LUCENT ANNOUNCES ICS WITH ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXING (ADM) FUNCTIONALITY
Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group announced a set on integrated circuits that perform add/drop multiplexing (ADM) functionality, SONET/SDH framing, and data termination in high-speed linear and protected ring optical networks.  The multi- million-gate devices operate from 2.5 to 10 Gbps and support SONET/SDH protocols for linear and ring ADM.  The ICs use quarter-micron complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology from Bell Labs.  Cyras Systems, a start-up based in Fremont, California, will integrate the devices into its Multi-service Bandwidth Optimizing SONET/SDH Switches (M-BOSS).  Lucent expects the devices will slash system development costs by up to 70% and reduce time-to-market by at least six months to one year.  http://www.lucent.com/press/1199/991115.mea.html
Lucent Technologies, November 15, 1999

NATIONAL TRANSPARENT OPTICAL NETWORK CONSORTIUM EXPANDS ITS TESTBED
The National Transparent Optical Network (NTON) activated a second major link of its West coast testbed, extending 10 Gbps connectivity to Portland and Seattle.  Two additional links will be placed in service in the first half of 2000 to complete the network.  NTON, which is a major portion of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsored SuperNet project, is building a Wavelength Division Multiplexed network using in-place commercial fiber.  Its infrastructure provides up to 16 wavelengths at OC-192.  Participants in the project include Nortel Networks, GST Telecommunications, the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sprint and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). http://www.ntonc.org/
NTONC, November 15, 1999

HUTCHISON WHAMPOA AND GLOBAL CROSSING ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE
Global Crossing formed a 50/50 joint venture with Hutchison Whampoa in Hong Kong.  Hutchison Global Crossing ("HGC") will leverage Hutchinson's territory-wide fiber network and Global Crossing's international capacity.  HGC will establish a global data center in Hong Kong and pursue fixed-line telecommunications opportunities in the Greater China region .
http://www.globalcrossing.com/pressreleases/pr_111599.htm
Global Crossing, November 15, 1999

CINCINNATI BELL AND IXC MERGER CREATES BROADWING
Cincinnati Bell completed its acquisition of IXC Communications and its coast-to-coast US network.  The newly merged company will be know as BroadWing (NYSE: BRW) and headquartered in Cincinnati with 5,500 employees.  http://www.broadwing.com/
BroadWing, November 15, 1999

WILLIAMS PROVIDES INTERMEDIA WITH NATIONAL OC-48 BACKBONE
Williams Communications is providing Intermedia Communications with a meshed 11-route OC-48 backbone across the US.  Many of the routes are provided over Williams' Optical Wave Service, which consists of individual 2.5 Gbps OC-48 wavelengths with a transparent interface. The balance of the capacity under the agreement will be traditional OC-48 private lines.  Intermedia operates one of the largest Frame Relay networks in the US.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.williams.com/news/newsreleases/rel422.html
Williams Communications , November 15, 1999

CISCO CONDUCTS WIRELESS TRIALS WITH EXCITE@HOME AND CTI HONG KONG
Excite@Home and CTI Hong Kong are conducting Broadband Fixed Wireless trials using Cisco Systems' WT2700 Wireless Technology Suite and Vector Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (VOFDM) technology.  The Cisco's WT2700 products work in the MMDS and unlicensed UNII spectrums.  Cisco is offering its WT2700 as a wireless WAN interface for its uBR7246 and uBR7223 Universal Broadband Routers (uBR).    http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/november99/18.html
Cisco Systems, November 15, 1999

COSINE OFFERS FRAME RELAY OVER IPSEC
CoSine Communications, a start-up developing an IP Service Delivery architecture for business class VPNs, will offer a Frame Relay over IPSec (FRoIPSec) capability for its IPSX 9000 IP Service Processing Switch.  The CoSine switch encrypts incoming Frame Relay traffic and uses secure tunneling to transport it transparently across the IP core.  At the other end of the network, another IPSX 9000 decrypts the Frame Relay connection and transmits native Frame Relay to the destination site.  CoSine announced commercial availability of its IPSX platform earlier this month.  The company is based in Redwood City, California. http://www.cosinecom.com/news/pr_111599.html
CoSine Communications, November 15, 1999

