CISCO DELIVERS 10 GIGE MODULES FOR CATALYST 6500
Cisco Systems introduced its first 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules for its Catalyst 6500 Series enterprise switch.  The new modules include:

• A single port, 1550 nanometer (nm) line card that supports metro connections for extended reach distances  of up to 50 km over Single Mode Fiber (also compatible with the Cisco 7600 Series Internet Router).  List pricing is $79,995 and availability is expected this month.
   
• A single port, 1310 nm serial line card that supports a distance of up to 10 km over single mode fiber.  As future modular optics become available, customers will be able to reuse the base module of this line card to support changing optics requirements.  It also will interoperate with other devices that implement the Draft IEEE 802.3ae 10 GigE specifications.  Pricing is not available yet.  Availability is expected in December.

The modules support all the Layer 2, Layer 3 and Layer 4-7 features and intelligent network services of the Catalyst 6500, including multi-port 10 Gigabit EtherChannel, traffic classification and marking, traffic policing, content switching, firewall, intrusion detection, and jumbo frames.  http://www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems, September 5, 2001

SPHERA PROVISIONS 10 GBPS CIRCUIT FOR NEW YORK CUSTOMER IN 2 WEEKS
Sphera Optical Networks claims to have contracted, designed and successfully implemented a 10 Gbps SONET circuit for a customer in New York in only 14 days.  The optical connectivity was provided between two leading New York carrier hotels over Sphera’s DWDM metro ring.  The customer accepted the circuit on August 27th, 2001.  Sphera is using ONI’s metro optical platform and has over 40 nodes in 11 cities throughout the US and Europe.  http://www.oni.com/index.jsp?nextURL=%2Fnews%2Fpr%2Fview.jsp%3Fid%3D4281
ONI Systems, September 5, 2001

CINGULAR WIRELESS SELECTS NORTEL NETWORKS FOR NATIONAL ATM BACKBONE
Cingular Wireless, the second largest wireless company in the US with 21 million subscribers,  selected Nortel Networks to supply equipment for an ATM backbone network linking 87 cities across the country.  The network will provide intelligent networking capabilities, as well as transport for Wireless Internet voice and data traffic.  Equipment deployment will include Nortel Networks’ Passport 15000-VSS switch and Packet Voice Gateway, which will be used to reduce TDM trunking requirements.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.nortelnetworks.com
Nortel Networks, September 5, 2001

SHAW SAYS IT’S READY TO MIGRATE SHAW@HOME CUSTOMERS
Shaw Communications said there would be no impact to the quality of service provided to its high-speed Internet customers as a result of financial concerns with @Home.  The company’s new Internet data center can accommodate all email, web space and high-speed connectivity for all of its Shaw@Home customers.  During the next three months, Shaw will provide customers with a transition from their @home.com email and web space to an @shaw.ca email and web space address.  http://www.shaw.ca
Shaw Communications, September 4, 2001

• Last week, Excite@Home received formal notification from Cox and Comcast that they will terminate their existing distribution agreements with the company effective June 4, 2002.  The company is continuing to engage in discussions with Cox and Comcast concerning alternative arrangements for the continued provision of broadband Internet services.
   
• Also last week, Excite@Home received a written notice from two of the holders of its Convertible Notes demanding payment of $50 million of those notes on or before Friday, August 31, 2001.  The company disputed the demand and did not comply the payment.

KOREA THRUNET REACHES 1.13 MILLION BROADBAND USERS, SEES CONSOLIDATION IN KOREAN MARKET
As of August 30, Korea Thrunet had 1,133,318 broadband Internet subscribers.  The company expects to achieve its yearly target of 1.25 million or possibly exceed the target to reach around 1.3 million, given an average monthly net addition of 46,562 up to August.  However, Korea Thrunet is facing downward pricing pressures from the recent introduction of lower priced broadband Internet access products by its Korean competitors, and on-going regional promotions.  Three major players, Korea Thrunet, Korea Telecom, and Hanaro Telecom, are dominating the Korean broadband Internet access market.  Small players, such as Dreamline, Dacom and SK Telecom, have announced withdrawal of their broadband Internet businesses.  Last month, Korea Thrunet submitted a bid for a 30% controlling stake in Powercomm, an operator of a nationwide fiber optic and HFC network whose majority owner is Korea Electric Power.  Thrunet said a successful acquisition of Powercomm would enable it to take a leading role in the consolidation of the broadband Internet access market in Korea.  http://english.thrunet.com/
Korea Thrunet, September 4, 2001

