|
FCC
ADOPTS RULES ON UNBUNDLING OF NETWORK ELEMENTS
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules
specifying which network
elements incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) are required to
unbundle. The new rules require that incumbents must provide unbundled
access to:
1. loops, including loops used to
provide high-capacity and advanced telecommunications
services
2. network interface devices
3. local circuit switching (except for larger
customers in major urban
markets)
4. dedicated and shared transport
5. signaling and call-related databases, and
6. operations support systems.
In addition, LECs are required to provide unbundled
access to subloops, or portions of loops, and dark fiber optic loops and
transport. However, LECs are not required to unbundle the facilities
used to provide high-speed Internet access and other data services,
specifically, packet switches and digital subscriber line access
multiplexers (DSLAMs). LECs are also no longer required to unbundled
their operator and directory assistance services. http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9066.html
FCC, September 15, 1999
MOTOROLA
TO ACQUIRE GENERAL INSTRUMENT FOR CABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Motorola confirmed its intention to acquire General Instrument
Corporation in a stock swap valued at
about $11 billion. General Instrument is a leading equipment supplier for
digital TV networks and
hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks. The companies said the proposed
merger is driven by the need to integrate key technologies for converging
video, voice and data networking into the home. GI's product
portfolio includes digital set-top boxes, digital and analog programming systems, HFC transmission
systems, digital satellite TV systems,
and DOCSIS cable modem systems. The company has annual sales
of about $2 billion. Motorola's product portfolio also includes
cable head systems, cable modems and cable telephony designs.
http://www.mot.com/ http://www.ci.com
Motorola, September 15, 1999
Earlier this year, AT&T selected General
Instrument and Cisco Systems
as development partners for telephony over its hybrid fiber coax (HFC)
networks. The HFC IP telephony system would use the Cisco
12000 GSR and the Cisco Universal Broadband Router for cable modem connections. The packet telephony
gateways would be based on Cisco
AS5X00 voice-over-IP gateway servers. GI's DCT-5000+ consumer digital in-home terminal would serve as
the primary gateway to the network,
providing interfaces for video entertainment, IP-based telephones
and high-speed Internet services. At the time, GI said the
first phase of HFC telephony development would support circuit- switched telephony, with VoIP technology
expected at a later stage. General
Instrument also formed an alliance with Telcordia Technologies
(formerly Bellcore) to develop IP telephony solutions for
cable providers.
CISCO
ACQUIRES COCOM FOR DVB TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS
Cisco Systems will acquire COCOM A/S, a developer of Digital Video
Broadcasting (DVB) and DAVIC transport
equipment, for about US$65.6 million in Cisco stock. COCOM, which is based
in Copenhagen, Denmark,
offers a range of DVB head-end transmission and customer premise
equipment. Cisco said the COCOM products will be integrated into
its uBR cable portfolio. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/september99/14.html
http://www.cocom.dk
Cisco Systems, September 15, 1999
In July, COCOM and Fujitsu Microelectronics
announced plans to jointly
develop the first Medium Access Control (MAC) integrated circuit for the
DVB/DAVIC standards, which serve as a basis for European
cable modem standards. The companies are targeting a full, 2-way
DVB/DAVIC cable modem based on two chips.
VISUAL
NETWORKS ACQUIRES INVERSE NETWORK TECHNOLOGY FOR SLA SOFTWARE
Visual Networks will acquire Inverse Network Technology, a
developer of IP management
software, for about $177 million in stock. Inverse Network Technology
offers service level agreement tools for monitoring
end-to-end IP network performance. Its test system uses PC
clients, stand-alone test points, data collectors and a high- services
and automates the collection, interpretation and presentation
of management information for service providers and their
subscribers. Visual Networks said it intends to integrate Inverse
Network's technology into its management platform. http://www.inversenet.com/.
Visual Networks, September 15, 1999
ACCESSLAN
ANNOUNCES $12 MILLION VOICE OVER DSL DEPLOYMENT
Network Plus, a Massachusetts-based CLEC, will launch voice over
DSL services using equipment from
AccessLan Communications. The $12 million
contract covers a projected deployment in 300 central offices and 10,000+
active lines. The deployment will use AccessLan's
PacketLoop PL-2000 DSLAMs for SDSL and IDSL services, and
PL-50 and PL-200 CPE. Network Plus will use JetStream' GR-3-3 Gateways and Integrated Access Devices
to deliver up to 16 voice lines
and data over a single loop. http://www.accesslan.com/index1.shtml
AccessLan Communications,
September 15, 1999
U
S WEST OFFERS "CASUAL" DSL SERVICE FOR $19.95 PER MONTH
U S West announced a new pricing tier for its residential DSL
service: $19.95 per month for a 256 Kbps
downstream circuit -- about the same as for a second phone line. U S
West's ISP charge is an additional
$17.95 a month. Unlike U S West's full 256 MegaBit Deluxe service
($29.95/month), the new "casual" DSL service limits user sessions to 2 hours. A ten-minute
warning is issued before each session
ends. Users may reconnect after 5 minutes offline. Sessions
are activated by opening a browser. The number or sessions per
day is not limited. U S West is offering a free modem and free activation during a promotional period.
