• In April, Global Crossing implemented MPLS across its worldwide IP backbone.

MOTOROLA INTRODUCES DSL-ENABLED TV SET-TOP BOX
Motorola introduced a DSL-connected set-top box designed for a wide range of consumer broadband multimedia services such as digital-quality broadcast television, high-speed Web access, 2-D and 3-D games, video and music-on-demand and on-line shopping.  Motorola’s Streamaster box will be demonstrated at SuperComm 2001 in conjunction with solutions from Alcatel, Cisco, Lucent, iMagicTV, Minerva Networks, Nortel Networks, Optical Solutions, VideoTele.com and World Wide Packets.  http://www.motorola.com/sps/
Motorola, May 31, 2001

VIAGATE AND ARTEL TEAM ON DSL DIGITAL TV BROADCASTING
ViaGate Technologies, a supplier of VDSL access systems, announced a co-marketing agreement with Artel Video Systems, which recently introduced a switching system for transporting MPEG over DSL networks.  Under the agreement, the companies will integrate and market ViaGate's 4160 Multimedia Access Switch with Artel’s CopperTV solution.  The companies are targeting ILECs, IXCs, PTTs and other DSL network operators.  http://www.artel.tv  http://www.viagate.com
ViaGate, May 31, 2001

• Earlier this week, Artel introduced a video switch designed to transport MPEG digital television services from satellite downlinks and video servers over ATM networks, through DSLAMs and directly to DSL subscribers.  Artel’s CopperTV approach is to place live MPEG video streams directly over existing ATM facilities rather than layering streaming video over IP.  ATM multicasting (point-to-multipoint) can be used to deliver the video content to multiple DSLAMs from a central location.  Artel’s core technology is an MPEG-aware L3-7 switch built in hardware and designed to handle the routing, switching and transport of multi-Mbps video services in real-time.  At the subscriber end, a DSL connected set-top box could be used to enable interactive TV with video quality-levels surpassing standard cable service. 

MPHASE DELIVERS MPEG VIDEO AND INTERNET ACCESS OVER RATE ADAPTIVE DSL
mPhase Technologies, a provider of broadcast digital television equipment, announced a Digital Video and Data Delivery System for transmitting real-time, DVB-compliant MPEG-2 digital television programming utilizing a DSL-based Non-Internet Protocol (NIP) and non-ATM platform.  mPhase uses a specific type of Rate Adaptive DSL (RADSL) supporting speeds of up to 6 Mbps downstream and up to 1 Mbps upstream.  The company claims its system will be capable of delivering up to 400 channels of MPEG-2 video.  Distance requirements were not disclosed.  http://www.mphasetech.com
mPhase Technologies, May 31, 2001

• mPhaseTelevision.net (a subsidiary of mPhase Technologies) recently announced the signing of affiliate agreements with leading programmers, including CNBC, MSNBC, A&E, C-SPAN, E!Entertainment, The MTV Network and the Fox family of channels among others, for the purpose of retransmitting their content via copper telephone wires using its DSL technology.

ALCATEL, MICROSOFT AND INTERTAINER SHOW NEAR DVD-QUALITY VIDEO-STREAMING OVER DSL
Alcatel, Microsoft and Intertainer will be showcasing “near DVD-quality” video over DSL at next week’s SuperComm.  The demonstration will use video compression and digital rights management (DRM) technology from Microsoft and the content library available from Intertainer.  The new Windows Media Video 8 codec requires only about 700 kbps to deliver the near-DVD quality video.   http://www.cid.alcatel.com/dsl/
Alcatel, May 31, 2001

TURNSTONE SIGNS DSL LOOP QUALIFICATION OEM AGREEMENT WITH ALCATEL
Alcatel has designated Turnstone Systems as its preferred loop management vendor and will market, sell and support Turnstone's products in conjunction with its own DSL access products.  The OEM agreement covers all of Turnstone's loop management products, which includes Turnstone's CX Loop Management platform and CrossWorks software.  The products provide remote loop qualification and testing of DSL services.  http://www.turnstone.com
Turnstone, May 31, 2001

CORVIS BOOSTS CAPACITY OF ITS OPTICAL TRANSMISSION AND SWITCHING SYSTEMS
Corvis boosted the capacity of its optical product suite to provide up to 2.8 Tbps transmission capacity in each direction and 16.8 Tbps switching capacity, a seven-fold increase from Corvis' previous transmission and switching products.  Corvis’ Optical Network Gateway can span 3,200 km over diverse fiber types without electrical regeneration. The enhanced product line-up consists of the following elements:

• the CorWave Optical Network Gateway, which supports and transports 2.5 and 10 Gbps SONET/SDH traffic in both concatenated and channelized formats. The ONG can be upgraded to an Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer to enable optical networking.
• the CorWave Optical Amplifier (OA), which employs various amplification technologies to support high capacity transmission over diverse fiber types.
• the CorWave Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM), which can be upgraded to an Optical Switch as fiber routes are added at a major POP.
• the CorWave Optical Switch (OS), an all-optical switch that provisions routes and optically switches up to 16.8 Tbps of traffic between fibers.

http://www.corvis.com
Corvis, May 31, 2001

VODAFONE UK DEPLOYS SYCAMORE OPTICAL BACKBONE
Vodafone UK has deployed Sycamore Networks’ SN 3000, SN 16000, SN 8000 and SILVX network management system to build an optical mesh backbone to underlie its next generation wireless network.  The network is delivering services across its main London sites.  Subsequent phases will expand the network across the UK.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Vodafone is using fiber supplied by Global Crossing.  http://www.sycamorenet.com/about/news/pressreleases.cfm?news_item_id=493
Sycamore Networks, May 31, 2001

