CABLE
& WIRELESS LAUNCHES MPLS-BASED
IP-VPN SOLUTION
Cable
& Wireless began offering a network-based MPLS IP-VPN service aimed at
global enterprises and large corporations as they move toward integrating data,
IP and voice communications over a converged infrastructure.
Cable & Wireless IP-VPN QoS is a fully-managed solution delivered
over the carrier’s global MPLS IP network.
Network administrators can group their WAN traffic into three
classes of service: standard (email, web browsing and non-critical
applications), enhanced (financial transactions) and premium (delay sensitive
applications, such as voice and video). Each
class of service has its own service level targets with respect to availability,
latency, jitter and packet loss. The
service is available wherever Cable & Wireless offers dedicated access,
remote dial access or Frame Relay in some 65 countries.
The Cable & Wireless MPLS network is based on equipment from Cisco
Systems. http://www1.cw.com/template_05.jsp?ID=mc_544july1502
Cable & Wireless, July 15, 2002
MPLS
FORUM ACCEPTS FOUR KEY DOCUMENTS FOR FINAL BALLOT, CITES PROGRESS
The
MPLS Forum accepted four key technical documents to final ballot: LDP/CR-LDP
(Label Distribution Protocol/Constraint-based Routing LDP) Conformance Test
Coverage Implementation Agreement; RSVP-TE (Reservation Protocol Traffic
Engineering) Conformance Test Coverage Implementation Agreement; MPLS PVC
(Permanent Virtual Circuit) UNI (User-to-Network Interface) Implementation
Agreement; and AAL2 (ATM Adaptation Layer 2) over MPLS Implementation Agreement.
The MPLS Forum said its technical groups continue to move ahead with
other strategic work items, including:
- RSVP-TE
interoperability
- BGP /MPLS
VPN interoperability
- Layer
2 over MPLS interoperability
- LDP/CR-LDP
interoperability
- Voice
over MPLS Version 2
- FR/MPLS
Interworking
- PNNI/MPLS
Interworking
- TDM
over AAL1 over MPLS
- ATM/MPLS
encapsulation
- MPLS
Service Definition Framework and
- Hierarchical
Lisps (Label Switched Path)
The MPLS
Forum also announced that the confidential test plans from its MPLS
interoperability demonstration held last month at SuperComm will be made
available to the general public. http://www.mplsforum.org/
The MPLS Forum, July 15,
2002
INTEROUTE
ACQUIRES EBONE ASSETS FROM KPNQWEST
Interoute
has acquired Ebone network assets in eight major European cities including
Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Zurich, London, Vienna, Milan and Amsterdam.
Interoute has also acquired backbone infrastructure connecting Munich to
Vienna, Turin to Milan, and Frankfurt to Strasbourg.
The assets were acquired from the bankrupt KPNQwest.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.interoute.com/nav_press_breaking_body.cfm?HeaderId=384
Interoute, July 15, 2002
Interoute
operates a pan-European network with facilities in Austria, Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
The company also operates MANs in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid,
Milan, Paris, Rome, Zurich and Vienna. Interoute
is owned by a number of internationally based shareholders, the largest and
major shareholder being the Sandoz Family Foundation.
http://www.sandozfondation.ch
- Earlier
this month, Cisco Systems announced a contract to supply its 12000 Series
routers and Catalyst 6500 switches to Interoute for its pan-European IP
network. The interconnected Cisco 12400 Internet Routers will be deployed at
both the edge and the core at up to 10 Gbps per link across Interoute's
wholly-owned DWDM infrastructure. The MPLS-enabled network will use the
Catalyst 6500 Ethernet switches at the edge to deliver VPNs, Internet
access, content management services and applications hosting. Interoute will
offer its customers usage-based billing and any-to-any connectivity for
their VPN sites.
ALCATEL
WINS SBC CONTRACT FOR FTTU
Alcatel announced a multimillion dollar contract to supply its Fiber-to-the-User
(FTTU) solution for residential customers in SBC Pacific Bell's Mission Bay
project in San Francisco. Alcatel
said the network will have the capability to deliver to consumers voice, data,
and video services over an all optical network including emerging high bandwidth
services like HDTV. The Alcatel
7340 FTTU solution is positioned for high quality voice, interactive video
supporting hundreds of analog and digital channels, and Internet access at much
higher speeds than traditional dial-up modems.
Alcatel is already a major supplier of DSL equipment to SBC.
Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.alcatel.com/vpr/?body=http://www.home.alcatel.com/vpr/vpr.nsf/DateKey/15072002uk
Alcatel,
July 15, 2002
- In
January, Alcatel introduced a passive optical networking (PON) platform that
it positioned as a broadband access technology for new-build residential
communities or as an overlay network to complement its DSL and digital loop
carrier solutions. Whereas DSL can support multimedia services such as
on-line gaming, MP3 music downloads, video-on-demand and broadcast TV, the
Alcatel 7340 Fiber-to-the-User (FTTU) solution is designed for even more
bandwidth-intensive services, like High Definition TV (HDTV). The system
leverages the existing Alcatel 7300 Advanced Services Access Manager (ASAM)
technology. The Alcatel 7340 is based on the ITU-T BPON (Broadband Access
Passive Optical Networking) standard and is fully compliant with the Full
Service Access Network PON (supports both 155 Mbps symmetrical and 622/155
Mbps asymmetrical PONs). Each fiber from the CO carries one PON and can be
shared by up to 32 subscribers using optical splitters.
NETNUMBER
AND TRANSACTION NETWORK SERVICES TEST ENUM-TO-PSTN LINKS
NetNumber and Transaction Network Services established a trial to
demonstrate access to Intelligent Network (IN) data elements -- such as Local
Number Portability -- using secure, IP standards-based Domain Name Service (DNS)
queries. During the trial,
Transaction Network Services will provide NetNumber with access to certain IN
data elements for population directly into DNS and will give NetNumber access to
its SS7 network. The trial will demonstrate DNS access to Local Number
Portability (LNP) and Calling Name Database Service (CNAM).
http://www.netnumber.com
http://www.tnsi.com
NetNumber, July 15, 2002
EQUINIX
SIGNS VERIO FOR ITS INTERNET CORE EXCHANGE SERVICE
Verio selected the recently announced Equinix Internet Core Exchange
service, which provides direct interconnection for peering between major
backbone networks within a centralized and neutral environment.
As part of the agreement, Verio will also offer its access and
connectivity services to IBX customers in Chicago, Dallas, Washington DC,
Silicon Valley and New York area IBX centers. Verio is a wholly owned subsidiary
of NTT Communications. http://www.equinix.com/press/2002/07-15-02.htm
Equinix, July 15, 2002
QWEST
CONFIRMS MULTIPLE BIDS FOR ITS DIRECTORY PUBLISHING BUSINESS
Qwest Communications has received multiple bids for the sale of its
directory publishing business, QwestDex. Discussions
with the potential acquirers are still underway.
http://www.qwest.com/about/media/pressroom/1,1720,1063_archive,00.html
Qwest Communications, July 15, 2002
PIONEER’S
UPCOMING HOME THEATER TO INCORPORATE MICROSOFT’S CORONA MEDIA
Pioneer's upcoming Digital Network Entertainment (DNE) home theater
appliances will be the first such products to support Microsoft’s Windows
Media 9 technology, previously code-named “Corona.”
The Pioneer “Digital Library” devices will provide playback of
audio/video in the new Microsoft media format, which is expected to feature
improved bandwidth efficiency and digital rights management capabilities.
Bill Gates will announce the public availability of the Windows Media 9
Series platform on September 4th.
The Pioneer products are expected later this year. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Press/2002/Jul02/07-15DigitaLibraryPR.asp
Microsoft, July 15, 2002
SCIENTIFIC
ATLANTA PLANS MOXI-POWERED MEDIA CENTER, CHARTER COMM TO DEPLOY
Scientific-Atlanta will market
a new Explorer home media center that run’s Digeo's Moxi service.
Cable operators could use the home media center to offer consumers a wide
range of digital entertainment services, including personal video recording (PVR),
digital music, games, and photos. Charter
Communications plans to deploy the new Explorer MC set-top in 2003.
The home media center combines an 80-gigabyte hard drive and an onboard
digital cable receiver. Through the
Moxi Menu all-media browser, consumers will be able to organize, surf and access
live or digitally recorded television programming, MP3s, and DVDs using their
remote control. Moxi will also
provide a subscription service for access to up-to-the-minute sports scores,
stock quotes, news and weather. http://www.scientificatlanta.com/
http://www.digeo.com
Scientific-Atlanta,
July 15, 2002
- In March, Digeo
and Moxi Digital, both start-ups targeting consumer media applications,
agreed to merge and announced new funding from Vulcan Inc, the venture
capital firm of Paul G. Allen. The new company, which will retain the Digeo
name, will develop consumer home entertainment platforms and services. The
company has partnerships with Motorola and Charter Communications.
