CenturyLink Begins Operations

CenturyTel and Embarq completed their merger. The combined company, which will be known as CenturyLink, serves more than 2.1 million broadband customers, more than 440,000 video subscribers and approximately 7.5 million access lines in 33 states, based on operating results as of March 31, 2009."The completion of this merger is a significant event for our customers, communities, investors and employees," said Glen F. Post III, president and chief...

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AT&T, BT and Tata Complete Mulit-carrier Cisco TelePresence Call

AT&T, BT, and Tata Communications completed the industry's first multipoint, intercompany Cisco TelePresence meeting across multiple carrier networks. AT&T, BT and Tata, together with Cisco, demonstrated the technical ability for a Cisco TelePresence user to call others on any carrier network with high levels of security and reliability. The demonstration, which occurred at the Cisco Live 2009 event, connected the following sites on AT&T,...

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MAGPI Deploys Ciena to Link Federal Research Labs

The Mid-Atlantic Gigapop for Internet2 (MAGPI), an Information Systems and Computing organization based at the University of Pennsylvania, has deployed Ciena's CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform. The network delivers high performance connectivity among multiple research labs located at Princeton University's Forrestal Campus and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Sciences Network 4 (ESnet4), which operates over Internet2's nationwide infrastructure. ESnet4 provides the DOE with a dynamic and reliable communications infrastructure...

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The State of Utah Connects with Qwest Ethernet

The State of Utah has chosen Qwest Communications to deliver a cost-saving, converged voice and data network. Qwest has begun connecting 300 locations in Salt Lake City and along Utah's Wasatch Front using Qwest's Metro Optical Ethernet (QMOE) data networking platform. Thirty government sites have already been connected as part of the 3-year, $7.2 million agreement. Qwest's network delivers up to 1 Gbps per site. http://www.qwest....

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AT&T Unveils Embedded 3G Netbook and Laptop

AT&T is now offering Acer, HP and Panasonic netbooks and laptops featuring embedded 3G wireless connectivity. The products are being http://www.att....

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Alcatel-Lucent Releases Eco-Efficient DSLAM

Alcatel-Lucent introduced a high-capacity and eco-efficient digital subscriber line (DSL) platform that it calculates will consume up to 25% less power compared to conventional DSL solutions. The reduced power consumption is achieved using the latest generation of DSL line cards, the company's unique distributed DSLAM concept and Alcatel-Lucent's Smart DSL technology.Alcatel-Lucent said its latest ISAM release is also the first commercially-available...

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NTT DOCOMO Selects Alcatel-Lucent for LTE Backhaul

NTT DOCOMO has selected Alcatel-Lucent' Ethernet transmission solution to provide the backhaul network of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. Financial terms were not disclosed.Alcatel-Lucent said its packet optical gear will provide NTT DOCOMO with cost-effective and flexible Ethernet-based aggregation and transport from the base stations to the core network. Specifically, the Alcatel-Lucent solution, based on the 1850 Transport Service Switch (TSS) and its universal switching technology, will provide multipoint Ethernet connections between...

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Alcatel-Lucent + Reliance Joint Venture Completes 1st Anniversary

Alcatel-Lucent Managed Services, the first of its kind managed network services joint venture company of Alcatel-Lucent and Reliance Communications, completed its first year of operations. The joint venture was launched in July 2008 to establish a cost-effective delivery hub for global services business.The initial phase of the JV spanned through July to September 2008 wherein CDMA and GSM operations and maintenance of 5 circles (Maharashtra and Goa, Mumbai, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh) were successfully transitioned. In the second...

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USDA Makes Available $4 Billion for Broadband Stimulus Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Obama administration announced the availability of $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to help bring broadband service to un-served and underserved communities across America.The Recovery Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to accelerate broadband deployment in areas of the country that have been without...

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CableLabs Publishes Interactive and Advanced Advertising Specs

CableLabs published new set of specifications to further the development of cable advertising and other interactive products.CableLabs' Stewardship and Fulfillment Interfaces (or SaFI) comprise a set of component specifications that will allow cable companies to provide more innovative types of advanced ads, such as interactive advertising, advertising within existing video on demand platforms, and advanced forms of addressable advertising. CableLabs said its new SaFI interfaces will allow multi-system operators (MSOs) to offer such ad products...

