NEC TO SPIN-OFF ITS OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR AND MICROWAVE SILICON DIVISION
NEC will divest its optical semiconductor as well as its microwave silicon businesses into a new company by October 2001.  The new company's strengths include expertise in optical as well as silicon and gallium-based compound microwave devices.  Research and development activities will be located at a Kansai R&D facility to be based within the NEC Kansai plant in western Japan, and related R&D will be established at NEC's Tsukuba Laboratories in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.  The new company is expected to generate first year sales of 120 billion Yen (US$1.034 billion).  NEC plans to hold 100% equity in the new company until a planned IPO is held within two years.  The new company plans to offer stock option incentives as well as to pursue a merger/acquisition program to ensure its growth.   http://www.nec-global.com/
NEC, January 10, 2001

360NETWORKS AND TELSEON PLAN NATIONWIDE GIGABIT ETHERNET SERVICES
360networks and Telseon announced an alliance matching 360networks' long-haul fiber with Telseon's metropolitan Ethernet services.  Under the deal, 360networks will have access to Telseon’s optical Ethernet services in metropolitan areas, enabling 360networks to extend its IP transit, IP transport and backbone services to its customers co-located in points of presence (POPs) on the Telseon network.  360networks will be a preferred provider of dark fiber and long-haul capacity to Telseon.   The companies have also agreed to work together towards offering these services to international markets.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.360.net/News---Releases---Details.asp?ID=105
360networks, January 10, 2001

TI OFFERS ROYALTY-FREE LICENSES FOR IEEE 802.11G, WIRELESS ETHERNET AT 22 MBPS
Texas Instruments (TI) proposed offering royalty-free licenses under TI patents required for implementation of IEEE 802.11g, pending ratification of TI's proposal as the new IEEE 802.11g standard.  TI said its proposal would double the data rate of IEEE 802.11b-based products to 22 Mbps in a manner that is fully backwards compatible and interoperable with existing IEEE 802.11b products.  http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/news/2001/01014.htm
Texas Instruments, January 10, 2001

• The IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks Working Group
  http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/index.html

THE LATTICE GROUP SELECTS NORTEL NETWORKS FOR 10 GBPS OPTICAL BACKBONE
186k, a new carrier backed by The Lattice Group, selected Nortel Networks to supply its optical and network transmission technology for a new optical IP backbone spanning the UK.  The initial contract was valued at £67m (US$100 million) over two years.  The deployment will include Nortel's OPTera Long Haul 1600 Optical Line System and its OPTera Connect DX optical switch, which will provide service to 10 Gbps per wavelength. http://www.nortelnetworks.com http://www.lattice-group.com
Nortel Networks, January 10, 2001

• The name "186k" stands for 186,000 miles per second - the speed of light.
  
• 186k has previously awarded a £131m contract to the UK subsidiary of Dutch construction firm Koop for the physical build-out of its fiber infrastructure. 
  
• The Lattice Group plc was formed by a divestiture of BG plc, the owner and operator of the UK's gas transportation system, and other businesses.

CONFLUENT PHOTONICS TARGETS WAFER SCALE OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Confluent Photonics, a start-up developing wafer-scale integrated optical components for DWDM applications, raised $11 million in venture funding.  The company has a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.  Future products will include both passive and active devices, all using a patent-applied-for common structural element.  Investors include InnoCal Venture Capital, Rustic Canyon Ventures, Invesco Private Capital and CIT Venture Capital.  The company is based in Andover, Mass.
http://www.confluentphotonics.com/
Confluent Photonics, January 10, 2001