TelecomWeb News Digest articles from January 2005

TelecomWeb News Digest archives from January 2005

Annual Survey Shows Continued Wireless Dissatisfaction.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Even though U.S. wireless subscribership continues to rise, there is dissatisfaction in the ranks, at least among those who subscribe to Consumer Reports. In the most recent incarnation of its annual telecom overallsatisfaction survey, the...

Vegas Travelers Hit WiFi Jackpot.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Las Vegas' McCarran Airport just turned on a free WiFi network for travelers, making it the largest airport in the world to offer free wireless access. The network cost only $70,000 to install, with costs kept down by using the airport's...

100 Mb/s Cellphone Standard Proposed.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... A "who's who" of 26 telecommunications companies from around the world formally launched work on a new wireless phone standard called "Super 3G" that will deliver as much as 100 Mb/s bandwidth - as fast as 10 times the speed of 3G, which has...

LG Telecom Bids Farewell To Thousands Of Subs.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... In another case of the big fish eating the littler fish for lunch, or perhaps a preference for the tried and true, South Korea giants SK Telecom and KTF Co. are winning the wireless local number portability war, and the smaller LG Telecom Ltd....

Vonage Discloses Global WiFi VoIP Plans.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Vonage plans to start offering users a WiFi-based voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone from UTStarcom that will allow its customers make their VoIP calls from any accessible WiFi network on the planet. The UTStarcom phone, which will hit...

California Agency Inks Pollution-Tracking Deal.(installation of GlobalGuard satellite-tracking technology)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... In order to measure reduced emissions from diesel trucks and off-road vehicles, the Sacramento Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) in California signed a five-year contract with Satellite Security Systems (S3) to install its GlobalGuard...

3G UMTS Subscribers Top 16 Million.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The UMTS Forum says the number of global subscribers to 3G/UMTS services has passed the 16 million mark, and the numbers are increasing rapidly. The 10-million-customer milestone was reached in September 2004, and 6 million more were signed in...

Nokia Cuts Loose Fiber-Optics Interests.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... As one of its last deals of the year, Nokia inked a deal with the Knill Group of Austria to sell all of the approximately 3.2 million Nextrom Holding shares it owns and to transfer its remaining loan agreement to Knill, which then will become...

Pioneer Set To Release Second SDR Study.(Pioneer Consulting and Technology Inc.'s Software Defined Radio)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... A pricey new publication, Software-Defined Radio - Altering The Wireless Value Chain, is a follow-up study to Pioneer Consulting's initial 2002 missive that detailed the beginnings of this disruptive new technology. This new $3,500 PDF,...

BellSouth Eyes Microsoft IP Video.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Bell South now says that, before the end of the first half of this year, it will begin trials of Microsoft's IP television platform, in another of a growing string of wins for Microsoft in its attempt to capture the potentially explosive...

Yes, Conan, Cellphones Still Can Make Voice Calls, But Why?(Conan O'Brien)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Microsoft's Bill Gates keynoted the kickoff of the Winter CES Show in Las Vegas last week, introduced by late-night TV talk show host Conan O'Brien, who welcomed Gates "to the show you pretty much paid for." The two bantered for quite some time...

Belkin Joins The VoIP Club.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Yet another big-name electronics industry player has jumped into the voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) game as a carrier. This time, it's Belkin, best known for widgetry that includes everything from routers and surge protectors to stereo...

Boeing Tests Broadband In-Flight Communications For Military UAVs.(unmanned aerial vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Boeing has demonstrated high-speed wireless communications technology developed by Harris aboard the ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) it is producing with The Insitu Group. According to sister publication Defense Daily, the ScanEagle,...

AT&T Braces For Prepaid Calling-Card Fight.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... AT&T may find out sooner than later that its idea of putting commercials on calling cards does not classify those calling cards as "information services," thus exempting them from Universal Service Fund payments and connection fees charged by...

