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

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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

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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

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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://

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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://

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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://

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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://

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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

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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://

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FCC Mourns Death of Former Commissioner Jim Quello

The FCC noted the passing of Jim Quello, who served as FCC Commissioner from 1974 until 1997. He was 95.


In 1993, Quello served as the Acting Chairman of the FCC prior to the Senate confirmation of Reed Hundt.
http://www.fcc.gov

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AT&T Wi-Fi Handles More Than 85 Million Connections in 2009

AT&T's customers made 85.5 million connections to the Internet in 2009 using the company's Wi-Fi network, four times the number of Wi-Fi connections made in 2008.


In Q4 2009, AT&T customers made 35.3 million Wi-Fi connections - up 10 million connections from the third quarter of 2009. Fourth quarter connections also surpassed the number of connections made in the entire first half of 2009. Smartphones and integrated devices accounted for 72 percent of Q4 connections and 61 percent of the total connections in 2009.


AT&T said it expects Wi-Fi usage to continue to surge as more customers utilize Wi-Fi on their smartphones and integrated devices and have Wi-Fi included with their service.
http://www.attwifi.com

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Bridgewater's Policy Mgt Supports 3GPP Release 9 Standards

Bridgewater Systems announced enhancements to its Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) compliant Bridgewater Policy Controller for HSPA and LTE networks. These enhancements support new requirements defined in Release 9 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).


The new Bridgewater Policy Controller, which supports 3GPP PCRF Release 7, 8 and 9 standards on the same platform, provides real-time network, application, and subscriber policies that allow operators to manage mobile data growth and deliver personalized services.


The 3GPP Release 9 standard expands the policy enforcement functions of the Gx interface to include subscriber usage information for volume-based service metering. The Policy Controller moves beyond current standards to support real-time, multi-service metering based on application usage and is fully interoperable with leading network equipment providers.
http://www.bridgewatersystems.comhttp://

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Apple Sells 8.7 million iPhones in Q4, up 100% year-over-year

Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in Q4 2009, representing 100 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 21 million iPods during the quarter, representing an eight percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 3.36 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, representing a 33 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.
The iPhone represented $5.6 billion in revenue for the company during the quarter. Apple added 17 new mobile carrier partners in Q4 and the iPhone is now for sale in 86 countries.
In a conference call, Apple also noted that is iTunes store now has a catalog of 11 million songs, 8,000 films, 2 million HD videos and 50,000 TV episodes.
http://www.apple.com

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Ericsson's Sales Decline, More Job Cuts Seen

Ericsson's sales in Q4 2009 declined 16% year-over-year for comparable units, i.e. excluding the recently acquired Nortel CDMA and LTE business in North America, and decreased 20% adjusted also for currency exchange rate effects and hedging.
For the full year, sales for comparable units were stable but decreased 9% adjusted for currency exchange rate effects and hedging. Decreased sales in Networks were not fully offset by increased sales in Professional Services. Net income amounted to SEK 0.7 (4.1) b. in the quarter. For the full year, net
income was SEK 4.1 (11.7) b. and earnings per share were SEK 1.14 (3.52).


"During the second half of 2009, Networks' sales were impacted by reduced operator spending in a number of markets. Group sales for the full year were less affected and the operating margin increased slightly," commented Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson. "We maintained market shares well in all segments, cash flow was good and our financial position is strong. The services business performed well, and our joint ventures remain on track to return to profit."


Some highlights for Q4 2009:


NETWORKS: Networks' sales in the quarter declined by -16% year-over-year. Full year sales declined by -3%. The mobile infrastructure market share was maintained well in 2009. During the second half of 2009, Networks' sales were impacted by reduced operator spending in a number of markets. Currency exchange rate effects had a positive impact on sales for the full year due to a strong USD in the beginning of 2009. Compared to the all-time-high GSM volumes in 2008, volumes decreased and are not yet offset by increased sales of WCDMA and initial rollouts of LTE. The IP-router business developed well during the year and the common core part of the recent LTE win with TeliaSonera is based on Ericsson's SmartEdge IP platform.


PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Professional Services sales in the quarter were flat year-over-year. Organic growth
in local currencies amounted to 2%. Managed services sales in the quarter increased by 19% year-over-year and by 22% for the full year. Sales for the second half of the year were negatively impacted by the reduced scope in a
managed services agreement in Italy as well as somewhat lower volumes in project-related services. At the same time, sales in the second half were positively impacted by the contract with Sprint in the US.


MULTIMEDIA: multimedia sales in the quarter for comparable units, i.e. adjusted for the divestment of the PBX and mobile platform operations, decreased year-over-year by -14% mainly due to tough comparison with a strong fourth quarter 2008 and somewhat slower sales of revenue management solutions in several emerging markets. However, TV and multimedia brokering (IPX) continued to show good development. The combined strength of the business support systems (BSS) offering and the strong services portfolio is generating increased operator interest.


Ericsson said its cost reduction program announced in January 2009 has already resulted in the elimination of 5,000 jobs, about 1,000 in Sweden. The target of 5,000 job cuts has been exceeded and is now estimated to reach approximately 6,500.
http://www.ericsson.comhttp://

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HUGHES Passes 500,000 Broadband Satellite Subscribers

Hughes Network Systems has surpassed 500,000 North American subscribers to its HughesNet service.
http://www.hughesnet.com

• In June 2009, Hughes Network Systems unveiled plans to launch a next-generation, high throughput satellite in the first quarter 2012 to expand its HughesNet broadband Internet service across North America. The new satellite is being designed to deliver over 100 Gbps of aggregate throughput and use an enhanced version of the IPoS standard. It will also employ a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture.
  
  
  Space Systems/Loral has been selected to manufacture the new Hughes satellite, based on its SSL 1300 platform, which has the proven flexibility for a broad range of applications and is expected to provide service for 15 years or more.
  
  
  The new geostationary satellite will augment the SPACEWAY 3 satellite system, the world's first with on-board switching and routing, which Hughes put into commercial service in April 2008.

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