CINTA DEVELOPS WAVELENGTH NETWORK EMULATION SYSTEM AND PLANNING TOOL
Cinta Networks, a start-up based in San Jose, California, introduced networking planning tools for its forthcoming WAVEJunction optical system, which provides dynamic wavelength transport and switching capabilities.  The software tools provide the ability to configure, test and plan a wavelength network with up to 100 nodes.  http://www.cintanetworks.com
Cinta Networks, May 31, 2001

• Cinta's product set will incorporate optical and electronic cross connect capabilities, thereby enabling non-blocking switching of any wavelength to any fiber.  The platform will also feature signal integrity monitoring, bit-rate independence and low per-port costs.  Cinta's centerpiece will be a Lambda Switch that uses tunable transponders.  Its design could also accommodate other optical switching technologies (e.g., MEMs) as they prove to be reliable and more cost-effective.  Cinta said its optical switching/transport platform would offer ultra-high scalability with up to 4,096 ports per node, each operating at line rates from 2.5 Gbps to 40 Gbps.  The WaveJunction product family will also encompass add/drop, amplification and advanced network management and planning software components.
• Cinta was founded by Dr. Chien-Yu Kuo, formerly with AT&T Bell Labs.  The company is led by John E. Vaughan (formerly president of Tellabs Global Sales and Service).  Wu-Fu Chen serves as chairman of the board.
• In November, Cinta raised $36 million in second round financing.  Investors include ADC Telecommunications, Corning, Enron Broadband Services, Comdisco Ventures, Battery Ventures and Sequoia Capital.

AUSTRALIA’S REDFERN PHOTONICS RAISES FUNDING FOR OPTICAL START-UPS
Redfern Photonics, a start-up group of companies based in Sydney, Australia, raised AUS$54 (US$28) million in second round venture financing for its various subsidiary and investee companies.  Redfern has already created six vertically integrated yet separate entities that specialize in a range of photonic technologies, including passive and active photonic components for DWDM, integrated optical devices (planar lightwave circuits), Application Specific Optical Fiber, Long Haul single mode fiber and terabit DWDM networking platforms for metro area networks.  Much of the technology is acquired from the Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre (APCRC).  Investors include DB Capital Partners (Deutsche Bank's private equity investment group), GE Equity, Citicorp Equity Capital, Ericsson Deutsche Technology Fund, the Australasian Technology Fund and Temasek Capital.  http://www.redfernphotonics.com
Redfern Photonics, May 31, 2001

SOLINET SYSTEMS RAISES $93 MILLION FOR ITS CORE OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY
Solinet Systems, a start-up based in Ottawa, Canada, raised $93 million (CDN$144M) in second round venture financing.  The venture funding ranks as Canada's largest private equity infusion into a telecommunications company.  Solinet Systems is working on solutions for core optical networks.  Plans have not been disclosed.  Investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Worldview Technology Partners, Altamira, USVP, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Alta Partners and a number of strategic optical and semiconductor component suppliers.
http://www.solinetsystems.com
Solinet Systems, May 31, 2001

• Solinet Systems is headed by Scott Marshall, formerly Cisco Systems’ Vice-President of the Service Provider Access and New World Carrier Services Groups.  Prior to Cisco, Mr. Marshall was Executive Vice-President of Research & Development for Newbridge Networks, a company he helped launch and grow.  Solinet was founded in May 2000 by a group of senior design engineers formerly with Nortel Networks and Lucent Microelectronics.

AGERE SYSTEMS FILES PATENT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT AGAINST PROXIM
Agere Systems filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Proxim charging infringement of three patents related to wireless local area networking.  The patents cover multi-rate wireless data communications systems, antenna apparatus and tungsten metallization.  Agere said the lawsuit was in response to another legal case filed in the International Trade Commission (ITC) by Proxim earlier this year asserting patent infringement claims against a number of companies, including some of Agere's customers.  http://www.lucent.com/micro/NEWS/PRESS2001/053001a.html
Agere Systems, May 30, 2001

• In March, Proxim initiated legal actions in federal district courts against six companies that sell direct sequence WLAN products and services based upon the IEEE 802.11b standard.  The companies are 3Com, Cisco, Intersil, SMC, Symbol and Wayport.  Proxim claims intellectual property rights for achieving optimum range, data rate and bandwidth using direct sequence WLAN products and services.

MCLEODUSA REAFFIRMS 2001 REVENUE OUTLOOK, TRIMS STAFF BY 5%
McLeodUSA, a leading CLEC serving 25 US states, reaffirmed its 2001 guidance, predicting 40% growth over 2000 results to between $1.95 and $2.0 billion, and EBITDA of $150 to $175 million or approximately 2.5 times 2000 EBITDA results.  McLeod’s core construction plan is on track and by year end it plans to have deployed 475 central office colocations for provisioning higher margin local services, 460 DSLAMs and over 470 ATM switches.  The company will also keep to its previously announced $300 million reduction of capital construction expenditures and will also layoff approximately 5% of its 11,500 employee work force.  http://www.mcleodusa.com/html/ir/singleStory.php3?pid=132&type=press
McLeodUSA, May 30, 2001