QWEST SELECTS TELLIUM'S OPTICAL SWITCH
Qwest Communications selected Tellium's core optical switches as part of its all-optical network initiative.  Qwest will deploy Tellium's Aurora Optical Switch, which delivers 1.28 Tbps of capacity and supports interfaces from OC-48 to OC-768.  Qwest also plans to evaluate Tellium's third generation switch (currently under development). Under the deal, Qwest also received certain rights to purchase pre-IPO equity in Tellium. Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.qwest.com/about/media/story.asp?id=329
http://www.tellium.com
Qwest, September 20, 2000

• Last week, Cable & Wireless signed a five-year, $350 million contract to deploy Tellium's optical switches in its global IP backbone.  Field deployment is expected to begin in Q1 2001.  Earlier in the month, announced the first commercial shipment of its Aurora Optical Switch to Extant, a facilities-based company providing carrier transport services.  
  
• The Tellium optical crossconnect handles up to 512 OC-48 connections while bypassing the SONET/DCS layer.  Support for OC-192 connections is expected this fall.  
  
• Tellium recently disclosed plans for its third-generation Aurora switch, which will integrate its current opto-electronic-fabric-based optical-layer crossconnect with all-optical switching capabilities of a MEMS-based platform.  The MEMs mirror arrays would allow for bit-rate and protocol independence.  Opto-electronics would be used for network-manageability, including performance monitoring, connection-verification, fault-isolation, automatic topology-discovery, multicast capabilities, sub-rate grooming and in-band signaling.  Tellium said the platform would be OC-768-ready when it is introduced in 2001.  In January, Tellium named Harry J. Carr as its new Chairman and CEO.  Carr most recently served as President of Lucent's Broadband Carrier Networks unit and was previously President and COO of Yurie Systems.

QWEST PROMISES FASTER COMPETITIVE ACCESS TO ITS LOCAL MARKETS
Qwest Communications outlined a series of sweeping policy changes to open its local access networks to competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs).  Key points of Qwest initiative include: allowing CLEC-to-CLEC connections in its central offices (COs) for the purpose of mutually exchanging local traffic; allowing collocation of ATM switches in its COs; offering CLECs the option of pre-ordering unbundled dedicated interoffice transport prior to completion of the CLECs collocation space in Qwest central offices; offering a single point of interconnection per Local Access Transport Area (LATA); offering CLECs a 90 day collocation interval and the ability to reserve collocation space. The company also dropped 17 lawsuits filed against state regulatory agencies by its predecessor (US West).  http://www.qwest.com/about/media/story.asp?id=328
Qwest, September 19, 2000

THE ATM FORUM APPROVES 10 GBPS UTOPIA 4 INTERFACE
The ATM Forum Technical Committee approved its UTOPIA Level 4 frame-based interface specification, raising the speed of the fastest ATM interface from 2.4 Gbps to 10 Gbps.  UTOPIA Level 4 handles sustained data rates in support of OC-192 and supports both ATM cells as well as variable length packets. It also supports in-band flow control to minimize pin count while supporting sub-ports down to STS-1, and enables symmetric transmit and receive operation for easier design, testing and wider applicability. In addition, UTOPIA Level 4 offers support for interconnections across motherboard, daughterboard and backplane interfaces.   http://www.atmforum.com
The ATM Forum, September 20, 2000

CISCO AND NEC ANNOUNCE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR ENTERPRISE VOICE OVER IP
Cisco Systems and NEC announced a global alliance under which NEC Communications' voice products, including PBXs, applications and telephony devices, will be integrated with products based on Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data).  The shared vision for converged multiservice enterprise networking will provide NEC's voice networking products with a migration path to IP telephony and interoperability with Cisco's IP architecture.  In Japan, NEC has a broad OEM arrangement with Cisco.  In the US, NEC is one of the largest system integrators for Cisco; and in Australia, NEC and Cisco operate under a joint marketing agreement.
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/pressroom/2000/sep00/ent_092000.htm
Cisco Systems, July 20, 2000

More on Cisco's AVVID architecture
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/largeent/avvid/

TYCOM ACQUIRE EUROPEAN DARK FIBER FROM VIATEL
TyCom Global Network, the new communications company established by Tyco International, acquired rights to dark fiber on Viatel's Pan-European Network.  The deal will provide TyCom with 2,700 km of long haul routes in Germany, France and the Netherlands.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  TyCom's Transatlantic and Northern Europe undersea cables are scheduled to enter service in July 2001.  http://www.tycomltd.com/
TyCom, September 20, 2000

• Tyco International acquired AT&T's Submarine Systems division in 1997.  The company operates a fleet of ships for laying communication cables for international telecom carriers. In January, Tyco announced its intention to build and operate its own undersea global fiber network.  Phase 1 of the TyCom Global Network will offer multi-terabit capacity up to 7.68 Tbps over an integrated system spanning 70,000 undersea kilometers and connecting more than 35 cities. The TransPacific network is expected to enter service in mid-2002.  TyCom Ltd. (NYSE: TCM) completed an initial public offering on July 27.

