Sunday, January 31, 2010

BT Wholesale to consolidate Mobile and Fixed Networks for O2

BT Wholesale was awarded a five year contract to consolidate O2's mobile and fixed core networks in the UK into one network running on top of BT's 21st Century Network (21CN) infrastructure.


BT Wholesale already provides a range of services to O2 including core network management support for O2's mobile customers as well as a managed network service that is enabling O2 to serve the UK business market with fixed and broadband services. This new agreement will further ties between the companies. O2 is a division of Telefónica.


Nigel Purdy, Head of Networks, Telefónica O2 UK Ltd said: "As we move to an all IP world and as data traffic volumes increase, the consolidation of our fixed and mobile core networks is a common sense approach that will help future-proof our business and provide the best possible service for our customers. BT Wholesale continues to impress O2 with its ability to deliver highly complex solutions. It is a trusted partner and we value its experience in managed services."


Brian Fitzpatrick, Managing Director, BT Wholesale Markets said: "Our industry is witnessing a significant shift from commodity products to value-added managed services and this latest agreement with O2 is yet another example of how BT Wholesale is at the forefront of this industry transformation. The trend to outsource network requirements to BT Wholesale continues as operators look to stabilise their operational and investment costs, enabling them to concentrate on their customers."http://

Huawei and Qualcomm Test Dual-Carrier HSPA+ at 42 Mbps

Huawei and Qualcomm completed interoperability tests on dual carrier HSPA+, reaching the peak downlink data rate of 42 Mbps. The companies said their testing indicates that dual-carrier HSPA+ technology is ready for commercial deployment.

Huawei' s latest HSPA+ solution and Qualcomm' s Mobile Data Modem (MDM) MDM8220 chipsets were used in this interoperability test. Implemented with dual cell technology, Huawei's HSPA+ solution can transmit data via two or more carriers, resulting in the downlink data rate of 42 Mbpss, which improves an operator' s spectrum resources, enhances spectral efficiency and provides capacity gains of up to 20%.
http://www.huawei.comIn March 2009, Huawei deployed its first 21 Mbps HSPA+ commercial network.

In October 2009, Huawei announced plans to provide 28Mb/s HSPA+ commercial service in Singapore, and Huawei successfully demonstrated a 56Mb/s HSPA+ commercial solution in Beijing.

Calix Adds 10G, VDLS2, GPON, Ethernet Cards

Calix introduced five new line cards for its C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP).

  • The RAP-10GE forms the core of the EXA Powered C7, operating as the common control unit for the C7 and delivering carrier-grade, ERPS ring protected 10 Gbps and 1 Gbps transport interfaces, full Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) service assurance and compliance, as well as a 150 Gbps switching fabric.


  • The COMBO2-24V and VDSL2-24 deliver high density VDSL2 services, including seamless fallback to ADSL2+, Annex M, and bonding support, in a single-slot form factor that allows for 1:1 replacement of existing Calix ADSL cards for operational simplicity.


  • The Ethernet Gateway (EGW) acts as a gateway for the existing base of C7 multiprotocol line cards, allowing existing cards to leverage the Ethernet transport infrastructure of the EXA Powered C7.


  • The OLTG-4E delivers up to four GPON ports per card, supporting any mix of standard or Extended Reach GPON
    optical interface modules.


The new EXA Powered C7 line cards share a common software core with other Calix E-Series platforms, including the new E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP). In addition, each new card is fully compatible with the existing stable of C7 cards, allowing for simple service migration and preservation of necessary legacy services.


The company also introduced six new residential optical network terminals (ONTs).


The Calix C7 has been deployed at over 500 North American and international CSPs whose networks serve more than 32 million subscriber lines. Calix said the new cards enables these CSPs to evolve to advanced Ethernet and fiber-based services from existing copper-based legacy service offerings like plain old telephone services (POTS) and special business circuits.
http://www.calix.com

SAIC Wins $52 Million Network Contract with NSF

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) was awarded a $52 million contract to manage the information technology (IT) infrastructure and provide network services for the National Science Foundation (NSF). This single-award, time and materials contract has a one and a half month phase-in period, a one-year base period and four one-year options with a total value of more than $52 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily at the NSF's offices in Arlington, Va.
http://www.said.com

Nokia and Pearson form wireless educational venture in China

Nokia and Pearson announced the formation of a joint venture, Beijing Mobiledu Technologies, to accelerate the growth of Mobiledu, the premier mobile phone-delivered education service, developed by Nokia in China.


Launched in China in 2007, Mobiledu is a mobile service that provides English-language learning materials and other educational content, from a variety of content providers, directly to mobile phones. Customers can access the content through an application preloaded on new Nokia handsets, or by visiting the service's mobile website and most other WAP portals in China. Mobiledu currently claims 20 million subscribers in China, with 1.5 million people actively using the service each month. Mobiledu will continue to be delivered to customers in China through a range of channels, including Nokia's Ovi Store.
http://www.nokia.com

Extreme Networks Posts 27% Sequential Rise in Product Revenue

Extreme Networks reported quarterly net revenue of $79.4 million, above the guidance for the quarter of $76 to $78 million. This represents a sequential increase in revenue of roughly 20 percent compared to revenue of $66.3 million in the previous quarter and approximately a 9 percent decrease compared to revenue of $87.5 million in the second quarter of last year.


Second quarter non-GAAP operating income was $4.3 million or 5.4 percent of net revenue, compared to $2.6 million or 3.0 percent of net revenue in the second quarter of last year. Additionally, non-GAAP net income was $4.8 million or $0.05 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $3.5 million or $0.04 per diluted share in the second quarter of last year. http://investor.extremenetworks.com/

Obama Comments on Net Neutrality

In a video interview posted on YouTube, President Obama reiterated his support for Net Neutrality and says he is opposed to proposed online fees that might limit the openness of the Internet.




http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse&rclk=cti

BroadHop Introduces Open Policy PCRF Platform

BroadHop introduced its new open policy management and control platform designed for intelligent broadband services and mobile data and application delivery. The company's Quantum Network Suite leverages a virtualized rules engine that enables network-aware mobile data services on an individual basis. Using 3GPP PCRF standards, the policy engine detects and adjusts for mobile core congestion in real time, maximizing session capacity and user quality of experience. Key capabilities include a subscriber balance manager, charging and policy enforcement.


BroadHop said its Quantum Network suite enables service providers and solution integrators to use industry standard tools and technologies to create new policy blueprints -- and enable dynamic linking of their proprietary applications to the Quantum Network policy platform.


Using the platform, service providers could share real time network status information with individual subscribers, such as smartphone users, informing them of periods when light network loads with lower downloading costs. By seeing their service and network status at a glance, subscribers will be better able to manage their data usage.


"The Quantum Network Suite is the first end-to-end, open policy management platform that empowers service providers to take back control of their network and customer relationships," said William Diotte, president and CEO of BroadHop, Inc.

The Quantum Network Suite enables service providers to create and deliver innovative and compelling new policy-driven services such as:

  • Solving the problem of mobile data network overload and QoS

  • Cloud-based policy control for retail applications and hosted enterprise solutions (XaaS)

  • Intelligent mobile data offload solutions to protect the 3G mobile core

  • Multi-service Quota Balance Management for Fair Use applications

  • Location and Identity-based Services, Ads and Content

  • Personalized Parental Controls and Security solutions for families

  • Intelligent subscriber-aware Broadband and Carrier-Ethernet services

  • Fixed-Mobile converged services, including the latest Femto-cell deployments.


Broadhop confirmed that its Quantum Network Software Suite is currently in technical trials with service providers. The company noted that its existing network policy solutions are already deployed by more than 60 telecom service providers serving more than 200 million subscribers in 25 countries.
http://www.broadhop.com

SpiderCloud Adds $25 million for Enterprise Radio Access Network (E-RAN)

SpiderCloud Wireless, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, announced $25 million in Series B funding for its Enterprise Radio Access Network (E-RAN) platform developed for mobile operators.


SpiderCloud Wireless mission is to enable self-organizing wireless network capable of extending the enterprise's full suite of voice and data applications and services to any standard handset or computing device. The goal to bring together the functionality and security of cellular networks with the utility and economics of enterprise data networks. Its SmartCloud Services Node (SCSN) is analogous to an enterprise Wi-Fi switch but can be used by carriers to serve enterprise segments previously too expensive and complex to deploy in-building. Advanced features of its platform include "zero touch" installation and low-cost routing options for voice and data to the world of mobile radio access networks.


The $25 million round was led by Opus Capital along with new investments from Shasta Ventures and existing Series A investors Charles River Ventures and Matrix Partners.


The company also announced the addition of Behrooz Parsay as its new senior vice president of engineering and operations. Previously, he held RF engineering and management positions with Aperto Networks, Ericsson, DIVA, Kestrel, and Lantern Communications.
http://www.spidercloud.com
  • SpiderCloud is headed by Mike Gallagher, who previously was the chief executive officer of FiberTower, a company he joined via the merger with First Avenue Networks in 2006 where Mike Gallagher was the chief executive officer. Mr. Gallagher was previously the president of Flarion Technologies, a company acquired by Qualcomm. SpiderCloud's technical team includes Peter Wexler (co-founder), who previously was the vice president of engineering and product operations at Stoke.

Sprint Supports Tango Networks' Mobile UC

Sprint has added support for Tango Networks' "Abrazo" Mobile UC solution. Tango Networks' Abrazo enables any Sprint CDMA mobile phone to become an extension of the corporate PBX or UC system on the mobile network. This functionality enables businesses to gain control over mobile usage and to offer superior features to promote productivity.

In addition to supporting Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Avaya Communications Manager, Tango Networks' Abrazo significantly expands the portfolio of PBX solutions that can benefit from Sprint Mobile Integration fixed mobile convergence (FMC) solution, which allows enterprises to extend the capabilities of a PBX or UC system to their employees' Sprint mobile phone.