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Terrestar-1 -- World's Largest Commercial Satellite -- Enters Orbit

Terrestar-1, the largest and most powerful commercial satellite to date, was successfully launched into geostationary orbit aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the spaceport in French Guiana.TerreStar-1 will be located at an orbital position of 111 deg. West, offering integrated satellite and terrestrial mobile services across the United States and Canada using conventionally-sized dual mode handsets. The hybrid satellite/terrestrial architecture ensures...

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FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Sworn In, Adelstein Departs

Julius Genachowski was sworn in as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.In comments to the FCC staff, Genachowski outlined a vision of a more connected America, focusing on the following goals:Promoting universal broadband that's robust, affordable and open.Pursuing policies that promote job creation, competition, innovation and investment.Protecting and empowering consumers and families.Helping deliver public safety communications networks...

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Sprint Wins Exclusive Wireless Data Contract for 2010 Census

Harris Corporation, the system integrator for the upcoming 2010 U.S. census, has selected Sprint as the exclusive wireless data provider to help automate the process and to provide wireline and wireless data support to collect the information in real-time. Financial terms were not disclosed.Beginning in April 2009, approximately 140,000 field workers carried the Harris custom-built devices operating on the Sprint network, with the ability to transmit...

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Mushroom Networks' PortaBella CPE Aggregates Up to Four Cellular Data Cards

Mushroom Networks, a start-up based in San Diego, introduced its second generation "PortaBella" -- a customer premise device that can aggregate up to four USB cellular data cards into a single broadband pipe. For example, the PortaBella can aggregate the full bandwidth of a Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile data cards (or any other carrier) to access the Internet or stream video with low latency with four times the speed of a single cellular...

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Brookhaven National Labs Selects Force10

The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Labs has selected Force10 Networks' ExaScale family of virtualized switch/routers to help power its network. ExaScale was chosen largely based on its industry-leading density and performance characteristics, which are required to satisfy the needs of its ongoing scientific research as well as the day-to-day operations of its campus LAN. Force10's ExaScale E-Series offers support for 140 line-rate 10 GbE SFP+ ports per chassis. In addition to capacity, the E1200 delivers an total throughput of...

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Zhone's New MXK Terabit Platform Gains RUS Acceptance

Zhone Technologies' new MXK platform has been accepted by the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for use by RUS program participants. RUS and the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) are responsible for dispersing the $7.2 billion in economic stimulus funding allocated for broadband initiatives under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). http://www.zhone....

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GENBAND and BroadSoft Deliver Legacy Switch Migration Solution

GENBAND and BroadSoft announced a new set of solutions that enable carriers to upgrade their networks while supporting legacy features. The two companies have integrated GENBAND's gateways with BroadSoft's hosted telephony and multimedia applications.When the GENBAND/BroadSoft solution is deployed for TDM switch replacement, carriers can implement an integrated platform:Residential Broadband -- delivering primary-line services to residential consumers and home offices over any broadband or legacy connection, including GR-303, V5.2 and TR-08Business...

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Xena Networks Launches GbE/10GbE Test Platform

Xena Networks, a start-up based in Copenhagen, released its "XenaCompact" GbE/10GbE test platform. The XenaCompact provides wire-speed L2/L3 traffic generation and analysis capabilities in a compact one rack-unit form factor. Each unit supplies up to six GbE ports or two 10GbE ports in a variety of copper and optical interfaces. The XenaManager test management software provides an intuitive graphical user interface requiring little to no training...

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Florida's Rybovich Super Yacht Marina Deploys Alloptic for Fiber-to-the-Slip

Rybovich Super Yacht Marina and Refit has deployed the Alloptic GEPON solution to its 60 yacht slips and throughout the 12 acre Rybovich property in West Palm Beach, Florida."Rybovich is known for its world-class accommodations and service. By deploying Alloptic's fiber optic infrastructure across our property we increase the value we provide to our captains and their crews," said John Vander Wagen, CIO, Rybovich Super Yacht Marina and Refit. "Prior to the Alloptic deployment our customers used their satellite connections for day-to-day business...

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Marriott to Offer AT&T Telepresence Worldwide

Marriott International will offer AT&T's fully-managed AT&T Telepresence Solution in its hotels worldwide. Marriott said this technology will enable it to offer customers the widest array of meeting options, whether in-person, virtual or both. http://www.marriott....

