News Archive - March 2005
Qwest Raises Bid, Chides MCI Board
March 31, 2005
Qwest raised its takeover bid for MCI, this time to $8.9 billion or $27.50 per MCI share. At the same time, Qwest expressed disatisfaction to the MCI board for not giving it further consideration and holding private talks with Verizon.
Time Warner Cable begins cell phone trials
March 31, 2005
Time Warner Cable has begun testing its own mobile-phone service in Kansas City, signaling a move by the cable industry to compete against local phone companies' wireless dominance.
Options expand despite telecom mergers
March 31, 2005
As one giant telecom acquisition follows another, consumer groups are crying foul, but new technologies and players are giving people more ways to make phone calls.
Defense agency switches on VoIP
March 30, 2005
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) officials awarded a US$20 million contract to Nortel for upgraded high-capacity, IP-based voice switches.
Vonage may route 911 call to Congress, FCC
March 30, 2005
Net phone provider Vonage may ask Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to help it solve problems with SBC over subscriber access to the 911 emergency call network.
Sonus Extends Market Leadership
March 30, 2005
Sonus announced that industry research firms In-Stat and Synergy Research Group reported that Sonus increased its market share in several segments of the carrier packet voice market for 2004.
March 30, 2005
After some months in the wilderness, ENUM is once again a hot topic as VoIP providers look for ways to charge customers for new services and keep their calls off the PSTN.
Vonage may route 911 call to Congress, FCC
March 30, 2005
Internet phone provider, Vonage, may ask Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to help it solve problems with SBC over subscriber access to the 911 emergency call network.
VoIP calls get podcast treatment
March 29, 2005
China Unicom Deploys Acme Packet Session Border Controllers for NGN
March 29, 2005
Acme Packet announced that China Unicom is deploying its session border controllers in a national, multiservice converged network that connects residential and business customers all over China.
Verizon wins latest—and final?—bid for MCI
March 29, 2005
MCI's board of directors said that it has accepted a new and improved offer from Verizon that includes more cash and protection for MCI shareholders in case Verizon's shares decline.
March 29, 2005
Juniper announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kagoor Networks in a transaction valued at $67.5 million in cash, plus options and certain other incentives and equity compensation. — Well, I guess that's the end of Kagoor...
The I-VO: a cheap, stylish VoIP phone for Macs and PCs
March 29, 2005
Qwest sets April 5 deadline for MCI bid
March 28, 2005
Qwest said it had set an April 5 deadline for MCI to accept or reject its $8.45 billion bid for the company.
Industry group to map VoIP security
March 28, 2005
The Voice over IP Security Alliance, a recently formed industry group, has created a new committee to define security requirements for Internet telephony networks.
March 28, 2005
This paper provides a high-level overview of VoIP, intended for those who are not familiar with many of the concepts and terms used in the business.
March 25, 2005
IBM plans to launch in the second half of this year an API for linking the Lotus Sametime enterprise instant messaging product to VoIP platforms, mobile phones, and traditional office telephony systems.
Clearwire May Block VoIP Competitors
March 25, 2005
Clearwire says it reserves the right to prohibit the use of a wide range of bandwidth-hungry applications, a list that apparently includes VoIP as well as the uploading or downloading of streaming video or audio, and high-traffic Web site hosting. — So, what is the service the company is offering? "Pay us money, but you cannot do anything"?
FCC unplugs states' rules on 'naked' DSL
March 25, 2005
A deeply divided Federal Communications Commission suspended on Friday state rules forcing phone providers to offer "naked" DSL, in the commission's first serious look at the controversial issue.
March 25, 2005
Huawei was the leading VoIP equipment vendor in 2004, with a total of 9 million ports shipped during the year.
Broadband scuffle reaches Supreme Court
March 25, 2005
Two competing visions of the future of high-speed Internet services will face off before the U.S. Supreme Court, as cable operators are challenged to allow competitors to have access to their networks.
Ericsson and Siemens reach interoperability in push to talk
March 24, 2005
Ericsson and Siemens Communications have successfully completed interoperability tests between Siemens push to talk handsets and Ericsson IMS infrastructure.
Skype Simplifies for New Users
March 23, 2005
Skype launched Skype for Windows version 1.2 with enhanced user benefits including a centralized Contacts list, which allows users access to their list of contacts from multiple devices from wherever they connect to Skype, and a new 'Getting Started Wizard,' which makes finding friends, importing contacts and making test calls even easier.
