Ericsson to Host Napster Mobile for O2 UK

Ericsson will provide integration and hosting of Napster Mobile for O2 UK, enabling customers of the mobile network to search, browse, preview and purchase full-length tracks from Napster's catalog of over 5 million tracks and play them on their mobile handsets and PCs.


Under the hosting agreement Ericsson's responsibilities include systems integration, operations, maintenance and content management of the Napster Mobile service for O2 UK. Hosting is a part of Ericsson's Managed Services offering. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.ericsson.com

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Actelis Supplies its EFM Platform to Cyberlink

Cyberlink, a leading Swiss-based Internet Service Provider (ISP), has deployed Actelis Networks' ML2300 flagship Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) aggregation platform to offer new Ethernet/IP-based voice, video and hosted data services to business customers in metropolitan areas throughout Switzerland.


The Actelis' ML2300 serves as a central office aggregation platform and can connect via high-speed links to multiple Actelis ML600 Ethernet Access Devices (EADs) in the field. A number of ML2300 shelves can be stacked in a star or ring topology to provide flexible network designs and higher port density per uplink. Actelis' EFMplus technology employs digital signal processing techniques and link level dynamic spectral management (DSM) to create reliable, high-performance Ethernet that are complementary to the legacy services already deployed in the copper network.http://www.actelis.com

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PCTEL Acquires Bluewave Product Line

PCTEL, which specializes in propagation and optimization solutions for the wireless industry, has acquired the antenna product lines of Bluewave Antenna Systems, a privately-held, Canadian company. Bluewave Antenna Systems designs, manufactures, and distributes rugged antennas for harsh conditions, targeting manufacturing process control in the energy and utility industries and communication systems in extreme environments. PCTEL will assume the design and final assembly of the three major product lines at its Bloomingdale facility. PCTEL paid $3.9 million in cash for the product lines and associated technology.
http://www.pctel.com

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MobileAccess Opens in Dubai

MobileAccess, which specializes in in-building wireless solutions, launched its Middle Eastern operations with a local office presence in Dubai. MobileAccess is based in Vienna, Virginia.


MobileAccess offers a modular, multi-service wireless platform that provides simultaneous coverage for mobile services such as GSM, DCS-1800 and UMTS, in addition to WLAN and Mobile WiMAX services.
http://www.mobileaccess.com

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Verizon and Pando Discuss P2P Traffic Experiment

Verizon will begin using a peer-to-peer (P2P) file transfer system from Pando Networks to aid with the distribution of large media files to its broadband users. When deployed, the new system will move material authorized by the content owners -- such as movies, TV programs, software or large data bases -- faster for consumers and more efficiently for network operators, including Verizon.


Verizon said it no longer regarded P2P as a "dark-alley distribution system for unauthorized file sharing.


The new system and tests were described in a presentation Friday (March 14) in New York by Douglas Pasko, Verizon senior technologist and co-chair of the P4P Working Group, and co-chair Laird Popkin of Pando Networks. The group is sponsored the Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA). Yale University software experts worked on and monitored the project.


"The results of the testing have been phenomenal," said Pasko. "Customer and network benefits were seen as soon as the test began. This new system, which routes files along the fastest, least expensive path, offers our FiOS customers P2P downloads up to six times faster than networks without the overlay, the study showed. On average, download speeds using other Internet access technologies improve by about 60 percent."


According to Pasko, the end result of the experiment and ultimate implementation could be "carrier-grade P2P," once focused routing and handling replace arbitrary delivery paths. The system could cut P2P network delivery costs for participating network companies by as much as 50 percent.http://www.verizon.comhttp://www.pandonetworks.com/

• In February 2008, Pando announced NBC as its latest content customer.



• Pando is funded by Intel Capital, BRM Capital and Wheatley Partners.

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TeliaSonera to Upgrade Swedish Network with Fiber, VDSL2

TeliaSonera Sweden launched one of the largest infrastructure projects in the company's history. Over the next 5 years, TeliaSonera expects to upgrade between 1.5 to 2 million households across Sweden using either direct fiber connections for 100 Mbps services or VDSL2 copper connections for 30 ~ 70 Mbps services. The network will be upgraded selectively and based mainly on the customer structure. In some cases, Telia might collaborate with external parties, such as municipalities, building owners and housing co-operatives.


"We want to ensure high quality and a high level of service in our network and also secure future revenues. We are on our way to entering a new world. We must dare make investments and we have to start now," says Erik Hallberg, Head of Broadband Services at TeliaSonera Sweden.http://www.teliasonera.com

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AudioCodes Media Gateways Deployed by Global Crossing

Global Crossing has selected the AudioCodes Mediant 3000, Mediant 2000 and Mediant 1000 digital VoIP Media Gateways and MediaPack analog VoIP Media Gateways as trunking and enterprise access gateways in Latin America.


