QUANTUM
BRIDGE DEBUTS OPTICAL ACCESS SYSTEM BASED ON PON
Quantum Bridge
Communications, a start-up based in North Andover, Mass., introduced an
optical access system based on Passive Optical Network (PON) technology
and designed to support services ranging anywhere from 1-100 Mbps to
dedicated wavelengths over distances of up to 20 km.
Quantum Bridge’s system consists of a central office Optical
Access Switch and a customer premise Intelligent Optical Terminal (IOT).
The architecture uses a Dynamic Wavelength Slicing (DWS) protocol
makes it possible to share a single wavelength delivering broadband
services among multiple end-points. The
IOT initially supports 10/100BaseTx Ethernet and TDM, ATM and Frame Relay
DS1 (T1) service interfaces. The
optical access switch can aggregate services from hundreds of downstream
IOTs. The switch is equipped with a standard OC-12c WAN interface and a
redundant 5 Gbps (upgradable to 20 Gbps) IP and ATM switching fabric.
By eliminating electrical components in the outside plant with PON
technology, Quantum Bridge expects to significantly lower the cost of
first mile fiber access. Costs
are estimated at $7,000 per customer served at list price.
ComCast is the first broadband service provider to trial the
Quantum Bridge platform. http://www.quantumbridge.com
Quantum Bridge, January 10, 2000
The company was founded in October 1998 and
has raised $22 million in two rounds of venture funding from New
Enterprise Associates, Atlas Ventures and Lazard Technology Partners.
Founders include Anthony Zona (CEO), previously with Lucent's Bell
Labs; Jeffrey Masucci (VP Engineering, previously with IPA Technologies
and Bell Labs; and Jeff Gwynne (VP Marketing, previously with AT&T.
MCLEODUSA
TO ACQUIRE SPLITROCK FOR ITS ATM NETWORK
McLeodUSA will acquire Splitrock Services Inc., which operates a
nationwide ATM network, in a stock swap valued at approximately $2.1
billion. Splitrock Services
operates a nationwide data network with ATM switches in over 325 POPs in
all 50 states. The network
currently carries over 2 billion minutes per month of Internet traffic.
Splitrock also has a 20-year irrevocable right of use (IRU) option
for up to 16 fibers in the 16,000-mile, partially completed Level 3
network. Kwok Li and Bill
Wilson founded the company in 1997. McLeodUSA
said the acquisition would provide it with one of the most robust
nationwide ATM networks once construction is completed.
McLeodUSA operates as a CLEC in 12 Midwest and Rocky Mountain
states. The company has 27
voice switches, 9,400 route miles of fiber optics network, 616,400 local
lines, and 7,800 employees.
http://www.mcleodusa.com/
http://www.splitrock.net/
McLeodUSA, January 7, 2000
Last October, Splitrock Services unveiled
plans to quadruple the capacity of its nationwide US network over the next
18 months with $129 million in new dial access and optical networking
equipment from Nortel Networks. .
Splitrock has also previously disclosed an agreement to resell
Focal Communications' DSL services. The
deal covered a minimum of 10,000 DSL access lines in the regions served by
Focal, and a commitment by Focal to use Splitrock's data communications
services, such as VPN, Internet Dedicated and Internet Dial.
NEWBRIDGE
NOTES POSITIVE OUTLOOK, FIRST TRIALS OF ROUTING/SWITCH PLATFORM
Newbridge Networks said it is
experiencing increasing demand for its products, especially in North
America. The company noted
the first trials of its 670 RSP Routing Switch Platform, which will offer
a scalable, aggregate capacity from 5 Gbps to 5 Tbps.
Beta sites were not disclosed.
http://www.newbridge.com
Newbridge Networks, January 7, 2000
CONSUMER
ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURERS BACK 1394 HOME NETWORKING
The Home Audio/Video Interoperability (HAVi) Organization, which
is developing specifications for networks of home entertainment devices,
announced the entrance of over a dozen new member companies.
HAVi uses an underlying IEEE 1394 digital interface (i.LINK or
FireWire) for inter-device communication.
The main backers of the HAVi organization include eight leading
consumer electronics companies: Grundig, Hitachi., Matsushita (Panasonic),
Royal Philips Electronics, Sharp, Sony, Thomson Multimedia and Toshiba.
JVC also participates in the group. http://www.havi.org/home.html
The HAVi Organization, January 7, 2000
The HAVi 1.0 Beta Specification is
available online at the HAVi site..
SPRINT
TO ADD MULTI-PLAYER GAMING TO DSL
Sprint will install and host game
servers from HEAT.NET directly on its Internet backbone, providing its DSL
users and subscribers of Sprint ION with low latency gaming performance.
Sprint’s High Speed DSL service is currently available in
Charlottesville, Va., Las Vegas, Nev., and Orlando, Fla., and expanding to
additional markets in 2000. Sprint
is currently selling the service to residential customers in Denver,
Kansas City and Seattle. HEAT.NET
is the flagship online gaming service of SegaSoft Networks.
http://www.sprint.com
Sprint, January 7, 2000
NEW
YORK ISP ANNOUNCES ADVERTISING SUBSIDIZED DSL
iNYC, a New York-based Internet
service provider, announced plans for a “Free DSL” service supported
by advertising revenue. The
iNYC service will differ from previously announced Free DSL service in
that the residential consumer can choose to have permanent ad banner
displayed on their screen, or may selected to participated in a
“points” program in which certain credits are gained for each book
purchased at Amazon, for each stock update completed, etc.
The company is currently taking orders for its service, with first,
actual installations planned to begin in the eastern states in March.
http://www.inyc.com
iNYC, January 7, 2000
