VERIZON WIRELESS SELECTS CISCO FOR NEW CORE ATM NETWORK
Verizon Wireless selected Cisco Systems to develop and implement a new ATM core for its wireless network.  The new infrastructure would also support Verizon's future 3G services.  The Verizon Wireless network will use the Cisco MGX 8850 IP + ATM Multiservice Switch with SOFT-CDMA handoff capabilities, which allow the dynamic transferring of calls from MSC to MSC or intra-MSC as the mobile user moves geographically.  Verizon Wireless is also deploying the Cisco 3600 series and Cisco 2600 Series Modular Multiservice routers as well as the Cisco 6500 Series Catalyst Switches to provide the core transport infrastructure for OAM&P functions.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems, March 21, 2001

• Verizon Wireless currently has 27 million wireless voice customers.  Its network includes the assets of Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless, PrimeCo Personal Communications and AirTouch Paging.

LEVEL 3 ANNOUNCES CUSTOMER FOR FIRST SIP-BASED VOICE SERVICE
GoBeam, a provider of real-time business communications applications, plans to use Level 3's softswitch-based Voice service to offer IP-based calling, instant messaging and Web conferencing capabilities to enterprises.  Level 3 said its enhanced IP voice service is the industry's first commercial offering to be based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).   Separately, Level 3 announced a partnership with DialPad.com to bring enhanced IP-based voice services to ISPs.  The Dialpad service allows users to make telephone calls from their PC to other PCs, mobiles or phones.  http://www.Level3.com
Level 3, March 21, 2001

• SIP is a proposed IETF application-layer control (signaling) protocol for creating, modifying and terminating Internet multimedia conferences, Internet telephone calls and multimedia distribution. SIP can invite participants to unicast/multicast sessions and transparently supports name mapping and redirection services, allowing the implementation of ISDN and Intelligent Network telephony subscriber services.  http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/sip-charter.html

EQUANT INTRODUCES FIRST SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS FOR VOIP
Equant introduced Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to assure toll quality for its VoIP services.  Equant is providing four metrics for VoIP quality:  call completion rate, post dial delay (the time from when the last digit is dialed until the user hears ringing or a busy tone), fax delivery speeds, and Voice Mean Opinion Score (based on a rating scale).  Equant already offers SLAs for IP data-specific metrics, such as Round Trip Delay and Packet Delivery Ratio. http://www.equant.com
Equant, March 21, 2001

• In September, Equant announced the activation of MPLS across the core of its global IP network.

BELLSOUTH OFFERS SCALABLE FRAME RELAY FROM 3 MBPS TO 44 MBPS
BellSouth introduced a Subrate T3 service that offers its business customers scalable Frame Relay from 3 Mbps up to 44.2 Mbps.  The new service eliminates the provisioning time and expense required to bond multiple T1s into a sub-T3 pipe.   It also supports standard Frame Relay functionality, including BellSouth's Intelligent PVC, which automatically reroutes traffic in the case of a host computer outage.  http://www.bellsouth.com/
BellSouth, March 21, 2001

• BellSouth's network includes some 500 fast-packet switches, 17,000 SONET rings, 1,650 central offices, 50 BellSouth Managed Facilities and 3.5 million miles of fiber optic cable.

BT IGNITE TO DEPLOY LUCENT SOFTSWITCH FOR RESIDENTIAL VOIP
BT Ignite will deploy Lucent Technologies' second-generation Softswitch to introduce a variety of IP-based services for the UK residential market.  The new services will include multimedia and multi-party communications.  Specific terms of the multi-million dollar contract were not disclosed.
http://www.lucent.com/press/0301/010321.nsa.html
Lucent Technologies, March 21, 2001

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM SELECTS LUCENT FOR GLOBAL OPTICAL BACKBONE
Deutsche Telekom selected Lucent Technologies to supply optical transmission equipment for its Telekom Global Net optical backbone network.  Financial terms of the multi-year contract were not disclosed.   Deployment includes Lucent's 80-wavelength capable WaveStar OLS 400G and WaveStar ADM 16/1 SDH multiplexers, among other items.
http://www.lucent.com/press/0301/010321.nsb.html
Lucent Technologies, March 21, 2001

ALCATEL DWDM BREAKS 10 TBPS PER FIBER
Alcatel set a new record for DWDM transmission capacity over a single optical fiber by carrying 10 Tbps over specially optimized Alcatel Teralight fiber.  The trial demonstrated the unidirectional transmission of 256 channels each modulated at 40 Gbps, reaching a total usable throughput of 10.2 Tbps (10,200 Gbps) over 100 kilometers error-free.  The test used Alcatel's dual-stage hybrid Erbium/Raman amplifiers, 40 Gbps systems and Forward Error Correction (FEC) technology.

