Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson to feed GPON to AT&T
By Brian Santo, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
AT&T said it will use GPON products from Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson for a small percentage of its U-verse deployments, starting no earlier than 2008.
U-verse is typically based on a fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) architecture. In new builds, AT&T will use a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) architecture. When AT&T buys GPON equipment from Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, it will be for FTTP installations in greenfields, by nature a business that covers a modest number of homes passed.
The Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson GPON products include unspecified equipment for the central office, as well as home terminals.
AT&T said both suppliers will soon begin lab testing and certification by AT&T Labs before field testing, which will include configurations for general deployment in single-family residences, and apartment and condominium complexes. Assuming the testing and certification process goes without a hitch, AT&T expects to start deploying GPON in 2008.
Cisco launching outdoor wireless solution
By Traci Patterson, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
Cisco is launching its Cable ServiceMesh solution, an integrated, end-to-end wireless architecture that allows cable operators to extend indoor Wi-Fi to outdoor mesh networks.
The solution offers the foundation layer for broadband mobility, the company said. Building on Cisco’s IP NGN architecture, the ServiceMesh solution enables operators to deploy value-added services via a single network infrastructure.
“It’s the industry’s first indoor and outdoor solution,” said Bob Scott, director of wireless network systems at Scientific Atlanta. “As operators are looking at quad play, we’re giving them a platform to develop that service. It’s the first step toward delivering the Connected Life.”
The new architecture comprises the Cisco Aironet 1520 series of lightweight outdoor mesh access points, with integrated DOCSIS 2.0 cable modems, providing access to any Wi-Fi-compliant device. The access points, slated to launch in North America next month, were a joint effort by Cisco and Scientific Atlanta.
The solution also includes Cisco’s wireless services modules, wireless control system software, intelligent services gateway, service control engine and the 7600 series router. This combination can extend data, voice and video streaming outside the home or business.
CIC leads BroadLogic’s $17M round of funding
By Traci Patterson, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
BroadLogic Network Technologies has completed a $17 million round of financing, led by Comcast Interactive Capital (CIC), bringing BroadLogic’s total funding to $49 million.
Existing investors (Time Warner Investments, Rho Ventures, Cisco, Levensohn Venture Partners, Walden International, Presidio and Intel) also participated in the round, joined by newbie Advance/Newhouse.
BroadLogic designs video-processing mixed signal semiconductors, enabling operators to offer VOD, high-speed data, and digital video and voice services.
The company’s BL80000 TeraPIX chip, a multichannel video processor, can decode dozens of digital video streams and generate a full analog and digital service tier, including an 80-plus channel lineup. The BL12000, a wideband receiver, can simultaneously tune and demodulate up to 16 6MHz channels, or 12 8MHz channels.
“We see some new applicability for these technologies that BroadLogic has developed, and these new applications really coincide with the roadmap that cable operators are thinking of-this desire to have more bandwidth because of competitive forces in the cable industry,” said Louis Toth, CIC’s managing director.
CIC has also joined BroadLogic’s board of directors. Other recent CIC investments, which haven’t been announced yet, relate to the mobile video, multiplatform gaming, open source router and 4G spaces, Toth said.
Terayon introduces CherryPicker’s big brother
By Brian Santo, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
Terayon Communication Systems Inc. has added a bigger, faster member to its family of Cherrypicker Application Platform (CAP) digital video processors. The CAP-1000 is, Terayon believes, the first platform to offer a software application for the rate shaping of real-time, broadcast quality MPEG-4 AVC SD and HD streams.
The CAP-1000 also performs grooming, dejittering and localized ad insertion to support applications that include switched digital video (SDV), VOD playlist advertising and bulk encryption. As with the previous Cherrypicker, the DM 6400, users activate applications on the CAP-1000 by purchasing software license keys.
The CAP-1000 is a high-density alternative to the original Cherrypicker. “You get eight times the performance of the DM 6400 in the same space,” said Buddy Snow, head of marketing for Terayon. “Anything you can do on a DM, you get 8X that on the CAP-1000.”
Terayon will demonstrate MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD rate shaping, the first application for the CAP-1000, at the Cable-Tec Expo this week in Orlando, in its suite at the Peabody Hotel.
As for the sporty, cherry-red faceplate on the CAP-1000, Snow said, “We wanted to be bold.”
Microsoft updates its IPTV platform
By Brian Santo, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
Microsoft Corp. has updated its IPTV software and renamed it Microsoft Mediaroom.
New multimedia capabilities include in-home music and photo sharing, dynamic MultiView (multiple picture-in-picture) capabilities, a Multimedia Application Environment for the development of interactive services and advanced applications, and digital terrestrial television (DTT) support.
The company also introduced an accompanying application-development toolkit.
Motorola releases STB software solution for IPTV
By Traci Patterson, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
Motorola Inc. today introduced a set-top software solution using an open IP platform on its VIP 1200 series STBs.
The KreaTV application platform uses the Linux operating system to support multiple entertainment and video service applications on Motorola’s VIP set-top series, the company said. Interactive features such as programming guides, viewer-voting tools and advanced gaming can be integrated by the service provider using the open-platform system, in conjunction with third-party middleware and software providers, the company said.
Operators can utilize the software to help introduce features like multi-room DVR, VOD and interactive teleconferencing. The open KreaTV software solution is designed to meet carriers’ needs in the growing IPTV market.
Allot unveils DPI-based service gateway platform
By Traci Patterson, CED
CEDmagazine.com, June 18, 2007
Allot Communications has launched its Service Gateway platform, which the company said is the industry’s first open, standards-based platform for broadband service control and optimization based on Layer-7 DPI.
A single platform provides four 10GigE ports, which manage two 10GigE lines, supporting more than 20 Gbps of traffic.
The application and subscriber information for each traffic flow is identified by a single DPI process that can dispatch the flow to additional services and actions, including traffic prioritization and QoS optimization, filtering, blocking security threats, and collecting records for real-time charging or offline usage-based charging.
The most significant feature, according to Azi Ronen, Allot’s EVP of corporate development, is the ability to manage P2P file sharing. Allot also enables the integration of value-added services by utilizing a standard, carrier-grade platform.
Initial customer trials are slated to commence in the next few months.
BROADBAND BRIEFS – June 18, 2007
• ECI Telecom’s platform chosen by Utah telecom
ECI Telecom’s XDM All-Range ROADM and Converged Multi-Service Transport Platform (MSTP) has been selected by Telecommunications & Video (ETV), a subsidiary of Utah’s Emery Telcom, for its statewide fiber transport network.
ETV’s upgraded infrastructure will facilitate the deployment of advanced data and video services throughout the region.
• HealthiNation launching on Charter systems
HealthiNation, a VOD health network, is launching in nearly 2 million Charter Communications Inc. households.
DEEP LINKS
Six firms-including Loral Space & Communications Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp., in alliance with Liberty Media Corp.-are reported to be interested in acquiring Intelsat, the world’s largest commercial-satellite operator, reported by SatNews.com.