shows UWB-based Whole-Home HD Video Distribution

Pulse~LINK is demonstrating its Ultra Wideband (UWB) Ethernet-Over-Coax solution for whole-home HD video distribution. The company said its "no new wires" solution can extend Gigabit Ethernet connectivity over a home's existing coaxial cabling, providing service providers, A/V manufacturers and professional installers with a cost effective method to deploy whole-home DVR functionality.


Significantly, Pulse~LINK said its CWave solution can coexist with other signals on the same coax cable, including broadcast video services from a local cable company, and coexist with MoCA technology. The platform networks up to nine HD multimedia content source and display devices throughout the home with end-to-end Quality of Service over existing coax cabling and splitters.


http://www.pulselink.net

Read More

Orange Business Offers MPLS VPNs with Vietnam Datacommunication

Orange Business Services and Vietnam Datacommunication Company (VDC) have entered into a new commercial and technical partnership to offer advanced MPLS-based IP VPN services in Vietnam. The agreement is an expansion of an existing 7-year partnership by Orange Business Services and Vietnam Datacommunication Company.


Orange Business Services said it already has 122 unique multinational customers in Vietnam.


Other than Orange Business Services' presence in Vietnam, the France Telecom Group has been operating in the country since 1997 in a partnership with VNPT and is contemplating active participation in future telecommunications sector developments in Vietnam.http://www.orange.comhttp://www.vnpt.com.vn

Read More

Covad Completes WiMAX Trial in SF Bay Area with Axxcelera

Covad Wireless has completed a WiMAX lab test and field trial in the San Francisco Bay area using equipment from Santa Barbara-based Axxcelera.


The trial included field testing for the reach and performance of Covad's service with Axxcelera's AB-MAX platform WiMAX equipment. The trial confirmed a total symmetric bandwidth of 8.0+ Mbps at 5+ miles and registered less than one percent packet loss and less than 50ms network latency.


Covad will use Axxcelera's WiMAX equipment to power its flagship "Super-T" product, which offers up to 6.0 Mbps of symmetric, business-class broadband access. Covad will begin deployment of its new WIMAX equipment at existing base station locations in Los Angeles, Orange County and the San Francisco Bay Area. Deployment will continue throughout 2008 and into 2009.http://www.covadwireless.comhttp://www.axxcelera.com/

Read More

Sprint and Samsung Ready with Mobile WiMAX

Sprint and Samsung Electronics announced that a trial WiMAX network has met Sprint's commercial acceptance criteria including overall performance, handoff performance and handoff delay. The companies said they passed this key technical milestone after extensive evaluation both in the XOHM lab environment and with the commercial service network being built in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. Sprint plans on launching commercial WiMAX service in those cities later this year.


Samsung has been working with Sprint in the United States to test and build Sprint's XOHM mobile broadband Internet service compliant to the mobile WiMAX standard. The companies finalizing a supply agreement in 2007. Key milestones in this cooperation have included:

• First data session in the lab -- June 2007



• First data session on the live network -- October 2007



• Successful interoperability testing with multiple other device vendors -- April 2008.

"This is a major step towards launch readiness and Sprint is extremely pleased with the performance of the mobile WiMAX network and access devices from Samsung," said Barry West, XOHM president. "The collaboration with Samsung and our other partners has created a WiMAX ecosystem that has now proven that it can deliver this new technology to the marketplace well ahead of any feasible alternative."http://www.sprint.comhttp://www.samsung.com

• In April, Samsung introduced several WiMAX-enabled devices, including its Express Card (E100 PC Card) and a WiMAX-embedded UMPC (Q1 Ultra Premium Mobile PC).

Read More

MTS Allstream Selects Zhone's MALC

Canada's MTS Allstream will deploy Zhone's multi-access line concentrator (MALC) as a full-featured Multi-service access platform optimized for delivering voice and data services over its national network. MTS Allstream will be rolling out the new services and evolving existing offerings with the Zhone MALC platform throughout 2008 and over the next several years. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.zhone.comhttp://www.mtsallstream.com

Read More

Qwest Launches "Get in the Loop" Consumer Campaign

Qwest Communications launched its new "Get in the Loop" consumer advertising campaign in 16 markets in the company's 14-state residential service area. Qwest said "Get in the Loop" represents an updated look and feel. It builds on the equity of Qwest's six-year Spirit of Service branding.


http://www.draftfcb.com/viewing_room/qwest/

Read More