ADC TO ACQUIRE BROADBAND ACCESS SYSTEMS
ADC agreed to acquire Broadband Access Systems, a start-up offering an IP Access Switch for cable network operators, for $2.25 billion in stock (Sep 19 prices).  The platform is designed to enable high-speed Internet access as well as IP-based voice services.  ADC said Broadband Access Systems' products will form the cornerstone of its strategy to offer IP services over cable, DSL and wireless networks.  http://www.adc.com   http://www.basystems.com/
ADC, September 20, 2000

• Broadband Access Systems' Cuda 12000 IP Access Switch incorporates both DOCSIS 1.1 cable access and network edge router/switch functionality.  It supports integrated carrier-class media gateway functionality that allows the platform to interconnect IP-based voice calls to existing Class 5 switches and emerging softswitches. System management is completely separated from access and network functions, eliminating the need for any central processors except for management and service provisioning functions. All forwarding and protocol processing functions are fully distributed to each interface module allowing any growth to be matched by accompanying processing resources.
  
• Broadband Access Systems was founded in 1998 by David R. Paolino (formerly a co-founder and CEO of ANT, acquired by FORE Systems in 1995), Abbot L. Gilman (formerly ANT),  Walter G. Mahla (formerly Director of Core Technology Development at 3Com/U.S. Robotics) and Paul Nikolich (formerly VP of Engineering at Sarnoff Digital Communications and credited with developing the first cable modem).  The company raised $72 million in venture funding from Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, The Still River Fund, Norwest Venture Partners, Bowman Capital Management, Soros Private Equity Partners, Vulcan Ventures, YAS Broadband Ventures and additional private investors.  BAS is headquarted in Westborough, MA.

TELOCITY CHOOSES IPVERSE'S SOFTSWITCH FOR NATIONWIDE DSL NETWORK
Telocity selected ipVerse's multi-service softswitch for its nationwide DSL access network.  Telocity intends to utilize ipVerse's ControlSwitch to offer its residential customers voice services that will be accessed through multi-faceted residential gateways.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Telocity said ipVerse's ControlSwitch would enable it to accommodate the growing number of Internet transactions that will be voice activated.  http://www.telocity.net/
http://www.ipverse.com/
ipVerse, September 20, 2000

• Telocity's broadband footprint currently covers 125 major Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) across the US.
  

• ipVerse's ControlSwitch is a software-based switch that leverages XML scripting and open APIs to provide fast provisioning of new voice and data services.  The platform provides augmented tandem services, offloading voice and data traffic from traditional Class switches, and also supports deployment of ISDN-PRI leased line services in markets where Class 5 switches are not available.  The ControlSwitch’s multi-protocol call control system also provides transparent traffic exchange within or between service provider networks. 

TELLUS RAISES $13.9 MILLION ROUND FOR WIRELESS ACCESS PRODUCTS
Tellus Technology, a provider of wireless Internet access devices based on Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) technology, raised $13.9 million in fourth round venture funding. CDPD enables mobile and portable wireless access at 19.2 Kbps.  The new financing will be used solutions for CDMA (1XRTT and HDR), GSM (GPRS) and IS-136 TDMA (EDGE) networks.  New investors include Aragon Ventures, Niigata Seimitsu Co., and PSINet Ventures.  Tellus is based in Fremont, California.  http://www.tellustechnology.com
Tellus Technology, September 20, 2000

NORTEL NETWORKS JOINS HIPERLAN2 FORUM FOR 54 MBPS WIRELESS LANS
Nortel Networks is the latest company to join the HiperLAN2 Global Forum.  The HiperLAN2 standard offers wireless connections up to a 54 Mbps in the globally allocated and free 5GHz spectrum.  Nortel Networks said the HiperLAN2 technology offers a good solution for wireless access in hotspots, such as service stations, hotels, airports, exhibition and congress halls, and interoperation with third-generation (3G) mobile networks and Bluetooth devices. 
http://www.hiperlan2.com
HiperLAN2 Forum, September 20, 2000