America's Network articles from August 1 2001

America's Network archives from August 1 2001

History repeats : Regulators should take a look at the past when attempting to loosen the RBOCs' grip.
August 1, 2001... Believe it or not, local telephone competition once flourished. In fact, there were so many independent local exchange carriers at the turn of the 20th century that non-Bell subscribers outnumbered Bell subscribers by a nearly 2-1 margin. ...

"The business premise of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is unstable".(Cambrian Communications CEO)
August 1, 2001... A good statement to make before disgruntled CLEC executives at this year's CompTel summer business conference -- but can the Cambrian Communications CEO back it up with any other ideas? "Structural separation is the strategic answer,"...

The spoils of war.(Log On America's executives earn $1.68 million in total compensation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Log On America is experiencing the anguish of many ISPs around the country. NASDAQ is threatening to delist because the provider's stock is critically ill, Nortel just repossessed switching equipment that LOA couldn't pay for, and now, the...

SMS MESSAGE PUTS MARRIAGE AT RISK.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... A few angry words. That's all they were. But, those words were enough to sway a court in the United Arab Emirates recently to validate a divorce initiated by a Dubai citizen who had become enraged with his wife's tardiness. The man had...

A BUS DRIVER's HOLIDAY.
August 1, 2001... Isle Royale National Park -- a hiker's paradise and home of a decades-long predator/ prey study involving moose and wolves -- could be the ultimate vacation destination for anyone looking for some increasingly elusive peace and quiet. The...

NTT DoCoMo gets the green light.
August 1, 2001... Green is good. That's the conclusion of a New York investment research firm that recently studied 29 global telecom companies before deciding that NTT DoCoMo's sensitivity toward the environment puts the operator in a class by itself. ...

Routers are from Mars, OXCs are from Venus.
August 1, 2001... Vendors can come up with all the speedy, high-capacity optical transport technology they want, but if data networks cannot communicate with optical networks, they might as well leave it all in the lab. Thanks to the Optical...

The mouse that roared : NextWave shocked them all and put the FCC in its place.
August 1, 2001... If there were an "underdog of the year" award in the telecom industry, my vote would go to NextWave Telecom. The company was flying high during the FCC's C-block auctions in 1996, where it won 63 licenses for $4.7 billion. But it began its...

BLOATED DREAMS.
August 1, 2001... Financing woes have grounded broadband wireless. Is the entire fleet beyond repair? Wireless broadband provider Winstar Communications Inc. caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal in late May for its planned $3.5 million...

Awakening GIANTS : Utilities are poised to be big players in telecom. Here's a roundup of their strategies and challenges.
August 1, 2001... Just when it looked like incumbent carriers might have less competition than in the past, we're beginning to see more utility companies getting involved in providing telecom services. Companies that provide energy services may have the...

Clarity or CHAOS? Unified communications is poised to be another success story -- but only with the proper marketing.
August 1, 2001... In an age of information overload, the basic value proposition of unified messaging has clear appeal. According to a recent Gallup/Institute for the Future study, employees on average get 190 messages from various communications systems per...

Glass houses and glamour : Telco monument and the Shelby Days remind us of lost luster.
August 1, 2001... Victims and victimizers sometimes become difficult to distinguish in the telecom world and assumptions are easy to come by in the glitzy New Economy. Many of us in the Internet pundit business blamed the tribulations of competitive local...

Sink or swim.(Telecom industry)
August 1, 2001... Layoffs, bankruptcies, slashes at the bottom line -- the happy days of telecom are definitely gone. Do you know how to stay afloat? Not everyone is complaining about the dismal condition of the market. Headlines about bankruptcies,...

The evolution island: consolidating to survive.(Telecom industry)
August 1, 2001... Thousands and thousands of years ago, the Galapagos Islands were home to many different species. But because of environment changes, the island today is home only to those species that gradually evolved into new forms to survive. ...

Looking into the crystal ball : Five years? Fifteen? Optical? Mobile? Telecom insiders give their take.
August 1, 2001... Telecom's heyday of the last few years is gone, and no one doubts it will be some time before it returns -- but 15 years? That's what Cliff Higgerson, partner at venture capital firm ComVentures, believes. Higgerson says that it will...

3G pipe dreams? With 3G in question, investors need to know where to put their money in the short term.
August 1, 2001... Recent reports by companies such as Merrill Lynch warn that the long-awaited launch of third generation wireless networks may never happen. With the telecom industry's $650 billion debt and a $100 billion investment by European telecoms...

Flagging out : We dump FLAG at a small profit as we wait for the sector to get its act together.
August 1, 2001... When Telecom Speculator began its portfolio in February we, quite naturally, undertook a high exposure to US telecom stocks. Our bias was understandable. People like to invest in things they understand, and this Los Angeles-based writer felt...

Telesat runs wild with WildBlue.
August 1, 2001... Telesat Canada, a subsidiary of BCE Inc., has increased its stake in WildBlue Communications to about 20%. As a result of the agreement, Telesat's CEO, Larry Boisvert, gains a seat on WildBlue's board of directors. WildBlue is a...

Florida Digital Network raises $50M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Integrated communications provider Florida Digital Network (FDN) has raised $50 million in its latest round of funding from WallerSutton 2000, John Hancock Life Insurance, CIT, GE Capital, Fleet Securities, First Union Securities and M/C...

Sockeye receives $28M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Routing technology services provider Sockeye Networks, has received $28 million in its latest round of funding from Baker Capital, Battery Ventures, CSFB Private Equity and Polaris Ventures. Proceeds from this round will be used for sales and...

CWAP receives $795M.(Cable & Wireless Australia & Pacific Holdings)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Cable & Wireless Australia & Pacific Holdings (CWAP) has entered into an agreement to forward sell to a major institutional investor all the shares it expects to receive in SingTel as a result of an offer made by SingTel for Cable & Wireless...

