Telco Systems Releases Ruggedized Ethernet for Military

Telco Systems announced the availability of two new Ethernet routing switches designed specifically for military use in harsh environments. The T5R-24T and T5R-24GT are MIL-STD-810F compliant and provide wire speed, non-blocking Layer 2-4 switching at Gigabit Ethernet speeds. With up to 24 Ethernet connections and four (4) Gigabit fiber uplinks in a 1.4 inch enclosure, the T5R is designed for high-density IP services in space-constrained airborne and ground communications environments. The switch can support IP connectivity for airborne and radar systems, signals intelligence, UAV data lines, and mobile communications.

The T5R-24GT-RUG provides 18 auto-sensing 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet connections and four (4) Gigabit fiber uplinks, while the T5R-24T-RUG supports 24 auto-sensing 10/100BaseT Ethernet connections, two (2) Gigabit copper uplinks and two (2) Gigabit fiber uplinks. Expansion options are available for each model to support up to 54 ports in the T5R-24GT and 66 ports in the T5R-24T.
http://www.telco.com

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Fujitsu Rolls Out Connection-oriented Ethernet for FLASHWAVE 9500, 4100

Fujitsu rolled out significant new capabilities for its FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platform (Packet ONP) to allow the system to aggregate, switch, and deliver Connection-oriented Ethernet (COE) services across any type of access network (EoX). The Connection-oriented Ethernet (COE) capabilities are also now supported on Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platforms, which has an installed base of over 10,000 units.


The new Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)-compliant EoX Gateway on the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP integrates the functionality of many network elements in central offices, hub sites, co-location facilities and IP service edges/POPs. The new EtherMapper EoX Gateway cards and system software on the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP transparently terminate a wide variety of access networks, perform Connection-oriented Ethernet switching and grooming, and present fully-protected Ethernet or SONET/SDH handoffs to other transport or service delivery networks.


A single FLASHWAVE 9500 EoX Gateway can aggregate hundreds of thousands of Ethernet/IP circuits from hundreds of different physical access networks comprised of Ethernet over SONET/SDH (EoS), T1/T3 (EoPDH), WDM (Eoλ), and fiber (EoF).


"Space is at an incredible premium in many of the hub site locations," continued Naphan. "An EoX Gateway eliminates stacks of stand-alone MSPPs, EoPDH gateways, and Ethernet switches. It aggregates all Ethernet and IP services onto one or more fully protected Ethernet External Network-to-Network Interfaces (ENNIs) or Ethernet UNIs, creating efficient handoffs to Ethernet and IP service edge networks," said Rod Naphan, vice president of product and strategic planning at Fujitsu Network Communications.


Fujitsu said the EoX Gateway on the FLASHWAVE 9500 benefits wholesale and retail Ethernet service providers by dramatically increasing the number of addressable customers for differentiable Ethernet and IP services. Service providers can use the EoX Gateway to deliver a complete wholesale access service to their retail service provider partners by aggregating and delivering standardized MEF Ethernet services over any type of access network from a flexible ENNI to a remote UNI at the customer premises. The EoX Gateway can also be used to aggregate traffic from TDM-based 2G/3G and Ethernet-based 3G/4G mobile backhaul networks, regardless of whether the cell tower is accessed via SONET or Ethernet.


The Connection-oriented Ethernet capabilities for the FLASHWAVE 4100 ES is enabled by installing new COE cards and performing an in-service software upgrade to the existing nodes. The FLASHWAVE 4100 ES Micro Packet ONP, in conjunction with the EoX Gateway on the new FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP, provides a backhaul, aggregation and service delivery solution over SONET or native Ethernet over Fiber.


Applications that benefit the new COE enhancements include mobile backhaul, wholesale Ethernet access, metro Ethernet business services, and backhaul of triple play residential services including broadband Internet access from DSLAM, PON or CMTS equipment. The platform is ideal for mobile backhaul applications due to its native support for T1s and Ethernet. Existing FLASHWAVE 4100 ES cell site deployments currently providing T1 backhaul for legacy 2G/3G services can be upgraded to deliver the high-quality, Connection-oriented Ethernet capabilities required for Ethernet-based 3G and 4G wireless services. The FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platform is environmentally hardened to operate within the harsh environment of a cell site outside plant (OSP) cabinet.