HITACHI UNVEILS MULTIPROTOCOL SAN SWITCH
Hitachi Data Systems announced a storage area network (SAN) switching fabric for SCSI, IP and the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) protocol.  The Fibre Channel-based architecture is aimed at e-business and data mining applications.  http://www.hds.com/news/991115.html
Hitachi Data Systems

FOUNDRY NETWORKS ANNOUNCES LAYER 4-7 SWITCHES
Foundry Networks announced a Layer 4-7 switch based on a 400 Mhz PowerPC central processing unit (CPU).  The processor enables the new ServerIronXL to support up to 80,000 connections per second and up to 2 Gbps of throughput.  The ServerIronXL is offered in 8, 16 or 24 10/100 port base configurations with optional Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.  Foundry Networks also introduced a BigServerIron Layer 4-7 platform providing up to 64 Gigabit Ethernet or 168 10/100 ports on a single chassis.  Foundry said its BigServerIron handles up to up to 1,000,000 connections per second and 64 Gbps of throughput.  Both platforms include a SwitchBack feature that enables requested content to be served by the best return path.  http://www.foundrynetworks.com/
Foundry Networks, November 15, 1999

EXAR INTRODUCES QUAD E1 DEVICES
EXAR Corporation announced a Quad E1 Line Interface Unit (LIU) and a Quad E1 Framer designed for wireless base stations, digital loop carries and Frame Relay applications.  The Quad E1 Line Interface Unit (LIU) includes a crystal-less jitter attenuator with 32-bit or 64-bit FIFO.  The Quad E1 Framer interfaces with other E1 framers as well as ASICs.  Both devices use low power 3.3V CMOS technology.  http://www.exar.com
EXAR, November 15, 1999

ERICSSON UNVEILS FIRST BLUETOOTH PRODUCT
Ericsson unveiled the first consumer Bluetooth product – a mobile phone headset that allows the user to operate the phone from up to 10m away without cords dangling about.  http://www.ericsson.com/bluetooth
Ericsson, November 15, 1999

Bluetooth provides short range, ad hoc wireless connectivity between mobile devices operating in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz. It supports a gross data rate of  1 Mbps and uses short packets, fast acknowledgement and frequency hopping to avoid interference from other signals.  http://www.bluetooth.com

ITC DELTACOM UPGRADES NETWORK WITH NORTEL PASSPORT 15000
ITC DeltaCom, an interexchange carrier (IXC) and competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), will upgrade its network with Nortel Networks' Passport 15000 Multiservice Switch at the core and the Passport 15000-VSS switch at the edge.  The expansion covers 90 points-of-presence (PoPs) and is valued at US$100 million over two years. ITC DeltaCom has interconnection agreements with BellSouth, GTE, Sprint and SBC Communications.
Nortel Networks, November 15, 1999

JUNIPER MAKES ITS FIRST ACQUISITION, START-UP INVESTMENT
Juniper Networks will acquire privately-held Layer Five, a start-up developing advanced network hardware architecture and related software, for $19 million in stock.  The company is based in Palo Alto, California.  Separately, Juniper Networks acquired a minority stake in New Access Communications of San Jose, California.  New Access is developing a metropolitan area optical platform that allows any-point-to-any-point connectivity among all nodes on a metropolitan DWDM ring by mapping a logical star topology onto the wavelength infrastructure.

Juniper Networks also established its Asia Pacific operations in Hong Kong.   http://www.juniper.net/news/pressreleases/pr-991115.html
http://www.layer5.com/ 
http://www.new-access.com
Juniper Networks, November 15, 1999