Blu-ray 3D Specification Released

-The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3DTM" specification, offering Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye. The specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes. The association expects the first products to reach the consumer market by mid-2010.


The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.


The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.
http://us.blu-raydisc.com/

• A single-layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 25 gigabytes of data and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 50 gigabytes of data.

Read More

JDSU Expands Carrier Ethernet Field Test Portfolio

JDSU released a new set of Ethernet OAM capabilities that enable technicians to verify Ethernet OAM features in a Carrier Ethernet network. Available for the JDSU T-BERD/MTS 6000A Multi Services Application Module (MSAM), T-BERD/MTS-8000 Transport Module, and HST-3000 Ethernet Service Interface Module (SIM), the new capabilities help carriers meet end-to-end service level agreements (SLAs) and deliver differentiated Ethernet services.


The new features include the addition of link layer OAM (IEEE 802.3ah, Ethernet first mile) and the service layer OAM (IEEE 802.1ag and ITU-T Y.1731) test features. JDSU Ethernet OAM features perform end-to-end testing including verification of connectivity check messages, Ethernet loopback and insertion/receipt of Ethernet AIS/RDI alarming. This helps technicians install and troubleshoot Carrier Ethernet circuits.
http://www.jdsu.com

Read More

Vice President Announces $2 Billion in Broadband Grants

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced $2 billion in Recovery Act grants and loans to bring broadband to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology. The initial $182 million investment is for eighteen broadband projects benefiting seventeen states, and has already been matched by over $46 million in private capital. The projects are to be rolled out over the next 75 days.


The broadband grants in the Recovery Act will total over $2 billion in the next 75 days, and over $7 billion within the next year.


In a statement, the White House said a big focus of the new awards is on the "middle mile" -- the infrastructure that connects the Internet backbone to underserved communities across the nation. The middle mile investments are intended to set the stage for private investors to finish the job, with the so-called "last-mile" connections to homes and businesses.


The National Economic Council also released a new report (pdf) called "Recovery Act Investments in Broadband: Leveraging Federal Dollars to Create Jobs and Connect America". This report outlines the Administration's strategy for using stimulus dollars wisely to get the biggest return on investment, in terms of jobs and exciting new opportunities for Americans.


In rural areas and areas with low population density that are difficult to reach, Recovery Act awards will fund investments in the "last mile" of service. The funding is also targeted at community
institutions that provide critical services in urban and rural areas, including schools, libraries, and hospitals.


Significantly, the report notes that the awards come with requirements for "open interconnection," meaning that grantees must make any infrastructure funded with taxpayer dollars available for interconnection with other networks.


Examples of projects getting funding include:

• North Georgia Network Cooperative will receive a $33.5 million grant to deploy middle-mile infrastructure to eight counties in the impoverished Appalachian region of northern Georgia and North Carolina. The 260-mile fiber optic ring will directly connect 245 community institutions. The ring also includes 2,600 interconnection points that will allow Internet service providers to build out last-mile connections to end users.



• A partnership between ION, a for-profit company based in the capital of Albany, and the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC), a public benefit corporation will receive a grant of $39.7 million -- these entities will develop a regional broadband plan that will immediately connect more than 100 community institutions.



• The Biddeford Internet Corporation, a public-private partnership between service providers and the University of Maine, will receive a $25.4 million Recovery Act grant to construct middle-mile infrastructure across rural Maine.

http://www.whitehouse.gov

Read More

Verizon Tests 10 Gbps XG-PON

Verizon is undertaking field-tests of XG-PON, which can transmit data at 10 Gbps downstream and 2.4 Gbps upstream, four times as fast as the current top transmission speeds supporting the company's all-fiber FiOS network.


The XG-PON signal was tested independently on a dedicated passive optical network (PON) as well as overlaid on a fiber providing FiOS service to a customer. The overlay test verified there was no interference between the XG-PON signal and the regular FiOS signal using gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology and running at 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.24 Gbps upstream. The test was conducted recently in southern Massachusetts. Previously, Verizon tested the XG-PON signal in the company's Waltham laboratory.


