Ubiquisys to Integrate Percello's Silicon into Femtocells

Ubiquisys has agreed to integrate silicon from Percello, a start-up based in Israel, into its next gen femtocell products. Percello will become a strategic supplier to Ubiquisys, opening up a new semiconductor supply channel for the company.


Percello said it has been working with Ubiquisys since January 2008 to ensure that their low-cost high-performance baseband processor fully supports the advanced functionality of the ZoneGate femtocell. These advanced functions, such as the cognitive radio technology that provides smart interference management, are a pre-requisite for commercial mass deployment.


Percello's first chip, PRC6000 is a worldwide SoC (System on a Chip) solution supporting all femtocell backhauling functions such as timing, security and others. PRC6000 is compliant to 3GPP Rel 7 baseline and is capable of delivering 21.6Mbps downlink and 5.76 Mbps uplink. http://www.percello.com

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Airvana Comments on Nortel Bankruptcy

Airvana, said that it has been informed by Nortel that normal operations will continue under their existing partnership. Specifically, Nortel will continue to purchase goods and services from the company and that Airvana is a long term partner and a key supplier to Nortel, playing a vital role in its ability to continue serving the needs of its CDMA EV-DO customers as a significant part of its ongoing operations and future success. Future purchases would be under the terms of Nortel's current agreement with Airvana.


Airvana currently has outstanding receivables with Nortel in the amount of $22 million for products and services billed. In addition, there are unbilled products and services which were delivered in December 2008 through the date of Nortel's bankruptcy filing. Collection of these receivables will be subject to Nortel's bankruptcy proceedings.
http://www.airvana.com

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Intel Capital Invests in India's One97 for Telecom App Platform

One97 Communications, which delivers telecom applications and services to consumers, enterprises and telecom operators in India, has secured second round of funding. Avendus Capital was the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction. The company had earlier received funding from SAIF Partners & SVB in 2007.


The focus of company is to enable telecom networks in becoming the best and most used media to deliver content, information and intelligent transactions to consumers. One97 said its application platform currently reaches 97% of mobile subscribers in India. Every month 200 million unique telecom subscribers perform over 1.5 billion transactions on this platform using Voice, SMS and WAP applications.
http://www.one97world.com

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Telstra Appeals Australian Competition Decision

Telstra will appeal a determination by the Australian Competition Tribunal to overturn the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) decision to release Telstra from some wholesale local service regulation in the most competitive parts of metropolitan Australia.


"Telecommunications competition in metropolitan and suburban Australia is intense, with some areas having eight or more competitors with infrastructure in their exchanges, providing wide choice for consumers and businesses," said Telstra Group General Counsel, Mr Will Irving.
http://www.telstra.com

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BigBand Enhances its Broadcast Video Platform

BigBand Networks has added a set of new features to its Broadband Multimedia-Service Router (BMR) software, including unified broadcast service support for international markets. The new BMR software release converges the Broadcast Video Services (BVS) and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) software lines into a single offering designed to improve operational efficiency. This gives operators outside of North America higher density and improved media processing densities for core BMR functions. Additionally, BigBand's new BMR software resolves a closed-captioning challenge that impacts cable operators with older set-top box deployments as they prepare for the digital transition deadline.


BigBand noted that is BMR1200 has been deployed by over 200 service providers worldwide in over 4,000 installations. The platform supports a variety of applications including digital simulcast, digital TV management, digital ad insertion, HDTV and switched digital video.
http://www.bigbandnet.com.

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Poland's GTS Energis Upgrades Core and Metro with Ciena/NextiraOne

GTS Energis, one of the largest alternative communications carriers in Poland, is upgrading its core optical backbone and metro networks with Ciena's CoreStream Agility Optical Transport System and CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform. Ciena partnered with NextiraOne, Europe's leading expert in communications services and a Ciena BizConnect partner in Poland, for the deployment. Financial terms were not disclosed.


GTS Energis' upgraded core backbone network uses Ciena's CoreStream to interconnect more than 10 regional and city networks, including Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław and Poznań, with multiple 10 Gbps links. GTS Energis also deployed Ciena's CN 4200 platform to build new regional and metro links to interconnect its own data center, as well as customer data centers, across the main metropolitan areas. The CN 4200 platform enables GTS Energis to support a wide variety of enterprise services, including MEF-based Carrier Ethernet, SONET/SDH and storage, as well as business continuity solutions, ranging from 10 Mbps to 40 Gbps.


