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By cableunion, February 22, 2012 1:11 pm

GLOBAL TELECOM, a provider of broadband services in Colombia, recently announced the selection of KEITO Fiber to upgrade its network infrastructure across Colombia, which will help the company to deliver on its customers’ requirements and effectively improve their experience.

In a release, GLOBAL CTO Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo, said that, “Following a competitive bidding process, we selected KEITO to provide us with their fiber that exceeded our customers’ demands for increased bandwidth and that also met our aggressive economical requirements. This investment will not only allow our company to satisfy the quality and coverage requirements of our existing customers, but also interconnect additional 82 other municipalities in the all regions of Colombia, completing a total of 242 municipalities.”

KEITO is a Chinese-based manufacturer and supplier of fiber optic products. The company will provide GLOBAL TELECOM with 12,000 km of optical fiber which will effectively expand and help in the maintenance of the company’s network infrastructure.

The fiber upgrade will enhance both voice and data services provided by GLOBAL TELCOM across the areas it already serves in addition to enabling it to deliver full GEPON network services and 100 Mbts and more per customer. This move will provide it with a competitive edge over its competitors by ensuring an enhanced customer experience.

Adela Lin, president of KEITO, said that, “The purchase of KEITO optical fiber cable gives GLOBAL an important competitive advantage over other Colombian companies that provide internet and broadband services, since GEPON provides a better cost efficient and permit offer fiber-to-the-Premises services which is more efficient as compared with standard HFC networks used by other companies. This purchase demonstrates GLOBAL’S commitment to constant improvement and focus on providing the last mile to corporate customers.”

Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

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By cableunion, February 17, 2012 10:48 am

Analog Devices (News – Alert), Inc. (ADI), a global data converter, recently introduced an 11-bit D/A converter that helps cable television and broadband operators synthesize their complete cable spectrum going up to 1 GHz, into one RF port, while utilizing 1.1 W of power at the most.

The AD9737A 2.5-GSPS D/A converter’s wide bandwidth as well as its dynamic range gives cable infrastructure designers the ability to enhance QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) channel density by 20 times over current cable modem deployments, providing better futuristic services like interactive television, high-definition broadcasts as well as new specialty channels.

The AD9737A D/A converter can be seen on the company’s product page and you will be able to order samples as well as download the data sheet. Any kind of support you need will be made available from the ADI’s EngineerZone online technical support community.

Some of the features as well as advantages of the AD9737A D/A Converter are its low noise and inter-modulation distortion which allows for premium quality synthesis of wideband signals going up to 1 GHz and bringing down the number of transmit DACs needed in the average cable plant. It functions from 1.8-V and 3.3-V supplies with an overall power consumption of 1.1 W at the most. It comes with a dual-port interface with double-data-rate LVDS data receivers which work at supporting a highest conversion rate of 2.5 GSPS.  

Its proprietary switching techniques improve dynamic performance. The output current can be programmed ranging from 8.7 mA to 31.7 mA providing flexibility to interface options. The product is not based on US data converter export restrictions.

Analog Devices, Inc. works at creating definitive innovation and excellence in the area of signal processing. ADI’s analog, mixed-signal, as well as digital signal processing (DSP) integrated circuits (IC) have a significant role in converting, conditioning, as well as processing real-world phenomena like that of light, sound and temperature as well as motion and pressure into electrical signals. These signals can be utilized in a wide range of electronic equipment.

Carolyn John is a Contributor to TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

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By admin, February 17, 2012 10:47 am

Friday, Feb 17, 2012

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By admin, February 17, 2012 7:21 am

Friday, Feb 17, 2012

Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, is using its presence at this year’s FTTH Council Conference and exhibition to highlight its extended KINOPTICâ„¢ brand of end-to-end turnkey FTTH solutions. It will also host various workshops at the conference that demonstrate more efficient and cost-effective ways of deploying fibre to the home.

KINOPTIC – smart individual solutions to build an end-to-end network

The KINOPTICâ„¢ brand was launched last March to enable network operators and installers to easily meet all the needs of their FTTH deployments in multi-dwelling units (e.g. homes). It achieves this through a cleverly designed subscriber terminal outlet kit and by combining this with a pre-terminated cable and a pre-fitted user outlet in ‘ready-to-unroll’ packaging – therefore simplifying installation.