"Increasing employee accessibility and productivity while better managing costs are top priorities of our customers," said Paget Alves, president of Business Markets Group, Sprint. "Sprint's relationship with Tango Networks enhances our ability to fully enable mobile unified communications, allowing employees to work virtually anytime, anywhere. We are confident that our collaboration will help achieve these goals while enhancing our customers' overall communications experience."http://www.sprint.com
http://www.tango-networks.com

Luxtera and Siemon Integrate 40 Gbps Chips into Active Optical Cabling

Siemon, a leading global manufacturer of IT cabling infrastructure systems, has integrated Luxtera's 40 Gbps single-mode fiber transceivers into its new "Moray" Active Optical Cabling (AOC) product family. Siemon's first AOC offering is four lane QSFP 40G active optical cabling family that supports Ethernet Switch, FibreChannel SAN Storage, InfiniBand Server systems and several other IO interface links between various blades, boxes, racks, containers and buildings.


Luxtera's Silicon CMOS Photonics technology utilizes an integrated opto-electronic chip with a directly attached fiber and a micro-packaged laser.


The companies said this "Fiber-to-the-Chip" technology enables Siemon's Moray active optical cabling to break the cost barriers and distance restrictions associated with existing vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and multi-mode fiber solutions. Unlike traditional optics that utilize VCSELs and multi-mode fiber for short connections, Luxtera's Silicon CMOS Photonics-based single chip transceivers support any distance from one meter to 4,000 meters for inter- and intra-building connections while decreasing the number of components in the AOC and improving its reliability.
http://www.luxtera.com
http://www.siemon.com

Cyber Security Institute: An Assessment of U.S. Cyber Defense

The Cyber Security Institute, a newly established analysis and advocacy institute based in Washington, D.C., published a whitepaper, entitled "Cyberwar and Cyberterrorism: The Need for a New U.S. Strategic Approach," written by Gen. Eugene Habiger USAF (ret.).


General Habiger formerly served as Commander in Chief of United States Strategic Command. He also served as the Department of Energy's "Security Czar." After leaving public service he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Antonio Water System.


Key conclusions include:


  • 1. Our nation's vital public and private IT systems are so vulnerable that they invite attack.


  • 2. America is routinely the victim of nation-state driven cyber intrusions that can be seen as low-grade cyber-border conflicts.


  • 3. Some of these attacks have crossed a critical line: they have compromised critical systems supporting our troops engaged in combat.


  • 4. Our failure to proactively address these threats risks a digital Pearl Harbor or 9-11.


  • 5. Deterrence by retribution and preemption, our nation's core national security strategies, are of limited value against cyberwar and cyberterror threats -- "these rotary-phone-era strategies are not well suited for today's digital world."


  • 6. A new approach based upon deterrence by denial is needed.


  • 7. Achieving effective cyber deterrence by denial, or defense in-depth, will require nothing short of a total paradigm shift from both government and the private sector.


  • 8. Across both the public and private sector we must deploy inherently secure technologies, tested and certified secure against sophisticated attacks.


  • 9. The private sector must look beyond the balance sheet and focus on our national interests--and if need be the government must force this change.


  • 10. We must educate the American people about the importance of cybersecurity and drive behavioral change.
http://cybersecureinstitute.org

Thursday, January 28, 2010

SK Telecom Reaches 24 Million Users, ARPU Edges Down

As of the end of 2009, SK Telecom was serving 24.25 million access lines, up by 5.3% compared to the end of 2008. Average revenue per user (ARPU) edged down by 1.3% to KRW 42,469 with the expansion of various discount plans.


For the fourth quarter of 2009, the revenues increased by 3.1% quarter-on-quarter to mark KRW 3.1 trillion. Also compared to the same quarter last year, the operating income went down by 5.5% to stand at KRW 443.1 billion, while EBITDA increased by 3.4% to mark KRW 1.095 trillion.
http://www.sktelecom.com

EC Takes Action against France over "Telecoms Tax"

The European Commission launched a legal action against France relating to the "telecoms tax" on telecommunications operators that was introduced in March 2009. To offset the ending of advertising on public TV channels, France has introduced a specific tax on the turnover of telecommunications operators in connection with their licence to provide telecoms services (including Internet and mobile phone services).


However, the Commission takes the view that in reality this tax constitutes an administrative charge that is incompatible with European law.


The EC estimates the annual revenue from the new tax is around 400 million euros. This tax is payable by telecommunications operators which, in accordance with the French Telecoms Law, provide a service in France.


"I have expressed doubts about the telecoms tax on a number of occasions" , said Viviane Reding, the Member of the European Commission responsible for the information society and media. "Not only does this new tax on operators seem incompatible with the European rules, it also concerns a sector that is now one of the major drivers of economic growth. Moreover, there is a serious risk that it will be passed on to customers at a time when we are in fact trying to reduce their bills by cutting termination rates and the costs of mobile phone calls, data transfer and text message roaming."http://www.europe.eu

EC Approves Telefónica O2's Acquisition of Hansenet

The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Hansenet Telekommunikation GmbH of Germany by Telefónica of Spain. The Commission concluded that the concentration would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it. Telefónica and Hansenet are not major competitors for each other in any of the relevant markets. Moreover, both the horizontal and the vertical relationships between the activities of Hansenet and Telefonica in Germany are limited and the combined firm would continue to face a number of strong, effective competitors, including the incumbent operator Deutsche Telekom.
http://www.europa.eu

New EU Telecoms Regulator Begins

The new Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) officially commenced its activities with its first meeting in Brussels.


BEREC was established by European Council and European Parliament as part of the new EU Telecoms rules that were adopted in December 2009. The new regulatory body is expected to play a key role in strengthening a single telecom market and consistent regulation across Europe. Already there are 12 fixed and 10 mobile telecoms companies offering services in many other EU Member States. Hundreds of service providers are operating across borders. In 2008, Europe's telecoms sector revenues accounted for €351 billion.


The new European telecoms body BEREC will give important expert opinions on the functioning of the telecoms market in the EU. BEREC will also advise, support and complement the independent work of national telecoms regulators, especially when it comes to regulatory decisions with cross-border aspects.


BEREC is made up of the heads of the 27 national telecoms regulators and is assisted by an office that provides the necessary professional and administrative support to BEREC's work. Most decisions will be taken by two-thirds majority and by simple majority when BEREC gives opinions in the context of the Commission's analysis of measures notified to the European Commission by national regulators.


BEREC replaces the "European Regulators Group", a loose grouping of national regulators that could operate on the basis of consensus alone and was not integrated into the EU's regulatory process.


"The first meeting of BEREC will be a step in the right direction for a more competitive telecoms market in Europe. I look forward to seeing real progress in developing further the European single market in telecoms and, in particular, to the positive impact that it will have for Europe's 500 million citizens," said Neelie Kroes, the EU Competition Commissioner.http://europa.eu

NTT DOCOMO at 55 Million Users -- Nearly Flat for 2009

As of December 31, 2009, NTT DOCOMO was serving 55.44 million subscriber lines, up by 1.2 million compared with a year earlier. Churn for the quarter was 0.45%, roughly the same level as a year earlier. Due to the popularity of discount plans, aggregate ARPU during the quarter for cellular services (FOMA+mova) decreased 4.5% compared to a year earlier to Y5,470 (about US$60).


The number of handsets sold during the quarter ending December 31 declined by 310,000 units to 4.20 units.

For the nine months ending December 31, 2009, NTT DOCOMO's capital expenditures amounted to Y 484.5 billion (about US$5.36 billion), down 3.2% compared to the same period a year earlier.

Looking ahead, NTT DOCOMO predicts competition will intensify even further in Japan, putting increased pressure on revenues. The company is looking to decrease its network operating costs through a variety of programs.
http://www.ntt.co.jp

AT&T Gives Update on Network Upgrade Programs

In its quarterly financial call last week, AT&T executives gave a progress report on the company's network upgrade programs. Some highlights of the call:

  • In 2009, AT&T added 1,900 new cell sites, more than 100,000 new circuits for backhaul, four times our 2008 total.


  • The composite quality index for voice on the wireless network was up 22% in 2009.


  • Data throughput increased more than 19% during the past year.


  • 3G block calls were down 25%.


  • 3G drop calls were down 22%.


  • Congestion in New York City and San Francisco -- In Manhattan, there are periods when nearly 70% of the devices active on the network are data intensive handsets. AT&T is adding third and fourth radio network carriers to maximize capacity on available spectrum. The company is increasing the amount of 3G spectrum and radio capacity by one third in high-volume areas. It is also adding cell towers and upgrading high-capacity antenna systems.


  • HSPA 7.2 -- AT&T has completed the software upgrade to its 3G network nationwide. It currently offers 10 devices that are HSPA 7.2 Mbps capable. The next step is to build out backhaul, focusing first on highest traffic cell sites.


  • AT&T anticipates that the majority of mobile data traffic will be carried over fiber-based backhaul by the end of this year.


  • Already, the first metro clusters with HSPA 7.2 show average throughput increasing nearly 50% during peak conditions.


  • AT&T has not made a clear declaration on whether it will deploy HSPA upgrades beyond 7.2 Mbps.


  • Apple's iPad -- AT&T said it will work closely with Apple in planning for iPad connectivity to the network. The iPad will use HSPA 7.2 Mbps. iPad represents a different revenue for AT&T because it is not subsidizing the device.


  • AT&T is predicting that iPad users will be heavy network users, likely more than iPhone and similar to 3G laptop users. However, many iPad users are likely to use the device at home or in schools, cafes or airports -- places where Wi-Fi networks are usually available. Because users will pay in advance by credit card, AT&T is forecasting that its billing and support costs will be low.


  • 2010 CAPEX -- $18 billion to $19 billion range. That is up 5% to 10% overall versus 2009, with investments in wireless up substantially.


