Polaris Wireless Opens Regional HQ in Dubai

Polaris Wireless, which supplies high-accuracy, software-based wireless location solutions, has opened a regional headquarters in Dubai Internet City, Dubai, U.A.E. to serve the growing demand from customers in the Middle East and Africa.


The company enables real-time, high-accuracy location to assist authorized law enforcement agencies (LEA's) in criminal investigations and antiterrorist activities. The easy to deploy, easy to maintain, Polaris Wireless Location Signatures (Polaris WLS™) solution identifies the location of a wireless device to within 50 meters and delivers the best software-based location in dense urban and indoor environments.
http://www.polariswireless.com

Read More

Cisco Unveils IP NGN Video Optimized Transport

Cisco outlined its approach for a zero-loss video-optimized transport architecture for service providers and broadcasters. The need for the solution is driven by the explosive growth in video traffic over IP backbones, which Cisco forecasts will grow more than 500 percent to almost half a zettabyte over the next five years. This represents more than half of all IP traffic and by 2014 will generate an estimated $250 billion in revenue.


The Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) Video Optimized Transport promises to monitor, detect and isolate video-quality impairments over standards-based carrier-grade Ethernet infrastructure.


It accomplishes this using three Cisco technologies for optimizing medianets, specifically Cisco Multicast-Only Fast Reroute (MoFRR), which provides a simple and efficient method for transport of reliable video streams in secondary distribution video applications; hitless switchover or Cisco Live-Live, which provides spatial redundancy for video streams and is useful in contribution video applications; and inline video monitoring (Cisco VidMon), which provides a network-based mechanism for monitoring of video quality.


To handle packet loss for high-quality IP video transport, Cisco is proposing Multicast-Only Fast Reroute (MoFRR), which it claims will ensure sub-50-msec multicast video convergence time with minimal configuration or operational overhead. This will provide video path protection from the video source to the receiver router during both link and node failure. Cisco said MoFRR needs to be enabled only on the last-hop receiver router and does not require any configuration or protocol-level interaction with other routers.


To provide efficient, inline video monitoring, Cisco is proposing network-based monitoring through the router transport line card. This approach is cheaper and more scalable than blade-based network monitoring solutions, according to the company, and if a video anomaly is detected it can automatically switch over to the backup path automatically and instantly, without any manual intervention.


A whitepaper is available on the Cisco website.
http://www.cisco.com

Read More

Cisco Internet Router in Space Completes Update

Cisco completed the first-ever
software upgrade of an IP router aboard a commercial satellite while in orbit.
The IOS software upgrade involved the Cisco 18400 Space Router, a radiation-tolerant IP router, on-board Intelsat 14, a geostationary communications satellite. The capability to upgrade the software of the Cisco router and onboard modem from the ground increases the flexibility of the system to implement future capabilities and the lifespan of the communications system.

Cisco recently teamed up with Astrium to study the applications of space-based routers. In October, Cisco and Astrium successfully demonstrated IRIS services such as multicasting, which enables the delivery of information to a group of destination computers simultaneously in a single transmission.

In addition, Cisco completed the industry's first VoIP call made without the use of any terrestrial infrastructure to route the call. The call was completed using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express.
http://www.cisco.com

• In January 2010, Cisco announced the first successful in-orbit test of its Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) technology. The test was conducted on-board Intelsat's new IS-14 GEO satellite, which was launched on Nov. 23, 2009
  
  
  Cisco IRIS is a program to build a radiation-tolerant IP router for satellite and related spacecraft. The IRIS payload will support network services for voice, video and data communications, helping enable government agencies, military units and allied forces to communicate with one another using Internet Protocol and existing ground equipment.
  
  
  The company noted that IRIS can route data to multiple ground receivers in a single step, eliminating the need to double-hop to a teleport and therefore reducing latency and increasing transponder utilization. The software on the Cisco router and onboard modem can be upgraded in orbit, which increases flexibility.
  
  
  The IRIS program is a Department of Defense Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) managed by Cisco and Intelsat General Corp. The IRIS payload will convert to commercial use following the three-month JCTD ending in April 2010.

Read More

Vodafone Qatar selects Alcatel-Lucent for FTTH

Vodafone Qatar has named Alcatel-Lucent as its sole supplier for its expansion into the fixed broadband market with an entirely new FTTH network based on GPON and point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet technology. Alcatel-Lucent's IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution will then be used to link the new infrastructure with Vodafone Qatar's existing mobile network.