CALIFORNIA’S 3^RD LARGEST TELCO TO BEGIN INITIAL FTTH DEPLOYMENT
Roseville Telephone Company, an incumbent local exchange carrier with 133,000 access lines in the Sacramento area, will begin an initial fiber-to-the-home deployment featuring traditional voice and data service up to 100 Mbps.  Roseville Telephone will conduct a beta test of Optical Solutions’ FiberPath 400 system starting in November, and proceed with the first phase of the fiber build-out with 300 customers by the end of Q4 2001.  http://www.opticalsolutions.com/main.shtml
Optical Solutions, September 5, 2001

CISCO RELEASES UNITY 3.0 UNIFIED MESSAGING SOLUTION FOR ENTERPRISES
Cisco Systems released a major upgrade to its enterprise-class unified messaging (UM) software.  The product, which is based on Microsoft Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000, allows employees across an enterprise to seamlessly access and manage voice, fax and email messages from any device -- desktop PC, touch-tone telephone, or the Internet -- from any location.  The system works simultaneously with both circuit-based and packet-based voice switches.  Pricing for Cisco Unity 3.0 starts at $145 per seat.  A voicemail-only Cisco Unity 3.0 solution is also available starting at $70 per seat.  http://www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems, September 5, 2001

PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW COMPLETE ON NEXT GENERATION MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE
A preliminary design review was successfully completed on an Advanced Extremely High Frequency (Advanced EHF) architecture for the next-generation, highly secure military satellite system.  Design specs call for worldwide continuous coverage at ten times the capacity of the existing Milstar system.  The new satellites will provide electronic jamming protection for military forces and the ability to support joint communications among all military EHF terminals.  The fully operational Advanced EHF constellation will consist of four cross-linked satellites providing full Earth coverage. The first of the four satellites is scheduled for launch in December 2005.  Lockheed Martin Space Systems, TRW Space & Electronics and Boeing Satellite Systems are members of a National Team that is developing the Advanced EHF system. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/articles/090501_2.html
Lockheed Martin, September 4, 2001

DSL FORUM ADVANCES CPE AUTO-CONFIGURATION SPEC, OPENDSL INITIATIVE DISSOLVES
At a DSL Forum meeting recently in New Orleans, a specification for the autoconfiguration of DSL customer premise equipment (CPE) installation was submitted to straw ballot.  The OpenDSL Group, which was created in August 2000 to accelerate standards efforts around provisioning and interoperability solutions, has transitioned future development to the DSL Forum and dissolved their OpenDSL initiative.  The group said it was pleased with the progress made in the DSL Forum CPE auto-configuration working group over the past year.  http://dslforum.org/
The DSL Forum, September 4, 2001

TROPIC SECURES $10 MILLION FOR ITS OPTICAL SERVICES PLATFORM
Tropic Networks, a start-up based in Ottawa, Canada, secured $15 million Canadian ($10 million US) in capital financing for development of its optical IP services platform.  Tropic's equipment is being designed to support Ethernet and IP services in metro networks.  Specific product plans have not yet been disclosed.  Silicon Valley Bank, GATX/MM Venture Finance Partnership and Transamerica Commercial Finance Corporation provided the financing and join Tropic's list of investors.  http://www.tropicnetworks.com/
Tropic Networks, September 4, 2001

• Earlier this year, Tropic Networks secured US$60 million ($92 million Canadian) in second round funding.  Investors include Crescendo Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Altamira, Raza Foundries, Celtic House International and Kodiak Venture Partners. 
   

• Tropic Networks is led by Kevin Rankin, formerly vice-president of the Broadband Copper Access division at Newbridge Networks.  Its technical team is led by Dr. Dan Oprea, formerly with Nortel Networks as a senior architect involved in high-capacity optical transport and terabit switch routing.

Daily Journal For Broadband Networking
Copyright 2001 Converge! Media Ventures Inc.
All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1084-2438
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