The XG-PON trial consisted of a new optical line terminal (OLT) installed in the Verizon central office, generating a 10 Gbps XG-PON signal transmitted over a wavelength, or color of light. Two tests were conducted: One test transmitted the XG-PON signal by itself on a separate PON fiber between the central office and a new optical network terminal (ONT) device at a customer's home. In the other test, the XG-PON stream was merged as a separate wavelength onto an already-operating live fiber running FiOS with GPON at 2.5 Gbps to provide a total downstream flow of 12.5 Gbps. At the customer's house, the XG-PON and GPON signals were received by ONT devices, showing that the network can simultaneously deliver the GPON and XG-PON signals on the same fiber at the two speeds, without any degradation in service.


Verizon said that XG PON could be used to meet the emerging customer demand for a wide variety of devices and applications that require a network capable of transmitting large amounts of data at very high speeds. The devices and applications could include unicast HD video streaming, ultra-high-definition video, 3D video, user-generated content distribution, video conferencing, and new high-speed data services for medium- and large-business customers.


Final technical standards for XG PON aren't expected until mid 2010. These initial tests used XG PON equipment from Huawei Technologies. Verizon plans to test and validate the next generation of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) technologies from various vendors to help accelerate standards activities.


"From the earliest stages of the FiOS design, we knew we could repeatedly and progressively leverage the immense capacity of fiber to carry more and more data in support of customer applications," said Mark Wegleitner, senior vice president of technology for Verizon. "Now we're already working on the best way to take the next leap forward in capacity."http://www.verizon.com

Read More

WiMAX Forum Counts 112 WiMAX Networks Deployed in 2009

Wireless broadband Internet deployments based upon WiMAX have reached 519 in 146 countries, according to new figures released by the WiMAX Forum. This includes 95 WiMAX networks deployed by 2G mobile operators. Of the 519 WiMAX deployments, 112 were added in 2009. The WiMAX ecosystem advanced certification activity with 86 products receiving WiMAX Forum Certified status this year.


"Despite the global economy, WiMAX is going strong in 2009," said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum. "The WiMAX Forum membership has continued to bring WiMAX to new markets, certify devices and keep the spirit of delivering mobile Internet services to people throughout the world. We expect 2010 to bring new innovations to the WiMAX ecosystem with completion of the IEEE 802.16m standard, commercialization of the global roaming program and new WiMAX Forum programs to help bring certified devices to retail channels faster."


On the regulatory front, FDD WiMAX was accepted into the IMT-2000 family of standards and more than 50 companies endorsed the IEEE 802.16m IMT-Advanced candidate proposal for a future-proof roadmap.


To support IMT-Advanced and the WiMAX Forum evolution of its technology roadmap, leading suppliers and operators this year expressed their commitment to build and trial WiMAX Release 2 based on the IEEE 802.16m standard. These ecosystem backers included Alvarion, Beceem, Cisco, Clearwire, Huawei, Intel, KT, Motorola, Samsung, Sequans, UQC, Yota and ZTE. The WiMAX Forum also announced that in 2010 it will finalize its WiMAX Release 2 specification in parallel with IEEE 802.16m and IMT-Advanced, ensuring that WiMAX Release 2 networks and devices will remain backward compatible with legacy WiMAX Release 1 based on IEEE 802.16e.


Some other facts highlighted by the Forum:

• Yota has reached 250,000 active commercial users on its Russian network and has passed the breakeven point, thanks to more than 2,300 subscribers added per day to its WiMAX network.

Clearwire has reached more than 555,000 subscribers; its network covers more than 30 million consumers in 34 markets and has an ARPU of nearly $40.

Malaysia's Packet One Networks, which celebrated its first anniversary of operations this year, has reached 130,000 subscribers.

KT covers more than half of the Korean population, and UQ Communications now covers more than half of Japan's population, offering services to consumers via more than 20 MVNO partners.

Motorola recently announced it shipped its 10,000th WiMAX Access Point and one millionth WiMAX CPE.

In 2008, Huawei achieved a 200 percent increase in WiMAX revenue and expects to achieve that same level of growth by the close of 2009.

Alvarion now supplies more than 260 commercial network deployments in more than 100 countries.