Vodafone Qatar is also working with Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade its mobile network. A total of 50 new sites have been deployed in 2010 (reaching more than 410) to handle this year's 35% increase in voice traffic and the five fold increase in data usage. Through the network expansion Vodafone Qatar is ready to support 1 million 2G and 3G subscribers.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
http://www.vodafone.com.qa/

Read More

DOCOMO Enters Ebook Venture

NTT DOCOMO is entering a joint venture with Dai Nippon Printing Co. and CHI Group Co. to sell e-books to its wireless customers. The joint-venture firm, named 2Dfacto, will begin selling electronic books online from early January 2011. DNP will invest 51%, DOCOMO 40% and CHI 9%. 2Dfacto will use DNP's existing online "honto" bookstore for electronic books, and will be enhanced with mobile data-distribution and payment systems from DOCOMO. Seven of the latest mobile devices offered by DOCOMO already support the coming service: Xperia, GALAXY S, REGZA Phone, LYNX 3D, Optimus chat, GALAXY Tab and SH-07C.
http://www.ntt.co.jp

Read More

10X10 MSA Targets Low-Cost 100 Gbps Transceivers

A new 10x10 Multi-Source Agreement industry group has been formed to establish compatible sources of low-cost, low-power, pluggable 100G optical transceivers based on 10 optical lanes at 10G. Initial backers include Brocade, Google, JDSU, and Santur.


The 10x10 MSA is targeting a 2km reach to bridge the gap between 100m multi-mode and 10km single-mode solutions.
Unlike 100m multi-mode based on ribbons of fiber, the 10x10 MSA operates on a conventional Single Mode Fiber (SMF) enabling extended reach of 2Km. Compared with other single-mode 100G implementations, this approach does not require 25G electronics such as gearbox ICs to convert 10G data streams to intermediate 25G lanes.



Scott Kipp, Brocade standards representative and Chair of the 10X10 MSA, said: "The 10X10 MSA is ready to define a new price and performance trajectory for 100GbE that will significantly accelerate the adoption and economics of 100G deployment. Leveraging 10G technology helps the 10X10 MSA provide the lowest cost solution in terms of bandwidth per meter and bandwidth per Watt."


Santur CTO Milind Gokhale said, "The 10X10 MSA is exciting because it provides a roadmap for cost reduction of 100G optical interconnects. Using parallel optics that runs at the same rate as electrical lanes avoids the excess cost and power associated with gearbox devices and brings significant cost relief to 100G equipment."http://www.10x10msa.org

Read More

CTIA Announces 2011 Officers

CTIA-The Wireless Association announced the following new officers for 2011:


Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel Corporation, chairman; Pat Riordan, president and CEO of Cellcom, vice chairman; Mary Dillon, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular, secretary; and Bret Comolli, chairman of Asurion, treasurer. Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, will serve as chairman emeritus.


Newly-elected Executive Committee members representing wireless carriers include Frank O'Mara, CEO of Allied Wireless Communications Corporation; F.J. Pollak, president and CEO of TracFone Wireless, Inc.; and Ron Smith, president of Bluegrass Cellular, Inc. The members that were elected to represent other suppliers include Philip Christopher, president and CEO of Personal Communications Devices, LLC; Tony Holcombe, president and CEO of Syniverse Technologies; and E.Y. Snowden, president and CEO of Tatara Systems, Inc.
http://www.ctia.org

Read More

ADC's DAS Solutions Support Verizon's LTE Service Rollouts

ADC confirmed that it is a preferred provider of 700 MHz single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) solutions for Verizon Wireless' LTE service rollouts across the United States. More than 100 of ADC's InterReach and FlexWave distributed antenna systems (DAS) have been deployed in major stadiums, urban core areas, and other locations such as the New Meadowlands Stadium and Denver International Airport, where Verizon is rolling out LTE services.


ADC said its DAS solutions are a highly efficient and cost-effective way to deliver LTE services because they extend LTE signals out from centralized base stations using highly reliable, low-maintenance antennas. Rather than placing femtocells or picocells in thousands of locations, wireless service providers can reduce backhaul and operational expenses by extending signals out from centralized base stations. And rather than having to run a complete set of cabling for each service to be provided as with other DAS systems, ADC DAS solutions support multiple protocols with a single run of low-cost fiber optic and CATV cabling.
http://www.adc.com

Read More

Near Field Communication Specifications Published

The NFC Forum, a non-profit group that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, announced the publication of four technical specifications that further define the modular architecture and interoperability parameters for NFC devices and protocols. The NFC Forum has now developed and adopted a total of 15 specifications.