  • AT&T expects a substantial increase in wireless and backhaul CapEx, which will be about $2 billion.


  • The amount of new capacity in the wireless network in 2010 will be 2X greater than in 2009.


  • In 2010, AT&T plans to deploy 2,000 new cell sites. It will also increase deployments of radio network controllers.


  • Ethernet backhaul connections to cell sites will be 10X greater than in 2009. This includes 3X more fiber-to-the-cell-site departments compared to last year.


  • LTE trials -- planned for 2 markets in 2010


  • U-verse -- on track to reach 30 million living units by the end of next year. U-verse revenues nearly tripled over the past year, and on an annualized basis, now approach $3 billion. U-verse TV penetration now approaches 13%, and in areas marketed to for 24 months or more, overall penetration is better than 20%.


An archived webcast is posted in the Investor's section of the company's website.
http://www.att.com

FCC's McDowell on Broadband Plan: "First, Do No Harm"

For over three decades now, it has been the bipartisan policy of the U.S. Government to keep information services lightly regulated, said FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, delivering the Free State Foundation Keynote at the National Press Club. The proliferation of broadband and mobile communication technologies has come about, he said, because of a competitive, free market and not because they were mandated by some government authority.


In looking ahead to the National Broadband Plan, which the FCC will present to Congress in March, McDowell said his preference is "that it should not propose heavy-handed industrial policy." He prefers incentives for service providers to invest in extending and upgrading their broadband infrastructure rather than coercive mandates. And before setting regulations, he thinks the government should first ask "What exactly is broken that only the
government can fix?"


To deal with anti-competitive conduct by monopolistic players, McDowell suggests that instead of writing new rules, (which will be tied up in court for years anyway), "the FCC could forge a new partnership with the appropriate non-governmental collaborative Internet governance bodies that have worked flawlessly on these issues for years." He believes "this approach, coupled with strict enforcement of our antitrust laws, could very well provide the benefits sought by proponents of new rules without incurring the unexpected costs of a new regulatory regime."http://www.fcc.gov

Thomson Changes Name to Technicolor

Thomson has changed its name to Technicolor. Shares in the Paris-based company will trade on NYSE Euronext Paris under the Technicolor symbol (TCH).


Technicolor's mission is to be a provider of production, postproduction, and distribution services to content creators, network service providers and broadcasters. The company is one of the world's largest film processors; the largest independent manufacturer and distributor of DVDs (including Blu-ray Disc); and a leading global supplier of set-top boxes and gateways.
http://www.technicolor.com

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Freescale Revenues Rise in Q4 to $951 Million

Freescale Semiconductor reported Q4 2009 revenue of $951 million, compared to $893 million in the third quarter of 2009 and $940 million in the fourth quarter last year. The reported loss from operations for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, inclusive of $148 million of reorganization costs, was $261 million, compared to a loss of $261 million in the third quarter of 2009 and a loss of $4.17 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.


"Freescale executed well during the fourth quarter and 2009, delivering improving revenue and earnings performance throughout the year," said Rich Beyer, Chairman and CEO. http://www.freescale.com/investor

PMC-Sierra's Q4 Revenues Increase 15.4% Year over Year

PMC-Sierra reported Q4 net revenues of$139.5 million, up 15.4% compared with $120.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2008 and up 6.6% compared with $130.9 million reported in the third quarter of 2009. Net income (GAAP) was $15.1 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.06). This compares with GAAP net income of $8.8 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.04) in the fourth quarter of 2008 and GAAP net income of $27.8 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.12) in the third quarter of 2009.


"In the fourth quarter of 2009, our quarterly revenues returned to the peak levels achieved in 2008 based on strong growth in our Enterprise Storage and Microprocessor businesses," said Greg Lang, president and chief executive officer of PMC-Sierra.
http://www.pmc-sierra.com

Broadcom Names Ramaswami to Head Enterprise Networking Group

Broadcom has named Rajiv Ramaswami as Executive Vice President & General Manager, Enterprise Networking Group. Mr. Ramaswami was previously at Cisco Systems, Inc. where he most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of Cloud Services and Switching Technology Group. He joined Cisco in 2002 and served as Vice President and General Manager for a variety of Business Units in Optical, Switching, and Storage Networking.


Nariman Yousefi, who previously led the Enterprise Networking Group, has transitioned to a new role as Senior Vice President of Infrastructure Technologies, reporting to Henry Samueli, Broadcom's Chief Technical Officer. http://www.broadcom.com

Motorola Reports Q4 Sales of $5.7 billion

Motorola reported Q4 sales of $5.7 billion and GAAP earnings in the fourth quarter of 2009 were $142 million, or $0.06 per share. For the full year of 2009, sales were $22.0 billion. The full-year GAAP loss from continuing operations was $0.05 per share


Mobile Devices segment sales were $1.8 billion, down 22 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. The GAAP operating loss was $132 million, including $18 million of highlighted items, compared to an operating loss of $595 million in the year-ago quarter.


Enterprise Mobility Solutions segment sales were $2.0 billion, down 12 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $368 million, compared with operating earnings of $466 million in the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2009, sales were $7.0 billion, compared to $8.1 billion in 2008, and the segment generated GAAP operating earnings of $1.1 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 2008.


Home & Networks Mobility segment sales were $2.0 billion, down 24 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $91 million, compared to $257 million in the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2009, sales were $8.0 billion, compared to $10.1 billion in 2008, and the segment generated GAAP operating earnings of $558 million, compared to $918 million in 2008.


For Q1 2010, the company is projecting a loss of $0.01 to $0.03 per share, excluding special charges.
http://www.motorola.com

NSN Posts Q4 Sales of EUR 3.6 billion, up 31% QoQ

Nokia Siemens Networks reported net sales of EUR 3.6 billion, up 31% sequentially and down 16% compared to the same period last year. Non-IFRS gross margin was 30.6%, up 180 bps quarter over quarter. The performance enabled NSN to turn in a full year profit on an operative basis.


Fourth quarter 2009 net sales decreased At constant currency, Nokia Siemens Networks net sales would have decreased 17%. Of total Nokia Siemens Networks net sales, services contributed EUR 1.7 billion in the fourth quarter 2009.


Nokia Siemens Networks fourth quarter 2009 reported operating profit was EUR 17 million, compared with a reported operating loss of EUR 179 million in the fourth quarter 2008, with a reported operating margin of 0.5%.


During Q4, the company said it won 10 new 3G contracts including deals with Softbank in Japan for HSPA+ for evolved mobile data services delivery and with Telenor Sweden for a full upgrade of its 3G network as well as a contract with VMS Mobifone in Vietnam for a 3G network roll-out.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/

Nokia Sees Growth in Smartphones

Driven by a 17% sequentially jump in mobile device sales, Nokia reported Q4 2009 net sales of EUR 12.0 billion -- up 22% sequentially but still down 5% compared with a year earlier. Nokia's mobile device market share increased, as the industry as a whole shipped an estimated 329 million units during the fourth quarter, up 8%
year on year and up 14% sequentially.


"We grew our market share in smartphones in the fourth quarter, driven by the successful launch of new touch and QWERTY models. Our performance in smartphones, combined with continuing success in the emerging markets, helped us increase sales in our Devices & Services unit, both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year. Our solid results also owe a good deal to world class supply chain management and impressive sales execution," stated Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka KALLASVUO.


Some highlights for the quarter.


  • Devices & Services net sales of EUR 8.2 billion, up 0.5% year on year and up 18% sequentially (up 2% and 16% at constant currency).


  • Services net sales of EUR 169 million, up 15% sequentially; billings of EUR 226 million, up 31% sequentially.


  • Nokia mobile device volumes of 126.9 million units, up 12% year on year and up 17% sequentially.


  • Nokia estimated mobile device market share of 39% in Q4 2009, up from an estimated 37% in Q4 2008 and 38% in Q3 2009. The full year 2009 estimated market share was 38%, down from 39% in 2008.


  • Nokia grew its converged device market share to an estimated 40%, from an estimated 35% in Q3 2009.


  • Nokia improved the ASP of its mobile devices to EUR 63, from EUR 62 in Q3 2009.


  • Devices & Services increased its gross margin to 34.3%, from 30.9% in Q3 2009.


  • NAVTEQ non-IFRS net sales of EUR 225 million, up 9% year on year and up 36% sequentially, and non-IFRS operating margin of 24.0%, down from 25.9% in Q3 2009.


  • Nokia Siemens Networks net sales of EUR 3.6 billion, down 16% year on year and up 31% sequentially (down 17% and up 29% at constant currency).


  • Nokia operating cash flow of EUR 1.5 billion, more than double the operating cash flow for Q3 2009.


  • Total cash and other liquid assets of EUR 8.9 billion at the end of Q4 2009.
http://www.nokia.com

Harris Stratex Changes Company Name to Aviat Networks

Harris Stratex Networks changed its name to Aviat Networks. The company's ticker symbol will change to AVNW and its common stock will continue to trade on NASDAQ.



Since the merger between the Microwave Communications Division of Harris Corporation and Stratex Networks three years ago, the company has transformed itself from a specialized microwave backhaul equipment supplier into a provider of IP wireless network solutions, with a comprehensive of migration solutions and lifecycle services.


"Today's unveiling of Aviat Networks marks a significant milestone in the evolution of our Company. The Aviat brand embodies our commitment to quality and innovative products, highly individualized services, operational excellence and industry leadership," said Harald Braun, president and CEO of Aviat Networks.
http://www.aviatnetworks.com

AT&T U-verse Voice Service Reaches 1 Million Lines

AT&T crossed the one million subscriber line milestone for its U-verse digital voice service. The milestone comes two years after AT&T introduced the VoIP service. More than 67 percent of new U-verse TV customers bundle U-verse Voice service. AT&T now has 2.1 million U-verse TV subscribers nationwide.
http://www.att.com

AT&T Adds 2.7 million Wireless Subscribers in Q4 2009

In the fourth quarter, AT&T posted a net gain in total wireless subscribers of 2.7 million, the second highest quarterly net add total in the company's history, reflecting rapid adoption of smartphones and emerging devices such as eReaders, netbooks and navigation devices.


AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled $30.9 billion in Q4 2009, compared with $31.1 billion in the year-earlier quarter and up slightly from the third quarter of 2009. Net income was $3.0 billion, diluted earnings per share totaled $0.51 and cash from operating activities totaled $9.0 billion.



For the full year 2009, compared with 2008 results, AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled $123.0 billion versus $124.0 billion; operating expenses were $101.5 billion, compared with $101.0 billion; net income attributable to AT&T was $12.5 billion versus $12.9 billion; and earnings per diluted share totaled $2.12, compared with $2.16.


"We had a solid 2009 and led the industry in the biggest growth driver -- mobile broadband," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer.


Total 2010 capital expenditures are expected to be in the $18 billion to $19 billion range.


Wireless


  • Full-year wireless net adds totaled 7.3 million, equaling the company's best-ever annual total, to reach 85.1 million subscribers in service.


  • Postpaid churn was 1.19 percent, down from 1.20 percent in the year-earlier quarter; total churn was 1.44 percent versus 1.64 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.


  • Wireless data revenues -- from messaging, access to applications and related services -- increased $805 million, or 26.3 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $3.9 billion. Versus the year-earlier quarter, total text messages carried on the AT&T network increased 70 percent to 135 billion and multimedia messages more than doubled to more than 2 billion.


  • Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 2.6 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $61.13. This marks the eighth consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. Postpaid data ARPU reached $19.16, up 17.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.


  • The number of postpaid 3G integrated devices on AT&T's network increased by more than 4 million in the fourth quarter and nearly tripled over the past year.


  • At the end of the year, 46.4 percent of AT&T's 65.1 million postpaid subscribers had integrated devices, up from 27.0 percent a year earlier.


  • AT&T's fourth-quarter integrated-device growth included 3.1 million iPhone activations, the second highest quarterly total to date, with more than a third of the activations for customers who were new to AT&T. The average ARPU for integrated devices on AT&T's network continues to be 1.8 times that of the company's nonintegrated-device base.


  • Total emerging devices, including eReaders such as the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader Daily Edition and the Barnes & Noble nook, increased by more than 1 million in the fourth quarter, its strongest quarter in this category to date, predominantly reflected in reseller subscriber totals.


  • Wireline Operational Highlights


    • AT&T U-verse TV subscribers increased by 248,000 in the quarter to reach 2.1 million, up more than 1 million over the past year.


    • Companywide penetration of eligible living units now approaches 13 percent, and across areas marketed to for 24 months or more, overall penetration exceeds 20 percent.


    • AT&T's total video subscribers, which combine the company's U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 4.2 million at the end of the year, representing 16.0 percent of households served.


    • AT&T U-verse broadband had a net gain of 267,000 wireline consumer subscribers in the fourth quarter. This growth, combined with continued solid gains in standalone broadband, more than offset declines in traditional DSL connections for a 167,000 net gain in consumer wireline broadband connections. Total broadband connections, which include business and consumer wireline subscribers and wireless customers with 3G LaptopConnect cards, increased by 171,000 in the quarter to reach 17.3 million.


    • AT&T U-verse penetration drove 31.8 percent year-over-year growth in consumer IP revenues (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice) and a 3.7 percent increase in revenues per household served. Consumer IP revenues now represent 34.7 percent of AT&T's consumer wireline revenues, up from 25.3 percent in the year-earlier quarter.


    • AT&T's combined wireline consumer TV and broadband connections increased by 394,000 in the quarter and 1.8 million over the full year 2009. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 219,000 in the quarter and 730,000 for the full year 2009. AT&T's total consumer revenue connections at the end of the year were 45.3 million, compared with 45.7 million at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and 47.0 million at the end of 2008, reflecting declines in traditional voice access lines partially offset by increases in broadband, TV and VoIP connections.


    • Revenues from new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T's most advanced solutions -- including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and application services -- grew 17.0 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, continuing trends of recent quarters.


    • Total business revenues declined 5.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, reflecting economic weakness in voice and legacy data products, and were down just 0.4 percent versus the third quarter of 2009 -- their best sequential comparison in five quarters.


    • Business IP data revenues grew 7.3 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter, led by better than 20 percent growth in VPN revenues. Approximately two-thirds of AT&T's frame customers have made the transition to IP-based solutions, which allow them to easily add managed services such as network security, hosting and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures.


    • Fourth-quarter total wireline revenues were $16.2 billion, down 5.3 percent versus the year-earlier quarter and down 0.9 percent sequentially -- the company's smallest declines in four quarters.
    http://www.att.com

Criminal Charges Dismissed for Broadcom's Founder

A U.S. District court judge dismissed all criminal charges against Henry T. Nicholas III, the co-founder of Broadcom. The judge accused prosecutors of intimidating witnesses.


Late last year, the same judge dismissed a case of stock option backdating against Nicholas and former Broadcom Chief Financial Officer William Ruehle.http://c
  • In June 2008, Henry T. Nicholas III , the co-founder of Broadcom, was indicted on federal narcotics charges that he regularly maintained a supply of ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and other controlled substances for use and distribution. Among other things, the narcotics indictment accused Nicholas of using ecstasy to spike the drinks of industry executives and employees of Broadcom customers. According to the indictment, over a nine-year period, Nicholas maintained drug-involved premises, specifically homes in Laguna Hills and Newport Coast, a warehouse in Laguna Niguel and a condominium in Las Vegas. The indictment alleged that Nicholas used ecstasy to spike drinks at parties, and supplied prostitutes and escorts he had hired with controlled substances.

BT Offers Flat Rate Global Video Exchange Pricing

BT Conferencing will offer flat-rate video bridging pricing. This gives customers a more predictable pricing structure when using BT's public video bridging service for their conferencing needs. Customers can choose from two options, the assisted option provides unlimited assisted and self-service video conferences and the self-service option includes unlimited video conferences when customers use BT's Engage web interface for scheduling and launching video conferences.


BT Conferencing also announced a new pricing plan for its Global Video Exchange service. Global Video Exchange (GVE) enables customers to hold TelePresence meetings across different networks, promoting collaboration with customers, suppliers and partners. GVE pack pricing allows customers to select a monthly allotment of TelePresence events using GVE. With this pricing option, customers may choose an allotment of 25, 50, 100 or 250 GVE events per month for any duration and include up to five telepresence endpoints per event.

The video bridging flat rate plans are available now in the US, and will be available in the UK in February 2010. GVE pack pricing is available now globally.

BT operates Network Operation Centers in Philadelphia, Denver and London, and has an MPLS presence in more than 170 countries.
http://www.bt.com

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Verizon Wireless Enables VeriSign Identity Protection

Verizon Wireless has begun supporting VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Access for Mobile, a free application that provides authentication credentials to help customers protect their online data. VIP Access for Mobile displays a security code on a mobile phone that customers can use as a second factor of authentication in addition to usernames and passwords when accessing online accounts. The security code acts as a unique, one-time password that changes automatically every 30 seconds.


Provided as a cloud-based authentication service, the VIP Authentication Service -- also known as strong or two-factor authentication -- provides an additional layer of protection beyond standard username and password sign-on. Two-factor authentication works by requiring each user to provide not just a username and password but also a second factor, in this case, a unique one-time six-digit security code generated by a user's VIP authentication credential. Businesses can use the capabilities to provide secure remote log-in to corporate intranets, partner portals and virtual private networks (VPN).


VeriSign noted that its VIP Access for Mobile is the only two-factor authentication credential certified for BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), which allows mobile users to reliably access trusted applications directly from their phones.


"Bringing VIP Access for Mobile to Verizon Wireless customers dramatically broadens the footprint of VIP authentication and puts a powerful tool against identity fraud into the hands of millions of mobile users," said Kerry Loftus, vice president of User Authentication at VeriSign.


Customers can get the application from their wireless phones by selecting the Business Tools/Information category in the Media Center/Get It Now, or by visiting the online media store at http://www.mediastore.verizonwireless.com.
http://www.verisign.com

Stoke Unleashes 3G Mobile Data Offload

Stoke launched a mobile broadband gateway solution that selectively diverts traffic streams off of the legacy mobile network -- bypassing the data core infrastructure -- and routing it directly to the Internet. Stoke Mobile Data Offload (SMDO) aims to change the economic landscape of 3G data delivery, in the process delivering many of the technical objectives of LTE, including reduced system latency, lower cost, and improved service delivery.


SMDO leverages the company's Session Exchange (SSX) mobile broadband gateway. The data offload function is performed without impacting untargeted traffic flows, without interfering with subscriber mobility, and without requiring any configuration changes to the mobile network elements. The result is a dramatic reduction in traffic loads for three costly network elements -- the SGSN, GGSN and service grooming servers.


Each SMDO Gateway can offload up to 8 Gbps of Internet traffic. Situated between the RAN and data core, the MDO Gateway can connect to multiple RNCs and multiple SGSNs -- without requiring any configuration changes to these mobile network elements. The MDO Gateway is transparent to all traffic except operator specified traffic, mobile devices, or sessions.


With the proliferation of social media apps and flat rate data plans, Stoke estimates 80% to more than 90% of mobile data traffic is headed for the Internet instead of operators' own applications. The network strain is manifest in the radio network, the traffic backhaul network, and the core network. SMDO promises savings of tens of millions of dollars of reduced network core capacity expansion and operational costs.