The company continues to see strong
demand for DSL. To date, it has nearly 70,000 DSL customers - including almost 15,000 businesses.
http://www.uswest.com/pcat/for_home/product/0,1084,537_1_3,00.html
U S West, September 15, 1999
BELLSOUTH
ADDS INCENTIVES TO SPUR DSL SALES FROM ISPS
BellSouth lowered its ADSL tariffs and service requirements for
CLECs, ISPs and IXCs wishing to resell
its ADSL circuits. The changes include:
* a 50% reduction in non-recurring
charges for the mass market ADSL service,
from $100 to $50 per line;
* a reduction of the minimum contract service
period, from 12 months to six months
* a lower termination liability charge for
discontinuing ADSL service before the minimum service period is satisfied;
and
* restructuring of the charge assessed for not
meeting volume commitments. http://www.bellsouthcorp.com/
BellSouth, September 15, 1999
GLOBAL
CROSSING ACQUIRES 96 FIBER NYC NETWORK
Global Crossing acquired a 96-fiber strand network that will
connect all major central
offices and telehouses in New York City. Global Crossing also announced
its intention to acquire at least 10 similar city
networks by year-end 2000. The New York fiber is being laid by Telergy Inc., in which Global Crossing
will acquire a 40% equity stake.
Telergy is also building a 1,700-route-mile fiber network connecting
NYC to Montreal using Nortel Networks' optical platform and
the rights-of-way of electric and gas utilities. http://www.globalcrossing.com/pressreleases/pr_091599.asp
http://www.telergy.net/
Global Crossing, September 15, 1999
CORETEK
DEVELOPS MICRO-ELECTROMECHANICAL TUNABLE LASER FOR DWDM
CoreTek introduced a tunable 1.55 um laser for DWDM applications.
The prototype product combines micro-electromechanical (MEMs) technology
with semiconductor laser technology to creates a single mode
VCSEL operating in the 1550 nm range. The MEMs structure is a mirror that can move to change the
cavity length of the laser and thus
the emitted wavelength. CoreTek said its MEMs laser is tunable over 30 nm and can be quickly set at any
ITU channel over the full C or
L band. Potential applications include metropolitan and long haul DWDM systems, immediate sparing
applications in long haul DWDM, optical
cross connects, optical add/drop muxes, as well as test and measurement
systems. CoreTek is a start-up in Burlington, Mass. The
company received financing from Adams Capital Management and
Patricof. http://www.coretekinc.com
CoreTek, September 15, 1999
SVNL
TO PROVIDE IEEE 802.11 TESTING FOR WIRELESS ETHERNET
COMPATIBILITY ALLIANCE
The Wireless Ethernet
Compatibility Alliance (WECA) selected the Silicon
Valley Networking Lab Inc. (SVNL) to provide interoperability testing for
IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet LAN products.
WECA also introduced a brand identity, "Wi-Fi ", to represent consumer products conforming
to the IEEE 802.11 High Rate (HR) Standard. Products built to the new
standard use the 2.4 GHz radio
band and operate at 11 Mbps. http://www.wirelessethernet.org/
http://www.svnl.com
WECA, September 15, 1999
HIPERLAN2
FORUM TARGETS 54 MBPS WIRELESS LANS
A new HiperLAN2 Global Forum has been established to promote
wireless technology in the unlicensed 5
GHz band for high-speed mobile communications in corporate, public and
home environments. HiperLAN2
is a connection-oriented, wireless LAN technology expected to
support data rates of up to 54 Mbps over typical LAN distances. HiperLAN2 wireless connections are
time-division multiplexed and can be
assigned specific QoS. The technology was developed as part of ETSI's BRAN project. The first HIPERLAN2
compliant products are expected
to be commercially available in volumes in 2002. Founders include
Nokia, Bosch, Dell, Ericsson, Telia and Texas Instruments. The
HiperLAN2 Forum expects its technology will provide a wireless backbone for Bluetooth-enabled
appliances and that it will serve as an
evolutionary step for IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet LANs beginning
in 2002. http://www.hiperlan2.com
http://www.etsi.org/bran/
HiperLAN2, September 15, 1999
A Daily Journal For Broadband
Networking
Copyright 1999 ATM News Inc.
All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1084-2438
News sources are listed for your reference.
|
