01-October-2002 Volume 9 Issue 185

White Paper: Broadband Access Architectures -- Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Comes of Age by Spirent Communications

TELENOR SELECTS ERICSSON’S ENGINE FOR CIRCUIT-TO-PACKET MIGRATION
Telenor Networks, the incumbent supplier of fixed network services to the Norwegian telecommunications market, signed an agreement with Ericsson for the migration to packet of its circuit-switched network.  Ericsson said its ENGINE Multi-Service Network Solution will enable Telenor to cost-efficiently integrate different types of data and voice traffic on the same network. Telenor will initially use the solution to modernize their existing transit network, and aggregate ADSL traffic.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.ericsson.com/press/20020930-133720.html
Ericsson, September 30, 2002

• Ericsson has previously disclosed commercial agreements for its ENGINE solutions with such carriers as BT, Telmex, Skanova, eircom, Telia International Carrier, KPN, Comensus, Edisontel and others.

BIRCH TELECOM (A CLEC) EMERGES FROM BANKRUPTCY TWO MONTHS AFTER CHAPTER 11 FILING
Birch Telecom, a competitive provider of local and long-distance telephone service for both small to mid-size businesses and residential customers in 10 US states, completed the reorganization of its debt and emerged from bankruptcy, just two months after filing for Chapter 11.  Under the reorganization, bank lenders cut their debt in half to about $100 million and received 80% of the company's equity.  Bondholders exchanged all their debt -- about $133 million -- for a 20% stake in the company.  Birch said that despite filing for bankruptcy at the end of July, sales figures for August were up 20% and are projected to be at about the same level for September.  http://www.birch.com
Birch Telecom, September 30, 2002

• In August, Birch Telecom announced that it would cut the price of its T-1 Internet access service to less than half what Southwestern Bell charges.  Birch’s T-1 Complete package provides full-time upload and download speeds of 1.544 Mbps, a router and other necessary CPE, 100 free email accounts, 28 static IP addresses, primary and secondary Domain Name Service (DNS), 24x7 network monitoring and customer support, performance guarantees, router installation and configuration of customer workstations for $399 per month.
• Birch Telecom was formed in 1997 as one of the first CLECs certified in the Midwest to provide competitive local phone service.  It grew to have 340,908 telephone lines in service as of December 31, 2001 in ten states.  The company is based in Kansas City, Missouri.

SPRINT SUPPLIES TWO 2.5 GBPS IP CONNECTIONS TO UK RESEARCH NETWORK
Sprint was awarded a two-year contract to supply two 2.5 Gbps Internet connections through its London node to UKERNA, which manages the nation’s JANET education and research network.  Under a separate agreement, Sprint is providing ACOnet, Austria’s education and research network, with Internet connectivity to SprintLink via its Frankfurt node.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www3.sprint.com/PR/CDA/PR_CDA_Press_Releases_Detail/0,3245,1111367,00.html
Sprint, September 30, 2002

• In June, Sprint announced a contract to supply Internet connectivity to NORDUnet, the Nordic Internet network that connects research and education networks for one million people in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.  Sprint provided NORDUnet with a 2.5 Gbps connection to the public Internet in one day, and continues to offer ongoing service. NORDUnet is connected to the SprintLink Global IP Network with two fully redundant 2.5 Gbps Internet connections in Sprint’s Copenhagen and Stockholm nodes.

NEXTEL TO EXTEND ITS DIRECT CONNECT “WALKIE-TALKIE” FEATURE NATIONWIDE
Nextel Communications is preparing to extend the popular digital walkie-talkie feature (Nextel Direct Connect) of its mobile phone service to include nationwide connectivity.  The Direct Connect capability currently allows Nextel customers to communicate instantly, with sub-second call set-up, to other Nextel customers within their home calling areas.  During Q4, Nextel will launch Direct Connect roaming capabilities in Boston and New York, followed by other cities.  By mid-year 2003 and after the completion of phase one, Direct Connect service will be extended nationwide, allowing all Nextel customers to Direct Connect with one another anywhere on Nextel's all digital 2.5G packet data network, regardless of sender or recipient location.  Most of Nextel’s plans include unlimited Direct Connect service.  Nextel's network is supported by Motorola's iDEN (integrated digital enhanced network) technology.  http://www.nextel.com 
Nextel Communications, September 30, 2002

Nextel Direct Connect Operating statistics:

• Over 150 million Direct Connect calls are made daily.
• Almost 50 billion Direct Connect calls were made in 2001.
• 94% of Nextel customers use Direct Connect

