TELLABS TO ACQUIRE SALIX FOR CONVERGED VOICE SWITCH
Tellabs will acquire SALIX Technologies, a start-up developing a packet voice switching system, for about $300 million in stock.  The SALIX ETX5000 Enhanced Telephony Exchange uses a class independent architecture that switches packet traffic or circuit traffic in their native formats.  The gateway supports TDM <--> VoIP format conversion, as well as TDM <--> ATM format conversion. The Salix architecture uses a bus translation system to connect TDM voice networks through DS3, E3 or STS-1 electrical, or OC-3 or OC-12 SONET optical interfaces.  It also features 100 Base-T Ethernet interfaces for connection to backbone routers.  Voice processing functions of the platform include voice compression, silence suppression, echo cancellation and comfort noise generation.  Salix implements several device control protocols for the switch, including Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC), Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP) and Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).  The Salix platform is expected to begin initial commercial deployments in Q1 2000.  Salix, which was founded by Dan Simpkins, began development of its first Hybrid ATM/SONET switch platform in 1995 as a project for the US Naval Research Laboratory.  The company is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The Tellabs’ portfolio also includes AN2100 Gateway Exchange (GX), also a convergence gateway but aimed at supporting voice over ATM services for established carriers, such as ILECs, Inter-Exchange Carriers (IXCs) and wireless operators.
http://www.tellabs.com/news/99news/nr122299.shtml
Tellabs, December 23, 1999

IBASIS EXCEEDS 150 MILLION IP VOICE/FAX MINUTES IN 1999
iBasis exceeded 150 million minutes of IP voice/fax minutes of traffic across its Internet telephony network in 1999.  The company estimates that since June it has carried as much as 10% of all phone traffic from the US to China.  iBasis has a strategic partnership with China Unicom, China’s second largest carrier.  China Unicom currently terminates the iBasis IP telephony traffic in 12 cities.  The partnership is expected to expand to more than 300 Chinese cities in 2000.  As of December 1999, iBasis has its own gateways in Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and New York.  http://www.ibasis.net/news/pr122399.htm
IBasis, December 23, 1999

CISCO ANNOUNCES MGX 8240 PRIVATE LINE GATEWAY
Cisco Systems announced the MGX 8240 Private Line Gateway, an IP+ATM platform designed for offloading carriers' private line TDM services onto an integrated multiservice ATM network.  The ATM edge product replaces traditional DCS equipment. The system offers a density of 1260 channelized T1s per chassis, enabling service providers to configure up to 45 channelized T3 access interfaces and 15 ATM OC-3c trunk interfaces.  The system also offers software-based cross-connect capability for fast, private line provisioning times.  Williams Communications will use the system for its enhanced DS-1 private line service. 
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/december99/sp_122099.html
Cisco Systems, December 20, 1999

SIEMENS FILES SUIT AGAINST QTERA AND FORMER EMPLOYEES
Siemens Information and Communication Networks filed a lawsuit against Qtera Corp. and its founders, Fahri Diner and Xiang-Dong Cao, both of whom were former Siemens’ employees.  Siemens said the lawsuit would protect its intellectual property rights in the area of optical networking.  Siemens seeks an injunction and substantial monetary damages.  Siemens Information and Communication Networks and Qtera are both based in Boca Raton, Florida.  Siemens Information and Communication Networks.  http://www.icn.siemens.com/icn/news/1999/99122901.html
Siemens ICN, December 29, 1999

On December 15, Nortel Networks announced plans to acquire Qtera, a start-up developing a long-haul, optical transport platform, for up to US$3.25 billion in stock, depending on Qtera meeting certain objectives.  Qtera has about 140 employees in Boca Raton, Florida, and about 30 employees in Richardson, Texas.  Qtera's long-haul platform also provides the ability to add/drop wavelengths at any node.  A protection switching design enables traffic signals to be restored within 10 milliseconds, faster than SONET's 50 millisecond standard across far shorter distances.  Last month, Qwest completed a 30-day field trial of Qtera's optical, long haul photonic transport platform The Qtera platform carried 10 Gbps signals 2,400 km (or 1,440 miles) without any opto-electronic regeneration.  Qtera expects to begin beta tests soon using live commercial traffic.  Qtera is led by Fahri Diner, formerly with Siemens Information and Communications Networks.  The company received financing from Battery Ventures, Mayfield Fund and Oak Investment Partners, among others.   http://www.qtera.com 