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AT&T to Convert 600 Service Vans to CNG

AT&T has selected Dallas-based BAF Technologies to convert 600 Ford E-Series vans to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology in 2009. AT&T expects to spend an estimated $350 million to purchase about 8,000 CNG vehicles as part of a $565 million, long-term strategy to deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles over the next 10 years. AT&T's investment represents the largest U.S. corporate commitment to CNG vehicles to date. The...

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Spirent Delives Test Lab Automation Solution

Spirent Communications introduced a broad set of tools designed to automate the testing process and save engineers and their organizations time and money. "Spirent NoCode" is an integrated, modular, multi-vendor, multi-layer test framework with test and lab management capabilities covering operations, test, systems and device automation.The company said its solution covers the entire breadth of test automation requirements, streamlining the efforts associated with managing physical infrastructure, integrating and configuring the test environment,...

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Korean Carriers Debut Rich Communication Suite-Based Service

KT, SK Telecom and LG Telecom have launched the world's first interoperable enhanced communication service incorporating key elements of the GSMA's Rich Communication Suite (RCS) specifications.KT's 'show moov', SK Telecom's 'Mobile Messenger' and LG Telecom's 'OZ messenger', incorporate key features of RCS such as phonebook driven buddy lists, presence capability that includes taglines and status, and voice calls and messaging. In essence, RCS...

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NTT Communications to to Acquire Integralis for Security Services

NTT Communications has agreed to acquire Integralis AG, a leading international provider of IT security services, at an offering price of EUR 6.75 in cash per share. The offer price represents a 70 percent premium over the three-month average closing share price on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Xetra).Based on the number of Integralis shares outstanding, the offer would represent an equity value for Integralis of approximately Euro 75 million. ...

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Hatteras Extends EFM to 25+ Miles with Repeaters

Hatteras Networks introduced its HN239 Repeater and HNLPM8 Line Power Modules for its EFM product family. The new repeaters enable the use of Mid-Band Ethernet beyond the traditional distance limitations of copper services, reaching sites more than 25 miles (40km) from the nearest serving office. They are designed to extend higher rates for Ethernet business services and mobile backhaul applications, enabling service providers to bring much greater...

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NTT Com to Offer SLA for Global IPv6 Services

NTT Communications will launch a service-level agreement (SLA) guaranteeing 100% network availability, as well as latency and packet loss levels, to customers using IPv6 services provided on NTT Com's global Tier 1* IP backbone network beginning July 1.If the services do not achieve the quality levels guaranteed under the SLA, NTT Com will refund all, or a pro-rated amount, of the customer's service fee.The maximum average time for round-trip packet...

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CloudSwitch Secures $8 Million in Funding

CloudSwitch, a start-up based in Burlington, Mass., secured $8 million in series B funding for a software based appliance for cloud computing. The company has not yet published any product plans, but said its CloudSwitch software appliance will enable enterprises to benefit from the cloud's dramatic improvements in cost, rapid deployment and scaling. The company was co-founded by Ellen Rubin and John Considine in 2008. Rubin was an early member of the management team at Netezza Corporation (NYSE: NZ), the global market leader in data warehouse...

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Lifeline Data Centers Selects Ciena

Lifeline Data Centers, an Indianapolis-based provider of strategic data center outsourcing facilities and services, has deployed Ciena's CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform to provide high-performance, low-latency connectivity over dark fiber between its existing data center in downtown Indianapolis and its new 460,000-square foot state-of-the-art data center facility twelve miles outside of the city. Lifeline serves customers in the healthcare, retail, government, biotech and other industries. As part of a project to dramatically expand...

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Vodafone Essar Completes Indian Expansion with NSN

Vodafone Essar has completed a rapid service expansion into seven new regions across India. People living in or traveling to Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, North East and Orissa will now be able to use services provided by India's second largest GSM operator. Nokia Siemens Networks, Vodafone Essar's existing infrastructure partner in 12 regions, undertook the new network roll out in just ten months. http://www.nsn....

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NSN Secures €250 million Loan from European Investment Bank

Nokia Siemens Networks has secured a EUR 250 million loan facility from the European Investment Bank for the development of its multimode Radio Access network technology. The loan provides financial support for conducting R&D in Europe for multiradio technology . "Nokia Siemens Networks has some of Europe's most talented and innovative developers working on radio access network products that are setting standards across the industry and we are delighted that the value of that work has been recognized by the EIB with this facility," said Luca...

