EU Probes Non-Compete Agreement of Telefónica and PT

The European Commission opened an investigation into an agreement between Telefónica and Portugal Telecom not to compete on the Iberian telecommunications markets concluded in the context of Telefónica's 2010 acquisition of sole control over the Brazilian mobile operator Vivo, previously jointly owned by the two Iberian telecoms incumbents. The Brazilian deal itself is not affected by the investigation.
http://www.europa.eu

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Huawei Files Patent Lawsuit Against Motorola

Huawei Technologies has asked a U.S. District Court to block Motorola from transferring certain intellectual property (IP) to Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), which is in the final stages of acquiring MMotorola's wireless network business.


Huawei and Motorola had been partners in radio access network and core network busines since 2000 and Motorola has resold Huawei wireless network products to customers under the Motorola name. Huawei said during this period, Motorola was provided with products and confidential Huawei intellectual property. Huawei is now seeking to prevent this intellectual property from being transferred to NSN.
http://www.huawei.com

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Mindspeed Posts Revenue of $40.5 million

Mindspeed Technologies reported net revenue of $40.5 million. Excluding patent sales of $2.5 million, product revenue was $38.0 million, a sequential decline of 15 percent from product revenue of $44.8 million in the prior fiscal quarter and an increase of 3 percent from product revenue of $37.0 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2010.



Product revenue from communications convergence processing solutions contributed 44 percent of fiscal first quarter of 2011 product revenue and decreased 12 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter and increased year-over-year by 19 percent. Product revenue from high-performance analog products represented 37 percent of product revenue and decreased 5 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter and increased year-over-year by 22 percent. Wide area networking communications product revenue contributed the remaining 19 percent of fiscal first quarter of 2011 product revenue and decreased 33 percent sequentially from the prior fiscal quarter, as well as decreased 36 percent year-over-year.
http://investors.mindspeed.com/

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PMC-Sierra's Forward Error Correction for 40G/100G OTN Offers 35% Greater Reach

PMC-Sierra announced new Forward Error Correction (FEC) technology that delivers greater optical reach on 40G and 100G Optical Transport Network (OTN) deployments. PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC delivers the industry's highest Net Effective Coding Gain (NECG) of 9.45dB, enabling 35 percent greater optical reach than other competing hard FEC technologies based on the seven percent overhead specified in the ITU G.709 standard.



PMC-Sierra said its Swizzle FEC compensates for optical impairments in 40G and 100G OTN links, correcting up to four times as many errors as competitive solutions, maximizing optical spans over the existing fiber infrastructure. Specifically, PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC delivers 9.45dB of Net Effective Coding Gain within the lowest OTN overhead of 6.7 percent specified in the ITU G.709 standard, nearly reaching the theoretical maximum defined by the Shannon Limit. For longhaul deployments, the Swizzle FEC architecture delivers 10dB or higher NECG for OTN overhead configurations of greater than the 6.7 percent.



The Swizzle FEC platform is available for demonstration and evaluation.



"Capital spending remains a barrier to entry for mass deployment of 40G and 100G OTN technology," said Babak Samimi, director of marketing of PMC-Sierra's Communication Products Division. "Our Swizzle FEC technology will be a significant contributor in driving the economic viability of 40G and 100G OTN deployments. By maximizing optical reach and reducing the number of optical regenerators required, operators can cost-effectively transition to scalable OTN transport networks."



A whitepaper on PMC-Sierra's Swizzle FEC technology is available on the company's website.http://www.pmc-sierra.com

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6WIND and NetLogic Expand Collaboration

NetLogic Microsystems and 6WIND, which supplies packet processing software for networking gear, expanded their collaboration to deliver high-performance solutions for next-generation telecom infrastructure, networking equipment and security appliances. At the upcoming Mobile World Congress, 6WIND will introduce support for NetLogic Microsystems' XLP832 multi-core communications processor.



The XLP832 processor is designed for next-generation networking applications such as security appliances, Layer 4 through Layer 7 switching, storage networking, 3G/4G wireless and small business networks that require extremely high levels of system performance.http://www.netlogic.com http://www.6wind.com/

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Extreme Networks Develops M-LAG Direct Attach Architecture

Extreme Networks introduced an "M-LAG Direct Attach" architecture aimed at scaling networks with highly virtualized clouds, increasing performance and eliminating Spanning Tree designs.



Extreme Networks is combining its Direct Attach Virtual Machine (VM) switching with Multi-System Link Aggregation (M-LAG) to enable the new M-LAG Direct Attach architecture that addresses high-performance switching for virtualized environments. The goal is to significantly simplify network design VM mobility by eliminating Spanning Tree protocol.

