Aegis Lightwave (www.aegislightwave.com) says it has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled �Tunable Optical Filter on a CTE-Matched Transparent Substrate� (U.S. Patent No. 7,304,799). This follows another patent issued in China in October 2007 entitled �Index Tunable Thin Film Interference Coatings� (China Patent No. ZL02812224.0). These patents cover some of the key aspects behind the device design and fabrication of dynamically tunable thin-film interference filters that include layers with a thermo-optically tunable refractive index. The filters form the basis of Aegis�s �Active Thin-Films� technology platform, which the company is using to address the market for low-cost DWDM channel monitors in ROADM applications. Several other related patents related are pending.
Adesta LLC (www.adestagroup.com), a systems integrator and project management company for communication networks and electronic security systems, has been awarded a $282,000 contract to provide engineering and design services for a fiber-optic network reaching schools and administration buildings for the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). This will be the first step in the implementation of a network to support internal voice and data requirements of the district�s 63 schools. The objective of the project, which began in December 2007, is to design a fiber-optic network that will provide high-speed telecom services to the district�s facilities and the ability to interconnect with existing government agency networks. The network will consist of a combination of existing conduits, duct-bank, and rights-of-way. The district has acquired or will acquire the right to use existing conduits and other facilities from the City of Boulder.
Lindsay Broadband (www.lindsaybroadbandinc.com), a manufacturer of last-mile HFC distribution products, and Omnitron Systems Technology (www.omnitron-systems.com), a provider of fiber-optic access systems for Carrier Ethernet networks, have announced a strategic development and sales partnership. Lindsay Broadband will incorporate Omnitron Systems� iConverter network interface devices and media converters into its FLEeX LM carrier-class, integrated, last-mile architectural product family for commercial services delivery. The companies say the combined devices will allow cable operators flexibility for targeting enterprises with fully managed, carrier-class broadband services offerings.
Southern Telecom (www.southern-telecom.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Co., says that Sago Networks (www.sagonetworks.com) will lease dark fiber from Southern Telecom to help expand Sago�s operations and reach in Atlanta, Tampa, and Miami. Sago Networks, a service provider to high-data users such as ISPs and hospitals, has connected its Tampa and Miami data centers with its Atlanta data center via leased dark fiber from Southern Telecom. Southern Telecom offers long-haul/metro dark fiber, conduit, maintenance, and collocation services throughout the Southeast.
Alpheus Communications, an operator of data centers and a fiber-optic network across �Metro Texas,� has selected Ceterus Networks� (www.ceterus.com) multiservice transport platform to support Alpheus�s new managed service offering for the business Ethernet market. The Ceterus UTX and UTS products will help Alpheus deliver flexible and scalable Carrier Ethernet services in a cost-effective manner, the systems vendor says. The Ceterus product family is designed to help carriers migrate their networks from legacy circuits toward new packet technologies to address the growing customer demand for high-quality, data-centric service offerings.
Level 3 Communications� (www.level3.com) European Markets Group has been working collaboratively with BT Global Services (www.bt.com) to expand backbone capacity in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The joint project in the CEE region has ensured that there is a 2,400-km fiber network fully equipped with next-generation networking capability. In addition, under the terms of this new multiyear agreement, Level 3 will deliver wavelength services to BT within the CEE region and more broadly through Europe. The agreement also enables Level 3 to further expand its fiber-based network, offering full services in the existing markets of Prague and Vienna while adding new points of presence in Budapest, Bratislava, and Ivancice.
Alcatel-Lucent (www.alcatel-lucent.com), in consortium with Elettra (www.elettralc.it; a Telecom Italia Group company specializing in survey, installation, and maintenance of submarine cable networks) says that Malta�s GO plc (www.go.com.mt) has signed a turnkey contract with the two companies to deploy a new submarine network between Malta and Italy. Named GO-1 Mediterranean Cable System, this high-speed network will provide GO with extra capacity to further enhance the delivery of its quadruple-play services to businesses and consumers. Alcatel-Lucent says it will design, manufacture, and commission the submarine cable system, based on its DWDM technology and cables, with the ability to be upgraded easily and cost effectively in the future. Elettra will design the route and perform marine surveys and installation of the submarine cable system.
