LightSquared Signs YourTel America

LightSquared announced a wholesale agreement with YourTel America, which provides telecommunications services through 14 branded retail outlets, call centers and network operations in Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Washington. YourTel America is an approved Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) for unserved and underserved low-income customers. This allows the carrier to deliver voice services to low-income customers through Lifeline, the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Universal Service Program for Low-Income Consumers. Using the LightSquared network, YourTel America can now offer high-speed wireless devices at affordable prices to its Lifeline and other low-income customers.
http://www.lightsquared.com

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Level 3 + Global Crossing Merger Gains FCC & DOJ Approvals

The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared Level 3's previously announced acquisition of Global Crossing. The FCC issued its own order approving the transaction, effective immediately. Level 3 expects to close the transaction as early as next week.http:/www.level3.com
http://www.globalcrossing.com

• On April 11, 2011, Level 3 Communications first announced its plans to acquire Global Crossing in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.0 billion. The combined company will operate fiber optic networks on three continents, connected by extensive undersea facilities. The combined network will serve a worldwide customer set with owned network in more than 50 countries and connections to more than 70 countries. The combined Level 3 + Global Crossing had pro forma combined 2010 revenues of $6.26 billion and pro forma combined 2010 Adjusted EBITDA of $1.27 billion before synergies and $1.57 billion after expected synergies. The customer profiles includes enterprise, government, wholesale, content, and web-based companies.

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CableLabs Establishes PeerConnect Registry

CableLabs has established a "PeerConnect" registry to help cable operators facilitate end-to-end IP communications.


The PeerConnect registry helps cable operators to automate their OSS-BSS service data provisioning for subscriber communication exchanges. It is not a traffic exchange hub, so no media traverses the system. The registry supports three primary service elements:


Registration Services -- allowing cable operators to dynamically provision various data elements into the registry. Examples of such service data include telephone numbers or routing numbers commonly used to establish VoIP calls, all the associated session establishment data such as a SIP route , or other data to provide links to the SMS gateways capable of receiving SMS to these numbers.


Resolution Services -- for cable operators or their PeerConnect partners to perform number translation querying the registry

Replication Services -- to dynamically distribute data for SMS-MMS and VoIP services to select partner companies primarily for session routing purposes.


"The PeerConnect registry allows Comcast to move telephone number translation services inside the IP domain," said Phil Miller, Vice President, Strategic Partnership Development, Comcast Communications and Data services. "It provides a scalable solution for us to dynamically distribute numbers and other IP voice session routing data to select partners."


"Cablevision has been using the PeerConnect registration services for some time with great success to disseminate IP session routing information to peers. It is a scalable solution for managing peering relationships and it is built on open standards to advertise session routing data to various valued-added service companies," said Wayne Thompson, Vice President, Telecom and Internet Management at Cablevision Systems Corp.
http://www.cablelabs.com/peerconnect

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Cox Launches “Unbelievably Fair" Mobile Services in San Diego, Santa Barbara

Cox Communications completed its rollout of mobile services in southern California with the launch of "Unbelievably Fair�? mobile phone plans in San Diego and Santa Barbara, California. The service is distinguished by "MoneyBack Minutes" -- where customers can get refunds at the end of the month billing cycle for minutes not used.


Cox Wireless launched in Orange County, California late last year. It is also available in Omaha, Neb., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., Rhode
Island, Hampton Roads, Roanoke and Northern Virginia and Cox communities in Connecticut and Cleveland, Ohio. By the end of this year, Cox Wireless will be available in more than 50% of its footprint, including Topeka and Wichita, Kansas and much of Northwest Arkansas.


“Beginning today, Cox Wireless is now available across our entire California footprint,�? said Kelly Williams, Cox's vice president of wireless products and operations. “In Orange County and across our Wireless markets, customers are responding very enthusiastically to Cox Wireless. We are
excited to bring our unbelievably fair approach to wireless to consumers in San Diego and Santa Barbara.�?http://www.cox.com

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Colombia Solicits Proposals for National Fiber Optic Project

The government of Colombia attracted four proposal for its national fiber optic connectivity project, which aims to connect over 400 municipalities across the country, providing high-speed services to 90% of the population by 2014. The four companies submitting proposals are:

• Unión Temporal Fibra Óptica Colombiana


• Telmex Colombia S.A,


• Unión Temporal Conectividad para todos


• Unión Temporal Telefónica.

http://www.mintic.gov.cohttp://www.mintic.gov.co/index.php/mn-news/416-20110928fibra

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Nokia and Siemens Inject EUR 1 Billion into NSN

Nokia and Siemens are each putting EUR 500 million in new capital into their joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, will the aim of further strengthening the company's financial position and setting the stage for strategic flexibility, productivity and innovation in areas such as Mobile Broadband and related services.


In addition, Jesper Ovesen, 54, has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Board of Nokia Siemens Networks, effective immediately, replacing Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. Previously, Ovesen held a number of senior management positions in leading European companies, most recently serving as CFO of Danish telecommunications group TDC during the company's restructuring process and Initial Public Offering. Jesper has also served as CEO at Kirkbi, CFO at Lego and CFO at Danske Bank. He has extensive experience in finance and M&A activities. Ovesen holds a Master of Science from Copenhagen Business School, and a PMD from Harvard Business School.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

• In July 2011, Nokia and Siemens completed a strategic review of their joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, and have decided against pursuing a private equity investment or sale. The company cited "good progress" in its turnaround plan, with first quarter 2011 results marking a third successive quarter of year-on-year reported net sales growth, as well as a fifth quarter of non-IFRS operating profits since it announced its change in strategy in November 2009.



• In September 2009, Rajeev Suri was appointed CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks, succeeding Simon Beresford-Wylie.

