Colin C. Haley

Qwest today said MCI must acknowledge that Qwest’s bid is superior to Verizon’s by midnight for merger talks to proceed. However, if MCI publicly declares its preference for Qwest’s offer, the $8.9 billion proposal will remain on the table until June 19 so final details can be worked out. The latest timetable was delivered in […]

Brazil’s largest cable company will use networking equipment from Motorola to introduce Voice over IP services. Net Servicos de Comunicacao will install 11 Motorola BSR 64000 CMTS/edge routers as part of an infrastructure upgrade, the companies announced today at the National Cable & Telecommunications trade show in San Francisco. The cable operator will also offer […]

Verizon Wireless today introduced a new service to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the construction, delivery, security, transportation and utilities industries. Called Fleet Administration, the offering consists of a wireless device in the vehicle and a software application installed on the office computer. It can track vehicles’ locations, stops and mileage, as well […]

UPDATED: Verizon today threatened to drop out of the MCI sweepstakes if the long-distance carrier indicates a preference for Qwest’s higher bid. “If the MCI Board . . . declares this bid to be ‘superior,’ it would seem to us that the decision-making process is being driven by the interests of short-term investors rather than […]

Broadwing will pay Ciena $35 million to settle a long-running patent infringement lawsuit related to optical network technology, the companies announced today. Nicole Anderson, a spokeswoman for Linthicum, Md.-based Ciena, said the suit was originally filed in July 2000 and concerned four patents for wavelength division multiplexing technology. WDM modulates each of several data streams […]

Nortel is shuffling its IT department. The network equipment giant has named former Cisco executive Gary Kunis as CTO. During the 1980s, Kunis led developments related to IP standards and routing technology. He left Cisco in 2002. “Since leaving Cisco, Kunis has been a private investor in biotech companies and has been providing advice to […]

Qwest resumed its dogged pursuit of MCI today, increasing its offer for the long-distance carrier and network services provider approximately $500 million to nearly $9 billion. Qwest CEO Richard Notebaert presented the terms in a letter to MCI Chairman Nicholas Katzenbach. He also expressed “dismay” that MCI accepted a $7.67 billion bid from Verizon before […]

Advancing its plan to deliver television through fiber, SBC today awarded a $195 million contract to Scientific-Atlanta for IP video equipment. Under the multi-year deal, Scientific-Atlanta will provide encoders, satellite dishes and video routers, as well as design and build video operation centers for SBC. This is SBC’s third video-related contract in the last six […]

VoIP upstart Vonage said regional carrier SBC rebuffed its recent offer to hold enhanced 911 (E911) trials. SBC responded by saying Vonage is attempting to bypass industry groups working to solve the problem in hopes of providing “E911 on-the-cheap.” Vonage has been under fire recently. On Feb. 2, one of its customers in Houston was […]

Wireless equipment maker Colubris Networks made its first acquisition today, snapping up Wi-Fi startup Kiwi Networks for an undisclosed sum. Radio frequency and packet scheduling products from privately-held Kiwi help corporations and carriers limit interference and reduce congestion on Wi-Fi systems. Bob Olson, a spokesman for Waltham, Mass.-based Colubris, said other firms do what Kiwi […]

Network equipment giant Juniper will pay $67.5 million cash for VoIP specialist Kagoor, the companies said today. Kagoor’s session border control (SBC) products are used by more than 100 carriers, most of which also use Juniper routers. In addition, Kagoor has partnerships with other industry leaders, including Lucent, Siemens and NEC. SBCs sit at the […]

UPDATED: MCI has agreed to merge with Verizon after the Baby Bell increased its bid by $1 billion, the companies said this morning. The new $7.6 billion price tag is still lower than Qwest’s $8.45 billion proposal — however, Ashburn, Va.-based MCI thinks its long-term prospects are better with Verizon. “We believe Verizon’s substantial increase […]