Ciena noted that its CN 4200 combines standards-based OTN technology (based on ITU G.709) with software-programmable optical ports to allow GTS Energis to support multiple services on-demand and rapidly respond to changing customer requirements. Furthermore, with the CN 4200, multiple services can be groomed and aggregated onto a single wavelength to deliver more efficient bandwidth utilization.
http://www.gtsenergis.pl
http://www.ciena.com

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Flextronics Comments on Nortel Announcement

Flextronics said it has been proactively engaged in executing a risk mitigation plan with respect to its relationship with Nortel for a period of several months. Last month, the company engaged The Blackstone Group as its financial advisor to assist with evaluating the Nortel relationship and planning for any Nortel restructuring strategy. As part of its risk mitigation plan, Flextronics entered into an amendment to its relationship agreement with Nortel to address Electronics' status as a strategic supplier.
http://www.flextronics.com/

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Towerstream Reports SF Market Reaches EBITDA Profitability

Towerstream, which operates fixed wireless networks in nine U.S. markets, reported that it has reached EBITDA profitability in its San Francisco market.


"San Francisco is our fifth market, and first west coast market, to reach EBITDA profitability, closely following the Chicago market which passed this milestone last month," said Jeff Thompson, President and CEO of Towerstream. "With more than half of our markets now generating Market Cash Flow, we continue to drive revenues higher and our cash burn lower. We enter 2009 with a strong balance sheet and sufficient capital to execute our business plan."http://www.towerstream.com/

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T-Mobile Austria Selects NSN to Manage Mobile Backhaul

T-Mobile Austria has selected Nokia Siemens Networks for managing its backhaul network. The deal requires NSN to provide high-quality backhaul from T-Mobile's more than 6,000 radio network sites across Austria, serving 3.3 million customers.


The complete managed services solution -- which includes planning, installation and management -- will provide increased transport network throughput. Under the contract, which runs through 2013, Nokia Siemens Networks will assume full responsibility for the optimization and operation of the mobile backhaul network. The control and responsibility for the network and the supervision of its quality remains with T-Mobile Austria. Financial terms were not disclosed.


The companies said the arrangement enables T-Mobile Austria to focus even more on delivering advanced mobile broadband to its subscribers.


"With this agreement we are transferring an operational part of our network into the hands of Nokia Siemens Networks. This allows us to further focus on providing our customers with new and higher quality services thanks to increased bandwidth, which Nokia Siemens Networks will supply," says Jim Burke, Chief Technical Officer at T-Mobile Austria.
http://www.nsn.com
http://www.t-mobile.at

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Fujitsu Adds LTE Research and Testing Capabilities

Fujitsu Network Communications is expanding its existing laboratory facilities at their Richardson, Texas headquarters to support next-generation wireless technologies, including Long Term Evolution (LTE). The expanded research will focus on emerging wireless technologies that will impact the North American market for mobile services, LTE products and devices, evaluation and prototyping of mobile applications, and establishing and supporting joint development partnerships with third-party mobile solutions vendors. The R&D center will serve as the focal point for LTE trials in the US, in addition to performing interoperability (IOT) and verification activities to fully support North American operator needs.


Fujitsu said it is able to leverage its national footprint of optical networks and existing operations and staffing in North America to be prepared for the onslaught of capacity generated by LTE as end users embrace personal data services.
http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

• Fujitsu has developed a 3GPP-compliant LTE system for the global market and has demonstrated 4x4 MIMO technology's 250 Mbps-plus performance at CEATEC Japan 2008 and at CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas.



• Fujitsu was chosen by NTT DOCOMO in 2006 to be a supplier for its LTE network.

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Verizon Wins $108M Video Conferencing Contract with NASA

Verizon Business was awarded a contact valued at up to $108 million will provide NASA with audio, video and Web conferencing services. Under the new agreement, Verizon Business will be the primary conferencing services provider to NASA centers and facilities as well as select contractor locations.
Verizon Business is providing the services under the U.S. General Services Administration's Networx Universal contract, which is scheduled to run through 2017. Previously, Verizon Business had provided conferencing services to NASA under the GSA's Federal Telecommunications Service 2001 (FTS2001) contract, the predecessor to the Networx program.
http://www.verizon.com

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Mformation Cites Momentum for its Mobile Device Management

Mformation Technologies, which supplies advanced mobile device management (MDM) solutions, announced that over 40 major mobile device vendors are supporting standards-based initiatives to ensure that their devices can be managed seamlessly by its MFORMATION SERVICE MANAGER platform.