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Optical Internetworking Forum Publishes 100G Framework

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) published a framework document that lays the foundation for its100G technical work. A product of the 100G collaboration announced last year by the OIF, the 100G LH DWDM Framework Document provides component vendors with the specificity needed to focus their 100G investments.The OIF's 100G projects are targeted at producing specifications for the technically challenging application of DWDM 100G long haul transport interfaces over 50GHz spaced channels. The Framework Document begins by identifying a modulation...

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Tests Teknovus & ZyXEL for 10G-EPON

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has selected Teknovus and ZyXEL's 10G-EPON solution for testing by CHT's Lab. CHT began FTTx deployments in 2007 based on Teknovus' EPON chips, and is the first carrier worldwide to complete a formal evaluation and selection process for the next generation in PON solutions -- 10G-EPON.CHT currently supports more than 1.1 million FTTx subscribers, representing 28% of all broadband subscribers. The carrier has plans to reach 3.5 million FTTx subscribers by 2011. CHT continues to add subscribers to its IPTV service "Multimedia-on-Demand,"...

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Comcast Begins Bundling WiMAX in Portland

Comcast launched a high-speed wireless data service Portland, Oregon -- the first market for the new Comcast High-Speed 2go service. Comcast's High-Speed 2go will be bundled with one or more of Comcast's Internet, phone and television products, providing mobile broadband where ever and whenever customers need to be connected.Comcast is selling two different data cards and service plans:Comcast High-Speed 2go Metro service uses a 4G-only data card...

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Juniper Enables Intelligent Services on Edge Routers

Juniper Networks introduced a series of product enhancements that integrate key service delivery and performance assurance functions directly within its edge routing platforms. Additionally, Juniper is delivering hardware and software features that reduce costs by enabling customers to leverage investments in legacy voice and data networking equipment while they migrate to next-generation IP transport networks and services.The rollout includes an...

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Broadcom Raises its Emulex Offer from $9.25 to $11.00 Per Share

Broadcom raised its tender offer for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock (including the associated preferred stock purchase rights) of Emulex (NYSE:ELX) from $9.25 to $11.00 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately $912 million. As required by law, Broadcom will extend its tender offer for an additional 10 business days, until midnight New York City time, July 14, 2009.http://www.broadcom....

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Chelsio Adds Traffic Mgt to its Unified Wire Adapters

Chelsio Communications has added traffic management (TM) and filtering capabilities for its T3-based Unified Wire Adapters, enabling the efficient management of offloaded traffic and filtering of received packets for a wide range of virtualized application environments.Chelsio's Unified Wire adapters are now able to shape and pace offloaded TCP traffic per connection or per arbitrary class and filter non-off-loaded (tunneled) received packets at 10Gb rate on the fly. The TM and filtering functions can be mixed and matched in a wide variety of applications,...

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AT&T Teams with TDC for Services in Nordics

AT&T announced a partnership with TDC to jointly develop and deploy global service bundles and networking solutions for multinational companies, either headquartered or doing business in the Nordics. The deal combines TDC's portfolio, resources and coverage with AT&T's complementary portfolio of services and intelligent, highly-secure global networking platform. TDC is the leading provider of communications solutions in Denmark and a strong player in the Nordic business market. AT&T will also use its expanded agreement with IBM to develop...

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KT Achieves Seamless Wibro/3G/Wi-Fi Handovers with Stoke

KT successfully performed uninterrupted handover of a mobile data session between 3G, Wi-Fi, and WiBRO/WiMAX networks. The results were achieved by integrating software developed by KT Central R&D Laboratory, and Stoke's SSX-3000 mobile broadband access gateway. The solution uses MOBIKE, a standard protocol defined by the IETF that enables secure connection management while the mobile device changes access networks. The implementation is an overlay...

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Huawei Launches Huge Optical Cross-Connect

Huawei Technologies unveiled its enhanced optical transport network (OTN) solution -- the OSN 8800, featuring a record cross-connect capacity of 2.56 Tbps, with the potential of a further upgrade to 5.12 Tbps. The OSN 8800 offers VC-x (Virtual Container), ODUk (Optical Data Unit), future-oriented packet services and cross-connection capabilities.Huawei said the optical-layer and electrical-layer ASON abilities of the platform will significantly increase reliability in transporting services across different granularities and contribute to the reduction...

