OIF Approves TDM Fabric to Framer Interface

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) has published a TDM Fabric to Framer Interface Implementation Agreement (IA) intended to allow framer and switch components from multiple vendors to interoperate. Target applications include add/drop multiplexers, TDM cross connect and grooming switches. The IA, known as TFI-5, defines support for key functionality including link integrity monitoring, connection management and mapping mechanisms for both SONET/SDH and non-SONET/SDH clients such as Ethernet and Fiber Channel.


The OIF noted that there are a number of vendors offering TDM framers, as well as switching fabrics. The agreement is aimed at cross vendor interoperability. Traffic on each link between the framer and the fabric is modeled after a SONET/SDH frame. In order to ensure device interoperability across multiple vendor devices it is important that the electrical, optical, jitter and byte signaling protocols are compatible.
http://www.oiforum.com

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BT Openworld Selects 2Wire for Small Business Gateway

BT Openworld will offer 2Wire's OfficePortal DSL gateway to its small business DSL subscribers. The product, which will be branded as the BT Intelligent Gateway 1800, combines an ADSL modem with wireless, Ethernet and HPNA functionality. It includes a professional-grade firewall and the capability to screen Web content, as well as to define user access privileges on the network. Integration with 2Wire's back-end management system will allow BT Openworld to conduct remote diagnostics and pre-emptive troubleshooting. BT Retail has already begun selling a residential version of the 2Wire gateway to home broadband subscribers.
http://www.2wire.com
http://www.btopenworld.com

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NTT Granted Government Approval for IP Telephony

NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp. were granted permission by Japan's Posts and Telecommunications Ministry to begin offering IP telephony services. A report from Kyodo News International notes that KDDI and 15 other communications firms had urged the Ministry to refuse permission fearing the competitive threat.
http://www.soumu.go.jp/english/index.html

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New Director General Appointed at French Regulatory Authority

Philippe Distler has been named Director General at Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications (ART), the French regulatory authority. Distler, who is a telecommunications engineer, previously was in charge of the interconnection and new technologies department at ART. He held various positions at Centre National d'Etudes des Télécommunications (CNET) in the field of networking. In particular, he participated in the introduction of the Signalling System N°7 in France.
http://www.art-telecom.fr

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Tellabs Trims Workforce

Tellabs announced plans to reduce its worldwide workforce by about 370 employees. The company also plans to close its development center in St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada, by mid-2004. Tellabs said it would continue to invest in new growth markets, such as a global carrier-class data solutionhttp://www.tellabs.com

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New Edge Networks Inks National Broadband Access Deal with Verizon

New Edge Networks announced an agreement to resell Verizon's symmetric high bit-rate DSL (SHDSL) service to customers throughout most areas where Verizon offers DSL services. Under the national wholesale agreement, New Edge Networks will build gateways to Verizon in New York and Los Angeles, where it will offer the high bit-rate DSL services. Through these gateways, New Edge Networks also will be able to offer its customers broadband access in most areas around the country where Verizon offers traditional DSL services. New Edge Networks began processing orders last week.


New Edge Networks is one of the first national broadband carriers to sign on as a wholesaler for Verizon's newly announced service, which is called Infospeed Premium DSL. Verizon filed for FCC authority to provide the new service in July and launched it in August.
http://www.newedgenetworks.com

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Yipes Signs Washington D.C. Dark Fiber Agreement with Starpower

Starpower Communications, a joint venture between RCN Corporation and Pepco Communications, will provide dark fiber services to Yipes Enterprise Services in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The agreement covers a dark fiber ring and multiple lateral connections that Yipes will use to provide Ethernet services to commercial properties in the region. Financial details were not disclosed.
http://www.yipes.com
http://www.starpower.net/business/

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Redback Initiates Debt for Equity Exchange

Redback Networks launched its offer to exchange shares of the company's common stock for all of its outstanding 5% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2007. The holders of approximately 67% in principal amount of the notes have already agreed to tender in the offer, which is part of Redback's proposed out-of-court financial restructuring. The exchange offer expires on October 30, 2003.
http://www.redback.com

• In July, Redback reached agreement with a committee of its bondholders to exchange $467 million in debt for new equity in the company. If all of the Notes are exchanged, the noteholders will receive approximately 95% of the issued and outstanding common stock immediately following completion of the transaction and the existing holders of common stock will initially retain approximately 5% of the issued and outstanding common stock of the company.