The NFC Forum also launched a Certification Program to help bring applications to market.
http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs

Read More

Tail-f Systems Appoints CEO

Tail-f Systems, a Swedish company specializing in configuration management software for networking equipment and network management systems, appointed Fredrik Lundberg as its new CEO. He replaces Hakan Millroth, who will return to his role as technology visionary in the position of CTO. Prior to joining Tail-f Systems, Lundberg held executive positions at Syncron International, Accenture, and HP. His in-depth understanding of the telecom industry, systems integration, and operations systems and software will help propel Tail-f Systems' growth.
http://www.tail-f.com

Read More

Verizon Names Anthony Melone as CTO

Verizon Communications announced the appointment of Anthony Melone as executive vice president and chief technology officer, with responsibility for Verizon's technology roadmap, including overall platforms integrity and architecture, and product innovation.


Melone was previously senior vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless. He succeeds Shaygan Kheradpir, effective immediately, following Kheradpir's announcement that he plans to retire this month after a 23-year career with Verizon and its predecessor companies.


Melone was appointed Verizon Wireless CTO in 2007, and he has most recently headed the LTE rollout. Prior to this, he served as vice president of network operations, with responsibility for Verizon Wireless' nationwide network operations, including overall quality assurance, implementation of new products and services, and regulatory compliance.
http://www.verizon.com

Read More

Google's Chrome Notebook to Bundle 100MB/Month of 3G VZ

Google's upcoming Chrome notebooks will offer 100MB of 3G wireless service provided by Verizon Wireless. A pilot program is being launched for a limited number of participants in the U.S.
http://www.google.com

Read More

Germany's envia TEL Selects Orckit-Corrigent's Carrier Ethernet + Transport

envia TEL GmbH has chosen Orckit-Corrigent's CE+T solution and 3M Services' solutions to enhance its Transport and Packet Network suite of solutions in Germany.


Orckit-Corrigent's CM-4000 Carrier Ethernet + Transport solution, which based on MPLS and MPLS-TP, is designed for the delivery of any Ethernet and TDM services over packet-based networks. The products are fully compliant with industry standards and fully interoperable with 3rd party switches and routers.


The deal is followed by strategic cooperation between Orckit-Corrigent and 3M Services for the distribution and first-line support for Orckit-Corrigent's products in Germany.
http://www.orckit.com
http://www.enviatel.de

Read More

Ericsson Selected for Mobile Broadband in Rural Chile

Ericsson is working with the government of Chile and Entel to connect people in rural locations across the country with mobile broadband and telephony service. The two-year project including deployment of voice services (2G) as well as the latest 3G/HSPA mobile broadband technology.


In 2009, Entel and Ericsson won a USD 45 million public contract from the Chilean government to provide broadband access between 70 and 90 percent of the rural population.


Ericsson said it is building, integrating and activating 2G and 3G at about 1,500 rural locations by deploying its main remote base stations. The company is also providing its microwave transmission solution, MINI-LINK, as a key component for the quick rollout of mobile broadband in rural areas with challenging terrain.
http://www.ericsson.com

• In August 2010, The government of Chile and Entel, the nation's leading telecom operator, announced a project to extend 3G and fixed broadband services across rural areas of the country, bringing coverage to an estimated 3 million people for the first time.
  
  
  The project, known as "Todo Chile Comunicado", will bring 3G coverage to 1,474 rural sites, as well as extending fiber optic nodes to 12 regional centers, over the next 3 years. The project is expected to represent a total investment of US$100 million with government subsidies accounting for about US$43 million of this cost.
  
  
  The network is expected to deliver a low-cost Internet service at 1 Mbps downlink and 256k upstream, as well as serve public facilities, including schools and health centers. The first phase of the project begins in September with rollout to 450 locations.

Read More

ECI Telecom Acquires Remaining Debt

ECI Telecom and its shareholders - the Swarth Group and Ashmore Investment Management Ltd. -- has acquired all the remaining debt extended to the company upon its acquisition in September 2007. By doing so, ECI is significantly improving its capital structure.


Rafi Maor, President and CEO of ECI, commented: "This transaction reflects the confidence our shareholders have in ECI and our ability to continue to compete successfully in the dynamic telecom market. It will allow us to invest additional resources in developing ECI's business and accelerate the company's growth."http://www.ecitele.com

• In September 2007, ECI was acquired by a group of private investors, including the Swarth Group and Ashmore Investment Management Ltd, in a transaction valued at $1.24 billion. The acquisition was financed by a mix of equity and debt.

Read More

Shell Selects AT&T + Cisco for IT Audit

Shell has selected AT&T and Cisco to carry out a global energy-efficiency project focused on improving its information technology (IT) infrastructure. The project will involve calculating the CO2 footprint of Shell's IT operations as well as mapping Shell's energy-usage patterns with a goal of ensuring a highly energy-efficient IT network.