Next year, the WiMAX Forum will publish an updated WiMAX Forum subscriber and POPs forecast in early 2010; begin certification of Mobile WiMAX 2.3 GHz products; launch an Open Retail Certification Program.

The Forum is also planning on completing the WiMAX Forum Release 2 specs based on the new IEEE standard 802.16m. Commercialization and deployment of the WiMAX Forum global roaming program is also expected to occur.

Three WiMAX Forum Congress Series Events are planned in 2010, including Asia Congress in April, Global Congress in June and Americas Congress in December 2010 .

http://www.wimaxforum.org

Read More

Hibernia Atlantic Chooses 3Com's H3C for Ethernet Services

Hibernia Atlantic has selected 3Com's H3C S7500E modular switches to deliver Ethernet services across its transatlantic submarine cable network. Hibernia Atlantic owns and operates a fast, direct connection between North America and the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.
http://www.h3cnetworks.com
http://www.3com.com

Read More

GSMA's Mobile World Congress Books Duran Duran

Duran Duran will headline the Congress Party & Awards Celebration on Tuesday 16 February 2010 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. At the official Congress Party & Awards Celebration at the National Palace in Barcelona, three high-profile awards for the year will be presented, including Best Mobile Handset, the GSMA Chairman's Award and Mobile Industry Personality of the Yearhttp://www.gsmworld.com

Read More

KDDI Expands its Managed Network Services with Virtela

Japan's KDDI will expand its international network reach for enterprise network services to more than 190 countries through an agreement with Virtela. Leveraging Virtela's multi-carrier network, KDDI will offer Japanese enterprises an array of high quality, cost effective choices for global network services and support. Virtela aggregates and integrates local, regional and global networks.


By adding a unique overlay of intelligence that performs optimal routing and automatic failover for customer network traffic, Virtela says its multi-carrier Global Service Fabric gives enterprises an inherently higher performing, more resilient and cost effective alternative than traditional carrier networks. Virtela is the single point of contact for expert design, implementation and 24x7 proactive monitoring and management worldwide.
http://www.virtela.nethttp://www.kddi.com

Read More

m:tel Picks Alcatel-Lucent for Converged IP and Optical

Telekom Srpske a.d. Banja Luka (or m:tel), the main public telecommunications provider in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has selected Alcatel-Lucent for a project that will consolidate its IP and optical networks into a common highly leveraged IP network infrastructure.


Alcatel-Lucent will provide its new Converged Backbone Transformation solution which more tightly integrates IP and optical transport resources, enabling service providers to optimize and leverage their transport networks to deal with the growing demand of bandwidth. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Read More

Tata Teleservices Selects NSN for Mobile Backhaul

Tata Teleservices, one of India's leading private telecom service providers, has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to implement part of its next phase transmission network.


Under the contract, NSN will supply its FlexiHybrid microwave radio to support both legacy Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and IP on a single platform. The contract also includes the FlexiMetro radio for high capacity and improved bandwidth efficiency, as well as FlexiHopper, a cost-optimized, low-capacity microwave radio for connecting base stations. These three mobile backhaul platforms provide fast wireless connections from base stations to the core of the Tata Teleservices network.


Nokia Siemens Networks' will also deploy its NetAct Operations Support Systems platform for the efficient monitoring, management and optimization of the network to ensure high-quality end-user services as well as its NetViewer suite for managing the microwave radio networks. The full turnkey solution includes an array of services such as project management, network planning, installation and commissioning. Nokia Siemens Networks will continue to operate Tata Teleservices' network under an existing Managed Services contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Read More

Huawei and Telefónica O2 UK Demo LTE Speeds of 150 Mbps

Telefónica O2 UK has achieved LTE downlink speeds of 150 Mbps during technology trials conducted with Huawei Technologies.


During the trial, a cell peak downlink rate of 150 Mbps was achieved in the Slough area, the headquarters of O2 in the UK.


Huawei claims to be the first of Telefonica's trial LTE vendors to have successfully implemented a live trial LTE network. Huawei's end-to-end LTE/SAE solution provides an All-IP, high speed, low latency and highly spectrum efficient mobile network, which greatly enhances the experience of mobile multimedia services.


