Saturday, February 19, 2005
Interesting news for wireless providers.
Nortel Targets Wireless Market with Advancements in Multiservice Switching
Friday, February 18, 2005
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Verizon customers in the Doylestown area now can experience breathtaking high-speed Internet access as the company begins to offer its Verizon FiOS (FYE'-ose) Internet service to homes here.
Verizon is rolling out the industry's premier consumer broadband services to many of its customers in the townships of Doylestown, Buckingham, NewBritain, Plumstead and Warwick, as well as the boroughs of Doylestown and New Britain. The company is offering three tiers of service withdownstream (download) speeds of up to 5, 15 and 30 Mbps (megabits persecond).*
Verizon is delivering FiOS services over its new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which the company is currently building in portions of southeastern Pennsylvania and 11 other states. In addition to the Doylestown area, the new FTTP network in Bucks Countywill cover parts of Yardley; the townships of Newtown, Lower Makefield, Middletown, Northhampton, Upper Makefield and Wrightstown; and the boroughs of Newtown and Yardley. In Chester County, the network will cover parts of Downingtown, Exton, Phoenixville and West Chester; the townships of Charlestown, Birmingham, Pocopson, East Bradford, East Brandywine, EastPikeland, East Vincent, Uwchlan , Caln, East Caln, West Whiteland, WestBradford, West Vincent, Schuylkill, Westtown, West Pikeland, West Goshenand East Goshen; and the boroughs of Downingtown, West Chester andPhoenixville. In Montgomery County, the network will cover parts of Upper Providence Township.
The company will launch FiOS Internet service in these areas as it becomes available. FTTP technology utilizes fiber-optic connections - instead of copper wire -directly into homes and businesses to enable a broad array of voice, data and video applications. In addition to its current FiOS Internet access service, Verizon plans to launch FiOS TV in 2005 to compete directly with cable TV providers. FiOS TV will be available in markets where Verizon has negotiated cable franchise agreements with local authorities."FiOS is setting the new standard for consumer broadband services inAmerica," said. Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group."Our customers who already subscribe to FiOS services are astounded at what they now can do with their online experience. Video chats and conferencing, purchased digital movie downloads and interactive multi-player games have become a part of their daily lives."
Customer reaction to Verizon's new fiber-based Internet access service has been very positive, with broadband subscribers already more than doubling in the company's inaugural FiOS market of Keller, Texas, just outsideDallas/Fort Worth. Ingalls added that Verizon is using the most advanced technology to deliver downstream and upstream speeds that will give customers truly interactive, two-way broadband capabilities."The Internet is an increasingly interactive place where quickly sending information is just as important as quickly receiving it," Ingalls said. "From uploading multi-megabyte e-mails with photo attachments, to interacting with the office from home, FiOS gives customers unprecedented speed, efficiency and productivity at very competitive prices." Each FiOS service is available either as part of a bundle of local and long-distance calling services from Verizon, or as a stand-alone Internet access service.There are three tiers of Verizon FiOS Internet service for consumers:
5 Mbps downstream and 2 Mbps upstream. Suited for Internet surfing and basic computer functions. $34.95 a month as part of a calling package, or$39.95 a month stand-alone.
15 Mbps downstream and 2 Mbps upstream. Appealing to families that have multiple computers and various needs such as media downloads and the ability to access or share large files. $44.95 a month as part of a calling package, or $49.95 a month stand-alone.
30 Mbps downstream and 5 Mbps upstream. Designed for communications-intensive power users with significant bandwidth needs, such as telecommuters or work-at-home households and avid online gamers. $179.95 a month as part of a calling package, or $199.95 a month stand-alone.
Now that's fast broadband. 15/2 for $44.95 a month! Geeze I guess it's time for me to get out of the DSL game and just concentrate on the Voice over IP.
FiOS Web site http://www.verizon.net/fios
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Ericsson today launched a managed capacity solution to reduce operators' total cost of ownership for networks. By combining its strengths in infrastructure and managed services, Ericsson delivers and manages network capacity when and where operators need it. As a result, operators grow their business and evolve their networks efficiently, and they are free to focus on their customers and business development. The solution, created in close cooperation with customers, is a part of Ericsson's industry-leading managed services offering.
Under a managed services agreement, Ericsson will continuously deliver telecom infrastructure and services based on operators' capacity and coverage requirements. By partnering with Ericsson, operators will reduce over- and under-capacity, and are able to buy and pay for expansion of coverage and capacity according to market demand. Ericsson can also facilitate the set-up of financial solutions to even further improve operators' cash flow.
"We are now launching the managed capacity solution to fixed and mobile operators across the world, and we see a great interest from our customers for this way of doing business." said Hans Vestberg, Executive Vice President, Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson."It benefits both operators in high-growth markets that need efficient buildout of network coverage and capacity, as well as operators in developed markets facing technology migrations or consolidation."
In addition to making it possible to deploy networks quickly and efficiently, the managed capacity solution reduces other network-specific parts of operators' total ownership costs. Operational expenditures, such as day-to-day operations and maintenance, site-rental and transmission, are reduced as Ericsson assumes full responsibility for managing the network.
Innovative network solutions such as Ericsson Expander can be included to further reduce costs. The Ericsson Expander solution enables operators to minimize the number of sites through superior coverage, thus drastically reducing operational and capital expenditures, whilst maintaining network performance and quality of service. A managed capacity solution can also utilize other cost-efficient network solutions such as layered architecture.
The managed capacity solution is set up in alignment with the operator's business plan. This ensures the operator retains full control over coverage and capacity expansions in line with market demand, as well as over the level of service quality necessary to satisfy the consumers.
"By combining Ericsson's industry leadership in managed services and our superior network infrastructure, we provide operators with a significant cost advantage as a driver for future improved shareholder value," said Vestberg. "Operators can focus even more on business development, creating new growth opportunities and strengthening their market positions."
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Looks like Verizon doesn't want to let SBC be the only RBOC to be in the aquisitions game
Verizon to Acquire MCI for $5.3 Billion in Equity and Cash
Source: PR NewswireDate: February 14, 2005
Verizon to Acquire MCI for $5.3 Billion in Equity and Cash Acquisition Ensures Strength of Internet Backbone Network, Enhances Verizon's Ability to Serve Large Business and Government Customers - MCI to Also Pay Special Dividend, for a Total Value of $6.7 Billion
NEW YORK, and ASHBURN, Va., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and MCI, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCIP) today announced that Verizon has agreed to acquire MCI for $4.8 billion in equity and $488 million in cash.
The transaction adds new strength to the telecommunications services both companies provide. It ensures that consumers and businesses will have a supplier with the financial strength to maintain and improve MCI's Internet backbone network, which is the largest in the world based on company-owned points of presence.
The transaction will also mean better service for Enterprise customers by enhancing Verizon's ability to compete for and serve large-business and government customers with a complete range of services, including wireless and the most sophisticated IP (Internet Protocol) based services.
The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the agreement.
MCI shareowners will receive 0.4062 shares of Verizon common stock for each common share of MCI. This is worth $4.795 billion and equivalent to $14.75 per MCI share, based on Verizon's closing price on Friday, Feb. 11.
MCI shareowners will also receive $1.50 per MCI share in cash, worth $488 million. This consideration is subject to adjustment at closing and may be decreased based on MCI's bankruptcy claims-related experience. more...
I wonder who is going to be next in the buy, sell, merger game? Looks like things are heating up.