The new capabilities are delivered in ExtremeXOS version 12.5, which includes software-loadable support for Direct Attach architecture, network-level support of Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregator (VEPA), and M-LAG across BlackDiamond modular switches and Summit fixed stackable switches. Extreme Networks Direct Attach architecture enables the removal of virtual switches from the network.

"Integrating the M-LAG Direct Attach architecture with Extreme Networks' data center portfolio serves as an important evolution of our Four Pillar data center strategy for migrating networks from physical to virtual to cloud," said Shehzad Merchant, senior director of strategy for Extreme Networks. "For the majority of virtualized data center architectures, the M-LAG Direct Attach architecture eliminates the drawbacks of Spanning Tree while providing the benefits of TRILL (Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links) without having complete disruption to the network and enormous capital expense." http://www.extremenetworks.com

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Vitesse's "Tiger" Carrier Ethernet Switching Engine Packs Layer-3 and MPLS

Vitesse Semiconductor is launching a new "Tiger" silicon switching chip that includes scalable Layer-3 (L3) routing and MPLS switching support. Target applications include scalable service and backhaul aggregation, cloud computing, video, smart-grid, IPTV, IP routing, optical line termination and gateway applications.



The new Tiger chip, which complements Vitesse's previously announced Jaguar, LynX, and Caracal switch engine solutions for Carrier access and mobile edge applications, includes a 100G bi-directional advanced packet processing engine, which supports IPv4/v6 L3 routing, MPLS switching, advanced multicasting and tunneling protocols. This functionality enables delivery of Layer-2 (L2) and L3 VPN services over a Carrier network. Tiger also offers hierarchical Quality of Service (HQoS), as well as scalable, flexible forwarding and routing profile management for different applications. This provides a lower power and more cost effective alternative to NPUs for scalable network equipment design.



Tiger offers as many as 48 1-Gbps ports and eight 10G ports, which can be configured as 48 x 1G + 4 x 10G or 8 x 10G or other combinations. With its optional external SRAM and TCAM, the switch engine supports up to a million MPLS labels and IP routes. The flexible port configurations and advanced IP/MPLS features allows customers to get more reuse and higher return on their investment. Providing a service oriented architecture scalable from low end to high end, Vitesse makes software development simpler and less costly to maintain for its customers.



"Service provider and Enterprise applications demand scalable Layer-2 and Layer-3 service creation and service management capabilities in the aggregation network with strong hierarchical QoS features in order to offer multi-service IPTV, Voice Over IP, and multi-tiered VPN services," said Jag Bolaria, senior analyst at the Linley Group. "Vitesse continues to specifically address important service provider needs with its Ethernet Switching product line. We are excited to see highly integrated, high-volume IC solutions such as Tiger that address these needs."http://www.vitesse.com

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Bharti Airtel Makes its 3G Debut

bharti airtel, India's largest telecommunications company, launched its first 3G service in Karnataka -- its largest telecom circle Airtel is targeting to launch in all 13 3G license circles by March 2011.



airtel's 3G services, delivered over an HSPA network, offer personalised data usage limits. airtel 3G customers will be empowered to manage their 3G data usage alert and prevent bill shock with proactive, personalized and timely data usage alerts.



"It is indeed the start of a new era when 3G services in India roll out on airtel's network. World over ‘Data traffic' on the back of high speed internet and use of social networking has already exceeded the ‘Voice traffic'. India is ushering in the domain - though later than most of the world - but no doubt we will catch up at a much faster speed. 3G is much more than a technology migration - it is a transformational shift - and airtel's focus would be to bring to its customers an enriched user experience on the back of a world class delivery network. I welcome all 745 million mobile customers of the country to be a part of this journey with airtel!," stated Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, CEO - bharti airtelhttp://www.airtel.com

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China Unicom and Telefónica Strengthen Partnership

China Unicom and Telefónica will deepen their cooperation by investing the equivalent of US$500 million in the other party through the purchase of each party's shares. China Unicom will raise its interest through the acquisition of 21,827,499 Telefónica shares at an agreed value of 17.16 Euros per share. In turn, Telefonica will buy from third parties the China Unicom shares to be completed within the next 9 months.



Once completed, Telefónica will increase its interest in China Unicom to around 9.7%, assuming current share prices, and China Unicom will have a 1.37% stake in Telefónica .



