BROADWING'S RICK ELLENBERGER ON THE POTENTIAL FOR LIQUID BANDWIDTH
Speaking at the Competitive Telecommunications Association's (CompTel's) conference in San Francisco, Richard Ellenberger, president and CEO of Broadwing, said the communications industry is at a "tipping point" beyond which new content-rich applications will create explosive growth in network traffic and services.  The key enabler for this new era in communications, argued Ellenberger, is a "killer platform" for unleashing the "liquid bandwidth" required by new applications.  Broadwing's strategic vision calls for a customer-centric optical network capable of delivering bandwidth that is "infinitely scalable, instantly provisionable, incrementally billable, and independent of protocol."  Broadwing is assembling a collection of core assets to extend the power of its 18,500 mile, coast-to-coast fiber backbone.  The company recently began carrying its first commercial traffic over the Corvis all-optical transmission platform along a route from Phoenix to El Paso, Texas.  Corvis equipment will be used to light two strands of fiber across the entire Broadwing network by the end of this year.  Broadwing is building new data centers at key nodes across its national backbone.  Last week, it opened a new collocation facility in Santa Clara, California, its ninth so far.  Broadwing is also working with EMC to develop massive optical media storage capabilities.  It also operates an incubator as part of its Zoomtown DSL network in Cincinnatti, proving a live proving ground for bandwidth rich services.  http://www.broadwing.com
October 2, 2000

• Broadwing is a partner and investor in TeraBeam Networks, a start-up service provider leveraging free-space optical technologies as a first-mile solution.  http://www.terabeam.com
  
• Broadwing was formed through the merger of Cincinnati Bell and IXC Communications, which built a coast-to-coast fiber network.  In January, Broadwing arranged for up to $2.1 billion in credit facilities from a syndicate of 24 banks and other financial lenders led by Citibank and Bank of America to expand its network. 
  
• The Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel) represents competitive telecommunications companies on legislative issues before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, state regulators and legislators.  The organization is based in Washington, DC.  http://www.comptel.org

CABLE & WIRELESS SELECTS NORTEL NETWORKS FOR US$1.4 BILLION VOIP PROJECT
Cable & Wireless selected Nortel Networks for a global migration from circuit-switched voice to VoIP.  The contract, which is valued at US$1.4 billion over 10 years, covers deployment and operation of Nortel's Succession Communication Server 2000, Succession Communication Server 3000 softswitch and Nortel Networks Passport 15000 Packet Voice Gateway.  Cable & Wireless said is goal is to converge all of its voice, data and IP applications onto a single network.  Its s new network architecture would also enable it to deliver advanced IP video conferencing, follow-me telephony, IP call centers and unified messaging services.  Nortel Networks described the deal as the largest commitment to date for its packet telephony architecture.
http://www.nortelnetworks.com/corporate/news/newsreleases/2000c/10_02_0000632_square.html
Nortel Networks, October 2, 2000

• Nortel Networks' Succession Solutions are being developed to provide Internet Telephony with 99.999% reliability using distributed softswitches that would be compatible with any vendor's end office/local exchange switch, any carrier-grade ATM or IP core network, and with legacy SS7 signaling as well as Intelligent Network (IN) resources.   http://www.nortelnetworks.com/products/01/succession/cs/index.html

360NETWORKS RAISES $1.2 BILLION FOR NETWORK ROLLOUTS
360Networks secured $1.2 billion in senior credit facilities to fund further rollout of its global fiber network and related broadband services.  The credit facility contains uncommitted incremental facilities for up to an additional $800 million, totaling $2 billion.   http://www.360.net
360Networks, October 2, 2000

TELECOM ITALIA SELECTS MARCONI’S OPTICAL PLATFORM
Telecom Italia Wireline Services awarded a two-year, US$200 million contract to Marconi for its SmartPhotoniX DWDM platform.  The equipment will be used for a national optical backbone supporting rates up to 10 Gbps.  http://www.marconi.com/html/news/marconitobuildnetworkfortelecomitalia.htm
Marconi, October 2, 2000

LEVEL 3 TO CO-LOCATE IN LEVELONE’S OPTICAL DISTRIBUTION EXCHANGES
LayerOne, a start-up service provider building Optical Distribution Exchange facilities in major US cities, signed Level 3 Communications as a strategic customer.  Level 3 gains an on-net network entrance points for its customers and the ability to exchange traffic with other long- and short-haul carriers.  http://www.layerone.com
LayerOne, October 2, 2000

• LayerOne was founded in January 2000 and is based in Dallas, Texas.  The company plans to open 12 traffic exchanges facilities by year’s end.  Investors include Crest Communication Holdings, RiverStone and George Soros’ Quantum fund.

