Agilent Develops Test Solution for 3GPP LTE-Advanced

Agilent Technologies introduced a 4G system design library for 3GPP Release 10, which promises up to 1 Gbps peak download speeds. Agilent said its new W1918 LTE-Advanced baseband verification library helps system architects, baseband algorithm developers and component manufacturers deliver on this performance by providing RF and MIMO channel modeling fidelity; integration between multi-language PHY modeling and wideband test equipment; and greater RF and baseband design-flow integration.


The W1918 LTE-Advanced library is available as an option to Agilent's SystemVue 2011.03 release. Initial availability of the library is expected in March 2011.
http://www.agilent.com

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Comcast Pushes TV Streaming On Tablets

Comcast plans to offer in-home streaming for live and On Demand content to Apple iPads as well as Android powered tablets. This will provide access to 3,000 hours of On Demand content, including popular movies and hit TV shows, either in the home or on-the-go, including anywhere there is a wireless connection.


Comcast also announced an expansion of its Xfinity TV online service. Comcast's Xfinity TV app functions as a television guide, remote control and mobile video player. Comcast's XfinityTV.com currently offers 150,000 online video choices.
http://www.comcast.com

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Hibernia Secures $250 Million for "Project Express" Cable

Hibernia Atlantic announced a $250 million financing commitment for its Project Express, a new, low-latency fiber optic cable system connecting the greater New York City area with London. The new build is expected to be complete in the summer of 2012. Hibernia Atlantic has already secured its first new customers on the cable.



The new funding came Huawei Marine Networks Co., which is one of the vendors for the project.



"We are proud to be part of this historic cable build across the Atlantic," states Nigel Bayliff, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Marine Networks. "Now more than ever, low latency routes are in high-demand, as critical financial transactions need high capacity, fast speeds, and a secure and reliable environment to transport from one key financial city or exchange to the next. Hibernia Atlantic's GFN has already proven its value for financial networks and now with the Project Express construction underway, the company will soon offer the fastest route across the Atlantic."http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com

• In December 2008, Huawei Technologies and Global Marine Systems Limited launched a joint venture company to pursue the market for undersea fiber optic cable systems. Huawei Marine Networks is headquartered in Tianjin with R&D institutes and manufacturing bases in Beijing, Shenzhen, and the United Kingdom.

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Verizon 4G LTE: More Than Just Speed

http://www.verizon.com

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AT&T to Accelerate LTE Rollout

AT&T announced plans to accelerate its LTE rollout with the goal of launching initial service by mid-year 2011 and substantially completing the network by year-end 2013. AT&T's mobile broadband strategy calls for both HSPA+ and LTE.

The company has already completed its deployment of HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network. The network upgrade program calls for faster rollout of Ethernet + fiber backhaul and AT&T now expects that nearly two-thirds of its mobile broadband traffic will be on expanded backhaul by year-end 2011.



In an investor presentation at the Citi Annual Global Entertainment conference, John Stankey, President and CEO, AT&T Business Solutions, said that CAPEX at the company would remain relatively constant as a percentage of revenue (mid-teens) but that the accelerated LTE deployment means that some spending will be brought forward. The "tail-end" of the Uverse build means that more money can now be spend on wireless infrastructure and mobile broadband -- therefore a higher percentage of CAPEX will be devoted to wireless, while the company continues to look for synergies in its wireline and wireless backbones.



Regarding bottlenecks in its existing 3G network, Stankey said supply chain issues in procuring radio access network (RAN) equipment finally appear to be alleviated and that the company is now moving ahead with upgrade projects as quickly as it can. However, some projects, such as downtown San Francisco, are delayed by zoning and permitting requirements, while other sites, such as sports stadiums, are delayed by property owners.



Some key points from AT&T's Developer event at CES in Las Vegas:

• AT&T is delivering 6 Mbps downlink speeds on its HSPA+ network where Ethernet backhaul is in place.



• AT&T plans to introduce 20 4G devices by the end of the year, some on an exclusive basis. This will include more than 12 new Android devices in 2011. AT&T expects to offer two 4G smartphones in Q1 2011.



• AT&T plans to launch two 4G tablets, including its first LTE tablet, by mid summer. Additional LTE tablets are planned for the second half of 2011.



• AT&T is offering Wi-Fi access at more than 125,000 hot spots.



• AT&T will launch an HTML-5 development kit. The company has also inked an agreement with Open Feint to offer a social gaming platform that can work across wireless networks. The agreement opens API's for the popular Open Feint social gaming platform for AT&T smartphones.