Powerline Broadband 'Trump's Cat 5.(automation of cabling)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... In one of the highest-profile victories to date for broadband over powerlines (BPL) in the United States, the Trump organization has begun installing the technology in all of the Trump properties in New York City. The Trump folks have...

Cellular Exec Tapped To Head Post-Acquisition Intelsat.(Dave McGlade appointed at Zeus Holdings Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Zeus Holdings Ltd., the company formed by a consortium of private-equity firms Apax Partners, Apollo Management, Madison Dearborn Partners and Permira that plans to take over global communications provider, already has tapped a new CEO to take...

U.K. Post Office Re-Enters Telco Fray.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Until 1981, the Post Office in the U.K. was the phone company, but it lost that job when British Telecom was created. However, it now plans to get back into the residential-service game, promising to undercut BT's rates by between 12 percent...

More Merger Mania: Alltel, Western Wireless Confirm Rumors.(acquisition of Western Wireless Corp. by ALLTEL Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... It's official. Alltel will be footing a $6 billion cash-and-stock bill to purchase Western Wireless Corporation, which has been one of the few wireless carriers to be successful at the state regulatory game when it comes to rural telecom...

Comcast Launches Pricey VoIP.(voice over internet protocol)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... To no one's surprise, Comcast has formally thrown its hat into the voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) ring, planning offerings in 20 markets this year and in all of its markets by 2006. The cable giant has been testing VoIP since late 2001....

Texas Lobbyists Limber Up For 2005 Telecom Two-Step.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Telecom lobbyists in the Lone Star state are expected to remain strong influences at the state capital this year as industry attention and spending turns to wish lists and issues involving potentially higher local-phone rates and lower...

Powerline Broadband Specs To Mesh.(HomePlug Powerline Alliance develops cable modems)(specification)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The HomePlug Powerline Alliance has decided to opt for a specification that will meld broadband distributed over power lines inside a building with broadband delivered over the power lines (BPL) to a building. The new BPL specification now in...

Microsoft, Siemens Ink 'Istanbul' IP-Based Pact.(Siemens' Communications Group)(internet protocol)
January 13, 2005... Microsoft and Siemens' Communications Group signed a far-reaching global sales-and-marketing deal covering, among other things, a commitment by Siemens to adopt Microsoft's forthcoming IP communications client, code-named "Istanbul." ...

Nortel Works Out Bonus Give-Backs, Wide Reforms.(Nortel Networks Corp.'s financial revamp)
January 13, 2005... Nortel Networks told Canadian and U.S. authorities that its financial revamp effort caused by alleged accounting irregularities will result in about 12 senior executives voluntarily paying back bonuses worth a total of $8.6 million over the...

DSLAM Startup Pushes New IP 'Deep Service' Architecture.(Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer)
January 13, 2005... Critical Telecom, an investor-backed DSLAM startup with between 40 and 50 employees, advocates that standards-compliant IP service features should be created and reside in network access elements closer to end customers, ostensibly then...

Chicago Clergy Darned MAADD At 'Redlining' SBC.(Ministerial Alliance Against the Digital Divide)(SBC Communications Inc.)
January 20, 2005... SBC Communications has been accused by a group representing ministers who advocate parity in broadband access of avoiding poor, minority Chicago communities, a.k.a. "redlining," in a $6 billion program to deliver high-speed Internet and cable...

Virginia Execs Detail States' Homeland Security Priorities.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... The State of Virginia's priorities in the homeland-security arena focus mainly on the safety of responders and interoperable communications, reflecting the tactical nature of having to cope with the outcome of a potential terrorist attack,...

T-Mobile Germany Taps Ericsson For Future-Proof Network.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Ericsson signed a key deal with Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile Germany to upgrade its mobile network in that country. Ericsson will replace GSM radio-access network equipment by installing and integrating what it calls the "latest future...

New USF Reform Report Stops Short Of Solutions.(Universal Service Fund of Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Publicly subsidized costs are simply getting too high for the "high-cost" segment of the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF), and it is high time for a reformation of this aspect of the 70-year-old program,...

