Bouygues Telecom selects Acme Packet for IMS network (France, USA)
Acme Packet, the leader in session delivery networks, announced that Bouygues Telecom, a leading fixed and mobile service provider in France, is deploying Acme Packet Net-Net Session Director session border controllers (SBCs) in its IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, supplied and integrated by Alcatel-Lucent. Acme Packet’s SBCs fulfill numerous IMS functions at both the access and interconnect borders, ensuring security, interoperability, and quality in the network.
Bouygues Telecom is deploying IMS to support multiple services, including migration of existing residential voice to voice over IP (VoIP), interconnecting with other service providers and launching new services, such as visual voice mail.
The Net-Net Session Director fulfills critical IMS functional requirements at the access and interconnect borders of Bouygues Telecom’s network. In the access network, SBCs provide the critical Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and IMS-Access Gateway Function (AGW) for securing, interoperating, and controlling all SIP-based services to subscribers. The Net-Net Session Director provides Interconnect Border Control Function (I-BCF) and the Transition Gateway (TrGW) for controlling fixed and mobile SIP traffic at interconnect borders, encompassing both internal interconnection between Bouygues’ fixed and mobile networks as well as between the IMS network and other service providers.
Bouygues Telecom is using Acme Packet’s interoperability feature set that includes SIP normalization and SIP to SIP-I interworking that helps accelerate time-to-market and reduce operational costs as the network expands. Net-SAFE®, Acme Packet’s security framework, provides denial of service (DoS) attack prevention, topology hiding, and access control to protect Bouygues Telecom’s IMS network and ensure service availability. Other key features include accounting for billing and traffic planning, as well as admission control, routing, and quality of service marking for service level agreement assurance.
Jean-Paul Arzel, Bouygues Telecom networks director, said that Acme Packet’s SBC is a key part of their IMS network, built to enable innovative services and deliver enhanced customer experience to their fixed and mobile customers. They chose the Acme Packet solution due to their culture of innovation, the rich functionality and scalability of its session border controllers, and the company’s impressive track record in enabling trusted, high-quality VoIP, and IP interactive communication services.
Mario Oliveira, Acme Packet’s vice president of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and Caribbean and Latin America sales, said that Acme Packet brings extensive experience in helping their customers build next generation communications networks. Their IMS solution portfolio delivers the security, interoperability, and quality functionalities that Bouygues Telecom and leading service providers demand to be successful in their migration to end-to-end IP communications.
Google and Motorola Mobility close $12.5 billion deal (USA)
Google Inc. completed its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and named a new executive to lead the smartphone maker, according to a report by DJN.
Dennis Woodside, a Google executive involved with planning for the acquisition and formerly the president of Google’s Americas region, was named Chief Executive of Motorola Mobility. Woodside was one of a handful of names reported to be up for the job, according to recent news reports.
He replaces Sanjay Jha, who first arrived at the former Motorola Inc. in 2008. Motorola in early 2011 spun off the higher-profile mobile-devices and TV-set-top-box operations into Motorola Mobility.
As per the report, Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business. Motorola already produces a number of phones and tablets based on Google’s Android mobile software.
Vodafone relies on Verizon as profit from Europe declines (USA, UK)
Telecom operator Vodafone Group Plc will have to rely on its U.S. wireless venture to meet profit estimates and cover up declining sales in the European markets, largely Spain and Italy, according to a report by BN.
Vodafone said that operating profit excluding some items may rise as much as 3.2 percent in the 12 months ending March 2013. Profit on that basis slipped 2.4 percent last year to $18 billion after the sale of a stake in its SFR French unit. Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile carrier, accounted for 42 percent of the total, an increase of 9.3 percent.
As per the report, Vodafone, which relies on western Europe for most of its revenue, is no longer the world’s biggest mobile-phone company as China Mobile Ltd. boosted sales last year to $81.7 billion. While profits and sales at Verizon Wireless are rising, Newbury, England-based Vodafone still needs to negotiate dividends every year with U.S. partner Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), which controls 55 percent of the venture.
JT selects Telcordia OSS for roll-out of Jersey/Guernsey fibre telecoms network (USA)
Telcordia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson and leading developer of mobile, broadband and enterprise communications software and services, today announced that its network planning, engineering and design platform has been selected by JT Group (formerly Jersey Telecom) to support the rollout of a comprehensive fiber telecom network.
JT the leading telecommunications provider for the UK’s Channel Islands, has selected the Telcordia Plan?to?Provision for Fixed Broadband solution to support the replacement of its existing copper network with a newly-designed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure.
