GLOBAL CROSSING COMPLETES FIRST LEG OF PACIFIC CROSSING-1 CABLE
Global Crossing completed the initial cable connections on the northern section of the Pacific Crossing-1 (PC-1) network.  The full network will be a 21,000-km, four-fiber pair self-healing ring linking the US and Japan.  The first cable operates at 80 Gbps and is upgradeable to 640 Gbps.  Global Crossing and Global Bandwidth Solutions, a subsidiary of Marubeni, are linking the cable to their Japanese terrestrial system, Global Access Limited (GAL).  The two systems are expected to be ready for service by the end of the month.  http://www.globalcrossing.com
Global Crossing, December 21, 1999

SIROCCO RECEIVES $35 MILLION FOR OPTICAL EDGE SWITCHES DEVELOPMENT
Sirocco Systems, a start-up developing optical edge switches, closed a second round of financing, bring total venture funding to date to $35 million.  Investors include Weiss Peck & Greer Venture Partners and initial investors Bessemer Venture Partners and Greylock Ventures.  Specific product plans have not been disclosed.  Sirocco was founded by Jonathan Reeves, who previously was the founder and CEO of Sahara Networks, which was acquired by Cascade Communications and then Ascend Communications.  The company is based in Wallingford, CT.  http://www.siroccosystems.com/
Sirocco Systems, December 21, 1999

CENTERPOINT HIRES FORMER VP OF OPTICAL NETWORKS AT ERICSSON
Centerpoint Broadband Technologies, a start-up based in San Jose, California named Roselyne Genin as its vice president of marketing.  Genin formerly served as vice president of Optical Networks at Ericsson.  Centerpoint is developing access and transport products for the long haul and metropolitan area market.  The products will rely on twelve key patent and patent disclosures that were licensed from Lockheed Martin on an exclusive basis.  The technology is used in government communication systems.  In November, Centerpoint closed a $9.25 million second round of financing.  Investors include ComVentures, Cisco Systems, BancBoston Ventures Inc. and Viventures Inc.  http://www.centerpoint.com
Centerpoint, December 21, 1999

FIBERNET TELECOM EXCHANGES EQUITY SHARES FOR METROMEDIA'S DARK FIBER
FiberNet Telecom, a facilities-based provider which operates office building networks in NYC and other metro markets, agreed to exchange 10% of its outstanding shares to lease Metromedia Fiber Network's intra-city dark fiber in key markets during the next 20 years.  FiberNet is pursuing a "carriers' carrier" marketing strategy, and has exclusive license agreements with national building owners.  Its network currently terminates into 5 Class-A high-rise office buildings. FiberNet has lit four strands of fiber on its Metropolitan Area backbone covering downtown and Midtown Manhattan.  http://www.ftgx.com/
http://www.mmfn.com/
FiberNet Telecom, December 21, 1999

ROADRUNNER CABLE NETWORK TO DEPLOY AKAMAI'S CONTENT SERVERS
The Road Runner network will deploy Akamai's Internet Content Delivery servers to increase its broadband media performance.  As of September 30, Road Runner was serving in excess of 420,000 cable modem subscribers.  Akamai now has 1700 servers in 30 countries across 100 different telecommunications networks. http://www.akamai.com
Akamai, December 21, 1999

PSINET SELECTS NETOPIA FOR DSL ROUTERS
PSINet has certified Netopia's DSL routers and is making them available to its customers as part of its DSL service offering. PSINet already offers Netopia routers to its analog, ISDN and leased-line customers.  http://www.netopia.com/corp/press/99_12_21.html
Netopia, December 21, 1999

"THUS" IMPLEMENTS LUCENT'S NAVIGATOR MPLS ON TRANSATLANTIC LINKS
"Thus" (formerly Scottish Telecom) will migrate its IP based network services onto a common IP/MPLS/ATM multiservice network infrastructure using Lucent Technologies' IP Navigator platform, B-STDX 9000 and CBX 500 multi-service WAN switches.  The first stages of implementation are now carrying live traffic over the Thus network from London to New York.  The new ATM core network will include seven nodes in the UK, one node in Holland, and seven nodes in the US.   The company's current dial-in access platform is based on Lucent's MAX TNT switches.  Thus is a subsidiary of Scottish Power.  http://www.let-it-be-thus.com  http://www.lucent.com/press/1299/991217.nsa.html
Lucent Technologies, December 17, 1999

Earlier this month, Thus activated its first 10 Gbps network segment between Glasgow and Edinburgh using Nortel Networks' transmission platform. 