MCI expands Wi-Fi coverage globally
March 23, 2005
MCI has nearly doubled its global footprint of wireless Internet access by expanding an existing deal with Wi-Fi service provider Boingo Wireless.
March 22, 2005
While some VoIP companies have trouble signing up new customers, Luxembourg-based VoIP provider Skype has a different dilemma: It can't take credit card payments from its current customers.
March 22, 2005
Level 3 Communications has withdrawn its petition to the FCC that would have shielded some VoIP carriers from paying "access charges" when switching calls to the PSTN.
Texas sues Vonage over 911 problem
March 22, 2005
The attorney general of Texas is suing Internet phone provider Vonage, charging that the company isn't clear to its customers about deficiencies in its 911 service.
Vonage says its calls are still being blocked
March 21, 2005
Two broadband providers are causing problems for Vonage's Internet phone traffic, suggesting that a recent federal fine for blocking Vonage calls may not have had its intended impact.
AT&T Starts Japanese VoIP Project
March 21, 2005
AT&T announced that it has started implementation of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network at Morinaga Milk Industry, a leading food manufacturer in Japan.
March 20, 2005
U.S. regulators are expected to up-end state public utility rules that force BellSouth to let customers buy its high-speed Internet service without having to also sign up for its local phone offering. — When will BellSouth start looking beyond the telephone for business opportunities?
Phishing by phone—VoIP raises security concerns
March 20, 2005
Internet phone services have drawn millions of users looking for rock-bottom rates. Now they're also attracting identity thieves looking to turn stolen credit cards into cash.
March 18, 2005
Ericsson used the CTIA Wireless 2005 event in New Orleans to sneak out details of a surprise IP Multimedia Subsystems win at Sprint.
FCC May Allow VoIP Access Charges
March 17, 2005
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to deny a forbearance petition that has kept VOIP providers from paying PSTN access charges, just days before the Commission's March 22 deadline.
MCI to review sweetened Qwest offer
March 17, 2005
MCI said it was mulling a sweetened takeover offer from Qwest Communications International and expects to respond by March 28.
March 17, 2005
AT&T's Internet phone service, CallVantage, had a paltry 53,000 subscribers at the end of 2004—a lesson in how millions of dollars in marketing and a well-known brand name don't always guarantee success.
March 17, 2005
Net phone phenom Skype is preparing to expand its menu of paid services, hastening its efforts to evolve from a free provider of niche services into a profitable company that could give industry giants a run for their money.
VoIP could provoke 'electronic Pearl Harbor'
March 17, 2005
The head of information security for the United Kingdom's Royal Mail has warned that Internet telephone applications will expose companies to hackers and malicious code if not implemented correctly.
Square7 launches the world's first cordless 2in1 Skype phone in the UK
March 16, 2005
The new Cordless DUALphone is a cordless Internet telephone and ordinary telephone in one.
March 16, 2005
Kevin Martin, a four-year veteran of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been named as the agency's new chairman to replace outgoing head Michael Powell.
Nortel beats Cisco for IP telephony contract
March 16, 2005
Nortel Networks beat out rival Cisco Systems in a deal to supply San Jose, Calif., with IP telephony gear for its new city hall complex.
Ezmax adds VoIP functionality to MP3 players
March 16, 2005
March 15, 2005
Sonus stock jumped 5 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading this morning as, a few weeks later than originally planned, it finally released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2004 results and promised great things for 2005.
Cell phone makers to adopt Internet calling
March 15, 2005
Cell phone heavyweights Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nortel Networks and others are incorporating VoIP into the cell phones, chips and wireless network equipment they manufacture or design, executives said at CTIA Wireless 2005.
AT&T to test WiMax high-speed wireless technology
March 14, 2005
AT&T Corp. said it would test a much-hyped high-speed wireless technology later this year to see if it can be used to replace traditional data lines to businesses.
There is a New Phone Company in Town
March 14, 2005
Out to prove that VoIP technology opens the door for competition and opportunity, OmniLEC of Illinois announced that it nows provides VoIP services to residential and business customers in Illinois and beyond.
VoIP to Fuel Plague of 'Dialing for Dollars'
March 11, 2005
The average enterprise or household could see as many as 150 calls a day from telemarketers.
March 11, 2005
Attendees at VON march to the drum that VoIP is all about bundling voice with other kinds of services, including video and data collaboration.