Since then, the brand offering has expanded and solutions have been designed for various locations on the network. Flexibility is a key trait of the brand and it now includes solutions for the central office, the distribution network and subscriber premises.

The type of KINOPTICâ„¢ solution that is chosen by operators and installers depends on the field configuration and the type of cable laying technique required to fit the cable. For instance, some cables are either pulled, blowed or extracted during installation.

In addition to this, because of the way the range has been designed, the operator and installer can select the exact solutions they need to be fitted across the FTTH network – and at every stage of the installation – right through to the subscriber’s home.

Further benefits of using KINOPTICâ„¢ include: CAPEX savings and OPEX optimisation; quick and easy deployment; flexibility to adapt to their environment in the field; and a brand that respects the aesthetics of people’s homes and private areas;

“The KINOPTICâ„¢ range, demonstrates how Nexans takes advantage of its broad industrial knowledge and expertise across various fields to innovate and develop a complete solution that serves the market’s needs,” says Xavier RENARD, Nexans Interface Product & Marketing Department Manager. “It includes all the necessary cables and accessories required to easily and quickly deliver an FTTH solution to network operators and installers.” 

Source: Nexans

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By cableunion, February 16, 2012 10:56 pm

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments in Europe have experienced a 30.6 percent increase in annual growth across Europe to 3Q2011, according to a statement released by Broadband Forum (News – Alert) at the FTTH Conference Europe.

According to Oliver Johnson, CEO at Point Topic, the future of Europe, at least for the next five years, is going to be dominated by FTTx.

“The cost of full fiber (FTTH) deployment, particularly the last mile, is prohibitive and so the industry and consumers need a stepping stone which is provided by hybrid solutions such as FTTx,” Johnson added. “FTTx provides a significant increase in bandwidth and an efficient use of existing infrastructure and allows the welcome of continued amortization of costs.”

Broadband Forum also noted that Europe continues to hold the strongest position for IPTV (News – Alert). Europe has grabbed a major share (23.5 million customers) of the global ITPV market that is nearing 55 million subscribers. The growth in IPTV has fueled the growth of fiber because operators are increasingly opting for fiber access solutions to meet the connectivity needs of modern homes.

Broadband Forum is committed to expand its fiber related specifications and G-PON certification that will spur interoperability among major providers and accelerate the deployment of fiber solutions in the market.

The Broadband Forum G-PON ONU Certification Program is established with a goal to accelerate fiber deployments across Europe. Known as BBF.247, the certification is open to G-PON ONU products with Ethernet interfaces and confirms that an ONU fully conforms to TR-156 and the associated OMCI configuration as defined in the ITU G.988.  

Another major initiative from the international Broadband Forum is the comprehensive BroadbandSuite 5.0 which is a major resource for the fiber industry to facilitate and accelerate the deployment of PON.

“Our G-PON certification program is proving to be very effective with eight companies already achieving certified products in the past six months,” said Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum, in a statement.

“Certification is key to future FTTx deployments and our efforts will enable next generation interoperable systems to come to market faster,” Mersh added. “Standards provide the foundation for that growth; further demonstrating G-PON capabilities to meet the demands of evolving operator networks.”

According to Mersh, G-PON Certification is will provide breakthrough step in accelerating deployments now and creating the platform for innovative applications and new service bundles.

While the European Union has actively begun lifting regulations on next-generation fiber deployments, Frost & Sullivan (News – Alert) recently found that to continue to increase a more favorable environment for the deployment of next-generation fiber networks, government and regulators still have work to do.

The research firm also highlighted that telecom operators must be prepared to collaborate with one another to define deployment goals that will benefit all of them, and the country as a whole.

Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

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By cableunion, February 16, 2012 7:31 pm

Currently, 12 companies that are members of the OIF (News – Alert) are conducting global interoperability tests of Ethernet services over OTN transport. All of this testing is leading up to a demonstration at the OIF 2012 Enabling High-Speed Dynamic Services event, which is taking place from March 6-8, 2012. Vendors participating in the interoperability test include AT&T, China Telecom (News – Alert) and NTT.

