MERA Enhances SIP Features in Its Session Controller

MERA Systems announced the availability of SIP registrar functionality in its MVTS Session Controller. The SIP registrar allows dynamic registration of SIP endpointshttp://www.mera-voip.com

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Nortel Announces Optical Projects in China, Philippines

Six power companies spread across China are building a secure optical network using equipment from Nortel to deliver advanced communication services like real-time power control data management, high-speed Internet access and multimedia applications. The deployment will use Nortel's Optical Metro 3500 Multiservice Platforms with Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) and Optical Metro 4150 STM-4 SDH solutions to converge TDM private line and IP broadband data services onto a single infrastructure.



The Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and its subsidiary, Smart Communications (SMART) have also chosen Nortel for an expansion of its domestic DWDM backbone. Under the sixth expansion, PLDT is deploying Nortel Optical Long Haul 1600 and Optical Cross Connect DX systems to light up another wavelength of 10G capacity. PLDT is deploying a number of Optical Metro 4100/4200 systems in different parts of the country. For its metro Manila optical network expansion, SMART is deploying a Nortel Optical Multiservice Edge (OME) 6500 solution complemented by Optical Metro 4150 multiplexers. In a separate project designed to address the evolving capacity requirements of SMART's GSM subscriber base, Nortel will also expand the wireless operator's optical infrastructure to upgrade the Loop6 portion of its metro Manila network. http://www.nortel.com

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NTT Field Tests 100 Mbps MIMO-OFDM Technology

NTT is launching a field test of 100 Mbps wireless technology in the Yokosuka city area, Kanagawa, Japan. NTT Network Innovation Laboratories has developed a system that combines MIMO (multiple input multiple output) and OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) technologies). MIMO uses multiple sets of antennas, both in the transmitter and the receiver. The design uses a space division multiplexing (SDM) technology in order to achieve transmission rates of more than 100 Mbps. http://www.ntt.co.jp

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VSNL and NTT Com Extend VPN Partnership

In partnership with Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL), NTT Communications will extend its MPLS-based Arcstar Global IP-VPN service in India with the opening of its second POP (in Bangalore) by the end of January 2005. The first node was established in Mumbai in May 2004. http://www.ntt.com/

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Nielsen Counts 54.5 Million Broadband Users in Europe

The number of people in Europe surfing the Internet over a broadband connection reached 54.5 million in October 2004 -- an increased of 60% from 34.1 million a year earlier -- according to the latest report from Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of Internet users in Europe (including dial-up) reached 100 million.



In terms of broadband usage, Italy enjoyed the highest growth rate, followed by the UK, France and Switzerland. http://www.netratings.com/

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City Network Announces DSL Modem Deal with China Telecom, China Netcom

Beijing Putian Hexin, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based City Network, obtained ADSL modem supplier agreements with two of China's largest telecommunications companies: China Telecom and China Netcom. City Network, through Beijing Putian Hexin, has already successfully supplied more than 300,000 units of ADSL modems to China Telecom Co. and to China Network Communication Corp. since July 2003, which has generated over US$7 million in total revenues. Beijing Putian Hexin has also shipped over 60,000 ADSL modems to the Hainan Island Provincial Telecom Corporation this past year and has also secured orders from Hainan Telecom for 2005. http://www.citynetwork.com.tw

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MSN Expands its Communications Applications

Microsoft's MSN released a new version of MSN Messenger, updates to MSN Hotmail featuring deeper integration between the services and the introduction of a blogging tool called MSN Spaces -- a dynamic online scrapbook where consumers can share photo albums, personal music lists, etc. The MSN Messenger and MSN Hotmail services will automatically notify online contacts when a person's Space has been updated with new content. http://www.msn.com

• MSN Messenger currently reports more than 145 million active users worldwide each month.

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Alcatel Selected for 3G Trial Network in Beijing

China Netcom selected Alcatel Shanghai Bell to deploy a 3G field trial network in Beijing. The deployment includes Alcatel's end-to-end Evolium UMTS solution based on products from Evolium SAS, Alcatel's joint venture with Fujitsu. This solution includes UMTS Multi-standard Base Stations (Node B), a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and the core network elements. http://www.alcatel.com

• Alcatel deployed a similar 3G trial network with China Telecom earlier in the year.