"The combination of the inherent rigidity in 3G network architecture standards and the massive uptake of smartphones and netbooks is the chief culprit in today's mobile data overload," said Vikash Varma. "The rigid, hierarchical structure of the infrastructure has left operators ill-prepared for the volume of data, and unable to escape from the economic disadvantages of flat rate data plans. Stoke Mobile Data Offload is standards-based, but breaks through current preconceptions about the infrastructure, offering a relief valve through which the increasing volumes of mobile data can be seamlessly channeled."


Stoke MDO will be available for trials in carrier networks in April of 2010.
http://www.stoke.com
http://www.stoke.com/video/mobile_data_offload.html
  • Earlier this month, Stoke announced that NTT DOCOMO has selected its mobile broadband gateway for its upcoming LTE service. Specifically, DOCOMO will deploy the SSX-3000 in this LTE network to aggregate eNodeB radio transmission base stations that support various mobile data such as voice, data, and video.


  • Stokes' SSX-3000 is a high density gateway ATCA-based platform designed to provide stateful management of tens of thousands of secure subscriber sessions over multiple access types. It scales to deliver 16 Gbps throughput and up to 240k active IPSec sessions. It performs L4-L7 traffic classification, encryption & decryption, policy enforcement, QoS and accounting at line rates.


  • Stoke is based in Santa Clara, California.

ZTE Wins Huge GSM/UMTS Contract in South Africa

ZTE announced a significant contract to supply network equipment and managed services to Cell C, a mobile telecom operator in South Africa. ZTE valued the contract at US$378 million.
http://wwwen.zte.com.cn/en/

OpNext Delivers Multiplexer for 100G Coherent Transponders

Opnext introduced an ultra-high speed Surface Mount Technology (SMT) multiplexer Integrated Circuit (IC) for 100Gbps applications.


The SiGe (Silicon Germanium) 0.13nm chip was designed in-house to be used inside Opnext's coherent 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps transponder modules and subsystems.


Opnext said its 128 Gbps multiplexer IC transmits the data in 32 Gbps lanes suitable for transmission using the DP-QPSK modulation scheme, as documented in the OIF 100G Ultra Long Haul DWDM Framework, for 100GbE and OTU4 transmission in the Wide Area Network (WAN). The multiplexer IC employs Ball Grid Array (BGA) technology to allow standard SMT manufacturing processes. This enables higher density transponder designs with ICs mounted directly onto the Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).
http://www.opnext.com

Romano Valussi Appointed GM of Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell

Romano Valussi has been appointed general manager of Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, effective immediately. Romano will also join Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell's board of directors. Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell is Alcatel-Lucent's flagship company in China.


In addition to this new role, Romano will also be the head of Alcatel-Lucent's China regional business unit and will report jointly to the Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell board of directors and Rajeev Singh-Molares, the incoming president of the Asia Pacific region for Alcatel-Lucent. Romano's positions were previously held by Olivia Qiu who has recently taken over leadership of worldwide sales for vertical markets within Alcatel-Lucent's Enterprise and Vertical Markets group.


Prior to his roles as president of the Optics division, Romano was chief operating officer and Product strategy director of the Alcatel Terrestrial networks division. Prior to that Romano was the senior vice-president of Product strategy and Development for the optical networks division and, earlier, the head of the division's R&D and Global marketing.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Kodak Alleges Patent Infringement by Apple and RIM

Eastman Kodak filed lawsuits against Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Limited (RIM) alleging the infringement of Kodak digital imaging technology. Kodak claims that Apple's iPhones and RIM's camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images. Separately, Kodak filed two suits today against Apple in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York that claim the infringement of patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes.
http://www.kodak.com

Ixia and Agilent Offer HDMI Ethernet Channel Test

Ixia released an HDMI Ethernet Channel networking test. The solution combines Ixia's IxN2X traffic generator and Agilent's HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) and Audio Return Channel (ARC) physical layer test.


An estimated one billion HDMI-enabled devices expected to be in use by 2010. The latest version of the HDMI specification, version 1.4, adds high-speed Internet Protocol networking to the HDMI cable and connected devices over the HDMI Ethernet Channel. Compliance testing to the HDMI 1.4 specification will take place at Authorized Test Centers (ATCs) located worldwide.
http://www.ixiacom.com
http://www.agilent.comNew capabilities are being built into the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification, including networking capabilities with Ethernet connectivity and an Audio Return Channel to enable upstream audio connections via the HDMI cable. Specifically, these enhancements will include:

HDMI Ethernet Channel -- the HDMI 1.4 specification will add a data channel to the HDMI cable and will enable high-speed bi-directional communication. Connected devices that include this feature will be able to send and receive data via 100 Mb/sec Ethernet, making them instantly ready for any IP-based application. The HDMI Ethernet Channel will allow an Internet-enabled HDMI device to share its Internet connection with other HDMI devices without the need for a separate Ethernet cable. The new feature will also provide the connection platform to allow HDMI-enabled devices to share content between devices.


Audio Return Channel -- the new specification will add an Audio Return Channel that will reduce the number of cables required to deliver audio upstream for processing and playback. In cases where HDTVs are directly receiving audio and video content, this new Audio Return Channel allows the HDTV to send the audio stream to the A/V receiver over the HDMI cable, eliminating the need for an extra cable.


3D Over HDMI The 1.4 version of the specification will define common 3D formats and resolutions for HDMI-enabled devices. The specification will standardize the input/output portion of the home 3D system and will specify up to dual-stream 1080p resolution.


4K x 2K Resolution Support: the new specification will enable HDMI devices to support high-definition (HD) resolutions four times beyond the resolution of 1080p. Support for 4K x 2K will allow the HDMI interface to transmit content at the same resolution as many digital theaters. Formats supported include 3840x2160 24Hz/25Hz/30Hz and 4096x2160 24Hz.


Expanded Support For Color Spaces -- HDMI technology now supports color spaces designed specifically for digital still cameras. By supporting sYCC601, Adobe RGB and AdobeYCC601, HDMI-enabled display devices will be capable of reproducing more accurate life-like colors when connected to a digital still camera.


Micro HDMI Connector -- the Micro HDMI Connector is a significantly smaller 19-pin connector that supports up to 1080p resolutions for portable devices. This new connector is approximately 50% smaller than the size of the existing HDMI Mini Connector.

Qualcomm Reports Revenues $2.7 Billion, Trims Outlook on 3G Chip Prices

Qualcomm reported quarterly revenue of $2.67 billion, up 6 percent year-over-year and down 1 percent sequentially. Net income was $841 million, up 147 percent year-over-year and 5 percent sequentially.


"As anticipated, we have seen a competitive pricing environment in the chipset market and are proactively managing within this dynamic to grow our market share. A subdued economic recovery in developed regions, including Europe and Japan, combined with relative strength at the lower end of the market, is changing our estimated 3G device average selling price and chipset mix for this fiscal year. Accordingly, we are modestly reducing our fiscal year revenue estimates to reflect this near-term market situation, but are maintaining our earnings per share guidance," stated Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm.


"The fundamental drivers of our business remain strong. We are confident that 3G will continue to develop as anticipated, and we continue to invest in innovative new products, such as Snapdragon, FLO TV(TM), mirasol and next-generation technologies, to enhance our leadership position and capitalize on this growth."http://www.qualcomm.com

ShoreTel Reports Sequential Revenue Growth

ShoreTel reported quarterly revenue of $35.5 million, up 5 percent sequentially and up slightly from the same period last year. GAAP net loss was $(2.5) million, or $(0.06) per share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $(2.3) million, or $(0.05) per share, reported in the same period last year. GAAP gross margins for the second quarter of fiscal year 2010 were a record 64.5 percent, compared with 63.1 percent during the same quarter last year.


"We are seeing solid growth and an improving market even before the benefits of our strategic investments in sales, R&D, and branding are realized. We are very pleased with our second quarter performance, having outperformed our revenue and earnings expectations, posted our all-time highest gross margins, and grown our cash and short-term investments by $3.5 million while making significant investments in our business," stated John W. Combs, chairman and chief executive officer of ShoreTel.
http://www.shortel.com

AT&T to Provide 7.2 Mbps 3G Service for Apple's iPad

AT&T will offer a prepaid 3G service supporting Apple's new iPad. Details include:

  • $14.99 per month for up to 250 MB of traffic

  • $29.99 for unlimited data usage

  • Free use of AT&T WiFi hotspots

  • Service may be activated at any time using the iPad

  • No contract -- may cancel at any time


AT&T's 3G HSPA network delivers up to 7.2 Mbps downstream.

All iPad 3G models are unlocked and will use GSM micro SIMs. Apple expects to announce similar deals with international carriers by June.


All iPads also include 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 radios.
http://www.apple.com
http://www.att.com

Verizon Integrates International and U.S. Wholesale Teams

Verizon announced a reorganization that combines the former International Partner Services and Verizon Partner Solutions groups. Operating as Verizon Global Wholesale, the integrated unit is a $10 billion, full-service worldwide entity.


Verizon claims the industry's leading share in international voice volume. It has offices in 75 countries on six continents; touches 2,700 cities in 159 countries with its IP network; has business relationships with all the top world carriers; and a portfolio of solutions for wholesale customers. Primary among these offerings are a variety of Ethernet options, voice-over-IP services, value-added services and other preeminent data services carried on Verizon's secure, reliable network.
http://www.verizonbusiness.com/solutions/wholesale/

Haiti's Voila to Double International Capacity, 90% of Cell Sites Online

Haiti's Voila mobile network will double its international long distance (ILD) capacity over the coming days to handle unprecedented call volumes between Haiti and other countries.


Trilogy International Partners, which holds a controlling stake in Voila along with Viva, a sister network in the Dominican Republic, said round-the-clock effort have been underway to restore the network since the earthquake on January 12.


Voila and its sister companies' technical engineering teams have visited all of Voila's cell sites in Haiti and nearly 90 percent are operational. Technical engineers have determined that many of the remaining sites can be repaired. For those sites that were destroyed by the earthquake, Voila is shipping in "cells on wheels" (COWs) -- mobile cell towers. A number of COWs are already in use in Haiti, and Voila expects delivery this week of additional COWs and high-capacity generators donated to Voila by T-Mobile and Sprint.