As carriers globally are migrating their networks away from SONET/SDH to Ethernet and OTN, the combination of the latter will enable operators to prepare their networks for rapid growth and volume while accommodating the continued use of the classic TDM technology. Sources say the OIF is one of the most important influencers in converging the two complimentary technologies and as a group, it continues to display the ability to come together and collaborate on new technology that will only improve the wireless and communications industry as a whole.

By testing the technology with multiple carriers within the OIF, it will allow these vendors to evaluate the tools and determine how to best integrate the new equipment into existing networks. “The combination of Ethernet services and OTN transport is compelling and there is momentum in the industry to converge these technologies,” said Jim Jones of Alcatel-Lucent (News – Alert) and the OIF’s president and Networking Interoperability Working Group chair in a statement. Overall, the goal is to use Ethernet as the predominant access and client interconnect technology and OTN as the dominant transport technology.

New research also suggests the technology to combine the two is being developed at just the right time, as OTN is forecasted to show a strong growth in capabilities and revenue generation. 

According to Infonetics (News – Alert), sales of OTN switching equipment currently comprise only about eight percent of the OTN market, with more mature OTN transport equipment representing the remaining 92 percent. But that’s expected to change substantially over the next few years, as service providers get serious about deploying OTN switching.

OTN and Ethernet are a natural combination that will allow network technology to run more efficiently. And with the OIF testing it across multiple carriers, it will allow its service providers to analyze the technology and figure out how to integrate it into their own systems effectively, which will hopefully make it cheaper to apply these new technologies easily into everyday operations once the product is finished with its testing stage.

A recent graduate from the University of Oregon, Nick aspires to build a career in the digital world with a focus on technology, sports, and online media.

Edited by Jamie Epstein

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By cableunion, February 16, 2012 12:44 pm

Lightower Fiber Networks, a metro fiber and bandwidth service provider, has landed a $380 million credit facility from GE Capital’s Telecom, Media and Technology financing business.

GE Capital announced Wednesday that they will serve as administrative agent on the new credit facility. According to the company, their GE Capital Markets served as joint bookrunner and joint lead arranger on the transaction.

GE Capital noted that the market was “extremely supportive” of the transaction because the deal was “significantly oversubscribed.”

“We have a long standing history with GE Capital, as they have a clear understanding of our sector and unique financing needs,” said Rob Shanahan, chief executive officer of Lightower Fiber Networks.

Lightower is a portfolio company of Pamlico Capital, M/C Venture Partners and Ridgemont Equity Partners. The fiber and bandwidth service provider was purchased by the companies in August 2007 and since the GE Capital has led financings for the company.

“The company’s ability to provide financing solutions in all markets, and in particular to the middle market, makes GE Capital a valued partner as we look to grow our business,” said Shanahan.

In January, Lightower became the first metro fiber provider to roll out 100G services in the Northeast, including 40 Gb and 100 Gb Ethernet as well as 100 Gb wavelengths. Lightower chose Ciena Corporation, a network specialist, to support the delivery of Ethernet services and managed wavelengths.

“Higher capacity bandwidth services continue to be a driver for our customer base and a natural progression as we look to advance our services to enable cutting-edge applications such as high-frequency trading, delivery of high-quality HD and 3D video, and collaborative diagnostic and healthcare services,” said Doug Dalissandro, executive vice president of sales for Lightower.

At the time, Chad Whalen, vice president and general manager of Ciena, stated, “We are pleased to support their aggressive network expansion across the Northeast to strengthen their ability to meet the surging demand for high-speed Ethernet services among service provider and large enterprise customers.”

In 2011, Lightower introduced their Ultra-Low Latency Network which serves the financial industry in the New York City and New Jersey region. Lightower’s Ultra-Low Latency Network is an all-optical network that leverages the power of The Lightower Network with wavelength (DWDM) technology.

Lightower currently offers over 6,400 fiber route miles in the New England, eastern New York, northern New Jersey, Long Island and New York City region with access to over 2,800 buildings.