Specifically, AT&T was selected to manage a significant part of Shell's IT infrastructure and telecommunications services as part of a wider series of outsourcing agreements. Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group was selected to conduct the IT infrastructure energy-consumption audit and make recommendations.


The project will incorporate a range of energy-efficient IT services, such as the consolidation and virtualization of servers and storage, data centers, and branch offices. Also AT&T Telepresence Solutions®, based on Cisco TelePresence suites, are being deployed, with the goal of lowering companywide greenhouse gas emissions by reducing business-related travel.
http://www.att.com
http://www.cisco.com

Read More

Cox Business Reaches $1 Billion Run Rate

Cox Business announced a company milestone -- reaching a run rate of $1 billion in annual revenue.


According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is the fourth largest provider of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports.


Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 260,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations.


"Cox recognized an opportunity to meet the needs of business customers that were underserved by the nation's incumbent telephone companies, and built a strong team to pursue that goal," said Pat Esser, president of Cox Communications. "We have effectively followed our customers from the living room to the office, investing in our network to deliver reliable and highly competitive offerings for small business and larger enterprises such as healthcare, education and government."http://www.cox.com

Read More

ADTRAN Expands Line with Sealed Access Box

ADTRAN has expanded its family of sealed outside plant broadband solutions with the addition of the Total Access 1108VP -- a local access multiplexer for delivering triple-play services in high-density, low line count application. The Total Access 1108VP, which is specifically targeted for multiple dwelling unit (MDU) and
legacy fiber-to-the-curb upgrades, is a fully-sealed and submersible product for any type of indoor, outdoor or underground deployment.


The Gigabit Ethernet-fed 1108VP solution offers two Gigabit Ethernet ports for network connectivity and chaining additional units and it provides eight VDSL2 and POTS subscriber ports, allowing for easy migration to next-generation services.


The Total Access 1108VP enables rapid installation of up to 100+ Mbps of advanced triple-play
services into MDUs, extending the reach of Gigabit Ethernet deployments where pulling fiber to each
service location is impractical or not cost-effective.


"The Total Access 1100 Series provides unmatched benefits for the service provider," said Darrell
Brown, product line manager, ADTRAN. "With the addition of the Total Access 1108VP, ADTRAN is
able to offer yet another highly effective tool in the belt of next-generation access deployment. The
hardened construction, small form factor and energy efficient design combined with the ability to
utilize existing infrastructure makes this the most robust and economical solution on the market today
for MDU and FTTx applications."

The Total Access 1108VP is currently shipping and is deployed in multiple live networks.
http://www.adtran.com

Read More

PAETEC Completes Acquisition of Cavalier Telephone

PAETEC Holding Corp. has completed its previously-announced acquisition of privately-owned Cavalier Telephone. The deal, which was valued at $460 million at the time it was announced in September 2010, makes PAETEC one of the largest competitive local communication service providers in the United States.


The acquisition includes Cavalier's wholly owned subsidiary, Intellifiber Networks, which operates a high capacity fiber network spanning approximately 16,600 route miles and representing over $2 billion of investment by companies Cavalier acquired over the last decade. The expansive 11,947 route-mile intercity network spans the Midwest and Eastern U.S., as well as 4,681 route miles throughout several existing PAETEC metro areas, allowing for broad connectivity options for customers.



With this deal complete, PAETEC now has over 10,600 metro fiber-route miles, over 36,700 total fiber-route miles, and 1,178 collocations to support connectivity to enterprise businesses nationwide.


"We are very pleased to close this acquisition of Cavalier Telephone in less than three months from signing the definitive agreement," said Arunas A. Chesonis, PAETEC chairman and CEO. "Over the summer, we developed a dedicated cross-functional M&A team to facilitate the complex merger issues. That team, along with the diligent efforts of our regulatory, legal and financial staff, made this a dramatically quicker process."http://www.paetec.com
http://www.cavtel.com

Read More

Cisco and BMC Team on Cloud Delivery

Cisco and BMC Software are teaming up to develop and market new solutions for large-scale multi-tenant cloud computing infrastructures. The alliance calls for the two companies to align product development roadmaps and technology architectures to offer worldwide customers a complete suite of solutions that simplify and automate the delivery of cloud services.


As part of the alliance, Cisco and BMC announced the availability of a new cloud solution, the Integrated Cloud Delivery Platform, that is designed to meet the requirements of service providers and large-scale private cloud computing environments. This new joint solution helps cloud providers easily deploy end-to-end cloud services running on a cloud computing infrastructure that spans data center networks, computing systems, storage and applications.
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.bmcsoftware.com

Read More