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Huawei Opens LTE Incubator Laboratory in Japan

Huawei Technologies has launched a Long Term Evolution (LTE) lab in Tokyo, Japan. The lab will both serve as an incubator for LTE technologies and a training facility for the implementation and commercialization of the next-generation wireless technology. Huawei' s research and development teams will also be able to work with Japanese operators to conduct rigorous test on LTE systems before delivery.Huawei's LTE lab in Tokyo includes the latest testing facilities and a real-world environment in which tests such as peak throughput, latency, multi-users,...

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NTT Com Partners with BSNL

NTT Communications (NTT Com) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), India's largest telecommunications company, signed a partnership agreement with the basic aim of providing customers with better services. NTT Com intends to expand the reach and quality of its local services to help multinational customers develop their businesses in India.To date, NTT Com has provided networking, system integration and other IT services to multinational enterprises operating in the Indian market. In particular, networking services have been growing in recent years...

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Telecom Liechtenstein Selects Nortel for UCS

Telecom Liechtenstein is modernizing its internal communications infrastructure with a Unified Communications (UC) solution provided by Microsoft and Nortel. Specifically, Nortel is integrating Microsoft's Office Communications Server (OCS) environment with the company's existing Nortel voice communication infrastructure to enable unified communications applications that will simplify and speed up business operations, improve the way employees communicate and enhance customer service. The new system will enable the 130 employees of Telecom...

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Germany's E-Plus Offers Subscriber Discounts for Targeted Mobile Ads

Germany's E-Plus, a member of the KPN group, is now offering discounts to mobile subscribers willing to receive targeted advertising. Through a mobile advertising subsidiary, called Gettings, E-Plus' consumers can choose between three packages - S, M and L - where they will receive between 10 and 25 mobile ads per week in exchange for free call minutes, free SMS messages or vouchers. The Advertising Selection Server enables users to provide their...

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Octasic Appoints New CEO

Robert Blake has taken the helm of Octasic, succeeding Michel Laurence, co-founder and retiring CEO of Octasic.Until recently, Blake served as vice president of consumer and automotive business at Altera Corporation, where he was responsible for defining the programmable logic product portfolio. Prior to Altera, he developed ASIC technology at LSI Logic and Fairchild, where he worked in both engineering and strategic marketing positions. Octasic's...

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AT&T to Provide Managed Data Network and Security Services to Amtrak

Amtrak awarded a new five-year outsourcing agreement to AT&T to provide a package of telecommunications networking services, including managed security services to help protect Amtrak's telecommunications network infrastructure.AT&T will implement and manage Amtrak's Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Enhanced Virtual Private Network (EVPN) to help connect more than 400 locations and converge multiple networks to a single, global network...

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Eutelsat Offers Services in Germany's State of Brandenburg

The German state of Brandenburg will include Eutelsat's satellite broadband services as part of its "Broadband supply for rural areas" programme to bridge the digital divide. Eutelsat will provide its Tooway satellite broadband service to all interested households and small companies at a monthly EUR 39.95 cost for a 24-month subscription, equipment included. The service is totally independent of telephone lines and offers an ADSL-comparable service,...

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Panasonic Names Eisuke Tsuyuzaki as CTO

Panasonic Corporation of North America named Eisuke Tsuyuzaki as its new Chief Technology Officer, replacing Dr. Paul Liao, who is leaving Panasonic to become President and CEO of CableLabs. Mr. Tsuyuzaki has served as Managing Director of Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory since 2005. In this capacity, he directed Panasonic's next-generation entertainment R&D activities in the U.S., especially in the Blu-ray Disc format and 3D Full HD TV areas, and deepened the company's relationships with the Hollywood studios and creative community. Before...

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BT and Tata Communications Sign Global Voice Agreement

BT and Tata Communications announced a major voice services agreement that will allow two of the world's largest providers of voice and IP services to mutually benefit from shared resources as part of a global supply arrangement.Through the five-year agreement, Tata Communications will become BT's primary supplier of International Direct Dial (IDD) and other voice termination services outside BT's own footprint countries and BT will become Tata Communication's...

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3Com Marks its 30 Year Anniversary

This week, 3Com is celebrating 30 years since Ethernet-inventor Bob Metcalfe incorporated the company. The company noted a number of achievements. Starting with the first commercial TCP/IP for UNIX, and then the introduction of the first "Thicknet" Ethernet Transceiver, the 3C100, 3Com's 30-year timeline is dotted with customer-driven technology innovations such as:The world's first Ethernet adapter card for the PCThe world's first commercial network...