Jordan Eggers has five years of writing experience and has written pieces for various print outlets and websites. Currently living abroad, she is working as a freelance writer and enjoys keeping up-to-date on everything new happening in technology.

Edited by Rich Steeves

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By admin, February 16, 2012 12:43 pm

Thursday, Feb 16, 2012

Milan, February 16, 2012. Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry, has been awarded a record contract worth approximately 800 million Euro, the highest value ever awarded in the cable business, for the development of Western HVDC Link, a new submarine High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector between Scotland and England. The whole turnkey project will be executed by a consortium of Prysmian and Siemens who will be responsible for the HVDC converter stations.

Total value of the contract awarded to the Consortium by NGET/SPT Upgrades Ltd, a JV set up by the system operator National Grid Electricity Transmission and its Scottish counterpart Scottish Power Transmission, is around 1.1 billion Euro. Commissioning is scheduled by late 2015.

The Western HVDC Link interconnection is strategic for the upgrade of the entire British transmission grid, as the UK is heading towards a low carbon economy with a massive utilization of power from renewable sources.

The project represents a milestone not only for its value but also in terms of technological features, setting new industry records. The interconnection, designed as a low loss High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system, will operate at the record voltage level of 600 kV, the highest ever reached by an insulated cable (to date the record is 500 kV) with a rating of 2200 MW – both currently unmatched for long-haul systems. The main purpose of the cable link is to connect renewable generation sources in Scotland to the consumption centers in England, although it also allows bi-directional flow of power. The choice of a submarine cable link versus a land interconnection offers remarkable benefits in terms of project approval and execution time.

“This milestone reconfirms our undisputed prominent role in the submarine cables sector – states Fabio Romeo Executive Vice President Energy Business – both in terms of market share and track record and in terms of know-how and innovation capabilities. In addition, I would also like to highlight our ever-increasing commitment to the renewable energies sector, with a wide range of high-end products and technologies available to support the development of greener and smarter power grids”.

The project requires full turnkey provision of an HVDC link (design, manufacture, installation, testing and commissioning) and considers a bi-pole of cables using PPL (Paper Polypropylene Laminate) insulation, with enhanced electrical and thermal performance. Prysmian has been a forerunner in bringing on the market Mass Impregnated PPL cables an innovative material technology that allows reaching higher voltage classes, reduced cables dimensions for equivalent transmission capacity and optimized power losses. The undisputed expertise in the field of MI PPL cables represented a key success factor for Prysmian in winning the award.

With a route length in excess of 400 km the link includes a short land section in Scotland and a significant land portion in England-Wales; the submarine part will be installed in the Irish Sea. Offshore installation will be performed by Prysmian’s own cable ship Giulio Verne.

Prysmian has been taking part in the development of some of the most strategic submarine power interconnections worldwide, supporting the global upgrade of power grids for a better use of available resources with its state-of-the-art cable technology. In particular, the Group is currently involved, in the USA, in the execution of the Hudson Transmission Project which will bring clean power to about 600,000 new homes in Manhattan, New York, and has commissioned the Transbay Cable Project in San Francisco. In Europe, Prysmian is playing a key role in the development of power connections for offshore wind farms, with projects either completed or ongoing in Denmark, Holland, UK and in Germany. In particular, Prysmian can boast its valuable contribution within the most important programme for the development of renewable energies in Europe launched by the German government, with multiple contracts for offshore HVDC grid connection awarded over the last 18 months, namely BorWin2, HelWin1, Helwin2 and SylWin1.

The Group is also strongly committed to the promotion of largest scale initiatives like “Friends of the Supergrid”, for the development of a new concept of Pan-European power grid, and Medgrid for the future submarine grid to bring renewable energy from Northern Africa to Europe.

Source: Prysmian

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By admin, February 16, 2012 8:22 am

Thursday, Feb 16, 2012

Belden, the leading supplier of high quality and innovative signal transmission solutions, has added a Railway approved high performance Ethernet Gigabit data cable for mission critical railway and mass transit applications to its comprehensive range of cables and connectors, rugged Ethernet switches, routers and firewalls – all harmonized to work seamlessly together.