Global Crossing is providing telephony services to enterprises and carrier peering and has deployed the Mediant 3000 and Mediant 2000 for trunking applications to connect its VoIP network with internal and peering PSTN networks. Audiocodes said its gateway platforms provide the flexibility to be controlled by a third party softswitch using MEGACO call control. In addition, Global Crossing is using the Mediant 3000 for enterprise aggregation, whereby multiple enterprises are connected via TDM trunks to the Mediant 3000, which in turn provides SIP interworking towards the IP backbone.


The Mediant 1000 and MediaPack gateways are deployed within enterprises and connect legacy PBXs via SIP trunks to the Global Crossing VoIP network. The Mediant 1000 and MediaPack gateways provide extensive interoperability with multiple vendor PBXs, making them a natural choice for this enterprise SIP trunking application.
http://www.audiocodes.comhttp://www.globalcrossing.com

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Bulgaria's Spectrum Net Selects Juniper for Ethernet Services

Spectrum Net AD., one of the largest telecommunications providers in Bulgaria, is deploying Juniper Networks MX960 and MX480 Ethernet Services Routers (Ears) at the core and edge of its new high-capacity Carrier Ethernet infrastructure. Spectrum Net is building the new infrastructure to accelerate the introduction of IP/MPLS-based services for businesses throughout the country, and to maintain high-speed links with international Points of Presence (PoPs). System integration has been handled by Juniper's local partner Smartcom Bulgaria. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.juniper.net

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Ericsson to Supply IPTV for Greece's OTE

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) has selected Ericsson to act as end-to-end IPTV systems integrator, solution provider and business consultant. The integrated IPTV solution for OTE comprises of headend systems from Tandberg Television, part of the Ericsson group, middleware application, content distribution platform and a customized and flexible consumer portal. The solution will also involve complete implementation and integration of tools for operational management. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.ericsson.comhttp://www.ote.gr/

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Ericsson to Delist Shares from the London Stock Exchange

Ericsson has decided to delist its series B shares from the London Stock Exchange (LSE), where they have been traded since 1960. In recent years, trading in the company's series B shares on the LSE has corresponded to less than 1 percent of the total trade in the company's series B shares, which in Ericsson's view does not justify the costs of maintaining the listing.


Following the delisting, all trading in the Ericsson series B shares will be concentrated to OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and Nasdaq. The Ericsson shares have previously been delisted from the stock exchanges in Paris and Zürich as well as three German exchanges.http://www.ericsson.com

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Saudi Arabia's Mobily Outsources Network Operations to Ericsson

Mobily, a Saudi Arabian mobile operator, a member of the Etisalat Group, awarded a 3-year multivendor, managed services agreement to Ericsson. Under the deal, Ericsson will be responsible for network operations, field operations and optimization as well as the spare parts management. The agreement also makes Ericsson responsible for site maintenance of Mobily's entire multi-vendor network. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.ericsson.com

• In November 2007, Huawei announced a contract to construct Mobily's nationwide IP bearer network in Saudi Arabia.

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Alcatel-Lucent Supplies Submarine Cable for Equatorial Guinea

The Government of Equatorial Guinea selected Alcatel-Lucent to roll out a new, domestic submarine cable network connecting the cities of Malabo, on the northern coast of the Bioko island, to Bata, on the African continent. This new cable network, which is scheduled for completion at the end of first quarter 2009, will span 280 km delivering an ultimate capacity of 80 Gbps. Additionally, it will interconnect with existing and future cable routes.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Sonus Updates its IMS Core Architecture

Sonus Networks has enhanced its IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core architecture with upgrades to its SRX Call Session Control Function and HSX Home Subscriber Server and bringing the platform into compliance with 3GPP Release 7 specifications. The SRX serves as an authentication engine that tells the network which services belong on any given session. Sonus' SRX 2.0 is built on the open-source Linux operating system and Service Availability Forum based middleware.http://www.sonusnet.com

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Broadcom Sees Growth in DOCSIS Downstream Channel Bonded Services

Broadcom has shipped more than one million units of its channel bonding cable modem silicon for downstream channel bonding cable modems. Compatible with existing DOCSIS 2.0 and next generation cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment, Broadcom cable modem silicon delivers downstream data rates of up to 150 Mbps and enables multiple service operators (MSOs) to deploy downstream channel bonding functionality immediately.


Broadcom said channel bonding is often cited as the most significant feature of next generation DOCSIS 3.0 products. Whereas DOCSIS2.0 products are limited to single downstream and upstream channels, next generation products will use channel bonding to combine the bandwidth of several DOCSIS channels to significantly increase data rates.
http://www.broadcom.com

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Comcast Conducts 100G Live Trial with Nortel

Comcast will conduct a test of Nortel's 100 Gbps line rate optical transmission solution at the 71st meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) conference, which it is hosting this week in Philadelphia.