Huawei also noted that it has now deployed 25 LTE/SAE networks with tier one operators located in Europe, North Amercia, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
http://www.huawei.com

Read More

FCC Outlines Framework of National Broadband Plan

Encouragement of competition will be a guiding principle of the FCC's forthcoming National Broadband Plan, which is scheduled for delivery to Congress in February 2010. According to an interim report released this week, the FCC plan may recommend changes in the law in some cases, but those changes are likely to be limited in number.


The interim report focused on policy recommendations in ten key areas: Universal Service, infrastructure access, spectrum, Tribal lands, set-top boxes, consumer information, media, adoption of broadband, accessibility for people with disabilities, and public safety. Other areas that are to be addressed by the plan, including education, energy, health care, civic participation and others, will be addressed further in January.


Some of the proposals being considered for the National Broadband Plan include:


USF -- Cutting inefficient spending in the High-Cost fund to free up funds for broadband while removing barriers to use of E-Rate-funded connections in schools for adoption and community use. Consider a comprehensive overhaul of USF in conjunction with other proceedings, such as intercarrier compensation and special access.


Infrastructure -- Setting uniform and fair rental rate for pole attachments. Adopting rules that reduce costs and increase speed of access to poles, ducts, conduits and rights-of way


Spectrum -- A large, new spectrum allocation is essential to improving broadband competition. Resolve pending proceedings such as Advanced Wireless Services-3 (AWS-3) and Wireless Communications Services (WCS). Apply market forces to all bands while taking into consideration other policy objectives in allocation decisions.

Set-Top Boxes -- Address current shortfalls in implementation of CableCard to help create an open device market. Require video services providers to supply a small, low-cost, network-interface device whose only function is to bridge proprietary network elements with retail navigation devices.
http://www.fcc.govhttp://www.broadband.gov

Read More

Texas A&M University Upgrades with ADVA's FSP 3000

Texas A&M University has installed a new Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) using ADVA Optical Networking's FSP 3000 platform, replacing defunct Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) equipment previously operated by the university. The new DWDM deployment is immediately capable of supporting 40 wavelengths and is expandable to 80 wavelengths. It can support 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps transponders as well as Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) up to 8 degrees when needed.


The MAN includes four nodes deployed in a ring connecting locations on the Texas A&M campus, within the university's data centers and elsewhere within the city. Off the ring, there are two independent spurs reaching other remote offices in the College Station area. Portions of the fiber making up the network are owned by the university while other sections belong to the city of College Station.


Texas A&M's MAN provides voice, video and data transmission in support of the university's administration along with research-related activities on and around the main campus at College Station, Texas. This includes Internet access and core campus applications. It also provides connectivity for partner organizations including local government agencies, school districts and other educational entities associated with the university.
http://www.advaoptical.com
http://www.tamu.edu/

Read More

Vietnam's CMC Selects Alcatel-Lucent for GPON

Vietnam's CMC Telecom Infrastructure Corporation (CMC TI) has selected Alcatel-Lucent for a GPON project to new residential developments and SMEs. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Alcatel-Lucent will deploy its 7342 Intelligent Services Access Manager Fiber-to-the-User (ISAM FTTU), the company's flagship GPON solution for the delivery of ultra-high-speed services to residential and business users. The GPON platform will be complemented by the Alcatel-Lucent 5520 Access Management System (AMS) -- Alcatel-Lucent's next-generation element management system that covers the entire ISAM product portfolio, encompassing DSL as well as fiber-based access.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
http://www.cmc.com.vn

Read More

Bell Labs to Open Research Center in Korea

Bell Labs, the research arm of Alcatel-Lucent, will open a new facility in Korea in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea University. The facility will be called Bell Labs Seoul and is expected to focus its efforts from the outset on broadband and mobile applications and services and their enabling sciences and technologies.


Located in the Digital Media City (DMC) at Seoul's Sangam District, Bell Labs Seoul will operate using a highly collaborative open innovation model that complements the efforts of research staff by engaging partners from academia, government, and industry who will work together in solving complex problems and conceiving innovative solutions that benefit customers and society.


