NextLevel Systems Inc., Chicago, IL, has placed its advanced telephony business, Next Level

NextLevel Systems Inc., Chicago, IL, has placed its advanced telephony business, Next Level Communications (nlc) of Rohnert Park, CA, in a new limited partnership that separates the advanced telephony business from cable- and satellite-TV operations. An entity controlled by Spencer & Trask Co., a New York-based technology investment firm, is the operating general partner of the partnership. General Instrument is the limited partner in the new partnership. nlc is deploying its Nlevel3 Switched Digital Access broadband access system and digital loop carrier, in contracts with Bell Atlantic and US West. The US West contract includes a commitment to buy 450,000 digital subscriber lines and 450,000 of nlc?s N3 Residential Gateways. The Bell Atlantic contract includes a commitment to buy one million fiber-to-the-curb lines with a provision to purchase up to five million lines. NextLevel Systems is changing its name back to General Instrument Corp.