* BigBand scores in China

Guangdong Cable Networks is fueling its path toward an all-digital network using BigBand Networks’ Broadband Multimedia-Service Router.

The operator is deploying the BMR in all of its digital headends in the Guangdong province, which has a population of about 100 million. Guangdong Cable, which serves more than 700,000 customers, will tap the BMR to control video lineups, and aggregate content from multiple sources, including satellite downlinks and terrestrial broadcast feeds.

BigBand said Guangdong marks its largest customer in China announced this year, following deployment deals with Shekou Cable and Nanjing Radio and Television Network Company.

China is adopting digital television nationwide, with a completion mandate of 2008.

*Ciena finalizes BT deal

Ciena Corp. said it has completed a contract to supply transmission gear for BT’s “21st Century Network” (21CN), as the U.K.-based telco migrates off its legacy switched telephone network.

Under the deal, BT will deploy Ciena’s CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform, CoreDirector Multiservice Switch and CoreStream Agility Optical Transmission System.

* Cable West routes with Nortel

Cable West Inc. of Japan is using gear from Nortel Networks to support a new network that will distribute video, data and voice services over IP.

Cable West is basing the network on Nortel’s Ethernet Routing Switch 8600, which delivers Layer 2-7 switching, routing and traffic classification.