The opening of Bell Labs in Seoul brings to eight the number of Bell Labs research facilities maintained worldwide. Other locations include Belgium, Germany, China, India, France, Ireland, and the U.S.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Read More

Intune Selects Aricent to Optical Burst Switching System

Intune Networks, an Ireland-based telecom company delivering next generation platforms based on ultra-fast dynamic optical technologies, has selected Aricent to co-develop a highly advanced Optical Packet Switch and Transport networking platform for next generation Metro Networks.


Intune Networks uniquely solves switching bottlenecks by virtualizing physical networks through a distributed Layer 2 switch. The company says the advantage of its collapsed layer network design is a highly simplified network with predictability and quality of performance guaranteed.


In conjunction with Aricent's Intelligent Switching Solution (ISS) software, Intune Networks' OPST technology is currently in trials as part of Ireland's Exemplar Smart Network.


Intune is leveraging Aricent's optimized ISS framework, which is a feature-rich software framework for developing a wide range of Intelligent Ethernet switching solutions. Aricent ISS key features include:

• Advanced Layer 2 Switching


• IPv4 and IPv6 Unicast and Multicast Routing


• MPLS


• VPN


• Chassis and Redundancy Management

http://www.aricent.com/Products/IntelligentEthernetSwitching.aspxhttp://www.intunenetworks.com

Read More

Lightower Completes 100G Optical Trial with Nortel

Lightower Fiber Networks, which operates a metro fiber network in the northeastern U.S., has completed a series of 100G trials using Nortel's optical transmission platform


Over a four day period, Lightower send production network traffic error-free over a 600km 100G link from New York to Boston. As an existing Nortel optical customer with 10G and 40G already running on their network, the in-service trial demonstrated the ability of evolving from 10G to 40G to 100G with Nortel's solution. It also shows that Nortel's solution allows 10G, 40G and 100G wavelengths to be sent over the same fiber and network infrastructure. Lightower already has 2,000 km of fiber upgraded to 40G. As with Lightower's existing 40G network, the 100G trial was powered by Nortel's OME 6500 along with its 40G/100G Adaptive Optical Engine technology.
http://www.nortel.com
http://www.lightower.com

Read More

NTT Com Opens IP-VPN POP in Chennai, Enhances Service in NZ

NTT Communications is preparing to open a point of presence (POP) for its Arcstar Global IP-VPN managed network service in Chennai, India. The new POP, established in cooperation with Tata Communications, in Chennai will enable NTT Com to offer high-quality IP-VPN services at affordable prices in the area surrounding this southern Indian city, where Japanese and other multinational companies are increasingly establishing a business presence. NTT Com already offers POPs in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi in cooperation with Tata Communications.

NTT Com is also enhancing the interconnection of Arcstar Global IP-VPN with the IP-VPN service of TNZ, New Zealand's largest telecommunications company. Previously, customers were required to use access lines from an NTT Com POP located outside of the country.
http://www.ntt.com

Read More

Quantenna Opens Taiwan Office

Quantenna Communications has opened an office in Taiwan to accelerate volume production and global delivery of its Full-11n chipsets for ultra-reliable Wi-Fi networking, including full HDTV quality with 1080p video resolution. The company plans to expand its current staff of 60, worldwide, in the coming year, including adding significant headcount in the Asia region.
http://www.quantenna.com

Read More

Sierra Wireless Releases M2M Studio Environment

Sierra Wireless announced a new major release of M2M Studio, its development environment for embedded machine-to-machine (M2M) software.


The new release includes a software redistribution feature which enables developers to create their own embedded software plug-ins and make them accessible to other M2M Studio users.


"Since its initial release in January 2009, M2M Studio has proved its appeal to developers of a wide range of innovative M2M applications, including home security systems, asset tracking devices, in-vehicle fleet management, smart utility meters, and fixed wireless telephones," says Didier Dutronc, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Sierra Wireless. "This new release of M2M Studio enables even more creativity and freedom to users when developing and customizing embedded software applications."http://sierrawireless.com
http://www.wavecom.com/m2mstudio

Read More