Ralink + Trend Chip Merger Targets WiFi + DSL

Ralink Technology, a leading supplier of WiFi silicon solutions, has agreed to acquire TrendChip Technologies Corporation, a leading supplier of DSL chipsets. Both companies are listed on the listed on Taiwan's TAIEX exchange.


Each 0.8209 share of TrendChip will be exchanged for 1 share of Ralink. With a combined stock valuation of approximately NT$20 billion, and combined 2009 revenues of over NT$7.3 billion, the new Ralink Technology Corporation is estimated to be among the world's "Top 30" fabless semiconductor companies.


Ralink, founded in 2001, is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and operates an advanced development center in Cupertino, California. Ralink's 802.11n solutions are shipping with customers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and are embedded in hundreds of products across all major Wi-Fi market segments including personal computers, broadband gateways, digital televisions, Blu-Ray players, web cameras, and IPTV set-top-boxes.


TrendChip, also founded in 2001, is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and maintains development centers in Suzhou and Nanjing China. TrendChip posted a 90% growth in 2009. It's xDSL solutions have been deployed by 50 carriers in 45 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.


"By combining Ralink and TrendChip into a single company, Ralink Technology Corporation will be positioned to drive the growth of high-performance yet cost-effective "triple play" voice, video, and data services throughout the Networked Digital Home," said Chris Kao, Chairman of Ralink Technology. "Broadband Gateways will incorporate our DSL and Wi-Fi chipsets, and they will deliver wireless content throughout the home to personal computers, televisions, phones, and other consumer electronics devices. With our combined forces and technologies, we anticipate accelerated growth in both existing and adjacent market segments over the coming years."http://www.ralinktech.com/

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RCN to Build Fiber-Based, Middle Mile Network in Cape Cod

OpenCape Corporation has been awarded a $32M broadband stimulus grant for a 350-mile network will span from the South Coast of Massachusetts onto Cape Cod and the Islands. RCN Metro Optical Networks will design, build and manage the network on OpenCape Corporation's behalf.


The OpenCape project, expected to be completed in phases over three years, consists of a core fiber backbone that connects Cape Cod to two of RCN Metro's major regional network access points in Providence and Brockton, a high capacity optical transport system, a microwave radio overlay, and a regional colocation center.


Initial services on this network include dedicated point-to-point SONET and Ethernet from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Gbps., Switched Ethernet Services from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Gbps, Wavelength Services from 1.25 Mbps to 10 Gbps, and Internet Access with the network designed to be able to support additional capabilities required to meet the future needs of the community.


RCN Metro was selected in a competitive process last July to design, build and maintain this regional open access network as part of a public-private partnership.


"OpenCape is thrilled to be a stimulus grant recipient. Cape Cod and the Islands are in desperate need of a ubiquitous, reliable, redundant, and cost competitive telecommunications infrastructure," said Dan Gallagher, President of OpenCape Corporation.
http://www.rcnmetro.com/services-private-network.phphttp://www.opencape.com/

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Cisco Teams with India's CSC e-Governance Services

Cisco signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CSC e-Governance Services India, a private company established to catalyze and accelerate the delivery of various eGovernance services. Cisco will help make education and health care solutions available and to promote social inclusion.


The Common Service Centres program is a strategic cornerstone of the government of India's National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), which calls for 250,000 CSCs to be set-up in 600,000 villages. The goal is to offer Web-enabled e-governance services in rural areas as well as to provide high-quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content and services in areas such as education, health and entertainment.
http://www.cisco.com

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Nokia Updates its Mobile Device Market Estimates

Nokia has updated its definition of the industry mobile device market which it uses to estimate industry volumes. The company said it now has better visibility of the overall market size, including the number of mobile devices sold by certain new entrants selling legitimate, as well as unlicensed and counterfeit, products. The new estimated market size is bigger than the company had previously estimated and Nokia's market share is, hence, lower.


For comparative purposes only going forward, applying the revised definition and improved measurement processes and tools retrospectively to 2009, Nokia estimates that industry mobile device volumes in 2009 would have been 1.26 billion units. Based on the industry mobile device market definition used in 2009, Nokia estimated that industry mobile device volumes were 1.14 billion units. Similarly, for comparative purposes only going forward, applying the revised definition retrospectively to 2009, Nokia estimates that its mobile device volume market share would have been 34% in 2009 on an annual basis. Based on the industry mobile device market definition used in 2009, Nokia's volume market share estimate was 38%.


Applying its revised definition of the industry mobile device market applicable beginning in 2010 on a comparable year-over-year basis, - Nokia expects industry mobile device volumes to be up approximately 10% in 2010, compared to 2009; - Nokia targets its mobile device volume market share to be flat in 2010, compared to 2009; and - Nokia targets to increase its mobile device value market share slightly in 2010, compared to 2009.
http://www.nokia.com

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EXFO Acquires Finland's NetHawk for Wireless Test

EXFO has acquired NetHawk Oyj, a leading supplier of 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE protocol analyzers and simulators for wireless network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and network operators. The all-cash deal was valued at EUR 37.3 million for all outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis, or EUR 27.6 million excluding NetHawk's net cash. An additional earn-out, based on sales over the next three years, could raise the total value of the transaction by EUR 8.7 million.