"Connection-oriented Ethernet delivers the stringent QoS, performance, high availability, and security of SONET while providing the networking efficiency, bandwidth scalability and flexibility of native Ethernet," said Rod Naphan, vice president of product and strategic planning at Fujitsu Network Communications. "The addition of COE to our popular FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platform enables longer-term revenue opportunities for our customers. As their wireless service provider customers migrate to 4G, the platform supports a graceful transition from Ethernet over SONET to native Ethernet over fiber."http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

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Sunrise Telecom Offers DOCSIS 3.0 Services Analyzer

Sunrise Telecom introduced an upstream and downstream sweep system designed to analyze triple-play services and optimize the use of the crowded upstream spectrum for emerging DOCSIS 3.0 services. The CM2800 allows technicians to identify even small impairments in network performance, speeding plant maintenance, increasing quality of service and reducing outages. The high resolution, true non-interfering downstream sweep features ensure that the network is operating at the levels and frequency responses required to deliver reliable, distortion-free services. Fast 5 to 200 MHz upstream sweep, compatible with the CaLan upstream sweep function, allows one person to test the full frequency span of return lasers with a single instrument.
http://www.sunrisetelecom.com

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Extreme Unveils BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport Switch

Extreme Networks introduced its BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport switch designed for Tier 2 and Tier 3 carriers migrating from SONET/SDH and 1 Gigabit Ethernet rings to 10 Gigabit Ethernet rings. The new BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport switch boasts 120 Gbps per slot line-rate switching capacity in a 4-slot chassis. It supports up to 32 line-rate 10 GE ports per chassis initially, with ample bandwidth for future 100 GE IO Modules. The platform is also designed for future switch fabric upgrades to enable 480 Gbps of switching capacity per slot.


Extreme Networks said the new BlackDiamond 20804 enables carriers to gracefully expand video and other services on their network. Video service delivery is accelerated with multicast quality of service hardware resources that help to ensure video multicast traffic gets to the subscriber no matter how busy the network. Business Ethernet service delivery is also accelerated with MEF certified E-LINE and E-LAN support and pre-standard E-NNI support. Support for Provider Backbone Bridges enables carriers to scale their aggregation networks using reliable, industry-standard Ethernet protocols.


The BlackDiamond 20800 Series of Ethernet Transport switches includes the new BlackDiamond 20804 and the eight-slot BlackDiamond 20808. Both platforms use the same power supplies, IO modules and management modules.


In addition, the BlackDiamond 20800 Series includes support for Ethernet Access Protection Switching (EAPS RFC 3619), an Ethernet ring resiliency protocol offering 50ms failover protection on fiber access and aggregation ring topologies. In addition to EAPS, Extreme Networks offers support for advanced Ethernet OAMP protocols like Continuity Fault Management and ITU Y.1731 combine with an easy to use GUI-based service management system to provide carriers the service management tools they need to delight their subscribers.


The BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet transport switch will be available in the first quarter of 2010.
http://www.extremenetworks.com

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New Edge Networks Launches MPLS NNI

New Edge Networks introduced and MPLS Plus service, a network-to-network interface (NNI) service that provides carriers with direct access to its nationwide MPLS network. With the NNI, New Edge is able to hand off customer traffic in a variety of ways, providing a scalable solution which meets business continuity and disaster recovery requirements. Customer nodes connect directly with the New Edge MPLS backbone so customers experience security, redundancy and Quality of Service capabilities. Network interface connections may be located at nine of New Edge's MPLS core locations nationwide through either a fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet physical interface. New Edges said customers can also benefit from new revenue opportunities associated with selling MPLS over a broad range of access technologies ranging from DS3 and Ethernet through DSL and EVDO.


"We continue to invest a great deal in our MPLS network and see this NNI offering as an important expansion of our distribution model in terms of potential additional value creation and economies of scale," said New Edge Networks President Cardi Prinzi. "Expanding to the wholesale market with an MPLS interconnect strategy is both cost-effective and revenue generating for our customers and New Edge. This is the ideal way to enable an ecosystem of applications for customers over our nationwide MPLS network."


"Wholesale MPLS providers will become an extension of New Edge's network and experience the high-quality performance and quality of service they have come to expect from New Edge," added Prinzi.


New Edge's MPLS network service is a fully managed, IP-based offering, providing customers the ability to prioritize applications from end to end. http://www.newedgenetworks.com/products/mpls

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Microsoft Launches Software Architecture for 'Integrated Utility of the Future'

Microsoft outlined a reference architecture to serve as the basis for development of the "integrated utility of the future."