"AT&T is the only U.S. company committed to both HSPA+ and LTE technologies. Today our customers are benefitting as we repeatedly increase speeds on our mobile broadband network. As we accelerate our LTE network build, our customers will have blazing fast LTE speeds and when they go off LTE, they will still have faster mobile broadband speeds with HSPA+ -- something our competitors will not be able to match," stated Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

http://www.att.com

• AT&T has previously disclosed LTE trials that are underway in Dallas and Baltimore, as well as the selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson as the primary suppliers of radio access equipment for these tests.

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Qualcomm to Acquire Atheros for Wi-Fi Expertise

Qualcomm confirmed plans to acquire Atheros Communications for $45 per share in cash, which values the deal at $3.1 billion.



Atheros, which is based in San Jose, California, is a leading supplier of Wi-Fi silicon. Its product line includes wireless LAN client chips, network processors, Ethernet transceivers, Ethernet switching silicon, Powerline SoCs, and Bluetooth devices. The company has approximately 1,700 employess and reported Q3 2010 revenue of $247 million, up 4 percent compared to $238.2 million reported in the second quarter of 2010. Third quarter 2010 revenue increased 58 percent compared to $156.6 million reported in the third quarter of 2009. Atheros' current president and CEO, Dr. Craig H. Barratt, is expected to join Qualcomm as president of Qualcomm Networking & Connectivity.



"It is Qualcomm's strategy to continually integrate additional technologies into mobile devices to make them the primary way that people communicate, compute and access content. This acquisition is a natural extension of that strategy into other types of devices," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "The combination of Qualcomm and Atheros is intended to accelerate this opportunity by utilizing best-in-class products for communications, computing and consumer electronics to broaden existing customer relationships and expand access to new partners and distribution channels."http://www.qualcomm.com http://www.atheros.com

• In July 2010, Atheros acquired Opulan Technologies, a privately held Chinese fabless semiconductor company specializing in solutions for passive optical networking (PON) and broadband access aggregation (MUX). Atheros said the acquisition further expands its end-to-end (WAN-to-LAN) architecture consisting of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Powerline solution



• In December 2009, Atheros Communications completed its acquisition of Intellon Corporation. With this acquisition, Atheros enhanced its networking technology portfolio to include Intellon's powerline communications (PLC) solutions for home networking, networked entertainment, broadband-over-powerline (BPL) access, Ethernet-over- Coax (EoC) and smart grid management applications.



• Atheros Communications was founded in 1998 by Teresa H. Meng, a professor at Stanford University, and Dr. John Hennessy, then provost of Stanford. Richard A. Redelfs, formerly general manager of 3Com's Wireless and Home Connectivity Division, joined Atheros as president and CEO in October 1999.

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Motorola XOOM Tablet to Offer LTE in Q2

Motorola Mobility preview its 10.1-inch "XOOM tablet for Verizon Wireless, featuring new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system and a dual core processor with each core running at 1 GHz.



Motorola XOOM supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output to display content on larger HD screens, and plays video and other rich web content seamlessly with Adobe Flash Player. It features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G LTE, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD. It also packs a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting for new types of applications.



The Motorola XOOM device will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in Q1 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2. Starting in Q2 2011 the Motorola XOOM will be a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi- enabled device.

Motorola Mobility also unveiled the DROID BIONIC, an Android smartphone packing a dual core processor, 512 MB RAM and LTE connectivity. Other key features include 4.3-inch HD quality screen, HDMI connectivity, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and corporate email capabilities.http://phones.verizonwireless.com/xoom/http://www.motorola.com

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Tekelec's CEO Resigns, Financial Guidance Updated

Frank Plastina has stepped down as president and CEO of Tekelec. Krish Prabhu, a member of the Board of Directors and a 25-year industry veteran, has been appointed interim CEO.



The company also updated its 2010 Full Year Guidance. The company now expects orders for 2010 to be between $385 million and $395 million, with fourth quarter orders in the range of $175 million to $185 million, the second-highest in Tekelec's history. However, the company said revenue for a number portability project in India valued at more than $10 million would move to 2011. Accordingly, full year revenues for 2010 will be in the range between $415 million and $425 million and non-GAAP gross margins will be in the mid sixty percent range.



"In his five years at Tekelec, Frank led the successful transformation of the company into a global leader and innovator in next generation network intelligence, highlighted by record revenues and earnings during his tenure," said Mark Floyd, Chairman of the Board. "Frank has positioned Tekelec for the future, both in terms of product evolution and revenue growth, and we wish him great success in his next endeavor."http://www.tekelec.com

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OnStar to Ride Verizon Wireless LTE

General Motors' OnStar vehicle information service may soon be delivering advanced capabilities over Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. The companies are showcasing a prototype application at CES on a Buick LaCrosse research vehicle.

Among the innovative services made possible by combining the power of OnStar with the speed of 4G:

• Vehicle monitoring -- Cameras mounted throughout the interior and exterior of the car allow remote viewing of what is happening in and around your parked vehicle through a smartphone or PC.