NetHawk's key products consist of protocol analyzers for protocol development, network deployment, optimization and performance measurement as well as network simulators for load generation, regression and functional testing. Solutions cover 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. It is estimated that NetHawk holds the No. 2 position for both protocol analysis and network simulation in terms of global market share.


NetHawk has also developed a 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE service assurance solution, based on iPro's 1G and 10G wireline stream capture and M5's deep protocol and KPI analysis, to focus on testing the core and radio access networks of a wireless telecommunications infrastructure. EXFO said this offering is highly complementary to its own BrixCall, BrixNGN and BrixVision suite of service assurance solutions for active and passive monitoring of the application layer on next-generation IP networks.


NetHawk posted revenue of €28.5 million and EBITDA of €4.2 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
The company is headquartered in Oulu, Finland.


"This acquisition represents a defining milestone in EXFO's near 25-year history, since it not only transforms us into a global force in wireless testing, but it also moves us among the top five suppliers in the telecom test and service assurance industry with more than 1,600 employees in 25 countries supporting in excess of 2,000 customers," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's Chairman, President and CEO.
http://www.exfo.comhttps://www.nethawk.fi/

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Verizon Dual Lists Its Stock on NASDAQ and NYSE

Verizon Communications has dual listed its common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The stock also trades on the New York Stock Exchange.


John Killian, Verizon's chief financial officer, said, "Verizon has a broad and diverse shareholder base, and we believe that the additional support provided by dual listing will benefit our current and potential investors. We are pleased to now be listed on both of these great exchanges."http://www.verizon.comhttp://

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Alcatel-Lucent Releases APIs for Accelerating Application Development Business Model

Alcatel-Lucent released its first API (Application Programming Interfaces) bundles that blend service provider and third party application capabilities to enable the faster creation of new applications. Alcatel-Lucent's goal with these API bundles is to enable a new revenue share model to transform service provider networks into an application development platform by unlocking network resources and functionality -- similar to what smartphones and apps stores did for the device world.


The company's first vertical API bundles include three social bundles supporting the creation of new mashups in social gaming, advertising and virtual goods markets. Collectively, the APIs included are SMS, advertising, location, virtual goods, credit card and billing. The initial delivery of these API bundles targets the 14+ million developers worldwide and the two fastest growing and increasingly profitable applications markets today: mobile advertising and virtual goods.


Earlier this year, Alcatel-Lucent introduced its cloud-based developer platform, which leverages the Application Exposure Suite to build, test, manage and distribute applications across networks, including television, broadband Internet and mobile.


With the release of the APIs, Alcatel-Lucent also announced a new business and application modeling tool that allows developers to get the most out of their applications. This new functionality helps developers and service providers improve the potential for the success of services they are introducing and helps them better manage the overall business of their applications.


"The business model benefits everyone across the value chain. Whereas service providers did not share in an application's revenue before, they now gain new sources of revenue from ad network or virtual goods applications. They can invest that income back into their network, which in turn supports new services innovation," said Johnson Agogbua, head of Application Enablement solutions for Alcatel-Lucent.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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FCC Releases Consumer Broadband Tests

The FCC released two applications -- the Consumer Broadband Test and the Broadband Dead Zone Report -- that allow consumers to test their broadband service and report areas where broadband is not available.


The Consumer Broadband Test measures broadband quality indicators such as speed and latency, and reports that information to consumers and the FCC. The mobile version -- the FCC's first mobile app -- is available through the Apple and Android app stores. The fixed version is available at www.broadband.gov.


The Broadband Dead Zone Report enables Americans to submit the street address location of a broadband"Dead Zone" where broadband is unavailable for purchase. The Broadband Dead Zone Report form is available on www.broadband.gov. Consumers can also submit availability information by e-mail to fccinfo@fcc.gov. Those who lack online access can call the FCC.


The FCC apps are using the Ookla, Inc. Speed Test and the Network Diagnostic Tool (NDT) running on the
Measurement Lab (M-Lab) platform. In the future, the FCC anticipates making additional broadband testing applications available for consumer use, but said it does not endorse any specific testing application.


"Transparency empowers consumers, promotes innovation and investment, and encourages competition," said Chairman Julius Genachowski. "The FCC's new digital tools will arm users with real-time information about their broadband connection and the agency with useful data about service across the country. By informing consumers about their broadband service quality, these tools help eliminate confusion and make the market work more effectively."http://www.fcc.govhttp://www.broadband.gov

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Cisco Opens Entrepreneur Institute in Paraguay

Cisco has opened an Entrepreneur Institute in Paraguay to help owners of small and medium-sized businesses improve their business skills and learn how to effectively use information and communications technologies. The first training center will be the Fundación Paraguaya, which during the first year will provide basic courses from the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute curriculum to more than 100 Paraguayan entrepreneurs.
http://www.cisco.comhttp://

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