SYRTIS NETWORKS TARGETS OPTICAL NETWORKING EQUIPMENT
Syrtis Networks, a start-up based in Concord, Mass., announced plans to develop optical network infrastructure equipment.  The company is led by Ethan Harris (co-founder of Harris & Jeffries), Paul Kelley (formerly co-founder and vice president of engineering at net2net) and Philip Wilson (formerly vice president of engineering at Telco Systems.   http://216.219.163.94/index.htm
Syrtis Networks, December 22, 1999

MICREL INTRODUCES 3.3V LASER MODULES
Micrel Semiconductor introduced a 3.3V version of its fiber optic IC chips. Most of modules in volume production today utilize 5V technology.  Micrel’s new devices consist of post-amplifiers and laser drivers at both 1.25 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps.  Applications include lower-power laser modules for Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel or SONET systems.  http://www.micrel.com/
Micrel. December 30, 1999

ENSEMBLE SECURES $25 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR BROADBAND WIRELESS
Ensemble Communications, a start-up developing next-generation broadband wireless access systems, closed a $25 million round of venture funding.  Ensemble is developing a point-to-multipoint wireless system capable of providing burst rates of up to 120 Mbps to hundreds of buildings.  The company uses a proprietary Adaptive Time Division Duplexing (Adaptive TDD), Adaptive TDMA and Adaptive modulation system for the 10 to 43.5 GHz frequencies.  The solution employs an adaptive modulation technique to optimize range and capacity.  New investment came from Digital Microwave, Intel and Korea Telecom Bank Venture Capital, as well from previous investors Institutional Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures, Crescendo Ventures and ADC Telecommunications.  http://www.ensemblecom.com/main.htm
Ensemble, December 23, 1999

WINSTAR GAINS ADDITIONAL LICENSES IN THE NORTHEAST
WinStar Communications was granted nine additional 100 MHz channels in the 38 GHz spectrum by the FCC in markets including New York City; Long Island, NY; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, DC.  The spectrum awards, which were based in prior applications, cover in excess of 25 million new channel pops, increasing Winstar's total license coverage to more than 1.2 billion channel pops..  Winstar is the largest holder of 38 GHz spectrum in the US.   http://www.winstar.com/press/1999/Templ.asp?fileid=1230991
WinStar, December 28, 1999

Last month, WinStar announced a $900 million investment from Microsoft and a group of leading investment firms to fund the company's business plan and expand its network, products and services. 

NEW MILLENNIUM SELECTS MARCONI AND PIRELLI FOR NETWORK BUILDOUT
New Millennium Development Group selected Marconi plc and Pirelli Cable Systems as the principal suppliers to design, build and program manage its $5 billion global telecommunications network.  The company valued the initial combined contract for its European network at approximately $1.2 billion.  Pirelli has agreed to partner with KDD-SCS Submarine Cable Systems for the undersea portion of the network.  
New Millennium Development Group, December 27, 1999

KDD TO BUILD 2.5 TBPS CABLE FOR EAST ASIA CROSSING
KDD Submarine Cable Systems was awarded a construction contract for Phase 1of East Asia Crossing (EAC), an 11,600 km subsea fiber optic cable system that will connect Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China.  The network is a joint venture between Global Crossing, Softbank and Microsoft.  The cable will provide bi-directional transport capacity shared over four fiber pairs.  Capacity will scale to an expected 2.56 Tbps using DWDM.  The first link, between Hong Kong and Japan is scheduled for year-end 2000.
http://www.globalcrossing.com/pressreleases/pr_122399.htm
Global Crossing, December 23, 1999

LINKSYS OFFERS HOME OFFICE CABLE/DSL ROUTER
Linksys announced a new “EtherFast” Cable/DSL router featuing a 4-port 10/100 switch, firewall capabilities and an estimated street price of $199.  The unit connects to a cable or DSL modem, enabling multiple PCs to share a single, fast Internet connection. http://www.linksys.com/scripts/features.asp?part=BEFSR41
Linksys, December 28, 1999