New Belden Railway Approved Gigabit Ethernet data cable BE43800 offers fast, reliable communications and enhanced system performance in railway, transportation and city transit systems. Belden® BE43800 is a halogen-free Cat 5e Ethernet cable that meets the highest railway industry standards. This highly specialized data cable reliably delivers real time information for operators and passengers, on-board as well as in terminals and control rooms.

This new Belden® Industrial Ethernet Rail Cable is particularly suitable for use in Gigabit Ethernet networks in Rolling Stock Onboard Applications for monitoring, recording and control systems; multimedia passenger information and entertainment; and Train Control Management Systems. For safety and security, BE43800 Belden cable is approved to international railway standards.

Introducing the new cable Louise Wild, Product Manager said: “This Gigabit Ethernet data cable is highly suited for use in the rail passenger transport industry to support expanding communications networks.”

Wild ads: “Increasingly, passengers demand improved comfort and safety on board trains. They require actual travel-related information such as arrival times, connecting points and multimedia services including internet access and infotainment. The shift to Gigabit Ethernet facilitates all theses and future services. Belden has introduced new Belden® BE43800 to accommodate this move.”

Key features
Belden® BE43800 is a shielded, halogen-free Cat 5e Gigabit data cable designed to support Ethernet based networks in railway applications. Both BE43800 Gigabit Ethernet data cables and Belden BE43769 100 Mbps data cables have excellent mechanical resistance and a small bending radius for optimal installation within limited space applications. They can be used in temperatures ranging between -40° and +90°C in a variety of applications. Signal integrity is assured through high screen coverage in combination with Belden’s Beldfoil® technology. Installation is easy thanks to fast-connect and simple termination. The cables are fully compatible with M12 connectors for field installable or pre-moulded cable assemblies.

Meeting international railway standards
Belden BE43769 and BE43800 data cables are designed and manufactured in accordance with the following international railway standards:

• EN 50155:2007 Railway applications
- Class TX (-40°C +85°C)
• EN/TS 45545-2:2009 Fire protection on railway vehicles
- Class R14
- IEC 60332-1-2
- IEC 60332-3-25 Cat D
- EN 50305:2002 par. 9.1.1- EN 61034-2
- NF X70-100-1 & NF X70-100-2
• DIN 5510-2 Preventive fire protection in railway vehicles
- Protection Level 1 – 4
- IEC 60332-1-2
- IEC 50266-2-5 Cat D
• ISO/IEC 11801 2nd edition

Source: EMG

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By cableunion, February 16, 2012 5:35 am

Tower Cloud, a fiber optic and wireless backhaul network provider, has announced that is has picked Southern Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company, for long-haul fiber optic services in the state of Georgia.

This new partnership will enable Tower Cloud to make use of Southern Telecom assets, to enhance its market value and also to speed development of new markets in Georgia and throughout its Southeast network. The company will also receive maintenance support and the ability to rapidly extend its network.

“Tapping Southern Telecom’s long-haul fiber solution will provide a critical link in Tower Cloud’s Ethernet backhaul network expansion,” said Ron Mudry, chief executive officer of Tower Cloud.

Mudry said that their expanded network will extend 4G LTE (News – Alert) broadband services to wireless customers in communities throughout south Georgia, providing blazing fast access and content delivery to their mobile devices.

Southern Telecom’s network in the Southeast is spread throughout Georgia, Florida and Alabama. It is a trusted resource for its service provider customers, offering 1,300 route miles of fiber optic connectivity.

“Tower Cloud is a strong addition to the Southern Telecom customer roster. We anticipate ongoing expansion of the network, as demand for more fiber will only increase,” said Leif Ericson, business development manager with Southern Telecom.

Leveraging pure Ethernet broadband technologies, Tower Cloud operates a fiber-focused network to backhaul voice, video and data from cell sites for wireless carriers.

TMCnet had previously reported that Tower Cloud announced the launch of its wireless backhaul infrastructure network for three wireless carrier 3G and 4G networks in Atlanta.

The company was also in the news for securing $49 million in additional equity to fuel expansion and growth of its 4G wireless backhaul networks.

Jyothi Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Jyothi’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell