Motorola Supplies Mobile WiMAX Network for Dubai Metro

Motorola, in partnership with UAE telecom provider "du", has supplied a mobile WiMAX network for the new Dubai Metro. The WiMAX network provides backhaul for a Wi-Fi service that is accessible in moving train carriages and metro stations.


The Dubai Metro's Red Line, which is 52 km long, is already functional and is expected to be followed by the Green line in early 2010. Once completed, the Metro will have 47 stations, four of which will be underground. Trains travel at speeds of up to 90 km/hr. http://www.motorola.com

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Arteris Raises $9.7 Million for Network-on-Chip

Arteris, a start-up based in San Jose, California with its Engineering Design Center based in Paris, France, has raised the first tranche of a strategic investment round totaling $9.7 million from a group of investors led by Qualcomm Incorporated and including ARM.


Arteris provides semiconductor interconnect IP, and tools to improve communication performance of ICs for wide range of applications. Results obtained by using Arteris IP product line include lower power, higher performance, lower risk of development and faster delivery of simple to complex ICs, SoCs and FPGAs.


Existing investors include Synopsys, DoCoMo Capital, Crescendo Ventures, TVM Capital and Ventech, who also participated in this round. Arteris is the pioneer of Network on Chip (NoC) interconnect IP solutions and supplies its technology to leading SoC makers for wide range of applications.


Arteris said it will use the financing to expand its global sales and customer support infrastructure to further accelerate adoption of its Interconnect IP and design tool solutions.


http://www.arteris.com

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Japan's Softbank Mobile Picks NSN for HSPA+ at up to 42 Mbps

Japan's Softbank Mobile has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to deploy an HSPA+(DC-HSDPA) solution over its existing network in the 1.5 GHz band.


DC-HSDPA stands for dual cell high speed downlink packet access. The companies said DC-HSDPA operation is aimed at enhancing the user experience throughout the whole cell coverage, especially at the cell edge, since the user can access the capacity of two carriers instead of only one. DC-HSDPA can support up to 42 Mbps downlink peak data rates.


"Japan is the world's most advanced market in terms of data consumption," states Mr. Junichi Miyakawa, chief technology officer, Softbank Mobile. "We realize that mobile broadband is now a lifestyle preference and are constantly thinking of ways to improve our delivery to subscribers. The Nokia Siemens Networks solution enables the affordable cost competitive prices, allowing us to provide the best value for our subscribers."


Nokia Siemens Networks noted that Softbank Mobile has already achieved 60% in power consumption and 40% savings in site rentals using its Flexi Base Station.
http://www.nsn.com

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Telenor Launches Mobile Services in Seven Indian Telecom Circles

Telenor Group's Indian mobile operation, Uninor, launched mobile services in seven Indian telecom circles, representing a population footprint of close to 600 million people. Specifically, Uninor services were launched simultaneously in the circles Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh East, Uttar Pradesh West and Bihar (including Jharkhand).


The launch of Uninor's services happens only eight months after Telenor Group finalized the a share purchase agreement of the Unitech Group's wireless division.


Uninor said its entrance into the market represents the largest ever distribution at launch by any operator in India. From the start, Uninor will be retailed at over 210,000 points of sale through close to 1000 exclusive distributors in the seven circles. Uninor services will also be available in 17 exclusive company owned shops and 50 exclusive franchisee shops.


Unior seeks to scale its operations by using an outsourcing model. The company holds tower sharing agreements with Tata Teleservices' tower company and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited. The company will also leverage Telenor's established marketing and design framework along with its own local identity.
http://www.telenor.com
http://www.uninor.com

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Cisco Controls More Than 90% of the Shares in TANDBERG

Cisco has now received acceptances for or purchased shares representing more than 90% of the shares in TANDBERG, allowing it move ahead with the acquisition


On Thursday, Cisco received a second request for additional information from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) with respect to its previously announced proposed acquisition of TANDBERG.
http://www.cisco.com

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Agreement Reached on a Single European Patent Court

The European Union Member States reached an agreement for the establishment of a single European Patent Court. The next step will be for the European Parliament to take a position on the proposal.


The creation of a single patent system would mean that people can apply for a patent to be valid in the entire EU - a market of some 500 million people. Protection in 13 Member States currently costs 11 times more than a patent in the United States.


"Establishing an EU patent and a single European Patent Court is the single most important measure for promoting innovation in Europe. In view of the major simplifications and cost savings, this is, of course, also particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises," says Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask.
http://www.se2009.eu

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Verizon Wireless Continues Alltel Network Integration

Teams of engineers and technicians from Verizon Wireless continue to upgrade and reconfigure Alltel infrastructure into the more advanced Verizon Wireless EV-DO Rev A network. The company announced that network integration and enhancement recently has been completed in the Lake City, Ocala and Gainesville areas of Florida. The Jacksonville market was the first to be completed in Florida earlier this year. As part of this integration, all calls in North Florida now will be routed through the $40 million Verizon Wireless "super-switch" in Jacksonville, versus a series of older Alltel switching facilities. Tallahassee and the Florida Panhandle are the next areas in Florida to be addressed by the company's network teams, with the entire state expected to be integrated by 2011.


Across the state, more than 700 cell sites and several large switching facilities will eventually be upgraded and incorporated into the Verizon Wireless network. This includes vast amounts of hardware and software enhancement and standardization.


A major challenge, faced by Verizon Wireless engineers for the very first time, included successfully overlaying and transitioning the network in former Alltel areas from a 850 MHz frequency to a 1900 MHz wireless signal.


Another engineering success featured a hybrid roaming connection (free of roaming charges) so Alltel handsets and cell sites could communicate reliably with the Verizon Wireless network before more permanent hardware and software updates were made. Technicians then executed a complex three-phase "cut-over" in North Florida, stretching to the Georgia state line, when they transitioned and turned on former Alltel network resources. All these areas were then "drive-tested" by real-life test teams in high-tech vehicles that form the basis of the famous Verizon Wireless TV Test Man.
About Verizon Wirelesshttp://www.verizonwireless.com

• In January 2009, Verizon Wireless completed its purchase of Alltel Corporation for approximately $5.9 billion. The deal added about 12.9 million customers.

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Australia Funds First Building Blocks of National Broadband Network

The Australian government signed an agreement with Nextgen Networks to construct the new broadband backbone infrastructure under the $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program. The investment represents the first building blocks of the National Broadband Network on mainland Australia.



Under the contract signed by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, Nextgen will build backbone transmission links and provide more than 100 access points en-route to six priority blackspot locations:

• Geraldton, Western Australia.


• Darwin, Northern Territory.


• Emerald and Longreach, Queensland.


• Broken Hill, New South Wales.


• Victor Harbor, South Australia.


• South West Gippsland, Victoria.

These priority locations were chosen following a public consultation process to identify competition and capacity shortfalls. In addition, assistance will be provided to regional communities to take full advantage of the new infrastructure through $5 million funding for regional NBN coordinators.


"These regional backbones are the first building blocks of the National Broadband Network on the mainland and will stimulate competition and better broadband services across regional Australia," stated Senator Conroy.
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/109

• In July 2009, the Australian government appointed Mike Quigley as the Executive Chairman of the company established to deliver the National Broadband Network (NBNCo). Quigley most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel-Lucent.



• Earlier this year, the Rudd Government announce plans for a new national broadband network linking every house, school and business in Australia with affordable fast broadband. The plan calls for the government to set-up a new entity that would install fiber connections to ninety percent of Australian homes and businesses over an eight year period. The network will deliver wholesale services of 100 Mbps or better.

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NYT: Momentum Continues to Build for Apple's AppStore

Although the company does not confirm figures, Apple's AppStore may now be generating $1 billion in revenue per year, according to an in-depth article on mobile commerce published by The New York Times. Developers have flocked to the AppStore thanks to the simple model -- Apple takes 30% of the revenue from any App sale and the developer keeps the rest. One game developer cited in the story is pocketing $181,000 per month for its top game. Other mobile commerce storefronts mentioned in the article include Palm, Research In Motion, Microsoft and Google (Android).
http://www.nytimes.com

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