Ciena Corp. (www.ciena.com) says that French carrier Neuf Cegetel (www.groupeneufcegetel.com) has deployed the CN 4200 RS FlexSelect advanced services platform to increase capacity across its backbone network in the Ile de France region in response to strong customer demand for high-bandwidth IP services. The CN 4200 RS will handle Neuf Cegetel�s service aggregation and wavelength-routing requirements, supporting video distribution, broadband aggregation, managed business services, and other applications to enable Neuf Cegetel to better serve customers in the Paris metropolitan area.
IPG Photonics Corp. (www.ipgphotonics.com) says its Russian subsidiary, NTO IRE-POLUS, has shipped more than $3.8 million worth of its DWDM equipment to North-West Telecom of Svyazinvest, a Russian telecom company, to support several network expansion projects. The DWDM equipment, which includes IPG�s fiber amplifiers and transponders, supports North-West Telecom�s expansion of its network by 5,000 km, connecting 120 locations with multiple WDM channel rates of up to 10 Gbits/sec. IPG�s equipment also was used for the 2,000-km connection of St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Pskov, and Vologda.
Silicon Line GmbH (www.silicon-line.com), a German fabless IC company focusing on ultralow-power analog ICs, has secured initial funding in a Series A round led by Belgium-based Capital-E and Germany-based Munich Venture Partners (MVP). Silicon Line claims to have developed unique PHY-layer ICs for power-critical optical data transport applications in portable systems and devices. The company seeks to become the industrial partner to connector suppliers in diverse market segments and plans to use the proceeds of this financing to pursue fast-growing markets for its patented PHY-layer ICs and to accelerate the growth of its organization.
Cisco (www.cisco.com) has announced that Shanghai�s Oriental Cable Network Co. Ltd. has selected the Cisco ONS 15454 multiservice transport platform (MSTP) and ROADM technology for its digital television optical transport platform. Oriental Cable, the world�s largest cable television city network, becomes the first network service provider in mainland China to deploy ROADM technology, say Cisco representatives. According to Cisco, the ROADM is a part of its Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN), which enables providers such as Oriental Cable to migrate to IP-based networks. Using IP NGN, Oriental Cable can deliver new services to end users quickly and improve its operational efficiencies and capex, claims Cisco.
Asia Netcom and Pacific Internet have launched their operational merger and unveiled strategic plans for the joint entity. Under its new name, Pacnet (www.pacnet.com), the company will go to market with a new brand. Pacnet says a key asset behind its growth is the EAC-C2C cable infrastructure, a 36,800-km submarine cable network that can carry up to 10.24 Tbits/sec of capacity, of which only 240 Gbits/sec is currently lit. As part of the company�s strategic plans to meet the recent surge of bandwidth demand in Asia, Pacnet has already embarked on its next-generation network upgrades, which will increase network efficiency and reliability. Also on the table are plans for a new Trans-Pacific cable.
Ciena Corp. (www.ciena.com) has reached a definitive agreement to acquire privately held World Wide Packets (WWP; www.wwp.com). WWP, headquartered in Spokane Valley, WA, supplies Carrier Ethernet equipment including service aggregation switches, service concentration switches, service delivery switches (SDS), and network management tools. To underscore the value of the acquisition, Ciena also revealed it has received a multiyear contract of undisclosed value with AT&T to supply WWP platforms. WWP will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Ciena, and all outstanding shares of WWP common and preferred stock, including employee stock options and warrants (which will be assumed by Ciena), will be exchanged for approximately $200 million in cash and 3.4 million shares of Ciena common stock. The boards of the two companies have approved the transaction, and Ciena expects to close the acquisition during its fiscal 2Q08, which ends in April.
Zhone Technologies Inc. (www.zhone.com) has divested two product lines to enable it to focus on the access market. Communications Test Design Inc. (CTDI; www.ctdi.com) has acquired the AccessNode, AccessNode Express, and Universal Edge 9000 (UE9000) products. The GigaMux 50, 1600/3200, and 6400 products have been acquired by the newly reconstituted Sorrento Networks (www.sorrentonet.com). Zhone acquired the product line when it bought the original Sorrento Networks in 2004. Sorrento will assume service and support responsibilities for all existing GigaMux customers, and plans to expand its current line of edge-to-regional CWDM, DWDM, and ROADM equipment. Terms of the two acquisitions were not disclosed.