Ciena Alleges Nortel Patent Violations.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Ciena, wasting no time after a two-year non-aggression pact expired, charged Nortel with trampling a half-dozen of its networking systems and technology patents. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas,...

Three-Topping Special: Extra Cheese, Mushrooms & DSL.(Sbarro Inc. sings contract with New Edge Networks)(Digital Subscriber Line)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... In an unusual - and perhaps unprecedented - effort to help ensure that its new national data network got completed on time, restaurant chain Sbarro's offered the employees at New Edge Networks a year's worth of free pizza if they could meet the...

Iridium Meets 911 Compliance Deadline.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) told mobile satellite service providers that they are obligated to provide basic 911 capabilities because such carriers offer real-time, two-way, switched voice service interconnected with...

Feds Advance Five Companies To IWN Next Round.(United States. Department of Justice)(Integrated Wireless Network)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... AT&T, Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Motorola have been selected by the U.S. Department of Justice to enter the second phase of the potential $2.5 billion Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) program, which is aimed at tying...

FCC Chairman Announces March Departure.(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(Michael Powell resigns)
January 24, 2005... Michael Powell, the second-longest-reigning chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, resigned today after four years in a position marked by strong government efforts to increasingly deregulate telecom businesses and to...

America Unwired: Wireless Use Tops Ethernet.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... The use of WiFi for home networking has topped wired networks for the first time, according to a newly released study by research house Parks Associates. According to Global Digital Living, 52 percent of U.S. homes with a home network installed...

Twin Mergers Top Official '05 Checklist.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... The Alltel/Western Wireless and the Sprint/Nextel merger agreements are expected to undergo U.S. government review but they ultimately be approved this year by both the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice,...

W.Va. Delays Broadband Joint-Funding Proposal.(West Virginia)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... A West Virginia government body opted to temporarily delay public financial support for fiber-optic and broadband networks proposed as joint projects by iTown Communications, a Vienna, Va.-based not-for-profit company that designs and runs...

New VoIP House Of The Day: MetTel.(Metropolitan Telecommunications signed contract with Broadvox Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... New York City-based competitive carrier Metropolitan Telecommunications (MetTel) signed a one-year deal with VoIP carrier Broadvox Limited under which MetTel will resell Broadvox's VoIP services under the MetTel name. TelecomWeb thinks MetTel...

At PTC 2005: Satellite Industry Must Focus On AsiaPac.(Pacific Telecommunications Council)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... HONOLULU--Commercial satellite companies that do business in the Asia-Pacific, the third-largest customer region for the industry, must continue to focus on applications that highlight the core strengths of satellite-based communications as the...

Vodatel Business Model Includes Triple-Play Plans.(Vodatel Networks with SES-Astra planning to launch broadband and video-on-demand services)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Croatian communications company Vodatel could be pioneering a new business model for pay-TV services in Eastern Europe. The Zagreb-based carrier, in conjunction with satellite-provider SES ASTRA, is launching TV, broadband and video-on-demand...

Matav Announces New Moniker.(Matav Hungarian Telecommunications Co. changes name to Magyar Telecom)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Hungarian telco Matav is about to be renamed Magyar Telecom. The name change is expected to be confirmed in February at an extraordinary general meeting. Deutsche Telekom, majority owner of Matav, will also further introduce the 'T' brand into...

Is It Time For A Re-Engineered FCC?(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... With a new chairman soon to be named to the Federal Communications Commission and efforts afoot on Capitol Hill to revisit communications law, the time is ripe for consideration of serious institutional or internal change at the FCC, according...

Errant Road Warriors Meet At The Corner Of Lost & Found.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... Talk about low-end commodities: A global survey of 900 taxi drivers reveals that tends of thousands of cellphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pocket PCs and laptops are forgotten in cabs every day, creating a virtual "black hole" of...

Broadcom Claims VoIP Victory Over TI.(voice over internet protocol)(Texas Instruments)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... Broadcom, claiming that it has quietly grabbed market share leadership in VoIP phone chips for the mass market away from Texas Instruments and soon will have the Number One share in the enterprise market as well, this week is unveiling the...