The 100G solution runs over Comcast's existing fiber network. The test network is comprised of Comcast's existing Common Photonic Layer DWDM solution with 50GHz enhanced Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (eROADM) and photonic components, augmented with prototype 100G interfaces installed in Nortel's Optical Multiservice Edge 6500. The 100G cards utilize Nortel's 40G/100G Adaptive Optical Engine, with integrated dispersion compensation and dual-polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation, the same technology used in Nortel's present 40G solution. The 100G trial runs from Philadelphia to McLean (Virginia), traversing Comcast's metro and long-haul fibers.


The companies said Comcast's network trial will be first time real traffic is run over a 100G wavelength on its existing network. The network also carrying live 10G and 40G links. The trial will run in parallel over the same optical infrastructure that supports a combination of high definition or HD video, Internet and voice traffic on Comcast's 40G national backbone network.


"Testing an interoperable multi-vendor 100G solution will help provide us with important information about how new solutions will support a next generation of high bandwidth services for the digital generation of consumers," said John Schanz, EVP National Engineering and Technical Operations for Comcast.http://www.nortel.comhttp://www.comcast.com

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Force10 Appoints VP of Worldwide Systems Engineering

Force10 Networks named Frank Kilpatrick vice president of worldwide systems engineering and Andrew Stewart vice president of worldwide channel operations. Previously. Kilpatrick was vice president of U.S. enterprise systems engineering at Juniper Networks. Earlier at Extreme Networks, he served as the worldwide director of systems engineering sales. Frank also held senior level engineering and customer service management positions with Foundry Networks, Jetstream Communications and 3Com.


Prior to joining Force10, Stewart managed sales operations, field marketing and inside sales programs as vice president of worldwide operations for NeoScale Systems. Earlier, he was director of EMEA indirect channel sales at Computer Associates, where he focused on developing partner relationships in key markets. http://www.force10networks.com

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Nortel Introduces 40G/100G Adaptive Optical Engine

Nortel introduced its 40G/100G Adaptive Optical Engine for enabling both 40Gbps and 100Gbps transmission over existing fiber infrastructures.


The foundation of the Nortel 40G/100G Adaptive Optical Engine relies on several innovations. Nortel said Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying modulation with coherent detection enables 40G transmission over a cost-effective 10G network design, and provides similar benefits even for 100G transmission. The solution also employs advanced digital signal processing that removes all compensation requirements from the network, along with their associated capital and operational expenditures.


Nortel said its approach allows upgrades from existing 10G networks to a 40G solution through simple plug-and-play technology components. The solution is built on Nortel's Optical Multiservice Edge 6500, which combines next-generation SDH/SONET and metro DWDM capabilities, and Nortel's Common Photonic Layer transport architecture.


Two customers - Denmark's TDC and the UK's Neos Networks - have selected the new Nortel solution and trials with other carriers are currently underway globally.
http://www.nortel.com

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Hong Kong's PCCW Employs Harmonic's H.264 Encoders for HD IPTV

PCCW, the incumbent operator in Hong Kong, has deployed Harmonic's DiviCom Electra 7000 high definition (HD) MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) encoders to power its HD channel service. PCCW also utilizes Harmonic's standard definition (SD) encoders to deliver its full lineup of more than 150 broadcast channels, as well as Harmonic's video-on-demand (VOD) servers and software. Financial terms were not disclosed.


PCCW's IPTV service currently serves over 882,000 subscribers.


Harmonic's multi-service Electra 7000 encoder delivers up to four channels of full resolution video alongside four simultaneous low resolution outputs for applications such as picture-in-picture and multi-channel mosaics.http://www.harmonicinc.com

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Veraz Announces Network-Adaptive Session Border Controllers (SBCs)

Veraz Networks announced the availability of its Network-adaptive Border Controller, a next generation Session Border Controllers (SBC) designed to provide security for multimedia sessions and network interconnections.


The company said that its new Network-adaptive Border Controller overcomes the shortcomings of first generations SBCs, which provided simple interconnection and security between IP networks, required separate management interfaces, did not provide visibility to the other end of the connection, and incurred high operating and management costs. Veraz's Network-adaptive Border Controller reduces OPEX costs by providing centralized management and control of distributed SBCs so that carriers have one routing interface, one billing record, and one source of FCAPs information.


Veraz will offer different scalable hardware configurations, depending on the number of sessions required at each gateway location. Volume production shipments began in Q407, with over 100,000 sessions shipped to date.http://www.veraznetworks.com/

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BigBand Appoints New CFO

BigBand Networks has appointed Maurice "Moe" Castonguay as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Previously, he spent more than 11 years as CFO of multiple publicly-traded high-tech companies, including Xylogics, Inc. (acquired by Bay Networks), Stratus Computer (acquired by Ascend Communications) and MatrixOne, which he led through an initial public offering. He has also served as CFO for a number of private technology companies, including Acopia Networks (recently acquired by F5 Networks) and video-on-demand specialist Broadbus Technologies,(acquired by Motorola,).http://www.www.bigbandnet.com

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