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BT Selects Nortel for IP Telephony-Based Virtual Contact Centres

BT has selected Nortel to upgrade its contact centre infrastructure that serves more than 500 business units across 124 sites in the UK. The consolidated, converged infrastructure based on Nortel's VoIP call server portfolio will replace BT's existing distributed infrastructure based on a Nortel Meridian 1 PBX telephony system and Meridian MAX call routing technology. BT will also deploy Nortel Communication Server 1000 to five core sites across the UK, providing integrated IP telephony services for its internal contact centre operations. The deployment will include Symposium Call Center Server. In addition, almost 10,000 Nortel 2004 IP phones will be deployed to BT's internal contact centre agents. http://www.nortel.com

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ECI Telecom Invests in Chiaro Networks

ECI Telecom is providing $6 million in financing to Chiaro Networks, a developer of carrier infrastructure-class IP/MPLS routing platforms. ECI will also become the exclusive distributor of Chiaro's Enstara IP/MPLS platform worldwide. ECI also gains an option to acquire the company at a later time.



Chiaro's Enstara IP/MPLS platform is designed to help carriers consolidate multiple existing networks into a single, simpler network. http://www.chiaro.comhttp://www.ecitele.com

• In March 2004, Chiaro announced that the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) selected its "Enstara" router for its DataTAG project, a large-scale intercontinental Grid test bed. CERN is testing the Enstara platform for its ability to provide consistent and sustained ultra reliability for high-performance data replication and guaranteed real-time traffic delivery over long-distance, high-bandwidth connections. Chiaro said its STateful Assured Routing (STAR) technology enables five nines availability with seamless, transparent protection of hardware and software during switchover following failures and maintenance activities, including "hitless" upgrades. Its router features a modular distributed software architecture that provides automatic fault detection and recovery, intelligent fault monitoring and network stability, with software modules added or upgraded as needed.



• In May 2003, Chiaro Networks introduced its network core, multi-chassis, IP routing platform. Chiaro's design leverages a gallium arsenide (GaAs) optical switch fabric for scalability from 10 slots to a multi-chassis with 315 slots. The company claims that the scalability and flexibility provided by its optical backplane, along with network-processor based line-cards, will lead to a 7 to 10 year lifecycle for the platform. Key features of the Chiaro platform include an Optical Phased Array (OPA) switch fabric coupled with a Global Scheduler providing a single-hop optical crossbar architecture.



• Chiaro has secured $210 million to date from backers such as Intel Capital, Siemens Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds, and STAR Ventures.



• Chiaro Networks is based in Richardson, Texas. The company is headed by Ken Lewis, who previously served as Alcatel's senior vice-president of strategic planning and senior vice-president of the Transmission Products division. Chiaro was founded by Dr. Eyal Shekel, who formerly served as a project manager in the Space and Imaging division of EL-OP Electro-optical Industries in Israel.

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Voiceglo Reports 2.7 million VoIP Users

Voiceglo has reached more than 2.7 million users of its proprietary, peer-to-peer Internet phone application -- GloPhone. The GloPhone was first offered to consumers in February 2004 and in October 2004 they company reported 1.8 million users.



Voiceglo said nearly sixty percent of its users coming from international markets. http://www.glophone.com

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America Online Launches Consumer Voice Conferencing

America Online launched a consumer version of its AIM Voice Conferencing service (AVC) -- a presence-enabled group calling service that AOL likens to a "party line." Up to 15 people can participate in the multi-party phone call using the AIM Buddy List. AVC calls are conducted over regular telephone lines, and there are no dial-ins or PIN numbers to remember. The service uses Lightbridge's GroupTalk dial-out conferencing technology, which places toll-free calls directly to participants on either landlines or mobile phones.