UK’S
PIPEX DEPLOYS REDBACK EQUIPMENT FOR ITS DSL ROLLOUT
PIPEX
will use both the Redback SmartEdge 800 Router and SMS 10000 platform of
subscriber management systems for its multi-city broadband rollout in the UK.
PIPEX will use the existing infrastructure of BT’s DSL network and will
aggregate subscribers on the SMS 10000. PIPEX
will then use the SmartEdge 800 Router as an edge aggregation device to feed the
high-speed Internet traffic into UUNET/WorldCom's network.
Telindus serves as the network integrator.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The companies noted that PIPEX is currently connecting around 600 new
subscribers a day with the goal of more than one hundred thousand new
subscribers by the end of 2002. http://www.redback.com
Redback
Networks, July 15, 2002
GLOBESPANVIRATA
MARKS SHIPMENT OF ITS 15 MILLIONTH HELIUM DSL CHIP
GlobespanVirata has shipped over 15 million units of its Helium
communications processors and software. The
chip is designed for DSL bridge/gateway, small office routers, and mini-DSLAM
applications. http://www.globespanvirata.com
GlobespanVirata,
July 15, 2002
TEXAS
INSTRUMENTS PARTNERS WITH EFFICIENT NETWORKS ON DSL SILICON
Texas Instruments entered into a partnership with Efficient Networks, a
subsidiary of Siemens, to develop the next generation of Efficient’s ADSL
modems for deployment worldwide. More
specifically, Efficient Networks will be developing products based on TI's
family of ADSL CPE chipsets for bridges, routers and residential gateways.
TI's AR5 chipsets are based on TI's broadband communications processors,
DSP-based ADSL physical layer (PHY) technology and firmware. http://focus.ti.com/docs/pr/pressrelease.jhtml?prelId=sc02079
Texas Instruments, July 15, 2002
NET
TO NET TECHNOLOGIES RAISES $6 MILLION FOR ETHERNET DSL
Net to Net Technologies, a start-up based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
raised $6.25 million in new venture funding for its Ethernet-based DSL Broadband
Access solutions. The new funding
came from North Atlantic Capital Corporation, Summit Partners and private
investors. http://www.nettonet.com
Net
to Net Technologies, July 15, 2002
CLARENT
ENHANCES ITS PSTN ACCESS SOFTSWITCH
Clarent
Corporation introduced a number of enhancements for its Unix-based PSTN Access
Softswitch, including a scalable media gateway capable of supporting as few as
120 universal voice, fax or data ports per chassis and more than 10,000 ports in
a standard seven foot rack. Clarent’s
softswitch platform can also be enhanced with integrated SS7 and announcement
server capabilities. http://www.clarent.com/news/pressReleases/article-details.asp?id=272
Clarent Corporation, July 15, 2002
SIPACKETS
INTRODUCES HYPERTRANSPORT
TO PCI BRIDGE
SiPackets,
a subsidiary of Alliance Semiconductor, introduced a HyperTransport (HT) to PCI
Bridge for connecting the new generation of HT-based microprocessors and
microcontrollers to legacy PCI-based peripherals and to emerging HT-based
peripherals. The device supports
64-bit, 66-MHz PCI operations and implements two bidirectional 8-bit HT
interfaces that provide 800 Megabytes per second of bandwidth in each direction.
Up to 31 of the devices can be daisy-chained to build higher capacity
systems with multiple PCI buses and HT-based peripherals. A fairness algorithm
allocates bandwidth among the devices, thereby eliminating starvation of bridges
at the end of the chain. http://www.sipackets.com
SiPackets, July 15, 2002
- SiPackets
was founded in May 2001 and became a subsidiary of Alliance Semiconductor
Corporation in April 2002. The
company is based in Fremont, California.
INFINEON
ANNOUNCES MULTI-SERVICE
PROCESSOR FOR PDH/ATM LINE CARDS
Infineon
Technologies began sampling a multiservice communications processor designed for
use in PDH/ATM line cards in carrier-class network access systems, including
DSLAMs/DLCs and multiservice switches, WAN routers; and 3G mobile base
stations/radio network controllers. The
Infineon IWORX (InterWORking element neXt generation-Phy) controller links the
timeslot based infrastructure to ATM systems.