Grupo Carso converts Telmex shares.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Grupo Carso Global Telecom has converted 500 million L-series Telmex shares into full-voting AA-series shares. As a result of this exchange, Grupo Carso owns 21%, or 3 billion AA-series Telmex shares, of Telefonos de Mexico's share capital...

Luminous raises $80M Series D.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Luminous Networks has raised $80 million in series D funds. Pyramid Technology Ventures, a new investor, led the round with $10 million, and was joined by 11 new investors and five existing investors.

WaveSmith secures $31M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Multi-service switching devices provider WaveSmith Networks has secured $31 million in series B funding from Atlas Venture, Bessemer Venture Partners, Commonwealth Capital, and Fidelity Ventures. Proceeds from this round will be used for...

Constellation completes $25.6M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Constellation Real Technologies, which develops and incubates Internet, e-commerce and telecom enterprises, has raised $25.6 million in financing from Archstone Communities Trust, AvalonBay Communities, Camden Property Trust, The Macerich...

TrinTel raises $50 Million.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... TrinTel Communications, which develops and operates towers for wireless telecom, has raised an additional $50 million in funding. Austin Ventures, GE Capital Telecom and Capital Resource Partners participated in this round.

Vodafone grabs assets from BT.
August 1, 2001... The European Commission has given Vodafone the green light to buy British Telecom's 17.8% stake in Spanish mobile operator Airtel Movil SA. As a result of the deal, Vodafone now owns 91.6% of Airtel, and the two remaining shareholders,...

ACHES & PAINS.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Nokia Corp. has said it will cut as many as 1,000 staff from its mobile network systems unit, which represents about 5% of the company's payroll. The announcement came two weeks after Nokia issued a warning on its second-quarter earnings,...

Kestrel buys TeON Optical.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Optical networking company Kestrel Solutions plans to acquire TeON Optical Networks for an undisclosed amount. Kestrel has also lost its president and CEO, Brian Jervis, and its CFO, John Barter. The company's board has appointed Marty...

OpenTV buys Static for $59M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Interactive television and media company OpenTV has entered into an agreement to acquire the London-based interactive TV firm Static in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $59 million.

PrimeCo bought for $450M.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... PrimeCo Personal Communications will be acquired by a group of investors co-led by Clarity Partners and Pacific Capital Group. Other investors include Green Lead Ridge Company, Tregan Partners, Trimaran Capital Partners and J.P. Morgan, which...

HiddenMind Technology and AnyDevice merge.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... HiddenMind Technology and AnyDevice, a provider of mobile and telecom software infrastructure, will merge. The combined company, which will provide an integrated mobile and voice software platform, will operate under the HiddenMind name....

CloudShield begins operations.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Packet processing technology developer CloudShield Technologies has announced its launch. The company has raised $5 million in financing from SVIC.

FusionOne acquires Levient and Sinia.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... FusionOne, which develops mobile software and services, has expanded its position in the mobile enterprise marketplace with two acquisitions: Levient, a provider of software applications and a unified mobile interface, and Sinia, which...

Telefonica to acquire Pegaso.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Telefonica Moviles has signed a letter of intent to acquire a 49% stake in Mexican mobile carrier Pegaso. Telefonica Moviles could have the option to buy out all of Pegaso's US-based stakeholders, which include Sprint, Citigroup and Leap...

Broadwing exec flies higher.
August 1, 2001... One more time, Mike Jones steps up the plate -- by becoming Broadwing Communications new chief technology officer. In this capacity, Jones is responsible for the planning, building and operation of Broadwing's network. "Mike has been a...

Artesyn targets low-power apps.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The NLS110-9602 is a quad-output AC/DC power supply for low-power applications with high-peak current demands. It provides +5.1V, +24V, +12V and outputs with maximum current ratings of 10 A, 4.5 A and 1 A, respectively. The NLS110-9202 has an...

POWERTROL.(Qwikswitch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Qwikswitch high-speed transfer system is for applications in which at least two power sources are available. It uses SCR switching technology and integrated system logic prevents voltage source overlap. SCR component integrity is checked...

SIGNALSOFT CORP.(Gateway Mobile Location Center)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Location Centre standards-compliant gateway mobile location center (GMLC) enables GSM operators to offer subscribers location-based services. Location Centre combines SignalSoft's Location Manager location gateway and its Access Manager,...

MOBILEQ INC.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The MyScape multi-lingual mobile portal product lets telecom administrators and subscribers manage and navigate Web sites on any wireless device. Users can customize wireless Web content for their customers. Drag and drop editing features...

GN NETTEST.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The Model 4498 OTDR is a module for GN Nettest's CMA4000 and 8800 portable optical test system models. The 50 dB module enables carriers, network installers and cable companies to test fiber spans of up to 250 km. The OTDR features a faster...

CISCO SYSTEMS.(router assemblies)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... These compatible router cable assemblies are available in connector configurations for RS-232, RS-449, X.21 and V.35 (male and female) connections. This series features molded connector backshells with 360 degree shielding over the pre-mold....

Destination: Prosperity -- C&W finds a monopolistic paradise in the Cayman Islands.
August 1, 2001... Private pilots enjoy two fun trips. The biggest is when thousands of airplanes descend each year on Oshkosh, Wis. The enthused devote most of a week looking at -- well -- airplanes. THE CAYMAN ISLANDS The second is the flight from...

Services we really need.
August 1, 2001... In our last issue, I wrote about how carriers are focusing more than ever on value-added services -- ostensibly to help us communicate better. But too often they're messing up on the details (July 15, page 10). Other so-called value-added...