The companies also agreed to collaborate in areas such as procurement, mobile service platforms, service to MNCs, wholesale carriers, roaming, technology, among others, where both companies have been cooperating since the signature of their Strategic Alliance Agreement.



Telefónica's Chairman Mr. Cesar Alierta emphasized that, "We are very pleased to further strengthen our relationship with China Unicom. With a combined customer base of 590 million accesses, approximately 10% of the world's population, this new step in our strategic alliance reinforces our leadership position and provides us with an exceptional springboard to continue to compete globally in the best conditions ever and jointly lead the new digital world, benefiting both our shareholders and customers."



Separately, China Unicom reported operational statistics. It ended 2010 with 153.366 million 2G subscribers, 14 million 3G subscribers and 47 million wireline broadband subscribers.


http://www.telefonica.com http://www.china-unicom.com

• In 2009, China Unicom and Telefonica invested US$1 billion in the other party's shares and entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement.

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City of Curitiba Gets LTE-Connected Bus Information

The city of Curitiba in southern Brazil is the first in the world to implement a new LTE-based public transportation solution. Mobile broadband is being used to track the movement of public buses throughout the city. Curitiba's 3.2 million citizens can benefit from the Electronic Ticketing and Fleet Management Systems solution, which provides a wide range of information about the city's bus fleet.
http://www.ericsson.com/news/110117_buses_in_brazil_244188811_c

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Verizon Changes Accounting for Pensions Resulting in $600M Charge

Verizon Communications adopted a new method of accounting for pensions and other post-employment benefits that recognizes gains and losses in the year they are incurred, rather than amortizing them over time. Under the new method, annual adjustments will be made to reflect actual return on pension plan assets, changes in discount rates and differences from other actuarial assumptions. The impact of this accounting change will result in cumulative pre-tax charges of $600 million for full-year 2010. Verizon said there is no impact on cash flow or pension funding requirements as a result of this change, and there is no change to its pension obligations.
http://www.verizon.com

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China Mobile Added 61.7 Million Subscribers in 2010

China Mobile ended 2010 with 584,017,000 subscribers, up by 61,734,000 for the year. This compares to 522,283,000 subscribers on 31-Dec-2009. For 2009, China Mobile added 65,033,000 subscribers.
http://www.chinamobileltd.com

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Ericsson Case Study: Telstra's Optical Transport Network

Telstra's network spans Australia with some 35,000 optical SDH transport elements carrying all traffic types from the access to the core, according to a newly published customer case study from Ericsson. Telstra also operates over 28.000 km of next generation DWDM equipment (Ericsson's MHL3000) connecting all major centers with scalability from 10Gbs to 40Gbs per channel.http://www.ericsson.com/article/telstra_1595655399_c

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Kazakhtelecom Deploys GPON with Alcatel-Lucent

Kazakhtelecom is upgrading its existing DSL network with GPON in the capital city of Astana. Kazakhtelecom will use the new network to provide advanced broadband services such as IPTV, video on demand (VoD) and high-speed Internet access to residential and business customers. Alcatel-Lucent has deployed its GPON-based 7342 Intelligent Services Access Manager Fiber-to-the-User (ISAM FTTU), the related 5520 Access Management System (AMS), as well as a series of indoor and multi-dwelling unit (MDU) optical network terminals (ONTs) - which are located at end-users' premises and convert optical signals back into electrical voice, video or data. Alcatel-Lucent also provided Kazakhtelecom with its comprehensive professional services expertise - including civil works, installation, integration, testing, commissioning, maintenance as well as training.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com http://www.telecom.kz

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Satellite Broadband Ireland to Offer Tooway via KA-SAT

Satellite Broadband Ireland (SBI) will sell broadband services delivered by Eutelsat's KA-SAT under a 3-year contract. Eutelsat's Tooway satellite broadband service offers download speeds of up to 10 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 4 Mbps. SBI will start to deliver the service in Ireland and plans to expand across Europe.



Eutelsat's KA-SAT satellite was launched in December 2010 and is on track to enter into full commercial service in May 2011. KA-SAT's approach is based on next-generation two-way wireless Ka-band spotbeam technology.



