BT STEPS UP ITS IPV6 PLANS
BT was awarded an initial tranche of commercial address block allocations for IPv6. BT plans to enable IPv6 on its LEANet IP testbed network, which has nodes in London, Cambridge and Adastral Park, its R&D centre in Martlesham. The company said it is working on mechanisms for transitioning IP environments from IPv4 to IPv6, as and when such transition becomes desirable. No time line for an IPv6 migration was specified. BT expects the main advantages of IPv6 will include massively increased address space, improved potential for supporting different service qualities, and built-in support for authentication, data integrity and confidentiality. http://www.bt.com
BT, October 1, 1999

An IPv6 Forum was established in July to work on marketing issues 
for IPv6. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is responsible for IPv6 technical specifications. Initial members of the IPv6 Forum include 41 leading suppliers of networking equipment and services. Vint Cerf serves as the group's honorary chairman. http://www.ipv6forum.com

6bone is a global, experimental testbed for IPv6. It operates as a virtual network layered on top of portions of the physical IPv4-based Internet. The 6bone website provides general information on IPv6 and links to related IETF sites, operational information and mailing lists. http://www.6bone.net/

TEMPLEX RECEIVES INTEL FUNDING FOR LIGHTWAVE CODE DIVISION MULTIPLEXING ACCESS
Templex Technology, a start-up based in Eugene, Oregon, received funding from Intel for its development of optically-enabled code division multiplexing technology. Financial details were not disclosed. Templex is developing all-optical, passive linear devices that add a Code Division Multiplexing (CDM) overlay to DWDM systems. The Templex concept is to employ tailored-profile fiber gratings, either static or dynamic, that leverage passive linear optical responses to encode optical bits. The programmed optical code generation and code-specific detection would be used to recognize individual data streams from among many other data  streams multiplexed with different codes. The concept is similar to Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) for wireless communications. The company said the ability to optically decode information written into the bits of an optical data stream would go far beyond multiplexing, opening the door to data stream control without electronic intelligence. http://www.templex.com/
Templex, September 28, 1999

WILLIAMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPLETES IPO
Shares in Williams Communications Group (NYSE:WCG) rose 22% in their first day of trading on Friday to close at 28 1/16. Williams is retaining approximately 86% ownership of the WCG. An additional 7% percent is being sold through private placements to SBC  Communications, Intel and Telefonos de Mexico. http://www.williams.com/news/newsreleases/rel401.html
Williams, October 1, 1999

Williams' North American network will span 33,000 route miles and connect 125 cities when complete by the end of 2000. Major news announcements for 1999 from Williams include:

* unveiled plans to offer wholesale switched voice services nationwide for SBC and other carriers and ISPs

* building a private, nationwide OC-192 Packet/SONET network for CONXION

* planning to lease individual wavelengths providing clear channel OC-48c capacity on its nationwide fiber network by the end of this year. Long term and short term leases would be offered  

* first customer to purchase Sycamore Networks's Optical Transport Node platform, which provides wavelength conversion and optical multiplexing of OC-48 lightpaths onto OC-192 trunks

* formed an alliance with Metromedia Fiber Network, giving it access to a significant number of dark fibers in major US city centers

* launched of a video advertising storage and retrieval system that uses professional level MPEG2/ATM

* launched enhanced DS-1 private line service using circuit emulation over its ATM backbone

* introduced flexible private virtual circuit (PVC) bandwidth increment options for its ATM service. Allows customer with on OC-12 port to increase bandwidth in 5 Mbps increments

* accelerated its $4.7 billion network construction plan by 12 months

EUTELSAT'S HOT BIRD 6 SATELLITE TO COMBINE IP AND DVB SERVICES
Alcatel Space was named prime contractor for EUTELSAT's next generation television broadcast and multimedia satellite, HOT BIRD 6. The satellite, which will be among the largest ever built in Europe, is to carry a 28-transponder Ku-band payload and a four-transponder Ka-band payload. The four-transponder Ka-band transceivers will provide small businesses with fully interactive IP and DVB services via antennas measuring 60cm in diameter. HOT BIRD 6 will also be equipped with a total of seven operational SKYPLEX units, which enable broadcasters to uplink digital signals directly to the satellite, where they are multiplexed and then broadcast to DVB-MPEG2 receivers in a single stream. Capacity will 
be available in 2 to 6 Mbps slots with up to 18 carriers per transponder. The SKYPLEX service is aimed at a fast-growing market of consumer and professional micro-broadcasting. HOT BIRD 6 is slated for delivery in Q4 2001. http://www.eutelsat.org/press/release/press109.html
EUTELSAT, September 27, 1999

3COM AND MICROSOFT SHIP CO-BRANDED HOME ETHERNET KITS
3Com and Microsoft began shipping their first co-branded Home Network Ethernet products, including a kit with two 10/100 Mbps internal PCI Ethernet network adapters, one five-port, 10/100 Mbps dual-speed Ethernet hub and bundled software. http://www.3com.com/news/releases/pr99/sep2999a.html
3Com, September 29, 1999