Telecommunications Americas articles from October 2002

Telecommunications Americas archives from October 2002

Service with a smile. (Commentary).(Editorial)
October 1, 2002... In another millennia, back when Ma Bell took care of things from cradle to grave, I recall that one time I accidentally damaged my phone. Later that same day, a very pleasant Ma Bell technician (who was looking forward to retiring soon) came...

Fast reroute: a must-have for the MPLS core. (For Starters).(multi-protocol label switching)
October 1, 2002... Consider it a big step up the ladder in making MPLS (multi-protocol label switching) a true carrier technology. For the first time, Avici and Cisco jointly participated in an independent test of the fast reroute capability based on an IETF...

Squeaky computers.(Dust-Off report finds most computer problems due to poor hygiene)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... End users may love spending time on-line, but in many cases it might be wreaking havoc with their equipment, i.e., the bug that's causing your computer to malfunction might literally be a bug. A survey of 1300 computer repair technicians...

Tossing out junk e-mail. (For Starters).
October 1, 2002... "Greetings! I am Johnson, the manager in the headquarters of Nigeria Plc. Lagos. I have an urgent and confidential business proposal for you." Are you willing to stand in as next-of-kin to an Australian oil consultant/contractor who deposited...

Softswitches hold key to network simplicity. (For Starters).(Frontier Communications)
October 1, 2002... Initially pioneered for Internet offload applications, today's softswitches are morphing into platforms to enable new services over a simplified infrastructure. A recent report by Infonetics projects next-gen voice equipment will grow to $4.4...

Back talk: a conversation with Danny Bottoms of OnFiber Communications.(Interview)
October 1, 2002... Danny Bottoms is president and CEO of metro service provider OnFiber Communications, which this summer acquired two other metro network operators--Sphera Optical Networks and Telseon. It's a business he's familiar with. Before be joined OnFiber...

The metro still is spelled SONET: next-gen SONET switches appear to be holding off challenges. (Rethinking the Metro).
October 1, 2002... There was a time not too long ago when the CLEC boom and the dot-com proliferation converged to highlight the need for insatiable bandwidth. Long-haul carriers pumped up network capacity in anticipation of this demand and start-ups spawned by...

Stow away: metro DWDM may be the enabler of SAN success. (Rethinking the Metro).(dense wave division multiplexing, storage area network)
October 1, 2002... As corporations have evolved to more data-intensive organizations, they are increasingly interested in safeguarding their intangible, but very valuable, data assets. This security cannot be overstated. In fact, according to Disaster Recovery...

Twice as nice: virtual private LAN services reduce opex and drive new revenue generation. (Rethinking the Metro).
October 1, 2002... Service providers are feverishly searching for new income streams to boost their top line revenues while minimizing their capital and operating expenditures. But how do they accomplish both of these goals? The answer lies in getting back to...

Sharpening the edge: can the intelligent access edge pave the way to profits for incumbents?
October 1, 2002... If ever there was a period that gave meaning to the time-worn phrase "turning copper to gold," it's now, as providers scramble to gain increased profits by offering multiple services over one line. With increased competition from MSOs, which...

In control: session controllers key to SIP services at the edge. (Spotlight: At the Edge).(Session Initiation Protocol)
October 1, 2002... Over the past several years there has been enormous interest in IP and VoIP solutions. Advances in packet technology, changing regulatory environments and pressure from enterprise customers have created early demand for focused deployments of...

SONET salvation: virtual concatenation allows existing networks to meet the demand for metro Ethernet services. (Spotlight: At the Edge).
October 1, 2002... Popular media and many investors have concluded that telecom is ailing largely because the supply of bandwidth seems to far exceed demand. In fact, the problems network service providers face are much more complex. Service providers know...

Smart, sexy edges: session border controllers deliver interactive communications across IP network borders. (Spotlight: At the Edge).
October 1, 2002... How many times have you heard "IP networks don't make any money!" Probably way too many. Compared to the PSTN, IP networks are big zeroes in terms of financial sex appeal. Today, while data consumes more than half of network bandwidth, ordinary...

Force 10's next-gen Ethernet switch/routers raise the bar. (Telecommunications: 2002 Product of the Month).(Force 10 Networks' E1200, E600 Ethernet switch/routers)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2002... www.force10networks.com Force 10 Networks may have just raised the bar. The Milpitas, Calif., start-up has released a pair of Ethernet switch/routers designed to take on in price and performance competing products offered by the leading...

Cable telephony NIU. (New Products).(Arris' Touchstone Telephony Port embedded multimedia terminal adapter)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Arris www.arrtsi.com Arris has released a two-port Touchstone Telephony Port embedded multimedia terminal adapter (E-MTA) for outdoor use to complement the previously released four-line version. Both units are designed to meet DOCSIS...

1xEVDO testing. (New Products).(from Tektronix)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Tektronix www.tektronix.com Tektronix is taking charge of the CDMA path for 3G wireless with a 1xEVDO (1x Evolution-Data Only) option for its BTS (base transceiver station) tool. Although 1xEVDO provides increased data rates on mobile...

Wireless coverage extension. (New Products).(ADC's Digivance long-range coverage solutions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... ADC www.adc.com With base station costs high and a finite source of spectrum available, ADC's Digivance long-range coverage solutions may be the answer to extend coverage. Digivance LRCS is an all-digital RF transport system that...

IMA emulation. (New Products).(Spirent Communications enhances AX/4000 broadband test system with inverse multiplexing over ATM)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Spirent Communications www.spirent. corn Spirent Communications has enhanced its AX/4000 broadband test system with the addition of IMA (inverse multiplexing over ATM) capabilities. This new interface can perform testing on xDSL and...

Hardened CWDM. (Product Spot).(Advanced Fibre Communications' TransMAX 1500)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Advanced Fibre Communications www.afc.com Advanced Fibre Communications has unveiled what it claims is the first environmentally hardened CWDM-based optical transport system. Customized for AFC by San Francisco-based Redfern Broadband...

Electronic bonding. (New Products).(DSET's ezAccess 3.4 electronic bonding gateway)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... DSET www.dset.com For carriers sending and receiving requests to exchange bandwidth, the less paperwork, the better. Helping automate the process, DSET announce version 3.4 of ezAccess, an electronic bonding gateway that lets service...

Bandwidth management. (New Products).(Allot Communications' NetEnforcer AC-302, AC-402 bandwidth management devices)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Allot Communications www.allot.com As bandwidth becomes a commodity, service providers hoping to boost revenues from existing infrastructure will need to offer tiered service levels. To guarantee they can deliver what they promise,...

Off line.(Polaris CEO, CTO Ray Kao)(Interview)
October 1, 2002... The telecom downturn probably doesn't seem so alarming for someone like Polaris CEO and CTO Ray Kao, who served in the Taiwan military for a couple of years on the frontline with China. At a time when tensions were higher between the two...