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THUS Launches MPLS IP VPN with Ethernet Access

THUS plc, a UK service providers, launched an MPLS-based VPN service using Ethernet as the access technology. THUS's MPLS IP VPN service is available with Ethernet connections at 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps. THUS operates a Cisco-powered network.
http://www.thus.co.uk

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Infonet Supplies MPLS VPN for TNT Logistics

Infonet Services Corporation is providing an MPLS-enabled IP VPN Secure network for TNT Logistics, which offers express mail and other logistical services globally. The VPN links 15 sites in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.
http://www.infonet.com

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Stealth Communications Selects Procket for IP/MPLS Backbone

Stealth Communications, a privately-held Ethernet service provider, has selected Procket Networks' PRO/8801 high-availability router to build a 10 Gigabit Ethernet IP/MPLS metro core network for New York City. Stealth's initial deployment in the greater Manhattan area will leverage Procket's PRO/8801 routers to power a new suite of transparent Local Area services and VoIP over MPLS. Stealth plans to further expand this initial implementation of IPv4/IPv6 IP/MPLS core backbone using Procket PRO/8000 routers in early 2004. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.procket.com

• In April 2003, Procket Networks, a start-up based in Milpitas, California, announced commercial availability of its PRO/8801 router, its first product in a series. The Procket platforms are based on a customized chipset that includes a fully programmable 40 Gbps network processor and a Terabit Switch Engine. The scalable chipset can be used in platforms that range from 80 Gbps to 960 Gbps. The first PRO/8801 router features 80 Gbps of total capacity and can support up to 40 high speed interfaces in a chassis that takes up 1/8 of a rack. The PRO/8812 router, which will ship later this quarter, features 960 Gbps of total capacity and a forwarding rate of 1.2 billion packets per second. The routers support OC-3c, OC-12c, OC-48c, OC-192c, Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. All Procket routers use common line cards and media adapters, and the company estimates that its systems offer a reduction in power consumption and floor space of up to 50%.



• In September, Procket announced that University College London was using its PRO/8801 series platform.

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Network Processing Forum Adopts Four Implementation Agreements

The Network Processing Forum (NPF) has added four new software implementation agreements aimed at speeding the development and lowering the cost of network platforms. The four implementation agreements are:


MPLS Forwarding Service APIs with Diffserv and TE Extensions -- these provide an open and generic interface for control plane software components to configure and manage the forwarding plane elements of the MPLS layer. The Forum believes that MPLS is ideally suited to be implemented on network processors and that this IA will greatly simplify the task network equipment vendors face in designing and implementing MPLS on such devices. The IA provides a vendor neutral API for control plane stacks such as LDP and RSVP-TE.


IPv6 Unicast Forwarding Services API -- this provides a vendor-neutral programming interface to configure and manage any IPv6 Forwarding Information Base (FIB). It could be used to configure and manage address resolution tables and it includes unified and discrete mode versions similar to those found in the IPv4 Forwarding Services API announced earlier this year.


Packet Handler API -- this facilitates the transfer of packets between the data plane forwarding elements and control plane applications for control or exception path processing. Control plane applications such as signaling stacks can use this API to send and receive packets from network processing elements.