The company said it is working closely with the government of the United States to maintain access to fuel, the government of Haiti to increase spectrum, and the United Nations to move supplies across the critical land corridor from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Additionally, Trilogy has received support from the US Navy, which transported immediate critical pieces of the network infrastructure from Florida to Haiti on an emergency aid ship.
http://www.trilogy-international.com
http://www.voilacomcel.com
  • In September 1998, Communication Cellulaire d'Haiti ("ComCEL") was awarded a license to construct and operate a nationwide TDMA mobile communications network. ComCEL launched commercial service in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in September 1999. ComCEL was purchased by Trilogy in 2005. The following year was spent overlaying ComCEL's legacy TDMA network with GSM, expanding its coverage footprint and migrating its TDMA base to the new network. In mid-2006, the TDMA to GSM migration was complete and the TDMA network was retired.

Hughes Demos SPACEWAY 3 Capabilities for Coalition Warriors

Hughes Network Systems (HUGHES) showcased advanced capabilities of its SPACEWAY 3 system during the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID), an annual multi-national exercise designed to test new and emerging technologies against a backdrop of realistic, simulated operational scenarios. Participants included the military services, government agencies, first responders, coalition partners, and U.S. combatant commanders worldwide.


During the trials, the Hughes SPACEWAY 3 SATCOM terminal successfully demonstrated high-definition video teleconferencing (VTC) between the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC Pacific). According to the CWID Final Report, the system established a highly reliable broadband satellite link maintaining 100% video connectivity and maximizing bandwidth for internet, data, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), VTC, and IP-based applications.


A report from the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) is online.
http://www.hughes.com
http://www.cwid.js.mil
  • Launched by Arianespace in August 2007, the geostationary SPACEWAY 3 satellite offer 10 Gbps of gross capacity. It was designed and developed as a next-generation, Ka-band broadband satellite system, and is the world's first commercial satellite to employ on-board traffic switching and routing. It also features dynamic beam forming, and direct small-dish-to- small-dish connectivity for subscribers.


  • Hughes has built a scalable Network Operations and Control Center (NOCC), installed at its Germantown Maryland headquarters, which anchors control functions for network addressing, registration, network security, admission control and multicasting. The NOCC also provides satellite payload management, capacity planning, terminal management, customer care and network management functions. The SPACEWAY architecture can scale up to two million terminals per satellite and will provide coverage with multiple spot beams across the U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, as well as in selected areas in Canada, Mexico, and major cities in South America.


  • SPACEWAY 3 was built by Boeing and is based on the company's 702 satellite platform.

XO Activates South Texas Gateway Serving Mexico

XO Communications is establishing a new gateway on the U.S.-Mexico border in McAllen, Texas. XO also is expanding its fiber network in Southern Texas by 800 miles, providing greater diverse long-haul routes to San Antonio and Houston through Laredo, McAllen, Harlingen, Corpus Christi and Victoria. The increased connectivity will expand domestic and international customer access to XO's Tier-1 IP backbone and 28,000 route-mile U.S. long-haul/metro network (1.2 million total-mile network).


XO operates several other international gateways to Latin America, including facilities in Miami, San Diego and Los Angeles.


The company noted that Mexico is the third-largest destination for telecom traffic from the U.S., with the U.S.-Mexico voice, private-line, and IP services market totaling nearly $1 billion annually (FCC International Report, 2009). In addition, the country's mobile subscriber base is growing 10 percent annually and its broadband subscriber base is expanding 35 percent annually, according to COFETEL, Mexico's federal government telecom regulator.
http://www.xo.com

Monday, January 25, 2010

FCC Seeks Data on Wireless Early Termination Fees

sent letters to AT&T, Google, Sprint Nextel, TMobile, and Verizon Wireless to gather facts and data on the consumer experience with wireless early termination fees. This inquiry follows last week's launch of the FCC's Consumer Task
Force, which was established to promote cross-agency collaboration on the Commission's
consumer agenda.
http://www.fcc.gov

FCC Considers National Emergency Response Interoperability Center

The FCC will hold a public forum on February 10th to discuss the creation of an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications. The forum will examine ways to ensure coordination and cooperation among public safety entities on broadband issues.


Discussions will focus on how the interoperability center should be structured, what its role should be and how it
can accomplish critical tasks such as establishing a public safety interoperability profile,
interoperability standards, authentication, encryption, roaming, priority access, application uses and
interconnectivity. The forum will also focus on the role an emergency response interoperability center
would play in establishing a national framework for gateway functionality and interface capabilities, as
well as a national framework for interconnectivity and compatibility of user networks.

Meeting information is online.
http://www.fcc.gov

Veraz Supplies Softswitching Korea's LS Cable

Korea-based LS Cable, which supplies optical cable and network infrastructure for projects worldwide, is working with Veraz Network to develop Quadruple Play Service (QPS) solutions for service providers in emerging markets. As part of the agreement, LS Cable will now deploy Veraz's ControlSwitch VoIP switching platform. The companies are actively working together to deploy the QPS solution with a service provider customer in the EMEA.


In addition, Veraz has licensed to LS Cable Veraz's Class 5 software platform. As a result LS Cable will be able to extend the platform to provide QPS specific features further differentiating the QPS solution.
http://www.veraznetworks.com
http://www.lscable.com

Cisco Releases Telepresence Protocol to Public Domain

Cisco has released its Telepresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP) to the public domain. LifeSize, TANDBERG and RADVISION have signed agreements to license the Telepresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP). Cisco has offered to license its protocol to industry participants royalty free.



Telepresence Interoperability Protocol allows multiscreen telepresence systems to interoperate. Cisco said the release of TIP marks a significant step in creating a new open standard for telepresence, similar to other industry video standards. Cisco already supports H.323, which allows Cisco TelePresence to interoperate with standard- and high-definition videoconferencing systems and other collaboration applications. Cisco supports HD videoconferencing interoperability solutions via the Cisco MXE 5600 (Media Experience Engine) and Cisco Unified Video Conferencing.


More than 3,500 Cisco TelePresence rooms have been deployed worldwide. Cisco has also installed more than 685 Cisco TelePresence rooms on its own internal network in 47 countries for greater productivity and effective collaboration.
http://www.cisco.com

Nokia Siemens Networks and LGE Achieve LTE Rates of 100 Mbps

Nokia Siemens Networks and LG Electronics have achieved a maximum downlink rate of 100 Mbps for an LTE data call using a Class 3 USB wireless modem.


In LTE, user equipment is categorized into classes based on its potential uplink and downlink data rates.
Class 3 terminals are expected to be the first widely used commercial LTE terminals when they are launched later in 2010. The companies said this data call achieved the peak theoretical rate of 100 Mbps for a Class 3 terminal.


The call was made using Nokia Siemens Networks' LTE radio equipment including the Flexi Multiradio Base Station, its Evolved Packet Core network elements and standards-compliant software along with a pre-commercial LTE USB modem from LG Electronics (LG).


The data call was made as part of extended interoperability tests conducted by Nokia Siemens Networks and LG in the 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz frequency bands at Nokia Siemens Networks' LTE R&D centers in Oulu, Finland, and Ulm, Germany. In addition to initiatives at its R&D centers, Nokia Siemens Networks has deployed a number of LG's terminals in its live over-the-air field test network in the Espoo area of Finland, using real-life mobility scenarios. In addition, LG's terminals will be used in live trials with Nokia Siemens Networks' customers.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
http://www.lge.com

Missouri's Fidelity Comm Picks NSN's Metro DWDM

Fidelity Communications, an independent operating company (IOC) based in Missouri, has chosen Nokia Siemens Networks' hiT7300-based Metro DWDM for its core network. The carrier currently serves 25,000 access lines, and offers wireline telephony, long distance services, high speed Internet and IPTV services to residential and business customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Level 3 Provides Backbone for TDS Telecom

TDS Telecommunications (TDS) has selected Level 3 to provide more than 25 10 Gbps wavelengths to connect core locations for their new all-IP nationwide network. TDS also plans for Level 3 to carry voice traffic to support its local and long-distance services. The 10 Gbps network architecture enables TDS to deliver enhanced voice and data services, improved service reliability, and greater rural access to high-speed services across multiple markets in 30 states. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.Level3.com

Inmarsat Shows its New Global Handheld

Inmarsat completed the first call using its new global handheld service, IsatPhone Pro, which is on track for launch in June 2010.


Inmarsat confirmed that upgrades to its ground network were completed on schedule by Lockheed Martin, and further testing on the integration between the handset and the ground network is underway.


Inmarsat's partner for the handset development is Sasken Communications Technologies. Elcoteq has been appointed to produce IsatPhone Pro at its facility in Tallinn, Estonia.


Eleven distribution partners, covering all geographic markets around the world, have been selected to sell IsatPhone Pro at launch: AST, China Telecom, Evosat, MCN, MVS, Network Innovations, NSSL, Satcom Global, Singtel, Stratos and Vizada.
http://www.inmarsat.com

Altair Teams with ANADIGICS on LTE

Altair Semiconductor and ANADIGICS announced a cooperation focused on LTE. Specifically, Altair is integrating ANADIGICS power amplifiers (PAs) into the recently announced FourGee LTE USB ExpressCard UE (User Equipment). The card has undergone extensive and successful interoperability testing (IOT) and is currently being used in various field tests.
http://www.altair-semi.com
http://www.anadigics.comIn November 2009, Altair introduced its FourGee LTE USB ExpressCard UE featuring:

  • Category 3 speeds of 100Mbps download and 50Mbps upload

  • Power consumption within the USB specification power budget (<2.5W)

  • ExpressCard34 form factor with a USB2.0 HS host interface

  • Available in select FDD/TDD bands in the range of 700M-2700MHz

IEEE Works on Coexistence of Wireless Nets in TV White Space

The IEEE 802.19 Wireless Coexistence Working Group is launching a new project (802.19.1), to develop a standard for coexistence between wireless networks operating in the TV white space.