The FTTH project, known as ‘Gigabit Jersey’, means that all 90,000 people on the island will be able to access the fastest broadband speeds available by 2016, from their home or their business.
The Telcordia OSS solution, featuring Telcordia Network Engineer, will provide JT with a map-based tool to accelerate and optimize their FTTH planning, designing, documenting, and inventory management. Dramatic streamlining of the network planning processes and elimination of its manual system will enable the company to reduce the time and cost of their fiber build out program, and allow for better tracking of the FTTH architectures needed to accommodate variations in housing density.
Dave Newbold, Chief Operations & Technology Officer at JT, said that the ability to automate what is a new and complex design process is critical to the business case and ultimately the success of this exciting broadband rollout. He added that the Telcordia solution proved to be uniquely capable in providing the necessary detail, design automation and ability to handle the complexity of this process to the level they require. The designs will conform to their standards, thereby saving them costs with more consistency for their newly hired field engineers, and they also expect efficiency gains as they continue their FTTH deployments across their operating markets.
Telcordia’s broadband rollout automation has proved extremely effective in supporting aggressive fiber rollout programs such as Gigabit Jersey.
JT will also utilize Telcordia’s Total Perspective Planning business analysis solution which will allow JT decision-makers to correlate all of their geographically-referenced information in the form of interactive maps, reports and charts. Using these tools will help support JT in identifying crucial and sometimes hidden relationships, patterns and trends that can help improve network performance, accelerate service deployment, and speed service restoration.
U.S. Cellular launches 4G LTE mobile hotspot (USA)
U.S. Cellular is expanding its 4G LTE device line-up with the launch of the Samsung SCH-LC11 Mobile Hotspot. This lightweight device gives you high-speed connectivity and is available on uscellular.com now and will be in stores by May 21.
When on the 4G LTE network, the Samsung Mobile Hotspot allows users to simultaneously connect up to five Wi-Fi devices to the Internet at speeds up to ten times faster than 3G. It’s easy to connect to laptops, tablets, home computers and smartphones so customers can access news, weather, email, entertainment and social networks whenever they need it. For a limited time, the hotspot will be available for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate in select markets covered by the 4G LTE network and in those scheduled to be covered by the end of 2012.
The Samsung Mobile Hotspot is a great device for businesses, students, families and anyone who needs high-speed Internet connectivity at home or on-the-go. Business travelers can get more done during airport layovers and taxi rides. Study groups can have a meeting in the park and connect to the Internet, and family car rides are more fun when everyone can get the entertainment they want.
Edward Perez, vice president of sales and marketing operations for U.S. Cellular, said that customers can depend on the 4G LTE Samsung Mobile Hotspot for fast and reliable Internet connectivity wherever they are. This pocket-sized device can help simplify and organize your life and provides multiple devices with one speedy Internet connection.
The 4G LTE network builds on the 3G data services that U.S. Cellular customers already enjoy on the carrier’s high-quality nationwide network. The Samsung Mobile Hotspot is available to all U.S. Cellular customers and runs on the 4G LTE network in markets where it is available and on U.S. Cellular’s nationwide 3G network in all other areas.
U.S. Cellular customers enjoy unique benefits, such as new devices faster without resigning contracts, free Overage Protection and free Battery Swap. U.S. Cellular also offers customers the only points-based rewards program in the industry, which rewards customers for simple things, such as paying bills on-time, adding a line or referring friends and family. Points may be used for faster phone upgrades, additional lines, devices, accessories and ringtones.
U.S. Cellular, in partnership with King Street Wireless, currently offers 4G LTE service in select cities in Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. In the second half of this year, 4G LTE coverage will expand to cover select cities in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. By the end of 2012, 54 percent of U.S. Cellular customers will enjoy faster 4G LTE speeds.
T-Mobile introduces no annual contract mobile broadband service passes (USA)
T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced that its new, flexible and worry-free No Annual Contract mobile broadband service passes will debut May 20, making it easier for customers to enjoy access to high-speed Internet on the go whenever they want. With T-Mobile’s new, more affordable No Annual Contract data passes, customers can experience T-Mobile’s blazing-fast 4G network speeds across a variety of mobile broadband devices including tablets, mobile hotspots and laptop sticks – with no strings attached.
Starting at just $15, T-Mobile’s lineup of No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes delivers a pay-in-advance, overage-free solution that offers an allotment of mobile data, making it possible for customers to choose a pass that best fits their data needs without committing to a two-year contract: 300MB 1-week pass for $15, 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25, 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35 and 5GB 1-month pass for $50.