SIEMENS ANNOUNCES TWO MOBILITY AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS
The Enterprise Networks division of Siemens Information and Communication Networks has developed two new applications designed to erase the boundary between mobile phones and office phones.  The first product is an enterprise mobility solution allowing employees to use a single telephone, telephone number, and voicemail box for all corporate voice communications.  Mobile phone users, for example, can utilize the enterprise telephone network and have access to abbreviated dialing, conferencing, and least cost routing while on campus or off.  The second product is a web-based communications portal that provides a self-service interface to enterprise business customers and colleagues via touch-tone or voice commands.  http://www.siemensmobility.com
Siemens, September 30, 2002

SPIRENT SHIPS CDMA2000 HANDSET TEST SOLUTION FOR MOBILE IP APPS
Spirent Communications began shipping a new CDMA2000 handset test solution for mobile IP applications.  Spirent’s new Mobile IP feature is an enhancement to AirAccess, a CDMA network emulation platform for 3G CDMA2000 mobile device testing.  The new capabilities provide the emulation necessary to test a mobile terminal's ability to interoperate within a Mobile IP-capable network.  http://www.spirentcom.com
Spirent Communications, September 30, 2002

INTEL INTRODUCES NEW TELECOM BOARDS FOR EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
Intel introduced new carrier-grade telecommunications boards based on embedded Intel processors to help telecom equipment manufacturers develop IP-based modular network and communications applications including web servers, mail servers, cache servers, VPN switches, media gateways, 2.5G and 3G wireless base stations, server clusters, DSL access multiplexers and voice/video/data servers.  Intel also introduced two new high-density CompactPCI media processing and network interface boards.  http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20020930net.htm
Intel, September 30, 2002

GÓMEZ ACQUIRES PORIVO FOR LAST MILE VISIBILITY INTO INTERNET PERFORMANCE
Gómez has acquired Porivo Technologies Inc., a Research Triangle Park, N.C. provider of end-user-oriented Web performance monitoring services.  Porivo operates a global network of more than 10,000 measurement agents that monitor and diagnose Web performance across all types of Internet connections, including dial-up, consumer broadband and corporate LAN.  Gómez said the acquisition would extend the capabilities of its own Web performance monitoring service to include “last mile” visibility.  The existing Gómez Performance Network (GPN) service continuously monitors Web site availability and responsiveness worldwide and offers recommendations for improving performance, helping companies differentiate their sites and improve the quality of the end user’s Internet experience.  Additionally, the Gómez Performance Network provides benchmarking services that put site performance into industry-specific context.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.gomez.com/about/us.asp?id=release&aid=9051
Gómez, September 30, 2002

CYPRESS LAUNCHES QUADPORT DATAPATH SWITCHING ELEMENT
Cypress Semiconductor introduced its next-generation high-performance QuadPort Datapath Switching Element (DSE) targeted at high-end wireless base stations, storage subsystems and WAN switch applications.  Cypress's QuadPort DSE is a four-port switching element that allows simultaneous access to an integrated memory array from each of its completely independent ports that can operate in different frequency domains.  http://www.cypress.com/aboutus/press_release.cfm?objectid=CC33C1B1-DCD7-4713-
8E75CAF86AC317F7&method=display  
Cypress Semiconductor, September 30, 2002

ENVENTIS TELECOM DEPLOYS QUANTUM BRIDGE’S PON SOLUTION
Enventis Telecom, which serves communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is deploying Quantum Bridge Communications’ Optical Access Switches and Intelligent Optical Terminals to create greater fiber utilization of its network.  The PON solution will be used to deliver data, voice and video services to medical and business customers in Duluth and several other markets across the states.  Quantum Bridge said its ATM switches are deployed at the central office and hub sites connected over PNNI rings for redundancy and reliability.  Optical services are delivered to multiple customer endpoints over Full Service Access Network (FSAN) compliant symmetric 622 Mbps APON technology: applications include wireline 100 Mbps pipes for imaging transport, multipoint Internet access using 802.1Q VLANs, and private line DS1 service.  Enventis plans to target additional business customers in the service region.  Enventis Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, an energy and automotive services company based in Duluth, Minnesota.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.enventistelecom.com  http://www.quantumbridge.com
Quantum Bridge, September 30, 2002

Broadband Access Architectures -- Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Comes of Age by Spirent Communications As service providers roll out ADSL and cable modem broadband access on a large scale, they face numerous challenges, including deployment, security, and client hardware and software compatibility.  Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) can ease some of these problems, but requires appropriate performance and conformance testing.  See White Paper in PDF Format

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A Daily Journal For Broadband Networking
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