TV white space channels are those not utilized by TV broadcasts, CATV headends, or other licensed devices. However, the IEEE notes that regulations for operation in the TV white space do not restrict access to any particular type of wireless device. Since these wireless networks are unlicensed, they do not have exclusive access to the TV white space. Therefore, in any given location there may be multiple types of unlicensed wireless networks accessing the TV white space.


There are already several projects for development of standards for wireless networks operating in the TV white space. The IEEE 802.22 Working Group has been developing a standard for wireless regional area networks (WRANs) in the TV white space. Recently the IEEE 802.11 working group initiated a project to develop an amendment to the 802.11 WLAN standard for operation in the TV white space. In addition to these two projects, other unlicensed wireless use of the TV white space is likely.
http://www.ieee.org

AT&T Now Supporting More than 370 Wireless Specialty Devices

Since forming a dedicated organization to focus on emerging devices in late 2008,AT&T has certified more than 370 wireless specialty consumer and machine-to-machine devices - such as eReaders, netbooks, digital photo frames, personal navigation devices, and home security monitoring and smart grid devices - for use on its mobile broadband network.
http://www.att.com

Aircell Debuts New Airborne Internet System aboard Gulfstream G200

Aircell announces that the first installation of its new ATG 5000 High Speed Internet unit is now complete aboard a California-based Gulfstream G200 operated by FlightWorks.


The ATG 5000 provides standalone Aircell High Speed Internet capabilities for customers that don't require the integrated voice and narrowband data features of Aircell Axxess. The ATG 5000 can easily be installed alongside existing equipment, saving downtime and reducing installation costs.
The system includes an ATG 5000 High Speed Internet LRU (shown), two belly-mounted blade antennas and an optional cabin telecommunications router. Wired or wireless (Wi-Fi) in-cabin connection options are available.
http://www.aircell.com

Novatel Wireless Achieves HSPA+ Dual-Carrier at 40 Mbps

Novatel Wireless announced its first data transmission over dual-carrier HSPA+ using Qualcomm's MDM8220 chipset. The companies said the data call achieved peak throughput of up to 40 Mbps.


Novatel Wireless plans to launch commercial data devices based on the MDM8220 in the second half of 2010.
http://www.novatelwireless.com

Verizon Sees Growth in Wireless Data, But Posts Loss on Labor Costs

n the fourth quarter 2009, Verizon's revenues reached $27.1 billion, up 0.2% compared to a year earlier (without Alltel) and full-year 2009 revenues totaled $107.8 billion, an increase of 10.7 percent from 2008 on a reported basis and 1.5 percent on a pro forma basis. Verizon recorded a loss of 23 cents in diluted earnings per share (EPS), compared with EPS of 43 cents per share in the fourth quarter 2008. Contributing to the loss was a special item of $3.0 billion in pre-tax costs related to workforce reductions. On an adjusted basis (non-GAAP), fourth-quarter 2009 EPS was 54 cents, compared with 61 cents in the fourth quarter 2008.


In the fourth quarter, Verizon continued streamlining its wireline operations. During 2009, Verizon reduced its workforce by 13,000, including 5,000 who left the payroll in Q4. Verizon expects to reduce its headcount by a similar amount in 2010, including a planned cut of 10,000 employees in its wireline division.


"In last year's turbulent economy, we took significant steps to strengthen Verizon going forward," said Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg. "We focused on expanding wireless data and set the stage to deploy a nationwide 4G network later this year. We also expanded the scale of FiOS and our global IP network. We saw growth in all these areas in 2009, and we expect continued growth in 2010 and beyond, with a goal of delivering long-term shareowner value."


2010 capital spending is targeted in the range of $16.8 billion to $17.2 billion.


Some highlights:


Wireless

  • Wireless data revenues of $16.0 billion for the full year were up 31 percent over 2008 on a pro forma basis. In the fourth quarter, data revenues were 31.9 percent of all service revenues, up from 26.5 percent in the fourth quarter 2008 on a pro forma basis.


  • Verizon Wireless added 1.2 million retail net customers in the quarter (almost all postpaid) and 4.6 million retail net customers in the full year, both excluding acquisitions and adjustments.


  • Verizon Wireless had 87.5 million retail customers at the end of the fourth quarter, an increase of 25.0 percent year over year and 5.7 percent on a pro forma basis. The company also added 1.0 million reseller customers in the fourth quarter, bringing its total number of customers at the end of the quarter to 91.2 million, an increase of 26.6 percent year over year and 7.0 percent on a pro forma basis.


  • Retail postpaid churn and total retail churn were 1.06 percent and 1.44 percent, respectively. Total churn was 1.42 percent.


  • Retail service revenues in the quarter totaled $13.2 billion, up 22.5 percent year over year and 5.2 percent on a pro forma basis. Service revenues in the fourth quarter were $13.5 billion, up 22.5 percent and 5.0 percent on a pro forma basis. Total revenues were $15.7 billion, up 22.5 percent year over year and 3.1 percent on a pro forma basis. Full-year revenues were $62.1 billion, up 25.9 percent and 6.1 percent on a pro forma basis.


  • Retail service ARPU decreased 2.2 percent year over year and 0.6 percent on a pro forma basis to $50.75. Retail data ARPU increased to $16.24, up 16.1 percent year over year and 20.5 percent on a pro forma basis.



Wireline


  • As of the end of 2009, the FiOS network passed 15.4 million premises, or approximately 48 percent of total households in areas currently covered by Verizon's wireline network.


  • Verizon added 153,000 net new FiOS Internet customers. The company served 3.4 million FiOS Internet customers by the end of the quarter, a 38.4 percent year-over-year increase.


  • FiOS Internet penetration (customers as a percentage of potential customers) was 28.1 percent by the end of the fourth quarter, with the product available for sale to 12.2 million premises. This compares with a 24.9 percent penetration and 10.0 million premises open for sale at the end of the fourth quarter 2008.


  • Verizon also added 153,000 net new FiOS TV customers and served 2.9 million FiOS TV customers by the end of the quarter, a 49.2 percent year-over-year increase.


  • FiOS TV penetration was 24.5 percent by the end of the fourth quarter, with the product available for sale to 11.7 million premises. This compares with a 20.8 percent penetration and 9.2 million premises open for sale at the end of the fourth quarter 2008.


  • Total broadband and video revenues were $1.7 billion, a 25.5 percent increase compared with the fourth quarter 2008. This contributed to an overall 1.2 percent revenue growth in consumer markets served by Verizon's wireline network.


  • Revenue growth from broadband and video services boosted consumer ARPU to $77.06 in the fourth quarter 2009, a 12.6 percent year-over-year increase. FiOS ARPU is more than $140, driven primarily by triple-play bundles of voice, Internet and TV services.


  • Triple-play customers increased from 1.6 million in fourth-quarter 2008 to 2.4 million in fourth-quarter 2009, a 47 percent increase.


  • Worldwide sales of strategic business services - such as IP, managed services, Ethernet and security solutions - generated $1.6 billion in revenue in the quarter, up 6.0 percent compared with the fourth quarter 2008. Revenue from IP data services alone increased 8.6 percent year over year.
http://www.verizon.com

Tellabs Posts Q4 Revenue of $389 Million, Profitability Rises, First Dividend

Tellabs reported Q4 2009 revenue of $389 million, compared with $408 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Tellabs 2009 annual revenue was $1.5 billion, compared with $1.7 billion in 2008.


On a GAAP basis, Tellabs earned 16 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2009, up from 3 cents per
share in the fourth quarter of 2008. Fourth-quarter 2009 GAAP earnings were $62 million, compared with
$13 million in the year-ago quarter. Fourth-quarter 2009 GAAP earnings include a tax benefit of $23.4
million or 6 cents per share.


"Tellabs' fourth-quarter operating margin of 9.0% was the highest since 2006," said Rob Pullen, Tellabs
president and chief executive officer. "To return capital to shareholders, today we're announcing the
company's first cash dividend. It's based on our confidence that Tellabs will continue to generate ample
cash from operations to invest in the growth of our business, repurchase shares and pay dividends."


Tellabs also announced a restructuring, in order to shift more investment from TDM
products to Ethernet and IP products; to improve Ethernet, IP and mobile packet core
skill sets worldwide; to move its supply chain closer to suppliers; and to reduce general and
administrative expenses. Although the company plans to reduce its workforce by about 200 people over
the next five quarters, Tellabs expects overall headcount to rise during 2010.
http://www.tellabs.com

USDA Awards $313.5M for Middle Mile and Last Mile Projects

The USDA awarded $313.5 million to 14 recipients for middle mile and last mile projects aimed at extending broadband services to rural customers.


Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the terms of the loan, grant or loan/grant agreement. Below is a complete list of recent Recovery Act Broadband award recipients by state:


Alaska


Southwestern Alaska, United Utilities, $43,982,240 grant and $44,158,522 loan. The funding will provide middle mile connectivity to 65 communities.


Alabama


Butler, Butler Telephone Co., Inc., $3,892,920 grant. The funding will provide high speed DSL broadband service to remote, unserved households within its rural service territory. The system is being built so that it can be easily upgraded to accommodate future services.


California


San Joaquin, Tranquillity, and Fresno, Audeamus, $2,741,505 grant and $2,741,505 loan. The proposed project is a fiber-based broadband infrastructure for the unserved and underserved communities in this service area. A last-mile project, it will provide access to approximately 1,500 households, local businesses and anchor institutions in the communities.


Iowa


Meriden and Archer, C-M-L Telephone Cooperative Association, $1,519,225 grant and $1,519,225 loan, $1,525,315 in matching funds. Funding will provide services via a fiber optic network to rural communities with high speed internet exceeding 20 Mbps.