The Microsoft Smart Energy Reference Architecture (SERA) addresses technology integration throughout the full scope of the smart energy ecosystem. Microsoft said its SERA will help utilities by providing a method of testing the alignment of information technology with their business processes to create an integrated utility.


This is the second utility offering to be released from Microsoft in four months, following the announcement of Microsoft Hohm, an online application developed to enhance the experience of utilities' customers and provide further insight into the supply and demand of residential energy use.
http://www.microsoft.com/utilitieshttp://www.microsoft-hohm.com

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D.O.J. Requires Divestitures for AT&T's Acquisition of Centennial

The U.S. Department of Justice will require AT&T to divest assets in eight areas in Louisiana and Mississippi in order to proceed with its $944 million acquisition of Centennial Communications. The DOJ found that the acquisition, as originally proposed, would substantially lessen competition to the detriment of consumers of mobile wireless telecommunications services in those areas, and likely would result in higher prices, lower quality and reduced network investments. The divestitures cover portions of southwestern and central Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.


Centennial has 1.1 million wireless subscribers and serves largely rural areas of the Midwest and Southeast United States and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


"We are pleased with the Department of Justice's decision and see it as an important step toward closing our acquisition of Centennial," said Wayne Watts, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AT&T Inc. "The combination of AT&T and Centennial will bring together two complementary wireless businesses and will produce meaningful benefits for customers of both companies."http://www.usdoj.govhttp://www.att.com

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Cisco Builds on its IPv6 Capabilities with Service Engine

Cisco introduced new carrier-grade IPv6 capabilities to the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System for the network core and to the Cisco Aggregation Services Routers for the network edge. This includes:

• Cisco Carrier-Grade Services Engine for the Cisco CRS-1. Deployed deep in the core of service provider's network, where maximum Cisco IPv6 coverage can be obtained, this "industry first" supports large-scale network address translation (large-scale NAT or LSN) and offers the industry's highest scalability for translations and throughput.



• Cisco Carrier-Grade IPv6 Solution for the Cisco ASR Series. The new capabilities help enable LSN at the edge of a network in order to meet the needs of smaller or distributed IP NGNs.



• Cisco Services for the Carrier-Grade IPv6 Solution. As service providers strive to address customer demands, Cisco offers migration services to make the transition to IPv6 smoothly and in a cost-effective manner, thereby reducing risk to their IP NGN operations. The Cisco Services portfolio ranges from initial planning and IPv6 readiness assessment to turnkey design and implementation.

Cisco said its new Carrier-Grade IP Version 6 (IPv6) solution provides a cost-effective and efficient means to bridge to a full IPv6 next-generation network while extending the life of existing IPv4 addresses to smoothly manage that migration. Industry sources currently predict an exhaustion of IPv4 addresses in 2011.
http://www.cisco.com

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Cisco to Acquire Starent for Mobile Packet Core

Cisco agreed to acquire Starent Networks for approximately $2.9 billion, or $35 per share in cash -- a premium of about 20% over the stock's recent trading value. The acquisition helps Cisco build out is mobile Internet portfolio, providing an entry point to the packet core of mobile network operators worldwide. Starent's packet core solutions gain strategically significance as operators adopt all-IP architectures with the move to 4G.


Starent Networks is a leading supplier of IP-based mobile infrastructure solutions targeting mobile and converged carriers. The company provides the multimedia intelligence, core network functions and services to manage access from any 2.5G, 3G, and 4G radio network to a mobile operator's packet core network. Starent Networks' access-independent technology is deployed in CDMA2000 (1X, EV-DO), UMTS/HSPA and WiMax networks.


In addition to high-speed data throughput, an IP core has the potential to deliver network intelligence through packet inspection and management. This could enable intelligent traffic control for policy enforcement of advanced services.

Starent Networks was founded in 2000 and completed its initial public offering in 2007. The company is based in Tewksbury, Mass. and has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2008, Starent Networks reported revenue of $254.1 million, up 74 percent from the prior year.


Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless selected Starent Networks as a key supplier for the packet core. The company claims over 100 operator deployments in 40+ countries, including eight of the top 10 3G operators.








http://www.cisco.com
http://www.starent.com

• Starent Networks is headed by Ashraf M. Dahod (CEO and co-founder), who previously co-founded NetCore Systems, a producer of large-scale, high performance switching products, which was acquired by Tellabs in 1999. Starent's technical team includes Anthony P. Schoener(VP of engineering and a co-founder), who previously served as Director of Software Development at 3Com Corporation.

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