Samsung SCH-V770 7 Megapixel digital camera phone
March 10, 2005
Samsung Electronics unveils the world's first mobile phone equipped with a 7 megapixel digital camera at CeBIT 2005.
Bells can hike competitors' leases as of Friday
March 10, 2005
New telecommunications rules slated to go into effect on Friday in the US will allow local phone giants to hike the prices at which they lease their lines to competitors.
Bell Canada invests $100 million US in McCaw's Clearwire, forms alliance
March 9, 2005
VoIP providers work to lasso smaller businesses
March 9, 2005
Gadgets and services on display at the VON Internet phone show reflect an effort to attract the growing number of companies, many of them variably small, that haven't yet made the move to Internet phones.
March 8, 2005
Outgoing FCC Chairman Michael Powell did some legacy building during a "swan song" in which he bid adieu to the Internet telephone industry that was fostered by his hands-off regulatory style.
Swisscom Deploys Kagoor's Session Border Controllers
March 8, 2005
Kagoor announced that Swisscom has deployed Kagoor's VoiceFlow 3000 session border controllers to enable Swisscom's new Bluewin Phone consumer broadband offering for DSL-based VoIP, and video services.
Spirent Introduces Distributed Abacus
March 8, 2005
Spirent announced availability of the Distributed Abacus IP Telephony Rollout Platform designed to assess and validate signaling performance and call quality in pre-production networks.
America Online to Deploy Sonus Gear for VoIP
March 8, 2005
America Online has selected Sonus as a key provider for new Internet phone service.
Nortel demo proves reality of Super 3G
March 8, 2005
Mobile broadband has taken a step closer to reality, with Nortel Networks demonstrating a 1.4mbps connection using HSDPA technology—dubbed "Super 3G"—to a commercial-grade handset that was actually moving while sending and receiving data.
March 8, 2005
America Online will launch an Internet phone service within a month, company CEO Jonathan Miller said.
March 8, 2005
A team of Google honchos met this week with several Net telephone service providers, renewing speculation that the search giant may be exploring a move into the fast-growing market.
Adamind Advances Mobile Media Experience with New MediaSpire v5.0
March 7, 2005
Latest Media Adaptation Software Version Enables Operators to Deliver Superior Media-rich MMS Content Services, Enhance the User Experience and Generate New Revenue Streams from Value Added Services.
March 7, 2005
SURF Communication announced the launch of its line of Triple Play media processing products, which enable developers of Voice and Video infrastructure gateways, CTI applications, Packet-to-Packet applications, and a multitude of other Voice, Video, and Data applications, to provide Triple Play functionality using a single Texas Instruments digital signal processor (DSP).
Global Crossing Announces VOIP Service
March 7, 2005
Global Crossing announced the availability of a new VoIP service offer in the U.S., enabling enterprises to extend their local presence to more than 46 major business centers across the US.
8x8 and Uniden Launch Innovative VoIP Home Telephone Solution
March 7, 2005
8x8, Inc. and Uniden introduced a fully integrated, service-ready whole house VoIP phone system at the Spring 2005 VON.
The Best days of Voice-over-IP Telephone Service May Already Have Passed
March 7, 2005
Vonage Reaches 500,000 Subscriber Mark
March 7, 2005
Vonage announced it has exceeded 500,000 total lines in service on its network, doubling its growth rate with the addition of more than 15,000 lines per week.
March 4, 2005
The saga of Sonus continues, as the company filed only a partial earnings report — and one that showed revenues declining from the previous quarter at that.
ANPI Selects Versatel Networks Intelligent Media Gateway to Support National VoIP Rollout
March 4, 2005
Telco agrees to stop blocking VoIP calls
March 3, 2005
A North Carolina telecommunications company accused of deliberately blocking Internet phone traffic has reached a deal with the FCC to halt the controversial practice.
March 3, 2005
For 130 years, traditional telephone operators have been kings of the home phone castle. But watch out—Ma Cable is making herself heard.
BT signs Siemens and Nortel for global VoIP push
March 2, 2005
BT will work with Siemens Communications and Nortel to provide equipment, maintenance and support services to allow the telco's multi-national customers move towards voice over IP-based connectivity.
Telco heads can't rule out post-merger price hikes
March 2, 2005
Top executives from SBC Communications and Verizon Communications would not rule out eventual price hikes following a series of proposed telecom mergers. — Of course... rush to your nearest