Cisco's Space Router Passes in-Orbit Test

Cisco announced the first successful in-orbit test of its Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) technology. The test was conducted on-board Intelsat's new IS-14 GEO satellite, which was launched on Nov. 23, 2009.


Cisco IRIS is a program to build a radiation-tolerant IP router for satellite and related spacecraft. The IRIS payload will support network services for voice, video and data communications, helping enable government agencies, military units and allied forces to communicate with one another using Internet Protocol and existing ground equipment.


The company noted that IRIS can route data to multiple ground receivers in a single step, eliminating the need to double-hop to a teleport and therefore reducing latency and increasing transponder utilization. The software on the Cisco router and onboard modem can be upgraded in orbit, which increases flexibility.


The IRIS program is a Department of Defense Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) managed by Cisco and Intelsat General Corp. The IRIS payload will convert to commercial use following the three-month JCTD ending in April 2010.
http://www.cisco.comhttp://

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China Telecom Launches CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev.B with Huawei

Huawei has delivered CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Rev.B networks in Beijing and Guangzhou for China Telecom.


The EV-DO Rev.B networks are the fastest 3G networks to date in China, supporting downlink data rates of up to 9.3 Mbps per user. Based on 2.1GHz and 800MHz dual-band, the EV-DO Rev.B networks will be able to enhance the carrying capacity to deal with the explosion of data services and provide stable and reliable high-speed mobile broadband experiences for 3G users.


Zhao Ming, President of Huawei CDMA Product Line, said "Huawei is fully engaged with world leading CDMA operators, including China Telecom to drive CDMA's evolution and commercial development. Establishing two EV-DO Rev.B networks for China Telecom in a short time demonstrate Huawei' s commitment to providing our customers with innovative mobile broadband services. "http://www.huawei.comhttp://

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China Telecom: 56M Mobile, 53M Broadband, 188M Land Lines

The number of local access lines served by China Telecom continues to decrease at an accelerating rate. In December, China Telecom disconnected 2.53 million local access lines, ending the year with 188 million access lines in service. This compares with 208 million local access lines at the end of 2008.


Broadband lines continue to grow, although at a slower pace. China Telecom added 620,000 broadband lines in December 2009 -- its lowest number for the year. With an installed base of 53 million broadband users, China Telecom retains the title as the world's largest broadband operator.


Meanwhile, China Telecom added a near record number of mobile users during December 2009 -- over 3.1 million new mobile accounts. This gives the company a mobile base of over 56 million users -- more than double the figure from a year earlier.
http://www.chinatelecom-h.com/http://

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NTT Com Further Expands Footprint in China

NTT Communications announced a further expansion in China. Next month, NTT Com will open a new branch office in Wuhan, Hubei Province. the company will aslo launch of a new point of presence (POP) for its Arcstar Global IP-VPN managed network services in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.


NTT Com currently operates branches mainly near China's coast, including Dalian, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Guangzhou. The Wuhan branch will enhance NTT Com's provision of ICT solutions, including fast support for operation and maintenance, in central China.

The new POP in Guangzhou is now serving China's second highest concentration of Japanese and other multinationals, following only the Shanghai area.
http://www.ntt.co.jphttp://

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Sony Ericsson Expects Slight Grow in Mobile Device Market in 2010

Sony Ericsson shipped 14.6 million mobile devices in Q4 2009, a sequential increase of 3% and a year-on-year decrease of 40%. Sales for the quarter were EUR 1,750 million, a sequential increase of 8% and a year-on-year decrease of 40%. The sequential increase was driven by market seasonality and successful sales of it "Satio" and "Aino" phones. The year-on-year decrease in both units and sales was mainly due to a downturn in the global handset market and a faster than anticipated shift to touch screen phones in the mid-priced sector of the market. Average Selling Price (ASP) for the quarter rose sequentially by 5% to Euro 120 due to a more favourable product mix.


Gross margin percentage improved sequentially and year-on-year mainly driven by the successful sales of new, higher-margin phones as well as the positive impact of cost reduction activities.


Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson stated: "Continued cost saving activities and resource realignment are necessary in order to build a leaner, more efficient organisation capable of meeting the demands of the changing competitive landscape. We will continue to focus on returning the company to profitability by establishing Sony Ericsson as the communication entertainment brand based on an exciting portfolio of mid- and high-end products, such as our recently announced Android-based phone, the "XPERIA" X10. 2010 will still be challenging as the full benefit of cost improvements will not impact results until the second half of the year, however we are confident that our business is on the right track."


Sony Ericsson's income before taxes for the quarter, excluding restructuring charges, was a loss of EUR 40 million compared to a loss of EUR 198 million in the previous quarter. The reduced loss was due to the improved gross margin and the benefits of reduced operating expenses. Excluding restructuring charges, Sony Ericsson made a loss for the full year 2009 of Euro 878 million compared with an income of Euro 92 million in 2008. The year-on-year deterioration was mainly attributable to the lower sales.


As of December 31, 2009, Sony Ericsson had a net cash position of Euro 620 million.
http://www.sonyericsson.com

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ST-Ericsson Posts Loss in Q4 2009

ST-Ericsson reported Q4 2009 net sales of $740 million and a net loss of $125 million.

The company said its $230 million savings restructuring plan, which was first announced on April 29 2009 and due to be completed by the second quarter of 2010, is currently in progress and its effects in the fourth quarter 2009 have been in line with plans. ST-Ericsson noted that visibility in the medium term is somewhat limited.


President and CEO, Gilles Delfassy, commented: "2009 has been a challenging year for our industry. For ST-Ericsson, the challenge was especially great. We had to strive to maintain our positioning, while also setting the foundations for sustainable and profitable growth. We will achieve this by rapidly integrating the businesses we have merged and by transitioning to the new portfolio strategy we devised for our next generation offering. During its first year, the company has made good progress in all areas, but more still needs to be done."http://www.ericsson.comhttp://

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Comcast Hires Former CEO of Charter Communications

Comcast announced the appointment of Neil Smit as President, Comcast Cable Communications. Smit, who will report to Steve Burke, Chief Operating Officer of Comcast, will be responsible for all business aspects of the company's cable operations.


Smit joins Comcast from Charter Communications, where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Director since 2005. Prior to joining Charter, Mr. Smit was the President of Time Warner's America Online Access Business overseeing Internet access services, including America Online (AOL), CompuServe and Netscape ISPs.
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Northstream Measures Telia's LTE at 12 Mbps Max Downlink

Telia's newly launched LTE service delivers better responsiveless than a 3G network but disappoints somewhat in terms of downlink rates, according to a blog posting by Northstream, a management consulting company with offices in Stockholm and Helsinki. Northstream reports that downlink rates never exceeded 12 Mbps in its series of outdoor tests, although it was able to deliver 5 Mbps upstream.
http://northstream.se/blog/http://

• In a press conference in December 2009 launching its new LTE service in Stockholm and Oslo, TeliaSonera said it is delivering up to 100 Mbps downlink rates with both the network and the LTE modem. The carrier said typical user rates are expected to be in the 20-80 Mbps range. The service uses a Samsung LTE dongle modem.

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