FCC APPROVES SBC-AMERITECH MERGER WITH CONDITIONS
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the pending SBC-Ameritech merger subject to a list of 30 conditions, including the requirement that the combined company create one or more separate affiliates to provide all advanced services in the combined SBC/Ameritech region.  SBC/Ameritech will also be required to provide data CLECs the economic equivalent of "line sharing" by providing them a second loop at a 50% discount.  To accelerate the deployment of data CLEC services, SBC/Ameritech will need to provide competitors with loop make-up information, such as lengths, gauge, presence, condition, etc. http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9077.html
FCC, October 6, 1999

GLOBAL CROSSING CONNECTS FRONTIER FIBER, ANNOUNCES NEW DATA CENTERS
Global Crossing interconnected the Frontier Optronics Network to its Atlantic Crossing undersea network and announced plans for ten new mega data centers over the next year.  Following its recent merger with Global Crossing, Frontier's former network has been re-christened the North American Crossing network.  Global Crossing plans to create protected network routes to its Mexican network and is exploring adding capacity into key Canadian cities.  The new data centers, which will extend the successful Frontier GlobalCenter hosting facilities, will be located in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, NYC, Sunnyvale (CA), Herndon (VA) and unnamed locations in South America and Asia.
http://www.globalcrossing.com/index.asp
Global Crossing, October 6, 1999

WINSTAR PURCHASES ACQUIRES DARK FIBER FROM METROMEDIA
WinStar Communications agreed to pay $300 million over 20 years to Metromedia Fiber Network for dark fiber in 38 US markets and 3 European cities.  Last week, WinStar selected Siemens Information and Communication Networks to build its national and international Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) broadband wireless LMDS networks.  Rollouts in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Oakland, San Jose, Seattle and Salt Lake City are scheduled for Q4.
http://www.winstar.com
WinStar Communications, October 5, 1999

YAHOO! GLOBAL AUDIENCE AT 105 MILLION USERS, TRAFFIC UP 24% OVER Q2
Yahoo! said more than 105 million unique users worldwide visited its sites during September.  In its quarterly financial report, Yahoo! also noted an average of 385 million page views per day during September, up 24% over the average of 310 million page views per day for June 1999. http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/3q99pr.html
Yahoo!, October 6, 1999

AKAMAI'S NETWORK ROLLOUT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE:1,200 SERVERS DEPLOYED
Akamai Technologies has now deployed 1,200 servers in 24 countries across 40 different networks, including in the high-capacity hosting facilities of AT&T, Exodus, Global Crossing's Global Center, Qwest, Teleglobe and UUNET.  The company said its worldwide server deployment has already delivered 40 billion Web site hits this year for customers such as CNN, GO Network and Yahoo!, totaling over 200 terabytes of content. http://www.akamai.com/news/press4834.html
Akamai, October 6, 1999

LUCENT ANNOUNCES SERVER ADAPTERS WITH OC-12, OC-48 INTERFACES
Lucent Technologies announced a line of network and storage adapter cards with optical interfaces.  The new OptiStar OC48 and OptiStar OC12 IP network adapter cards allow servers to be connected directly optical backbone network at 2.5 Gbps and 622 Mbps, respectively. (SDH equivalents of these products will be available at STM-16 and STM-4).  Lucent also announced an IP-based OptiStar EdgeSwitch for connect multiple servers to a backbone network or to one another. The switch can process up to 10 Gbps.  Replication software for the OptiStar products will enable real-time information backup from one server to another in a WAN.  http://www.lucent.com/press/1099/991006.nsa.html
Lucent Technologies, October 6, 1999

NORTEL NETWORKS CLAIMS PATENTS FOR SCALING ATM SIGNALLING AND ADDRESSING
Nortel Networks received two separate US patents related to dynamic addressing methodologies in ATM networks.  The first patent (number 5909430) extends the total ATM addressing range by a factor of 12 over conventional methods.  The second patent (number 5867499) utilizes generically manufactured ATM addressable nodes to enable a dynamic, distributed network-provisioning model.  Full text is available from the US PTO.
http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm
Nortel Networks, October 6, 1999

E.SPIRE LIGHTS ITS NYC- WASH DWDM NETWORK
e.spire Communications activated its optical backbone connecting NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore and the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia region.  The network infrastructure includes Nortel Networks' 32-channel capable DWDM platform, four Lucent 5ESS-2000 voice switches, four Newbridge MainStreetXpress ATM switches and 12 Bell Atlantic co-locations.  e.spire is building local fiber networks in 34 additional markets across the US. http://www.espire.net/press/press.cfm?PressReleaseID=133
e.spire Communications, October 6, 1999

PRISM SELECTS NORTEL FOR $460 MILLION PACKET TELEPHONY NETWORK
Prism Communication Services, Inc., a new subsidiary of Comdisco, selected Nortel Networks to supply multi-service switching and access equipment for an integrated network serving 33 US cities.  The network will use Nortel Networks DMS 500 multi-service switches, Passport 15000 ATM-based multi-service switches at the edge and core of the network, AccessNode Express equipped with integrated 1-Meg Modem line cards, and the Nortel Networks Service Selection Gateway.  The contract is valued at up to US$460 million over two years.    http://red.comdisco.com/   http://www.nortelnetworks.com
Nortel Networks, October 6, 1999

BT AND MICROSOFT TEST WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICES
BT and Microsoft began testing a wireless Internet service for mobile phone users.  The platform uses Microsoft's microbrowser, Exchange and Windows NT Server with its Internet Information Server (IIS) technology.  Sagem SA and Samsung Electronics will provide the handsets.  The trial involves about 1,000 customers in the UK and Norway.  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/Oct99/BTMSpr.htm
Microsoft, October 6, 1999

RAD GROUP ESTABLISHES IPRAD
The RAD Group announced the formation of IPrad, a new company that will develop and market solutions for IP over SONET/SDH.  IPrad, which is the 15^th firm within The RAD Group, is headed by Gil Biran, formerly Vice President of Research and Development of RAD Data Communications.  http://www.rad.com/whatsnew/whatsn10.htm
The RAD Group, October 6, 1999

BELL ATLANTIC TO OFFER 3COM ADSL MODEMS IN RETAIL STORES
Later this month, Bell Atlantic and 3Com will begin offering an ADSL Home Connection Kit at retail outlets such as CompUSA and Staples.  Once a customer has installed the ADSL modem and submitted an online registration form, Bell Atlantic will activate the DSL circuit within 7 days.  Bell Atlantic's DSL service is currently available in parts of the New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas and parts of New Jersey http://www.ba.com/nr/1999/Oct/19991006004.html
Bell Atlantic, October 6, 1999

ASTRAL POINT COMMUNICATIONS GARNERS $24 MILLION IN VENTURE FUNDING 
Astral Point Communications, a start-up developing metropolitan optical access systems, received $24 million in new venture funding from The Sprout Group, NEA and OneLiberty Ventures.  Astral Point's said its forthcoming products would protect existing SONET infrastructures while supporting ATM and IP services.  The company is based in Chelmsford, Mass.  http://www.astralpoint.com
Astral Point, October 6, 1999