Version 2.0 of the Software API -- this provides documentation conventions used within all API specifications produced by the NPF Software Working Group.
http://www.npforum.org

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Nokia Wins EUR 100 Million 3G Contact in Singapore

Nokia was awarded a contract valued at EUR 100 million to supply WCDMA 3G network equipment to StarHub of Singapore. Under the 5-year deal, Nokia will supply a complete 3G network, including radio-access and core network equipment, and delivery management services including network planning. Deliveries start immediately for a possible network launch by the end of 2004.
http://www.nokia.com

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Time Warner Cable's Road Runner Teams with Movielink

Movielink and Road Runner, which is owned and operated by Time Warner Cable, announced a multiyear deal to create a co-branded movie rental service. Road Runner's cable modem customers are directed to a co-branded site initially featuring over 450 new release and classic titles from such studios as Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Studios. The movies can be watched at home or downloaded to a laptop for viewing while traveling.
http://www.movielink.com

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Matsushita Electric Develops IPv6 Module for Consumer Electronics

Matsushita Electric Industrial Company has developed an IPv6 module for networked consumer electronic appliances and portable devices. The module features a compact IPv6 software stack (70 kb) and is optimized for secure data links of up to 100 Mbps.
http://www.matsushita.co.jp

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Comcast Tests Terayon's DOCSIS 2.0 Data Headend Platform

Comcast is testing Terayon' DOCSIS 2.0-qualified Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) equipment. In the next testing phase, the companies will examine aspects of operational readiness for DOCSIS 2.0 deployment, such as changes in provisioning, operating profiles selection and system integration. In the interim, Comcast will continue to deploy its current Next-Generation DOCSIS 1.x CMTS equipment. Currently, Comcast deploys a single CMTS to support DOCSIS 1.1 features and the company will look to add a second source shortly to round out its DOCSIS 1.1 CMTS certifications.
http://www.terayon.com

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Cisco CallManager Express Delivers IP Telephony for Smaller Businesses

Cisco Systems introduced two new software products that when integrated into its access routers deliver an IP communications solution for businesses with 100 employees or fewer. The new Cisco CallManager Express provides call-processing for PBX-like services such as call pick up, call forwarding, day/night service, hunt groups, paging, intercom, etc. A new Cisco Unity Express software suite delivers voice-mail and automated-attendant features. Both products can be used with Extensible Markup Language (XML) network-based applications via Cisco's recently expanded series of IP phones. Voice services are delivered via Cisco's portfolio of access routers, including the Cisco 1751, 1760, 2600XM, 3600 Series, and 3700 Series routers, and the Access Gateway Module available on the Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switch.


The new products complement the existing portfolio of Cisco CallManager IP Communications systems. List price for the Cisco CallManager Express license ranges from US$750 to US$2800, depending on the number of users. List price for Cisco Unity Express begins at $2995.


Cisco also published ten different blueprints that provide business-justification tools; shared implementation best practices; solution designs; and lists of specialized implementation partners for IP branch office deployments.
http://www.cisco.com

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Captus Networks Secures $12.4 Million for its Security Solutions

Captus Networks, a start-up based in Woodland, California, raised $12.4 million in a fourth round of financing for its network intrusion prevention technology. The company's Network Integrity Systems (NIS) are designed to preserve and protect network bandwidth for mission-critical applications and hosts. The Captus IPS 4000 platform is an automated, policy-based system that combines Day Zero protection with traffic management capabilities to ensure network integrity. The new funding was led by GMG Capital Partners.
http://www.captusnetworks.com/

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VoiceXML Forum Launches Platform Certification Program

The VoiceXML Forum has launched a certification program to test for compliance to the latest release of the VoiceXML standard. CT Labs will perform the certification testing on behalf of the Forum. Three companies are initially submitting their platforms for testing: Vocalocity, VoiceGenie Technologies, and Voxpilot. The Forum intends to expand its VoiceXML certification program in the future to include VoiceXML-compliance certification of applications and tools.
http://www.voicexml.orghttp://www.ct-labs.com

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RCN Raises its Cable Modem Downlinks to 5 Mbps

RCN increased the download speed of its "MegaModem" cable modem service to 5 Mbps at no extra cost to the end user. The company has been offering 3 Mbps "MegaModem" speeds for over a year. These premium customers are now being upgraded to 5 Mbps. RCN's standard cable modem users are being upgraded from 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps. RCN provides service in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. metropolitan markets.
http://www.rcn.com

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