And Now For Some Commercials You'll Really Like.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... This is the year that advertisers will move from test campaigns on the mobile platform to full-blown mobile marketing budgets. Using the cellphone as a promotional device is on a much faster track to acceptance among corporate sponsors than was...

WiMAX Test Lab Named; Certification Delayed.(WiMAX Forum selects Cetecom as its certification laboratory)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... The WiMAX Forum has named Spanish test house Cetecom as its official certification laboratory, at the same time publicly acknowledging that the start of testing for WiMAX certification won't start until July. Cetecom's choice comes as small...

Bush Appointee Moves On To NCTA.(National Cable & Telecommunications Association appointed Kyle McSlarrow, former energy secretary under George Bush)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow, who handed in his resignation last week, has been named president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), effective March 1. McSlarrow takes over a post now held by...

Ofcom Launches Spectrum-Liberalization Program.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... Telecom regulator Ofcom says it's ready to move forward with a long-range spectrum-liberalization initiative it claims will loosen licensing processes and usage of selected frequency applications in the country. The first phase of the program...

FCC Disallows Incentives For TRS, VRS Calling.(Telecommunications Relay Service)(video relay services)(United States. Federal Communications Commission. Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... The FCC's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau just ruled that programs to encourage or reward a hearing- or speech-disabled consumer for placing a Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) call are "inconsistent with the Communications Act and...

SBC Fires A Shot In The Broadband Price Wars...(SBC Communications Inc. lowered prices of its digital subscriber line service)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... And speaking of SBC, besides courting an old love, the carrier has slashed the price of its 3 Mb/s DSL service in a move targeted squarely at cable broadband providers. The new price is $29.99, almost 20-percent less than its previously lowest...

...While SBC/AT&T Talks Could Portend 'Things To Come'.(SBC Communications Inc.'s merger talks)
January 31, 2005... Consulting/market study firm Forrester Research Inc. believes reports resurfacing about renewed SBC Communications/AT&T merger talks are part of a longer-term trend that will accelerate similar M&A discussions among AT&T's long- distance...

BT Bags Huge U.S. Managed-Services Order.(Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. signed agreement with BT Americas)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Bristol-Myers Squibb handed BT its largest managed-service contract ever in the United States - and what's believed to be one of the largest that the industry will see this year, although the year is, of course, still young. BT did not disclose...

File-Sharing Woes Continue; New Gaps Uncovered.(information management)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Enterprises and other organizations face increasing security risks and liabilities when dealing with electronic and online document review and exchange processes - an issue made more urgent in recent times by government policies mandating...

It's A 'Nicer Canada' With VoIP Service Launch.(Nicer Canada Corp.'s GLOPEX division to launch voice-over-Internet Protocol services)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... A Vancouver-based firm called Nicer Canada Corporation says its GLOPEX division is launching voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services over the company's network aimed at consumer, residential and business subscribers. The "Global Broadband...

Shakeup: IP PBXs Outpace TDM In '06.(internet protocol private branch exchanges)(time division multiplex systems)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... IP PBX shipments will reach 28 million lines in 2006, reaching a longdiscussed customer premises equipment (CPE) shakeup by surpassing traditional time division multiplex (TDM) systems which have been the kings of the field for some 20 years. A...

WiFi - You Can Bet On It.(Diamond I Technologies to launch WiFi-enabled gambling system)
January 31, 2005... The world's first handheld WiFi-enabled gambling system will be reportedly will be unveiled next month by Diamond I. The widget, whose design the company has kept under wraps, will allow visitors to Las Vegas and other places where gambling is...

TeliaSonera Prepares For DTV Launch.(digital television via broaband)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... TeliaSonera says it will launch digital television via broadband in Sweden making, it a genuine triple-play provider in that country. This development is TeliaSonera first shot over the collective bows of satellite pay-TV operators Canal...