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Alcatel-Lucent Cites Progress with China Mobile on TD-LTE

Alcatel-Lucent noted progress with China Mobile's LTE network in Shanghai, where it supplied an en-to-end trial system consisting of base stations (eNodeBs), the Evolved Packet Core and Alcatel-Lucent's professional services expertise.


The companies have now completed the first stage of testing on the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and China Mobile's TD-LTE trial network in the city. The trial network provides coverage to an area of Shanghai including the financial district of Lujiazui and the high-tech business park of Zhangjiang. http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Ikanos and SoftAtHome Announce Collaboration

SoftAtHome and Ikanos Communications are collaborating to bring a next-generation gateway platform to market. The companies said their partnership combines the latest capabilities of the SoftAtHome Operating Platform and Ikanos recently announced Fusiv Vx185/175 communications processors to create a solution ideally suited for the performance and quality of service demands of next-generation home media gateways in a multiscreen environment.


The combined solution takes unique advantage of the SoftAtHome Operation Platform's streaming media management and graphical user interface and Ikanos' broadband-optimized communications processor architecture. Together, the solution will deliver very high bandwidth capabilities and versatility for any network architecture including Fiber to the Node and Fiber to the Home deployments with bandwidth requirements of 100Mbps and beyond for visualizing multiple high-definition streams on multiple screens in the home. http://www.ikanos.com

• Earlier this month, Ikanos Communications introduced two dual-core communications processors – the Fusiv Vx175 and Fusiv Vx173 -- designed for a wide range of devices including femtocell gateways, smart energy gateways, mobile broadband routers, optical networking terminals, network attached storage and other next generation services gateways. The new devices add to the company's Fusiv portfolio and extend the range of access types supported to PON, LTE and other broadband technologies.

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FTTH Reaches 7.6 million North American homes

The number of homes in North America connected by FTTH has topped 7.6 million, up by 1.15 million in the past year, according to figures from market analysis firm RVA LLC, cited by the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council. FTTH is available to about 22 million homes up by about 10 percent in FTTH "homes passed" over the past year.


"While fiber to the home deployment in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean had barely scratched the surface in previous years, it appears that the FTTH providers in those countries are now out of the starting gate, and I expect see continued growth in their fiber activity going forward," said Mike Render, President of RVA. http://www.ftthcouncil.org

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Bharti Airtel Outsources 2G/3G Networks in Africa to NSN

Bharti Airtel signed an agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks to expand its 2G (GSM/EDGE) networks and deploy 3G networks in seven African countries: Madagascar, Malawi, Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Specifically, Nokia Siemens Networks will manage end-to-end network operations, including planning, designing and implementing the 2G and 3G networks for Airtel. The vendor will provide its energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio Base Stations* to expand network coverage to under-served areas, including smaller towns and villages in the seven countries.


Nokia Siemens Networks noted that with these new operators, it now supplies 3G access products to over 200 mobile operators -- more than any other vendor. http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/

• In July 2011, Ericsson announced a five year managed services agreement with Bharti Airtel for upgrading, optimizing and managing its mobile networks in Africa. Financial terms were not disclosed.



• Bharti Airtel awarded a 10-year contract to IBM to provide IT solutions to its employees across 16 African countries. In terms of the agreement, IBM will provide a standard operating environment, help desk and desk side support to enhance employee efficiency and convenience. The announcement builds on a strategic partnership signed in late 2010 to manage the computing technology and services to power Airtel's mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries.



• In June 2010, India's Bharti Airtel completed its previously announced acquisition of Zain's mobile operations in 15 countries across Africa for an enterprise valuation of US$10.7 billion. The acquisition positions Airtel as one of the world's top five mobile operators with 180 million customers, operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. It's network footprint covers over 1.8 billion people.

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NeoPhotonics Acquire Santur for Tunable Laser Arrays

NeoPhotonics, which manufacturers photonic integrated circuit based modules and subsystems, agreed to acquire privately held Santur Corporation for $39.2 million in cash.


Santur is a leading supplier of high-performance tunable laser arrays for metro and long-haul DWDM systems and a leading developer of PIC-based products for 40Gbps and 100Gbps client side and coherent line side applications. Santur's technology includes established telecom designs offering elegant approaches to wide tunability as well as high speed transceivers. The company's products are designed to provide reduced size, power consumption and cost for a wide range of DWDM, Coherent and Client Side networking applications in 10G, 40G and 100G networks. The company is based in Fremont, California.


"Santur has developed innovative indium phosphide (InP) based photonic integration products that are critical elements in 100G coherent transmitters and that complement the NeoPhotonics PIC-based 100G coherent receiver product line," said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics. "By combining active InP PICs from Santur with our hybrid PICs, we can provide our customers with new products for 100G coherent systems that feature higher levels of integration, higher performance and greater functionality. Furthermore, Santur's advanced tunable laser products also fit with our Speed and Agility product lines, enabling us to provide customers more complete solutions for reconfigurable networks," continued Mr. Jenks.


"In addition, Santur is a leading provider of PIC-based 40 and 100 Gbps transceiver modules for client side and data center applications. NeoPhotonics recently entered this new and rapidly growing market segment with its first products. By combining Santur's products, roadmap and strong customer positions with the NeoPhotonics portfolio of products, vertically integrated and high volume manufacturing capabilities, and complementary customer set, we intend to further develop our 100G coherent line side products and rapidly establish NeoPhotonics as a major vendor of client side components for the cloud," concluded Mr. Jenks. http://www.neophotonics.com http://www.santurcorp.com

• Santur was founded in November 2000. Investors in Santur included Menlo Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Thomas Weisel Venture Partners.

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