Bennett, Delmar, and Lowden, F & B Communications, Inc., $1,609,162 grant and
$1,628,588 loan. Funding will provide services via high speed fiber optic network with speeds exceeding 20Mbps. System will allow for expansion at a future date.


Springbrook, LaMotte Telephone Company, $187,815 grant, and $187,815 loan. The funding will provide services from a 300-foot tower and Wi-Max installation for wireless broadband service in the surrounding area.


Kansas (1% of the network is to be built in Nebraska)


Western Kansas, Rural Telephone Service Co., Inc., $49,588,807 grant and $51,612,842 loan. Funding will provide service in an area 99.5 percent unserved/underserved and provide a rural infrastructure required for economic stability, education and healthcare. The company is a cooperative and RUS partner on 32 other projects. It leads a team of seven companies with this shovel-ready project.


Tennessee (1% of the network is to be built in Kentucky)


Northern Tennessee, North Central Telephone Cooperative, Inc., $24,715,709 grant and $24,964,000 loan. The funding will provide the necessary infrastructure to provide advanced voice, video, and data services that exceed 20Mbps to remote and rural communities in the service area.


Louisiana


Morehouse Parish, Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company, Inc., $4,359,000 grant and $8,124,600 loan. Funding will provide an active Ethernet system with symmetrical speeds of 20 Mbps. The system will be using buried fiber to the premise.


Missouri


Ralls County, Ralls County Electric Cooperative, $9,548,908 grant and $9,548,909 loan. Funding for this project will provide a fiber optic network to residential and commercial members and the underserved safety and anchor agencies in the service area. This is a State of Missouri demonstration project and non-proprietary data will be shared.


North Dakota


Burleigh County; BEK Communications Cooperative, $1,986,473 grant and $2,016,571 loan; $2,016,572 in leveraged funds. The funding will provide fiber-to-the-premises broadband service to underserved homes and anchor institutions. This will aid business growth and support public safety in rural areas highly dependent on Internet business income.


Traill County; Halstad Telephone Company, $2,027,600 grant and $2,027,600 loan; $10,000 in leveraged funds. The funding will provide fiber-to-the premises broadband service to unserved homes and businesses in Traill County.


Oregon


Marion County, Gervais telephone Company, $314,430 grant and $314,430 loan. This project extends Gervais Telephone Company's existing fiber network by building out from the nearest fiber splice point through the funded service area. This project will provide broadband connectivity to residential and business end users, as well as to four anchor institutions.


Virginia


Alleghany County, NTELOS Telephone Inc., $8,062,088 grant and $8,062,088 loan. The funds will provide broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved homes, businesses and critical community institutions in this rural county. A fiber-based project, it will enable work-from-home jobs and foster economic development, and improve health, education and public safety services to the county citizens.
http://www.usda.govhttp://www.recovery.gov

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Juniper and Polycom Partner on Video Conferencing

Juniper Networks and Polycom announced an alliance focused on telepresence and video conferencing services. Scheduled for release in mid 2010, the alliance will deliver an intelligent service provider solution that enables assured-quality managed video services over a converged network. The solution will use dynamic signaling between the Juniper network resource control platform and the Polycom video call control system. The companies said this level of integration will help drive costs out of the delivery of high-value telepresence.


In addition to the benefits for service providers, enterprise customers will also have more control over how services are delivered, while increasing the business value of those services by enabling telepresence and video conferencing traffic to run over the same networking equipment as other applications with assured quality. http://www.juniper.nethttp://www.polycom.com

ITU-T Approves Data Link Layer of G.hn

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) has approved the Data Link Layer (DLL) of the G.hn standard.


The G.hn standard is designed to deliver a unified technology for wired networking. With the Physical Layer, DLL and coexistence protocols essentially complete, G.hn will unify the networking of content and devices over any of wire -- phone line, power line and coax cable. With G.hn, service providers will be able to deploy new offerings, including IPTV, more cost effectively.


In addition, the Smart Grid profile was advanced by the ITU specifically for use in low-complexity applications, including home control and automotive, where G.hn can now be used in plug-in electric vehicles. This low-complexity profile identifies a minimum set of G.hn parameters and specifications for features including: signal bandwidth, data modulation methods, transmitter linearity requirements, and Forward Error Correction (FEC), while maintaining interoperability with fully-featured G.hn products.


"It's exciting to see how rapidly the G.hn standard has evolved to meet the needs of a very dynamic market," said Matthew Theall, president of HomeGrid Forum. "G.hn was originally seen as a multimedia networking technology, and was developed to address that significant market opportunity. Now, thanks to cooperation from throughout the industry, and from ITU and HomeGrid member companies, G.hn is able to address an even broader range of applications and has the potential to enable billions of consumer devices, computers, energy management products, and even automobiles with next-generation connectivity."http://www.HomeGridForum.org

Alcatel-Lucent to Supply 3G UMTS/HSPA network in Mongolia

Mobicom, the largest mobile operator in Mongolia, has selected Alcatel-Lucent to deploy a 3G wireless broadband network. Specifically, Alcatel-Lucent will provide Mobicom with its advanced converged radio access network (RAN) portfolio to sustain the rapid increase of voice and data traffic and to enable Mobicom's smooth transformation to LTE. The solution also includes 3G UMTS/HSPA base stations (eNode Bs), radio network controller, network management system and critical professional services including network installation and testing. The contract was signed through Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
http://www.mobicom.mn

Windstream Readies $20 Million Fiber Expansion

Windstream disclosed plans to invest approximately $20 million in 2010 to expand its fiber network across its 16-state territory. Specifically, the project targets fiber-optic lines to cellular tower sites.
http://www.windstream.com/businesshttp://

Interphase Introduces Wireless Base Station AdvancedMC

Interphase introduced its iSPAN 36702 Wireless Base Station Module. It supports all of the functions of a Wireless Base Station except the radio and is designed for use as in LTE eNodeB and next generation WiMAX base stations.


The iSPAN 36702 integrates LTE technology from Wintegra, Xilinx, and Aricent. It is designed for small wireless base stations serving up to 100 users in a single sector such as Picocells and Enterprise Femtocells. It supports:

  • Wireless Control (MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC) and LTE Protocols (S1-AP, X2-AP)

  • Backhaul and Air interface security processing

  • Wireless Baseband (LTE PHY)

  • Radio Interface

http://wwww.iphase.comhttp://

Mindspeed Posts Revenue of $37.0 million, up 7% Sequentially

Mindspeed Technologies reported quarterly revenue of $37.0 million, up 7 percent from the prior fiscal quarter and up 21% over the same period last year. The company's non-GAAP gross margin was $23.6 million, or 63.7 percent of revenues.


Revenues from multiservice access VoIP processor solutions contributed 38 percent product revenues and decreased 2 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter, while revenues from high-performance analog products increased 11 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter and represented 31 percent of product revenues. Wide area networking communications revenues contributed the remaining 31 percent of product revenues and increased 14 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter.
http://www.mindspeed.comhttp://

Cox Tests LTE in Phoenix and San Diego

Cox Communications announced the successful completion of voice calling and HD video streaming over LTE.


Cox conducted the 4G trials in Phoenix and San Diego using AWS and 700 MHz spectrum that it acquired at Federal Communication Commission auctions in 2006 and 2008. Cox spent over $550 million for radio spectrum licenses to support its wireless plans, which include wireless broadband.


Cox said that while it is testing 4G LTE technology in these markets, it is initially deploying wireless services using the 3G CDMA standard in Hampton Roads, Va., Orange County, California and Omaha, Nebraska. Collaborating with Cox in conducting the 4G trials and testing the wireless services and applications were Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei.


"On the heels of announcing our initial 3G wireless service deployments, today's news demonstrates our equal commitment to 4G services," said Stephen Bye, Cox's vice president of wireless. "We are encouraged by the success of the Phoenix and San Diego tests, which further validate our decision to pursue 4G based on LTE, specifically the 3GPP Release 8 standard."http://www.cox.comhttp://

Allot's Service Gateway Pushes 360 Gbps Throughput

Allot released a new software version for the Allot Service Gateway Sigma, which is a deep packet inspection (DPI) platform integrating network intelligence, policy control and revenue-generating services.


The newly enhanced software for the SG-Sigma increases the platform's core competencies to offer mobile, fixed and converged network service providers better performance, steering and traffic capabilities.


Tests conducted in December 2009 by the Tolly Group confirmed that a single fully loaded SG-Sigma can deliver throughput of over 75 Gbps with less than 16 microsecond latency. According to Allot, performance can scale up to 360 Gbps with a clustered configuration of SG-Sigma platforms.


In addition, tests proved:

  • SG-Sigma's ability to identify 100% of asymmetric traffic across a clustered configuration which is essential for supporting today's complex operator environments


  • SG-Sigma's ability to steer traffic at over 40 Gbps to both internal and external services with zero packet loss


  • SG-Sigma's carrier class capabilities demonstrating full N+1 resilience guaranteeing uninterrupted operation in cases of hardware failure
http://www.allot.com

BT Launches Fully-managed Automated Service for TANDBERG

BT Conferencing launched a fully-managed automated service for TANDBERG solutions.


The One Source service combines TANDBERG's telepresence and video conferencing solutions with BT Conferencing's comprehensive management services to provide customers with an easy-to-use, reliable and cost-effective visual communication solution.


BT One Source for TANDBERG is a service portfolio that allows customers to tailor TANDBERG telepresence and video conferencing solutions to meet their specific business requirements. It includes planning, design and implementation services such as BT's One Care Preferred "white glove" services. Support levels can be tiered to provide producer assisted or automated call launching using BT's Engage suite of software tools (EndPoint Connect and Bridge Connect), which are available to fully automate a customer's telepresence and video conferencing experience.
http://www.bt.comhttp://