News of the Day

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AT&T, Verizon, Qwest share in Networx contract
AT&T, Verizon Communications and Qwest Communications International won the right to participate in what is being deemed as the largest U.S. government telecom contract, valued at $48 billion. The contract spans across a minimum of six federal agencies and will involve a host of services and technologies, including voice, video and data.  Bloomberg/ClipSyndicate (3/29),  The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (3/30),  Bloomberg (3/29)

Business & Industry Watch

Nortel, Microsoft extend partnership
Nortel and Microsoft are expanding the scope of their communications pact to enable telecom companies to offer unified communication solutions to small and medium-size businesses, which negates the need for these clients to buy, install and manage their networks on their own. Reuters (3/28)

AT&T has faith in prepaid wireless
AT&T sees its Go Phone prepaid service as an area of growth for the company, which calculates it attracted 746,000 new Go Phone accounts during the last three months of 2006. The Monterey County Herald (Calif.)/Cox News Service (3/29)

Verizon Business ups ULH all-optical network speeds
In response to customer demand for bandwidth, Verizon Business is increasing the speed of its ultra long haul all-optical network to 40 Gbps along its New York and Washington routes. The company has speeds of 100 Gbps in its sights, a company spokesman said. Converge! Network Digest (3/27)

Cisco buys SpansLogic
Cisco Systems has continued its buying spree, snapping up network-processing-chip maker SpansLogic. Cisco plans to leverage the purchase to keep up with the demand for Ethernet networking equipment. Network World/IDG News Service (3/28)

Ericsson may seek out more multimedia buys
Ericsson is likely to continue to snap up multimedia technology companies, according to company CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg, who sees a bright future for multimedia. Yahoo!/Reuters (3/29)

WSJ: Sprint searches for an identity
Sprint Nextel Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee is working to get the carrier back on track, in part by upgrading Nextel's network, but the Wall Street Journal asserts Forsee must help Sprint redefine itself. "The right plans are in place and there's accountability across the organization to deliver better performance and ensure that progress is being made," a Sprint spokeswoman said. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (3/29)

IBM secures Hutchison Essar IT deal
Hutchison Essar reportedly plans to outsource its IT operations to IBM. A finalized deal is said to still be in the works; Hutchison Essar declined comment. The Financial Express (India)/Reuters (3/29)

Insight dials up phone service in Kentucky
Insight Communications has sallied forth into the phone wars with the launch of local and long-distance service in Northern Kentucky. Customers will be able to keep their existing phone numbers when they transition over to the Insight service, which features caller ID and three-way calling. The Cincinnati Enquirer (3/29)

Technology Trends

U.S. Hispanics pick up the pace on digital media
According to a report by Yahoo! Telemundo and Experian Simmons Research, the U.S. Hispanic population outstrips the general market when it comes to using digital media and technology. Hispanics spend 50% more time with digital media overall, according to the report. Mediaweek (3/28)

Pepsi, Intel will be first sponsors for Viacom's mobile network
Intel and Pepsi-Cola North America have become the first sponsors for Viacom unit MTV Networks' mobile-phone programming. The marketers' ads will appear on the service's mobile channels dedicated to MTV and Comedy Central programming. CNET/Reuters (3/28)

Vodafone bolsters systems integration
The launch of Vodafone's Applications Service for mobile devices is expected to further the company's foray into the the field of systems integration. BusinessWeek (3/28)

Regulatory & Legislative

Ofcom adopts new VoIP code of practice
The U.K. Office of Communications is instituting a new code, which will require VoIP providers to outline service features, including whether access to emergency services is available. Ofcom plans to look into whether emergency-service access should be required for select VoIP services. Forbes/AFX News Limited (3/29)

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