COPPERCOM RELEASES ITS LOCAL EXCHANGE SOFTSWITCH
CopperCom announced general availability of a Local Exchange Softswitch System (LeXSS) consisting of a switching and media conversion platform, a softswitch platform, and a provisioning and management platform.  The switching platform provides line side interfaces to existing telephones, key systems and PBXs over circuit connections, T1s and DLCs, as well as to IADs over a VoDSL access network. On the trunk side, the switching platform connects to the PSTN through SS7 ISUP trunks, and also connects to packet core networks. It also features an integrated signaling gateway that supports links to the SS7 network.  The softswitch controls the switch platform using the Megaco/H.248 standard. It provides call handling, line and trunk side features, as well as a rich feature creation environment. The management system provides interoperability with existing OSSs through Corba, SNMP and XML interfaces.  CopperCom’s Local Exchange Softswitch System initially delivers Class 4 functionality with a solid foundation for Class 5 feature support.  In a later release, the platform will deliver the complete functionality of a combined Class 4 and Class 5 solution, with integrated broadband access.  CopperCom said its LeXSS is being deployed to more than 20 customers.  http://www.coppercom.com
CopperCom, October 2, 2000

ELLACOYA NETWORKS OUTLINES ITS SERVICE GENERATION SYSTEM
Ellacoya Networks, a start-up based in Merrimack, New Hampshire, outlined its product plans for a Service Generation System that would enable carriers to deliver fully customized, self-service, high bandwidth services and service bundles.  The Ellacoya system, which would function as a service overlay to existing broadband infrastructure, essentially is a scalable standards-based directory that stores profiles for subscribers, services, service bundles, applications, network delivery attributes, portal elements, billing characteristics, etc.  The platform would use Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and XML to interface with the other Service Generation System components.  Ellacoya will provide directory-driven and service-aware switching platforms with the capability of turning individual subscriber profiles into IP flows with the required QoS and packet classification for the specific application.  Ellacoya will also provide a graphical provisioning tool for creating new services and new subscriber profiles via a JAVA-based point-and-click interface, as well as the capability to create personalized Web portals from which subscribers could manage their services.  http://www.ellacoya.com/
Ellacoya Networks, October 2, 2000

• Ellacoya Networks was founded by Kurt Dobbins and Dan Hullette, both of whom formerly worked for Cabletron Systems.  The company has raised $34 million in initial funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, Weiss, Peck & Greer Venture Partners, Centennial Ventures and Lighthouse Capital Partners.

KYMATA ACQUIRES TOTAL MICRO PRODUCTS FOR ITS MEMS TECHNOLOGY
Kymata, a developer of planar optical components and subsystems, acquired Total Micro Products (TMP), a developer of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, for an undisclosed sum.  TMP’s products include cross-connect and silicon optical bench components, and pressure and flow sensors.  Kymata said the acquisition would add leading edge MEMS and silicon oxy-nitride (SiON) process technologies to its portfolio of planar optical devices.  TMP based in Enschede, The Netherlands.  Kymata is based in Livingston, Scotland.  http://www.kymata.com
Kymata, October 2, 2000

INFINEON TO ACQUIRE ARDENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR ITS ETHERNET SWITCHING SILICON
Infineon Technologies agreed to acquire Ardent Technologies, a start-up developing LAN switching silicon, for US$42 million.  Ardent's single-chip devices combine multiple Gigabit and 10/100 Ethernet ports in an architecture optimized for Layer 2 switches targeted at the high volume market serving small-to-medium businesses. Infineon said the acquisition complement its own gateway silicon and 10BaseS technology, and would broaden its networking portfolio for residential, hospitality, and multi-tenant/multi-dwelling units (MTU/MDU) markets.  http://www.ardentek.com/
Infineon Technologies, October 2, 2000

• Ardent Technologies was founded in October 1998 by Joseph Chou and Dr. Daniel Wong, both of whom previously worked at I-Cube.  The company is based in Sunnyvale, California.

SOLID RAISES $50 MILLION FOR ITS SMART NETWORK SYNCHRONIZATION SOFTWARE
Solid Information Technology (SOLID), a privately-held developer of software for synchronizing system data across various networking elements, raised Euro 55 million (US$50 million) in its second round of financing.  The company’s SynchroNet product enables system intelligence for next-generation wireline and wireless networks by combining distributed data management and system-wide synchronization technologies into a embeddable software platform.  Investors include Apax Partners, BancBoston Capital, Intel 64 Fund, RS Coinvestment Fund, Essex Investment Management Co., Pogue International Fund, CDC Valeurs de Croissance, Prime Technology Ventures, Nokia Pension Fund, Robertson Stephens' Bayview 2000 and others.  http://www.solidtech.com
SOLID, October 2, 2000

• SOLID was founded in 1992 in Finland and is now headquartered in Mountain View, California.

CRESCENT NETWORKS RAISES $37 MILLION FOR ITS DENSE VIRTUAL ROUTED OPTICS
Crescent Networks, a start-up based in Lowell, Mass., received $37 million in second round funding for its development of a Dense Virtual Routed Networking (DVNR) architecture designed for dynamic collaborative IP services over fiber.  Investors include JAFCO Ventures, Comdisco, Bessemer Venture Partners, St. Paul Venture Capital and Venrock Associates.  http://www.crescentnetworks.com
Crescent Networks, October 2, 2000

• Crescent Networks’ Dense Virtual Routed Networking (DVNR) architecture is being developed to provide highly scalable virtual routing, optical-scale application quality of service, and collaborative service management.  The forthcoming platform would deliver network-agnostic IP services over Frame Relay, ATM, IP, MPLS, Gigabit Ethernet/VLAN, SONET/SDH, DWDM and IP-VPN networks.  
  

• Crescent Networks is headed by Gerald Wesel, a former founder of Agile Networks (acquired by Lucent Technologies). 

LUCENT’S AVAYA COMMUNICATION MAKES MARKET DEBUT
Avaya Communication, a spin-off from Lucent Technologies, made its NYSE debut under the symbol AV.  Trading opened on Monday at 22 7/8 and closed at 20 3/16.  The company specializes in enterprise voice communication systems and call center solutions.  http://www.avaya.com
October 2, 2000

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