The system-on-a-chip can be programmed using a high-level message based
interface, reducing complex programming requirements.
http://www.infineon.com/news/press/207_121e.htm
Infineon
Technologies, July 15, 2002
NETCOLOGNE
SELECTS CISCO FOR DOCSIS 1.1 CABLE DEPLOYMENT
Germany’s
NetCologne is deploying the DOCSIS
1.1 qualified Cisco uBR746VXR Universal Broadband Router, Cisco 7500 Internet
Routers and Cisco Catalyst 6000 switches. The
equipment will be used for IP
telephony services, cable television and high speed Internet access for both
residential and business customers. Financial
terms were not disclosed. http://www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems, July 15, 2002
3COM
OFFERS WIRELESS LAN BUILDING-TO-BUILDING BRIDGE
3Com announced an 802.11b Wireless LAN Building-to-Building Bridge as a
cost-effective alternative to laying cable between temporary facilities.
The wireless bridge in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint
configurations covers distances of 300 meters up to 20,000 meters depending upon
the antenna used. The product is priced at $990 (U.S. list), not including
antennas and cables. http://www.3com.com/en_US/jump_page/wireless_bridge.html
3Com, July 15, 2002
TELEGLOBE
LENDERS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST BCE
A syndicate of lenders to the now bankrupt Teleglobe filed a lawsuit
against BCE seeking damages in the aggregate amount of US $1.19 billion.
The plaintiffs represent approximately 95.2% of the U.S. $1.25 billion
advanced by the members of the Teleglobe Lending Syndicate.
BCE denied any liability to any creditor of Teleglobe or its
subsidiaries. http://www.bce.ca/
BCE, July 15, 2002
- In
May, Teleglobe filed bankruptcy papers with the Ontario Superior Court.
- On
April 24, BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises), Canada’s largest communications
company, announced that it would cease long-term funding of Teleglobe.
LATTICE
SEMICONDUCTOR TO ACQUIRE CERDELINX FOR $23 MILLION
Lattice
Semiconductor agreed to acquire privately-held Cerdelinx Technologies for
approximately $23 million in stock. Cerdelinx,
which is based in San Jose, California, currently has a team of 27 engineers who
are developing a portfolio of low-power CMOS transceivers and backplane
interfaces with embedded high-speed SERDES I/O to support 10 Gbps applications.
Lattice said the acquisition would enhance its own efforts to deliver
programmable solutions within the OC-192, networking and storage market
segments. Lattice Semiconductor is
based in Hillsboro, Oregon. http://www.latticesemi.com/corporate/press/corporate/2002/pr071502.cfm?CFID=1419602&CFTOKEN=90861012
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation,
July 15, 2002
IBASIS
SELLS SPEECH SOLUTIONS BUSINESS TO CONVERGYS
iBasis sold its Speech
Solutions business to Convergys Corporation for $17 million in cash, an
additional $1.5 million placed in escrow, and up to $16 million in earn-out
payments that will be awarded upon the achievement of certain milestones.
The Speech Solutions business develops and hosts Interactive Voice
Response (IVR) and Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR) solutions for large
carriers and enterprises. In
connection with the sale, iBasis expects to record a loss of approximately $59
million from discontinued operations in Q2.
Convergys specializes in integrated billing, employee care, and
customer care services provided through outsourcing or licensing. http://www.convergys.com/
http://www.ibasis.com
Convergys, July 15, 2002
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The
Third Annual MPLS Congress
Monday 16th -
Thursday 19th September 2002
London
The
Third Annual MPLS Congress
is a
very exciting four-day multi-speaker event that includes 13
operator case studies. Two
days of the Congress focus on evaluating MPLS as a VPN
Technology and two days examine how MPLS is being developed for
implementation in core networks.
 The
first two days will compare the business cases for implementing
IP VPNs, MPLS VPNs, IPsec VPNs & VPLS to enable secure high
quality networks connections for enterprise customers. With a
record number of VPN case studies from Telefonica, Level3, BT,
Infonet, Telia, Bell Canada, Utfors, LambdaNet, Neosnetworks,
Equant and Packet Exchange, this is your opportunity to learn
from your peers.
The second two days will examine
the evolution of MPLS services, traffic management, protection,
QoS, GMPLS, VoMPLS and integration with IPv6, IP multicast and
All-IP mobile networks, with speakers such as Roy Fischer from
02 outlining the long term benefits of implementing MPLS in your
core network.
For more details see the website http://www.iir-conferences.com/a.cfm?id=1885
or call Alex Crow directly on: +44 (0)20 7915 5627
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