Jeremy Korst, vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA, said that although most of their mobile broadband customers choose postpaid rate plans for the best device prices and data rates, they know that many of their customers want the flexibility to be able to experience mobile broadband without committing to an annual contract up front. With better pricing and new features like an auto-refill option and a simpler purchase experience, T-Mobile’s No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes make it easier and more affordable than ever to experience high-speed Internet on the go on a range of devices.
T-Mobile offers a variety of 4G mobile broadband devices that, when connected to T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network, offer customers fast access to the Web, e-mail, gaming, movies and more, while on-the-go.
T-Mobile’s lineup of mobile, connected tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the T-Mobile SpringBoard with Google, deliver a premium on-the-go entertainment and Web experience, making it possible to stream movies on a road trip or shop online while the kids play at the park.
The T-Mobile Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot and the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot are ideal for staying connected on-the-go with colleagues and clients or providing Internet on the go for the family on vacation. Providing simultaneous access to T-Mobile’s 4G network for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, customers can use their mobile hotspots to connect their iPad devices, laptops, music players, portable gaming devices and e-readers, among other devices, to T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network.
T-Mobile’s laptop sticks, including the HSPA+ 42-enabled Rocket 3.0 USB Laptop Stick, are perfect for customers looking for a blazing-fast mobile Internet connection on their laptop.
Verizon to cancel unlimited data plans with discounted handsets (USA)
Verizon Wireless has been considering the launch of shared data price plans which will enable consumers to use one data plan across different devices such as their smartphone, iPad and tablet. However, according to a recent report by TechCrunch, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said that every one of their customers would be on one of the carrier’s new data share plans.
This announcement has got consumers on Verizon’s unlimited data plans concerned. Subscribers who have just upgraded from a 3G to a 4G device with that older data plan intact will be able to hang on to it until the time they upgrade their smartphone.
Furthermore, as per the report, customers who pay the full outright price for their handsets will be able to keep their unlimited plans as well. Verizon said that when they introduce their new shared data plans, unlimited data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
Apple’s new iPhone may feature a 4 inch display screen (USA)
Rumours surrounding Apple’s new iPhone continue to do the rounds, with latest news revealing that the US giant has begun placing orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, according to a report by ET.
As per the report, Apple plans to increase the size of the screen by around 30 percent, offering users a display screen of 4 inches from corner to corner. Early production of the new screens has begun at three suppliers: Korea’s LG Display Co Ltd, Sharp Corp and Japan Display Inc, a Japanese government-brokered merger combining the screen production of three companies.
A prime reason for the increased screen size is said to be a competitive response to rival Samsung, which recently launched the Galaxy SIII in London, featuring a 4.8 inch display screen.
Apple places chips contract with Elpida, Samsung loses $10 billion market value (USA, South Korea)
US giant Apple has placed huge chip orders with Japanese maker Elpida, causing Samsung shares to dip 6 percent resulting in a market value loss of $10 billion, according to a report by ET.
As per the report, Apple recently placed large mobile dynamic random access memory (DRAM) orders with Elpida’s 12-inch plant in Hiroshima, Japan, securing around half the facilities total chip production. Following this news Samsung’s shares, the world’s biggest DRAM maker, tumbled 6.2 per cent to a 9-week low of $1,100 – the stock’s biggest daily fall in nearly four years.
Analysts claim that this move came as Apple doesn’t want to see Samsung and hynix dominate the chip market. Apple wants to maintain its bargaining power by keeping Elpida running.
Samsung is yet to make an official statement regarding the same.
Verizon and AT&T ponder over shared-data pricing plans (USA)
Mobile data now accounts for a very significant aspect of a consumer’s life. While demand for wireless data services has been on the rise, users are also on the lookout for the most economical option, adding pressure on mobile operators.
In an attempt to meet consumer demand and reduce churn, mobile operators Verizon Wireless and AT&T are preparing to roll out shared-data pricing plans this year, according to a report by BN. As per the report, the revolutionary new service would enable customers to split one internet data plan between their phones, iPads and other wireless devices, providing an economical option for families, small businesses or people with a lot of Web-connected gadgets.
As per the report, while such a move could prove to be highly successful for operators, any would lower the amount of money that subscribers pay, while increasing network traffic and the cost of maintaining networks. Thus both operators are hesitant in being the first one to offer the service.
However, mobile operators Sprint and T-Mobile are yet to announce any plans for the same. They claim that such a move may make it tougher for families to keep a track of how the data is being used, and may lead to bill shock.