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Mzima Picks Ciena's Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery Portfolio

Mzima Networks has selected Ciena's Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery (CESD) portfolio for its next-generation IP network. Mzima offers a unique combination of route-optimized transit and private peering for customers requiring the highest levels of performance and reliability. Financial terms were not disclosed.Mzima will leverage one of Ciena's connection-oriented Ethernet technology options, specifically choosing a Provider Backbone Bridging--Traffic...

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President Obama Nominates Meredith Baker for FCC Commissioner

President Barack Obama nominated Meredith Atwell Baker to be an FCC Commissioner, for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 2011, that was previously held by Kevin J. Martin.Meredith Attwell Baker most recently served as Acting Assistant Secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration from 2007 to January 2009. She was previously Vice President at the firm of Williams Mullen Strategies, where she focused on telecommunications, intellectual property, and international trade issues. Earlier, she held the position...

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Alcatel-Lucent: Consumers Spend on Broadband Even in Tight Economy

Broadband services appear to be nearly recession-proof, with 84 percent of consumers identifying broadband as an essential network service and therefore the least likely target for spending cuts, according to a series of recent studies sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent . The studies also showed that more consumers globally are planning to subscribe to and/or upgrade their broadband services, even while reducing spending in other areas.Alcatel-Lucent said key factors driving this preference include a desire to reduce the cost and travel time associated...

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Tellabs Enhances its Optical Transport System

Tellabs introduced a new optical transport for its 7100 Optical Transport System, which is part of Tellabs Business Services and Wavelength Services solutions. The new optical transport network multiplexer module offers guaranteed quality video delivery.The module makes timing and service transparent and offers protection options. It supports flexible service connections with any-rate interfaces for 100 Mbps to 2.7 Gbps and video signals such as SDI, HD-SDI and DVB-ASI.The Tellabs 7100 system supports Carrier Ethernet, SONET/SDH and optical transport...

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Julius Genachowski Confirmed by Senate for FCC Chairman

The U.S. Senate confirmed Julius Genachowski as the new chairman of the FCC. The FCC also confirmed Robert McDowell, a Republican, for a second term as FCC commissioner.The previous FCC chairman, Kevin Martin, a Republican, stepped down following the inauguration of President Obama.Genachowski, who served as technology advisor to the Obama campaign, holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School (1991), where he studied with Barack Obama. Genachowski is...

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FCC Approves CenturyTel and EMBARQ Merger

The FCC approved CenturyTel's pending acquisition of EMBARQ. The merger is expected to be finalized on July 1, 2009.In its approval, the FCC concluded that the proposed transaction is unlikely to harm competition or potential competition in those localmarkets where the two companies currently compete. The FCC also stated that it not concerned that the merger will have significant anticompetitive effects in the three local markets where CenturyTel...

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AT&T Releases iPhone Apps for U-verse TV Scheduling, Navigation

AT&T released an iPhone application that lets its U-verse TV customers schedule recordings on their DVR. The U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App for iPhone and iPod touch also lets customers search U-verse TV program listings from the full program guide, view descriptions of selected programs, schedule program or series recordings, manage or edit scheduled recordings, and delete stored DVR content.The launch of the new U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App follows several DVR enhancements that are currently being rolled out to U-verse TV customers,...

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Clearwire Acquires Licenses from Oneida

Clearwire has acquired certain wireless licenses previously held by Oneida Communications Group and its financial backer, the private equity firm of Catalyst Investors. Catalyst began acquiring wireless licenses through its ownership of Oneida in 2006 and sold the majority of Oneida's spectrum holdings to Sprint Nextel in 2008. With this final transaction, Catalyst said it achieved a 38 percent annualized return on its investment.Oneida was funded by management, Catalyst and Northwood Ventures to capitalize on the advent of 4G broadband wireless...

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One Minute Video: What's Next For Carrier Ethernet?

presented by Umesh Kukreja, Alcatel-Luc...

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Ericsson Picks Vestberg to Succeed Svanberg as CEO

Ericsson's Board of Directors has appointed Hans Vestberg (44) to replace Carl-Henric Svanberg as president and CEO effective January 1, 2010. Carl-Henric Svanberg is leaving Ericsson to accepted the position of Chairman of BP, the world's fourth largest company.Hans Vestberg is currently CFO and Executive Vice President of Ericsson He is 44 years old and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Uppsala, Sweden,...

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Calix Introduces Active Ethernet Access Platform, Extended Reach GPON

Calix introduced a residential Active Ethernet (AE) platform and released an Extended Reach GPON capability for its Calix C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) that enables carriers to reach subscribers located up to 40 km.The Calix E5-312 delivers last mile AE service to residential subscribers at distances of up to 60 km while preserving service providers' current investment in Calix' optical network terminals (ONTs). Key features of the new residential...

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Level 3 Builds Low-Latency Network Between NYC and Chicago

Level 3 Communications has activated a low-latency, fiber network between New York and Chicago. The network expansion was deployed using the shortest-path routes and advanced electronics to enable high-speed transaction rates with very low transmission delays.The new route offers aggregate bandwidth of multiple 40 Gbps connections to accommodate growing traffic volume generated by hedge funds, investment brokers, financial exchanges and other market...

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Firetide Debuts 900 MHz Non-Line-of-Sight Mesh Wireless

Firetide introduced a non-line-of-sight, 900 MHz wireless "Smart Adaptive" mesh solution aimed at utilities, public safety, transportation and industrial applications wherever clear line-of-sight cannot be obtained. The new HotPort 6000-900 can be used to deploy multi-hop, fully meshed networks and delivers throughput of up to 26 Mbps, depending on line of sight conditions.Firetide said its HotPort 6000-900 mesh is uniquely designed for noisy 900...

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NYSE Euronext Builds Ultra-Low Latency Network with Juniper Networks

NYSE Euronext has selected Juniper Networks to design a state-of-the-art, ultra-low latency core network for NYSE Euronext's new consolidated global data centers. In a press event in New York, the companies said they will pursue a simplified data center architecture that is optimized for low latency and vast scalability. The blueprint calls for collapsing multiple switching layers to reduce complexity while yielding improved efficiencies in space, power, cooling and management. Juniper estimates it can reduce network complexity and total cost...

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Global Crossing Expands its EtherExtend Flex Access Service

Global Crossing's EtherExtend Flex Service is now available in 26 locations worldwide. The company recently added Houston, Sunnyvale, Singapore and Frankfurt. The service is available in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and will be available in more than 70 points of presence in these same regions, plus Latin America, by the end of 2009.EtherExtend Flex lowers a user's cost of access and matches the access Level of Service to the application's needs. It provides a last-mile Ethernet connection to Global Crossing's end-user customer...

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GSMA Establishes Mobile Money Exchange

The GSMA, which represents the GSM industry, has kicked off a Mobile Money Exchange initiative with the aim of helping financial services companies who are entering the mobile environment, by providing a common voice and formal business forum for business collaboration. The ethos behind the formation of the Exchange is for best practice and innovations to be highlighted and shared, both across industry and inter-industry. The Mobile Money Exchange...

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Verizon Business Enables Dynamic Management of Ethernet Networks

Verizon Business introduced a customer-controlled dynamic management capability for its Ethernet Virtual Private Line service.The new offering, Verizon EVPL Dynamic Bandwidth, is available immediately to U.S.-based businesses and government agencies. It enables them to adjust their bandwidth requirements on an as-needed basis, and, as a result, to better leverage the low cost and simplicity of Ethernet, with the added flexibility of self-provisioned...

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Proximion Adds Fiber Bragg Gratings for Patch Cord Dispersion Compensation

Proximion Fiber Systems has leveraged Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology to create the industry's first Patch Cord Dispersion Compensation Module (DCM-PC). The module combines continuously chirped Fiber Bragg gratings into a simple patch cord. Because service providers are already using patch cords for connecting boards within their systems, integrating the DCM into the cable eliminates the need for a separate piece of hardware for dispersion management.Proximion said its DCM patch cord is a more cost-effective solution than using dispersion...

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield Selects Qwest

Qwest Communications has been selected by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) as a preferred provider for voice and data services. Under the two-year, multimillion dollar contract, Qwest offers a broad range of solutions to BCBSA's Chicago headquarters and its member Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies nationwide. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.qwest....

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Telenor Selects Huawei for LTE Network Trial in Norway

Telenor, the world' s 7th largest provider of mobile communications, has chosen Huawei to provide LTE radio access and EPC (Evolved Packet Core) equipment for its LTE trial in Oslo, Norway. All the necessary equipments have been shipped to Oslo and installation has begun. http://www.huawei....

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Ericsson Powers Interactive TV for Ucom in Armenia

Ericsson will deliver its IPTV solution including GPON technology to Ucom, a network operator in Armenia. Ericsson's IPTV solution for Ucom includes IPTV middleware; a content-distribution platform; the customized consumer portal and GPON technology. The agreement also includes systems integration of operational management tools and consultancy services. Ucom will be using Ericsson's EDA 1500 GPON fiber-access platform. The rollout will start in July 2009. http://www.ericsson....

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ZigBee and HomePlug Alliances Target a Smart Energy HAN Standard

The ZigBee Alliance and HomePlug Powerline Alliance released a list of market requirements for Smart Energy communication between utility companies and everyday household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. The document includes insight to a variety of use cases including plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging, installation, configuration, firmware download for home area network (HAN) devices, prepay services, user information and messaging, load control, demand response, and common information and application profile interfaces...

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TI Debuts Multicore Femtocell DSPs, Partners with Continuous Computing, mimoOn

Texas Instruments unveiled a new new family of multicore DSPs (digital signal processors) enabling residential and enterprise HSPA femtocells. The solutions include a portfolio of complementary analog solutions, support for Linux, and software solutions from third party developers (Continuous Computing and mimoOn). TI's femtocell product family includes the TMS320TCI6485 with two high-performance 850MHz C64x+ DSP cores delivering 1.7 GHz of overall...

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Two Minute Video: Top Five Barriers to LTE

Top Five Barriers to LTE presented by Aswath MohanJargon Bus...

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Ericsson Confirms First LTE License Agreements

Ericsson has signed license agreements for LTE essential patents. The company said it is a strong advocate for reasonable aggregated royalties and will take a lead role in licensing its technology to promote a healthy market. This builds on Ericsson's present global licensing program for GSM/WCDMA, now composed of more than 80 agreements and generating significant revenue.Ericsson claims to hold the industry's strongest LTE patent portfolio with a substantial number of standard essential patents that are key to developing 4G/LTE products.htt...

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Alcatel-Lucent Appoints Christel Heydemann to Head HP Alliance

Alcatel-Lucent announced the appointment of Christel Heydemann as Strategic Alliance Vice President for HP. She will report to Tom Burns, President of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Product Group. Previously, she was the leader of the Sales Account Management in Alcatel-Lucent France. Prior that she has been holding various managerial positions such as key account manager for SFR and Orange among others.Last week, HP and Alcatel-Lucent announced that...

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AT&T Extends U-verse Integration contract with Alcatel-Lucent

AT&T has extended Alcatel-Lucent's contract for end-to-end multivendor network integration for AT&T U-verse. The AT&T U-verse portfolio brings together U-verse TV, U-verse High Speed Internet and U-verse Voice services all delivered using Alcatel-Lucent's Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA). AT&T U-verse services are now offered in 93 markets in 19 states, with more than 1.3 million U-verse TV customers. Financial...

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Nortel Builds UC Software Communication System

Nortel is expanding its Software Communication System (SCS) solution to accommodate enterprises beyond small and medium-size businesses. SCS brings solution simplicity, new applications, further plug-and-play interoperability and more opportunities for third-party development communities. A recognized leader in unified communications (UC), Nortel supports customers' evolutionary and transformational paths to UC with telephony UC solutions such as Communication Server 1000 and native UC solutions such as SCS.SCS, which is based on Session...

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Altair Semiconductor Announces LTE Baseband Processor

Altair Semiconductor, a fabless chip company based in Israel, introduced its FourGee-3100 LTE baseband processor.The chip, which will be available in Q409, is a fully optimized LTE CAT-3 baseband processor that will operate with devices from mobile handsets, data cards and USB dongles to various handheld consumer electronics devices. The FourGee(TM)-3100 is bundled with a complete LTE L1 and protocol stack. It supports LTE category 3 (CAT-3) throughputs (100Mbps/50Mbps DL/UL respectively) and offers two 20MHz MIMO receive chains and one transmit...

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Allot Tunes Deep Packet Inspection and Caching for Monetizing Internet Video

Allot Communications unveiled its "MediaSwift" solution -- a revenue- generating network and subscriber service designed to intelligently accelerate internet content delivery (HTTP streamed video and P2P traffic) to broadband subscribers. MediaSwift synergizes Allot's DPI and caching competences to provide a unified intelligent media caching solution which delivers improved quality of experience (QoE). MediaSwift is offered as an internal blade or...

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