ORTEL SUPPLIES LUCENT WITH UNCOOLED 980NM LASERS FOR METRO DWDM
Ortel Corp. will supply its next generation uncooled 980 nanometer (nm) pump laser modules to Lucent Technologies for use in metro DWDM systems.  The pump laser chips will be integrated into Lucent's Microelectronics Group's Erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) modules.  Because the new modules will operate over a wide temperature range and will not require on-board cooling systems, the two companies expect the cost of 980nm pump lasers to drop to commodity levels in the next six months.  http://www.ortel.com.
Ortel, December 15, 1999

Ortel's product line also includes 10 Gbps digital receivers and lasers, 1310 and 1550nm lasers and transmitters, WDM lasers, fiber optic satellite links for 70 MHz, L, C, X and Ku-Bands, and wideband transceivers and modules for applications up to 18 GHz.  The company is based in Alhambra, California.  (NASDAQ: ORTL)

NEXTWAVE TELECOM RAISES $1.6 BILLION FOR ITS PCS WIRELESS VENTURE
NextWave Telecom raised over $1.6 billion to fund the construction of a state-of-the-art wireless telecommunications network.  NextWave holds a total of 95 PCS licenses, including in the top 10 US markets, 28 of the top 30 markets, and 40 of the top 50 markets.  The deal enables NextWave to file a new re-organization plan in wake of its prior bankruptcy proceedings.  NextWave said it intends to operate primarily as a wholesaler, or "carriers' carrier," selling to a broad range of service providers.   Key investors in NextWave include Global Crossing, Liberty Media, Pacific Capital and Texas Pacific.  http://www.nextwavetel.com/
NextWave Telecom, December 17, 1999

In October, NextWave selected Airspan Communications to supply its Wireless Access System and customer premise equipment for residential and small office/home office services using the 1.9 GHz Personal Communications Services (PCS) band.  The AirSpan system uses CDMA wireless technology for two-way connections over urban distances of 2 to 5 km.  The system enables 32kbps and 64 kbps telephony, 56 kbps modem connectivity, 2B+D ISDN and 128 Kbps leased lines.

TRITON NETWORK SYSTEMS SUPPLIES LMDS OC3 RADIOS TO CENTURYTEL
Triton Network Systems, a start-up based in Orlando, Florida, was awarded a three-year contract to supply its LMDS-based, OC-3 radios to CenturyTel Inc.  The equipment enable CenturyTel to build a wireless SONET OC-3 ring consecutive point network to complement its existing fiber backbone in Michigan and to reach customers who are currently unable to connect to the network.  A key feature of the Triton platform is the ability to deploy 155 Mbps SONET ring OC-3 capacity utilizing only a single 50 MHz channel.   Triton has raised more than $45 million in venture funding from Oak Investment Partners, Worldview Technology Partners, Telesoft Partners, Advent International, Bessemer Ventures, Adams Capital Management and Chase Ventures.  http://www.triton-network.com
Triton Networks, December 17, 1999

NORTEL PROVIDES PLATFORM AND FINANCING TO LOG ON AMERICA, A CLEC
Nortel Networks will make a $5 million equity investment in Log On America (3.1% stake) and provide a $45 million loan to fund the company's network buildout.  Log On America is a CLEC serving the Northeastern US planning to launch converged services over DSL using Nortel Networks' 1-Meg Modem technology.  http://www.loa.com/
http://www.nortelnetworks.com
Log On America, December 17, 1999

SIEMENS BEGINS VOLUME SHIPMENTS OF IP-BASED DIGITAL PHONES
Siemens Information and Communication Networks announced its first volume shipments of IP-based digital phones that interoperate with the vast majority of IP-based PBXs that are available on the market today from Siemens and other manufacturers.  Siemen's HiNet LP 5100 IP phone features a built-in Ethernet interface and supports the H.323, H.225 and H.245 standards, as well as TCP/IP, FTP, DHCP and SNTP protocols. ITU standard G.711 (64 Kbps) and G.723.1 (6.3 Kbps) speech encoding algorithms are supported. High speech quality is enhanced through active echo suppression.   The companion communications server software enables The phones are priced at $425 each.  http://www.siemens.com
Siemens, December 17, 1999