Vendors participating in the Mformation device programs include HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, and ZTE. Together, these device vendors comprise close to 90% of the overall market.
http://www.mformation.com

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Malta's Melita Integrates HSPA with its Cable Network with Ericsson

Maltese company Melita has integrated HSPA mobile broadband into its existing cable-TV network, thus adding mobile broadband to its TV, internet and fixed telephony offerings.Ericsson served as the end-to-end integrator for the project. Specifically, Ericsson has supplied, integrated and deployed an IP-based HSPA radio access, circuit and packet core network, plus a revenue management solution. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.ericsson.com

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United Airlines to Offer Gogo Inflight Internet

United Airlines will begin offering Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet service

between New York and California starting in the second half of this year. Aircell's Gogo will turn United's p.s. aircraft into flying Wi-Fi hotspots for a flat fee of $12.95. Specifically, Gogo will initially be available on the 13 Boeing 757 p.s. aircraft that fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport and California's two largest airports -- Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. United and Aircell will assess customer feedback to determine additional rollout plans.
http://www.aircell.com

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AT&T Settles Civil Contempt Claim

AT&T agreed to pay more than $2 million as part of a civil settlement with the Department of Justice. The payment resolves AT&T's alleged violations of two court orders entered in connection with AT&T's acquisition of Dobson Communications Corporation.


Under the consent decree entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March 2008, AT&T was required to divest mobile wireless telecommunications businesses in three rural service areas (RSAs) -- two in Kentucky and one in Oklahoma. According to the petition filed by the Department of Justice AT&T failed to fulfill its obligations by failing to separate confidential customer account information of the divested businesses from its own customer records and to take other actions needed to prevent unauthorized disclosure. The petition further alleges that AT&T, without authorization by the management trustee, waived early termination fees for several customers of the divested businesses to facilitate switching their wireless service from the divested businesses to AT&T.


Pending divestiture, a management trustee was appointed to oversee the businesses to be divested. Under the consent decree and a related court order, AT&T was required to take all steps necessary to ensure that the divested businesses were operated independently of AT&T and that AT&T did not influence how they were managed. AT&T was also required to take all reasonable efforts to preserve the confidentiality of information material to the operation of the divested businesses and not give unauthorized personnel access to such information.
http://www.usdoj.gov

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Canada's Minister of Industry Comments on Nortel's Filing

Tony Clement, Canada's Minister of Industry, made the following statement in regards to Nortel Networks' filing:


"The Government of Canada appreciates the importance of the telecommunications industry to our economy and will continue to work with Nortel during its restructuring through Export Development Canada (EDC). EDC has agreed to provide up to $30 million in short-term financing through its existing bonding facility and is open to discussing with Nortel post-filing financing in conjunction with other financial institutions. It is important to note that Nortel is filing for court-supervised restructuring under the CCAA, not bankruptcy. Nortel has stated that it has every intention of emerging from this restructuring under the CCAA as a viable business. We will monitor its progress closely."http://www.nortel.com

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Motorola to Cut 4,000 More Jobs, primarily in the Mobile Devices

Motorola will further reduce its workforce in 2009 by approximately 4,000 positions, including approximately 3,000 positions associated with its Mobile Devices business and approximately 1,000 positions associated with corporate functions and other business units. These latest job cuts are in addition to the 3,000 positions previously announced during the fourth quarter of 2008.


Motorola estimates that its cost reduction efforts will result in additional annual cost savings of approximately $700 million in 2009. The savings from these actions, together with the $800 million of savings from other actions announced during the fourth quarter of 2008 are expected to result in aggregate cost savings of $1.5 billion for the company in 2009.


Motorola also provided the following preliminary results for Q4 2008.

• During Q4, Mobile Devices shipped approximately 19 million units. Sales were adversely impacted by continued weakness in end consumer demand and customer inventory reductions.



• Motorola's Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Home and Networks Mobility businesses continued to perform very well in a challenging environment.



• Total Motorola sales for the fourth quarter of 2008 are expected to be in the range of $7.0 billion to $7.2 billion.



• On a GAAP basis, the Company expects a net loss from continuing operations in the range of $0.07 to $0.08 per share, including estimated net charges of approximately $0.06 per share relating to items typically highlighted in the Company's earnings press releases. These items include reorganization of business charges, impairments of Motorola's investment in Clearwire and in investments in the company's Motorola Ventures portfolio, a previously disclosed impairment in the company's Sigma Fund, offset partially by a gain from the decision to freeze the U.S. pension plan, and income from the collection of a legal settlement and the extinguishment of a liability.



• Motorola ended the year with a total cash position of approximately $7.4 billion.

http://www.motorola.com

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