"To build an inclusive digital environment in Ireland, it is vital that broadband is accessible to as many of the 367,000 rural homes as possible," said Kevin Ryan, SBI Chief Executive. "As a result of this partnership with Eutelsat, our customers will be guaranteed access to the fastest and most reliable satellite broadband service at the lowest possible price, with all packages competitively priced." Ryan continued by stating that "We are the only satellite data provider in Ireland giving an Irish IP address as standard, which is vital for accessing websites such as RTE iPlayer. This unique contract also consolidates SBI's position as the premier provider of satellite broadband services to homes and businesses in Ireland and, along with an additional EUR1m investment in our own services and facilities, will allow us to expand into additional territories across Europe, such as the UK."http://www.satellitebroadbandireland.iehttp://www.eutelsat.com

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NTT Proposes Lower Optical Subscriber Line Interconnection Charges

NTT applied to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for authorization to change its interconnection charges for optical subscriber lines. Interconnection charges have been calculated based on the interconnection accounting of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. NTT East and NTT West are both proposing fee reductions over the coming years.http://www.ntt.co.jp

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Telstra Appoints Two Executives

Telstra announced the appointment of two new executives.


Brendon Riley has been appointed Chief Operations Officer, replacing Michael Rocca. Riley comes to Telstra from IBM, where he served as General Manager, Northeast Europe.


Paul Fegan has been appointed Group Managing Director of a new business unit, Strategy & Corporate Services, which will bring together strategic and key corporate functions from 1 February 2011. Fegan was previously the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of St. George Bank Limited.
http://www.telstra.com

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Verizon Files Appeal of FCC Net Neutrality Order

Verizon Communications is challenging the Federal Communications Commission's Report and Order on rules dealing with the issue of net neutrality. The company has filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.


"Verizon has long been committed to preserving an open Internet and meeting the needs of our customers. We have worked extensively with all players in the Internet and communications space to shape policies that ensure an open Internet and encourage investment, innovation and collaboration with content providers and others to meet the needs of consumers. Today's filing is the result of a careful review of the FCC's order. We are deeply concerned by the FCC's assertion of broad authority for sweeping new regulation of broadband networks and the Internet itself. We believe this assertion of authority goes well beyond any authority provided by Congress, and creates uncertainty for the communications industry, innovators, investors and consumers." http://www.verizon.com

• On 21-December-2010, The FCC approved new rules governing the management of Internet traffic, with the three Democrats on the commission voting in favor of the measure and the two Republicans voting against.
  
  
  Key elements of the new Order include:
  
  
  Rule 1: Transparency -- A person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service shall publicly disclose accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for consumers to make informed choices regarding use of such services and for content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.
  
  
  Rule 2: No Blocking -- A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices, subject to reasonable network management. A person engaged in the provision of mobile broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not block consumers from accessing lawful websites, subject to reasonable network management; nor shall such person block applications that compete with the provider's voice or video telephony services, subject to reasonable network
  
  
  Rule 3: No Unreasonable Discrimination -- A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic over a consumer's broadband Internet access service. Reasonable network management shall not constitute unreasonable discrimination.
  
  
  Significantly, "reasonable network management" is defined as follows: "A network management practice is reasonable if it is appropriate and tailored to achieving a legitimate network management purpose, taking into account the particular network architecture and technology of the broadband Internet access service. Legitimate network management purposes include: ensuring network security and integrity, including by addressing traffic that is harmful to the network; addressing traffic that is unwanted by users (including by premise operators), such as by providing services or capabilities consistent with a user's choices regarding parental controls or security capabilities; and by reducing or mitigating the effects of congestion on the network."
  
  
  The FCC rules go on to say that "Pay for Priority" delivery of packets on wireline broadband networks is likely to run afoul of the "no unreasonable discrimination" clause because it would represent a significant departure from current practices.
  
  
  Mobile broadband is largely exempt from the "reasonable network management" clause, as the document acknowledges that this market is an earlier-stage platform than fixed broadband, and it is rapidly evolving.

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Amazon to Acquire LOVEFiLM

Amazon.com agreed to acquire the remaining shares in LOVEFiLM International,
a European subscription entertainment service offering movies and games rental-by-post as well as streaming films and TV shows instantly over the Internet. LOVEFILM operates in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Amazon already has a significant minority shareholding in the company.
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.lovefilm.com

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EU Spent EUR 1.8 Billion for Broadband Projects in 2010

In 2010, the European Commission authorized over EUR 1.8 billion of public funds for broadband development. The public funds are aimed to ensure that all citizens have access to high speed Internet access in the European Union, including in rural or remote areas.



Commission Vice-President in charge of competition policy Joaqu�n Almunia commented: "Smart investments into high and very high speed broadband infrastructures are crucial to create jobs, increase economic performance and to unlock the competitive potential of the EU in the long term. The Commission is committed to help EU countries to accelerate private and public investments in this sector."http://www.europa.eu

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