• Impact detection -- The research vehicle has the ability to send live video to secure servers in the cloud from each of its six cameras placed around the exterior and interior of the vehicle. This is triggered by events around the car or by an application on a smartphone. When an impact such as a parking lot fender-bender is detected, the vehicle transmits a video clip, helping to identify the offending driver.



• Home monitoring and control -- Keep an eye on your home by connecting to security cameras in real-time through the 4Home service. Control the thermostat, lights and other home systems from your vehicle -- "preset" scenes allow you to condition your home when you leave, before you return or when you're leaving for an extended period of time.



• Electronic User's Guide -- Learn how to operate and maintain your vehicle through videos streamed on demand to the dashboard.



• Video chat -- Make a video call using Skype to connect with family, friends or colleagues.



• Traffic view -- A voice-operated navigation system goes beyond calculating the best route by displaying live traffic-cam images from TrafficLand to spot congestion before you get stuck in a backup.

http://www.verizonwireless.com

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Broadcom Samples First 10G EPON Optical Network Unit SoC

Broadcom announced the first 10G Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) optical network unit (ONU) system-on-a-chip (SoC). The BCM55030 is designed for customer premises equipment such as enterprise routers, MDU systems and home gateways. The EPON ONU integrates a 10 Gbps media access controller, 10 Gbps EPON serializers/deserializers and forward error correction, a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, traffic management, and on-chip memory for both CPU and packet buffers.



The device complies with the new IEEE 802.3av 10G EPON standard including support for 10G EPON and 1G EPON co-existence on the same fiber. The chip supports both 10G/10G and 10G/1G symmetric modes of operation. The device supports Broadcom's 2.5G Turbo EPON in addition to both standard 1G and 10G modes.



Broadcom said 10G EPON could also play a role in 4G/LTE mobile backhaul transport, as it supports both QoS-assured bandwidth and timing distribution.



Broadcom has already begun sampling the BCM55030 solution to early access customers.http://www.broadcom.com

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NETGEAR Intros LTE Router for Verizon Wireless

NETGEAR introduced its MBR1000 Mobile Broadband Router, which is specifically designed for the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network.



Equipped with an internal 3G/4G mobile broadband modem, , The MBR1000 delivers a full customer-side LAN with four Fast Ethernet ports and 802.11n Wi-Fi at up to 270 Mbps and features redundant WAN network availability with a separate Fast Ethernet WAN uplink port. The MBR1000 Dual WAN feature gives customers the option to switch between WANs for "always on" network service should their selected primary WAN experience an outage -- an especially important feature for fixed business applications.



Netgear said its MBR1000 can be deployed on rail, bus or select coastal marine vessels as well as in mining, construction, logging, parks and rural areas.



The LTE MBR1000 is part of Verizon Wireless' LTE Open Development program.http://www.netgear.com

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Verizon Wireless and Motricity Offer LTE "Open Development Snacks"

Verizon Wireless and Motricity are promoting "Open Development Snacks" -- a suite of content publishing tools that take advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Open Development Snacks gives content providers the opportunity to supply highly personalized, on-demand content directly on Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web.



Motricity's Open Development Snacks enable video streaming within Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web and enables the developer community to provide syndicated video feed services, optimized for Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband subscribers. In addition, video content is optimized by device capability to guarantee an enhanced user experience, leveraging the increased throughput of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE technology, and offering high bit rate video without delays normally experienced on other networks.

http://www.motricity.com http://www.verizonwireless.com/lte

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Cisco's 'Videoscape' Aims to Transform TV Experience

Cisco's John Chamber outlined a new "Videoscape" portfolio of five major product families aimed at "transforming the TV experience." The goal is to work with Service Providers to allow any device over any network to access any content to which they are entitled. Cisco Videoscape would enable service providers to monetize activities outside their own network or traditional device footprints.



In the living room,"Videoscape" provides an integrated architecture that pulls together Cisco a set-top box, residential media gateway and Umi telepresence system. Premium content and open web content are delivered through a service provider customized interface. Videoscape software clients, which can run on Apple and Android device, enable the same premium and Internet content on mobile devices. On the service provider side, a Videoscape Media Suite delivers content management capabilities for publishing across multiple screens. A Cisco Conductor for Videoscape orchestrates various services and subscriber-management functions across the cloud, the network and client devices.



Chambers also noted that for full-effect, Videoscape must be delivered with a network architecture capable of supporting the services.



A key facet of Videoscape is about delivering a consistent interface across multiple devices, while providing a universal guide and search capabilities across all content sources. This requires building capabilities into the service provider's video back-office using APIs extending across content management systems and virtualized storage. The capabilities would be social network-aware and open to advertising opportunities.



Telstra is a lead customer.
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2011/prod_010511.html

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