The service launches with a promotional offer for 500 free AVC minutes for new AVC users. AIM Voice Conferencing minutes ("AVC minutes") are counted on a 'per minute, per user' basis in which the total number of minutes spent on the call is multiplied by the number of call participants. Rates for AVC minutes thereafter are charged at $0.15 each (per minute, per user) and are purchased in advance in increments of $20, $50 or $100. Depending on their service agreement, users who receive AVC calls on mobile devices may incur charges from their mobile service provider. http://www.aim.com

• The AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service is currently handling nearly two billion instant messages each day.

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Freescale Completes Spin-off from Motorola

Freescale Semiconductor completed its spin-off from Motorola and is now the third-largest U.S. semiconductor company. Motorola shareholders received .110415 of a share of Freescale Class B common stock for each outstanding share of Motorola common stock they owned as of Nov. 26, 2004. http://www.freescale.com

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Intel Increases Q4 Guidance

Intel raised its Q4 financial expectations to be between $9.3 billion and $9.5 billion, higher than the previous range of $8.6 billion to $9.2 billion, driven by strong worldwide demand for the company's Intel Architecture products. The fourth-quarter gross margin percentage is expected to be between 55 percent and 57 percent, as compared to the previous expectation of 56 percent, plus or minus a couple of points, and is expected to be in the upper half of the revised range. Intel continues to make progress on inventory reduction and expectshttp://www.intel.com

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MCI Offers Enhanced Smart Backup Service

MCI introduced a new fully managed data protection service to help companies strengthen their business continuity efforts. The new Enhanced Smart Backup service enables companies hosting with MCI to more easily and rapidly restore data in the event of anything from simple data loss to major disasters. The disk-to-disk backup service, which uses technology from Avamar, provides an alternative to traditional tape-based backup solutions. http://www.mci.com/

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Alcatel Selected for Telecom Network in Bhutan

Alcatel was awarded a turnkey contract for implementing a rural telecommunications network in Bhutan. The project, to be implemented before the end of 2006, will use microwave links and an Alcatel NGN softswitch to connect remote areas of the country, with some locations situated at elevation of up to 4,700 meters in the Himalayas. Some of the sites are situated 3-4 days walking distance from the nearest road. Each subscriber will be equipped with a solar cell, a telephone set and a small antenna able to receive data from a central radio base station in the village. Most of the sites will be powered by solar power.



The project is funded by DANIDA, the Danish development aid agency. The contract is valued at EUR 16 million. http://www.alcatel.com

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UPC and Cisco Test Cable Speeds of up to 30 Mbps

UPC Nederland has launched a field trial of cable Internet services with download speeds of 30 Mbps and uploads of 1 Mbps. The trial involves 300 subscribers in the town of Almere. Next year UPC aims to run a trial in Amsterdam with speeds as high as 50 Mbps. UPC is using Cisco Systems' CMTS equipped with Broadband Processing Engine (BPE). The platform is EUR-DOCSIS 2.0 compliant and PacketCable 1.1 qualified. http://www.cisco.com

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Cingular Forecasts Better Synergy from AT&T Wireless Acquisition

Cingular Wireless increased its financial guidance in the wake of closing the acquisition of AT&T Wireless. Key integration activities have been completed ahead of schedule. Cingular now expects to realize substantially increased operating synergies and reduced accounting impacts compared with the outlook it provided when the acquisition agreement was announced in February.



As a result, SBC, which owns 60% of Cingular, expects the AT&T Wireless acquisition to have significantly improved impacts on 2005-2007 earnings than earlier forecast. SBC also expects that excluding accounting costs, the acquisition will be earnings positive starting in 2006 - one year earlier than forecast in February. http://www.cingular.com

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PowerDsine One-Port Power over Ethernet Midspan

PowerDsine introduced a one-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) hub designed for remote powering of wireless LAN access points and other low-port density deployments. The PoE midspan eliminates the need for an external power supply and provides remote powering to 802.3af-compliant end-devices, as well as to pre-standard devices. The list price is $59. http://www.powerdsine.com

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Telatinos Raises $20 Million for Latin America VoIP

Telatinos announced $20 million in private equity financing for its launch of VoIP services in Latin America. Miami-based Telatinos recently launched a joint venture in Colombia with local ISPs InterplaNet Medellin, GeoNet Ltda., and Colomsat SA. http://www.telatinos.com

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