In a second laboratory trial, Alcatel achieved a record 3 Tbps transmission over a 7,300 km transoceanic distance.  This test demonstrated the unidirectional transmission of 300 channels each modulated at 10 Gbps using Alcatel's Wide-band Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs) in the C and L bands.  http://www.alcatel.com/vpr/?body=/latestnews/21032001uk
Alcatel, March 21, 2001

TRANSATLANTIC TAT-14 CABLE READY FOR SERVICE WITH 640 GBPS CAPACITY
The new TAT-14 transatlantic cable system was officially inaugurated and is now expected to enter commercial service in June.  The 15,000 km undersea cable links the US (two landing points), France, the UK, Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands.  The cable has four fiber pairs, each with 16 wavelengths of STM-64 (10 Gbps).  TAT-14 will have 640 Gbps protected capacity (1.3 Tbps total capacity and is owned by a consortium of 50 carriers.  https://www.tat-14.com
TAT-14, March 21, 2001

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS ANNOUNCES 10 GIGABIT ETHERNET TRANSCEIVER
Texas Instruments introduced a serial transceiver for 10 Gigabit Ethernet in backplanes, switches and routers.   The CMOS device, which is based on the IEEE 802.3ae draft specification for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, provides four 3.125 Gbps channels that can operate independently or synchronized.  http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/news/2001/01070.htm
Texas Instruments, March 21, 2001

OPNET TO ACQUIRE THE NETMAKER DIVISION OF MAKE SYSTEMS
OPNET Technologies, a provider of predictive network management software, agreed to acquire the NetMaker division of Make Systems Inc., a privately held software company headquartered in San Mateo, California.  The purchase price is approximately $5 million in cash and up to 675,000 OPNT shares (valued at $8.4 million on 3/21/01).  Make's "MainStation" product is an automated design tool for large, multi-layer networks based on ATM, IP and MPLS.  OPNET's product suite combines predictive modeling for the provisioning of services, diagnosis of network and application performance problems, and proposed network modifications.  As part of the deal, OPNET will retain the bulk of NetMaker's technical staff, including all of NetMaker's senior technical management. http://www.opnet.com/
OPNET, March 21, 2001

• Earlier this week, OPNET and GN Nettest announced a partnership to deliver integrated software solutions for planning and testing advanced networking technologies, beginning with Private Network-to-Network Interface (PNNI) and MPLS.  The companies are collaborating to develop "bridge" software that allows GN Nettest’s interEMULATOR products to share information with OPNET's predictive network management software.
  

• OPNET and Comsof, a Belgium-based software company, also announced plans for a joint venture focused on optical network design and planning.  Comsof has its roots in the Laboratory for Information Technology at University of Gent, where most of its staff either teaches or received their educations.  http://www.comsof.com/

NEC AMERICA TO RESELL REDBACK OPTICAL AND SMS EQUIPMENT
NEC Business Network Solutions agreed to resell Redback Networks' entire product line, including its multi-service optical platform and subscriber management systems.  NEC BNS is NEC America’s national direct sales and service organization.  http://www.redback.com/
Redback, March 21, 2001

PICO COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPS BLUETOOTH LAN ACCESS POINT
Pico Communications, a start-up based in Cupertino, California, announced plans for a Bluetooth LAN Access Point designed to provide Internet access in the home, office and high-traffic public locations for a wide range of Bluetooth devices including PCs, PDAs and Smart Phones.  The product will use software and hardware solutions from Agere Systems, Extended Systems, Silicon Wave and Wind River Systems.  Pico has signed a manufacturing and sales alliance with Taiwan-based MiTAC International, a major OEM/ODM supplier.
http://www.picocommunications.com
Pico Communications, March 21, 2001

• Pico Communications was founded in December 1999 by Mr. K.S. Chay, a previous founder and President of Creative Labs, Dr. Lung Yeh (Creative Labs), Dr. J.J. Lee and Dr. Richard Zai.  Mitac is the company's lead investor.

ALCATEL SHIPS 16.3 MILLION ADSL CHIPSETS IN 2000
Alcatel shipped 16.3 million DynaMiTe ADSL chipsets in 2000, up from 2.64 million in 1999.  Alcatel believes it accounted for over 75% of all DSL chipset ports shipped in 2000.  http://www.alcatel.com/vpr/?body=/latestnews/21032001_1uk
Alcatel, March 21, 2001

VENDORS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR XHTML MOBILE SERVICES
Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Siemens and numerous other equipment vendors announced support for the XHTML markup language (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language) as the format for the future evolution of mobile services. The companies also expressed their intention to develop products, content and services based on the XHTML language. XHTML is an evolution of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).  Mobile operators supporting XHTML include Vodafone Group, Orange, Radiolinja, Sonera, DNA, Telenor, Netcom, T-Mobil, TIM (Telecom Italia Group), RadioMobil and EuroTel Praha.  At the CeBIT show, Nokia is demonstrating its first XHTML microbrowser on a standard mobile phone and said it plans to license the software.
March 21, 2001

AT&T WIRELESS TO WORK WITH TELLME ON VOICE PORTAL
AT&T Wireless will work with TellMe Networks on a co-branded consumer voice service that would be available to all AT&T Wireless customers.  TellMe's voice portal provides mobile phones users with access to services and content by speaking instead of "clicking" on their phone's keypad.  http://www.att.com/press/item/0,1354,3721,00.html
AT&T, March 21, 2001

TellMe's voice portal first launched in April 2000 and is available for free within the US at 1-800-555-TELL.  http://www.tellme.com