OPTICAL INTERNETWORKING FORUM OUTLINES ITS PROGRESS
The Optical Internetworking Forum’s Physical Link Layer (PLL) Working Group began work on a new project covering technical recommendations for tunable lasers.  The OIF will develop an implementation agreement that will specify physical characteristics of the tunable laser module and its control interface allowing modules from different vendors to be interchangeable.  In other business, the OIF voted to approve an implementation agreement for an interface for packet and cell transfer between a physical layer (PHY) device and a link layer device, covering aggregate bandwidths of OC-192 over SONET/SDH.   Work is underway on other technical documents addressing high-speed interfaces reaching speeds of 40 Gbps.

The OIF also created a Carrier Working Group to address carrier interoperability issues for next generation optical networks.  An ad hoc group of Carrier companies formed in May 2000 has already finished a document entitled Carrier Optical Services Framework and Associated Requirements for UNI.  John Strand, a consultant at AT&T, was elected as chairman of the Carrier Working Group.  http://www.oiforum.com
The Optical Internetworking Forum, February 8, 2001

BT CELLNET SELECTS CISCO IP+ATM FOR ITS 3G IP BACKBONE
BT Cellnet selected Cisco Systems to supply IP and ATM equipment for delivering multimedia content and applications for its third-generation (3G) mobile telecommunications network.  Under the contract, Cisco will construct both BT Cellnet's IP+ATM core and the access infrastructure necessary to transport information between the core and radio transmitters around the UK.  Equipment to be deployed includes Cisco BPX 8620 Multi-service switches, Cisco 7500 series routers and Cisco MGX 8850 Multi-service switches.  Cisco claims to have won 13 out of the top 15 European Mobile Service Provider IP backbone contracts.  http://www.cisco.com  http://www.btcellnet.net
Cisco Systems, February 8, 2001

LEVEL 3 REACHES 1,200 CUSTOMERS FOR ITS WHOLESALE IP TRANSIT SERVICE
Level 3 Communications now has more than 1,200 customers globally for its (3)CrossRoads Internet access service, up by more than 100% in two months.  The service features Destination Sensitive Billing (DSB), with pricing based on the destination of Internet traffic rather than a traditional flat rate.  New Level 3 customers include Digital Island and Advanced Radio Telecom in the US, and Vizzavi, Dedigate, Infonie, BIS, Liberty Surf Telecom, WISH-NOKNOK, Eutelest, SURFnet, Free, and NL.tree in Europe.  http://www.level3.com/us/services/crossroads/  
Level 3 Communications, February 8, 2001

SIEMENS PLANS TWENTY-FOLD PRODUCTION INCREASE IN DSL PORTS FOR 2001
Siemens' Information and Communication Networks Group (ICN) is investing more than DM100 million to expand production capacity in a new manufacturing facility in Bruchsal, Germany dedicated to broadband access technology.  The company plans a twenty-fold increase in the production of DSL systems, yielding 2.5 million DSL ports for this year alone.  http://www.ic.siemens.com/networks 
Siemens, February 8, 2001 

SOLIDSPEED NETWORKS LAUNCHES PEER-TO-PEER WEB PERFORMANCE PROBE
SolidSpeed Networks, a start-up based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, introduced a peer-to-peer, web performance measurement system that uses idle Internet connected PCs to measure the performance of Web sites from the end users' desktop.  SolidSpeed says data gathered by Probester system shows that the true overall end-user experience in downloading the top 40 business websites is over 6x slower than as indicated by data measured by Keynote Systems, a leading performance measurement company.  A publishable graph of these results is available by downloading the eps file: http://www.solidspeed.com/pgraph.eps. 
SolidSpeed Networks, February 8, 2001

ASTRACON RAISES $25 MILLION FOR OSS SOFTWARE
Astracon has secured $25 million in second-round financing for its Operation Support System (OSS) automated service activation and connectivity management software for broadband IP networks.  Astracon is specifically targeting its system at flow-through provisioning for multi-vendor DSL, ATM, optical and IP VPN networks.  Astracom’s customers include British Telecom, Genuity, Telstra and WorldCom.  Investors in Astracon include Geocapital Partners, Cisco Systems, The Co-Investment 2000 Fund, Australasian Media & Communications Fund, Bluestem Capital, Edgewater Funds, and Telcordia.  http://www.astracon.com
Astracon, February 7, 2001

• Astracon is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado and has offices in Brisbane, Australia and Cambridge, England.  The company has raised a total of $33 million in funding since its inception in August, 1998.

EFFICIENT NETWORKS INTRUCES DSL GATEWAY WITH FIREWALL
Efficient Networks introduced a residential broadband Internet gateway that extends the functionality of the company’s DSL modems by enabling consumers to securely share the connection.  The product features an integrated firewall that supports IP packet filtering.   http://www.efficient.com 
Efficient Networks, February 8, 2001

CORONA OPTICAL SYSTEMS SETS SIGHTS ON HIGH-SPEED OPTOELECTRONICS
Corona Optical Systems, a start-up based in Lombard, Illinois, raised $6.9 million in funding for its development of extremely high-speed optoelectronic subsystems and components for carrier class equipment.  Product specifics have not been disclosed.  Investors include Intel Capital and the Geometry Group.  http://www.coronasys.com
Corona Optical Systems, February 8, 2001

LANE15 SOFTWARE TARGETS INFINIBAND MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Lane15 Software, a start-up based in Austin, Texas, received initial funding to develop InfiniBand management software.  InfiniBand is a next generation I/O technology that provides greater scalability, availability and performance for Internet and Enterprise data centers.  Lane15 Software develops InfiniBand fabric management software supporting initialization, configuration, routing, monitoring and fail-over.  Investors include Austin Ventures, AV Labs, Compaq Computer and Intel Capital.  http://www.lane15.com
Lane15 Software, February 8, 2001

• The InfiniBand Architecture Specification provides a scalable performance range of 500 MBytes/s to 6 GBytes/s per link with a consistent 2.5 GBytes/s signaling rate.  InfiniBand evolves the load-and-store-based communications methods used by shared local bus I/O to a message passing approach.  The technology could be used to connect servers with remote storage and networking devices, and other servers.  It will also be used inside servers for inter-processor communication (IPC) in parallel clusters.  The InfiniBand Trade Association includes 219 companies.  http://www.infinibandta.org
  

CORNING INVESTS $650 MILLION TO INCREASE OPTICAL SUPPLY CAPABILITIES
Corning will invest $400 million to build its sixth optical fiber manufacturing facility.  The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma plant will be operational in 2004.  The company quoted a forecast by KMI Corporation saying that fiber market demand should increase 25% per year from 2002 through 2004.  Corning also said that it will invest $150 million to expand its Corning Optical Technologies Italia operation, increasing its capacity to produce lithium niobate modulators, pump lasers, specialty fibers and fiber gratings.   http://www.corning.com 
Corning, February 7 & 8, 2001

• Corning purchased Optical Technologies Italia from Pirelli for $3.6 billion in cash in September.
• In December, Corning announced plans to invest $450 million to expand its Concord, North Carolina optical fiber manufacturing operation.