Broadband Week Direct

Today's report from Web Editor Susan Rush

• Stop Infringing On My Patent
• Dance With Me
• Marconi Takes To The Road
• A Cisco City In The Making
• Broadband Briefs
• Next Week in Broadband

Editor's Note: Broadband Week will not produce BroadbandWeek Direct on Monday, October 9, in observance of Columbus Day. Daily news will return on Tuesday, October 10.

Stop Infringing On My Patent

The fiber amplifiers for land networks business could balloon to a $1.2 billion industry by 2003, according to industry research, and patent holders are looking for their cut. Litton Systems and Stanford University filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles District Court this week against several telecommunications equipment and component makers for infringing on their fiber amplifier patent. Fiber-optic industry big wigs Nortel Networks, JDS Uniphase and 13 others are named in the suit.

"The complaint was filed to protect Litton's position as it relates to our fiber amplifier patent," says Randy Belote, a spokesperson for Litton.

No companies named in the suit were ready to directly comment on the suit, but Nortel spokesman David Chamberlin did have this to say, "The complaint has not been served to us yet, but we are aware of it and will rigorously defend ourselves."

"We hope to resolve the issue through negotiations outside of the courtroom with the individual companies," says Belote.

Dance With Me

Sony Computer Entertainment is looking for a few solid dance partners to help it waltz into history as a broadband Internet powerhouse. The entertainment giant is trying to move beyond video games with its PlayStation2 device and into the home gateway market, offering console owners the ability to download movies, video games and other types of data over optical fiber lines.

To accomplish this, Sony might need a little help from its friends - software makers or device manufacturers to develop the home networking operating system and compatible hardware. "We will work on commercialization or will ask someone to work on commercialization," said Shinichi Okamoto, SCE's vice president, during a presentation at the CEATEC electronics show in Japan.

Sony is set to begin a free trial of the home gateway service in Japan beginning this December.

Marconi Takes To The Road

There's nothing like a road trip, especially when you are trying to attract investors. Marconi plc plans to promote its decision to list its shares on Nasdaq with a U.S. investor roadshow, beginning next week.

The communications equipment maker has planned a listing on Nasdaq since its inception late last year. The company is predicting its first-half sales will be in line with its expectations, and remains upbeat about the outlook for the rest of the year. Marconi has already brought in $4.8 billion worth of orders this year, up from $3.9 billion during the same period a year ago.

"[Being listed on Nasdaq] will mark the next step in the development of Marconi as a leading global broadband communications equipment supplier," says George Simpson, Marconi's chief executive. Marconi's shares will first appear on the Nasdaq on October 16.

A Cisco City In The Making

Cisco Systems inches closer to winning approval for its proposed 688-acre "city" in San Jose's Coyote Valley. The city's planning commission is recommending the city council approve the optical networking giant's petition to build a 6.6 million square foot office building. Cisco wants to do more than just build an office park; it wants to build its own "city."

The corporate campus will come complete with its own main street, parks, cafes, a dry cleaner and 22,000 parking spots, but no housing. Opponents to the plan contend that the housing crunch in area will get even tighter -- a disheartening thought considering that rents are reaching midtown Manhattan levels. Cisco proposed build out location is on one of San Jose's last remaining chunks of open space, a fact that has environmentalists up in arms. The city council is scheduled to vote on the issue on October 24.

Broadband Briefs:

DSL.net, Inc. expands its DSL services to business customers in Las Vegas, NV, Kansas City, MO, Buffalo, NY, Albuquerque, NM, and Carmel, CA.
DSL Wireless, Inc. merges with American ATM Corp. to form American Wireless Web Corp. The new company is targeting Southern Florida (North Miami to South Palm Beach) to deploy its high-speed service.
AT&T Broadband tabs Viasource Communications to provide its Chicago customers with advanced broadband telephony fulfillment services.
Airspan Networks signs a multiyear deal to provide its wireless DSL equipment to Telbeskid Sp zo.o. The telecommunications operator will deploy Airspan's AS4000 wireless DSL platform throughout Poland to provide high-speed Internet access to its customers there.
Universal Access Inc. wins a contract to manage and deploy network infrastructure to support NetRail Inc.'s broadband services.
Wireless broadband solutions provider Speedcom Wireless Corp. files an application with the Nasdaq to trade on its SmallCap exchange.
Alex Best, the longtime engineering chief at Cox Communications Inc. will retire Dec. 31. Chris Bowick, senior vice president of technology development, will succeed Best as senior vice president, engineering and chief technical officer.
TOTALink of Indiana hires construction contractor Fiber Cable Inc. to install its broadband cabling on poles and in underground rights-of-ways in Indianapolis.

Next Week in Broadband

Conferences:

Oct. 11-12: Interactive TV Summit, Park Lane Hotel, New York, N.Y.; www.kagan.com

Oct. 10-12: Streaming Media Europe 2000, Earls Court Centre, London, U.K.; www.streamingmedia.com

Oct. 11-13: umts 2000 -- The Next Generation Of Mobile, Catalonia Palace of Congresses, Barcelona; www.umtscongress.com
Legislative:

Oct. 11: House Subcommittee on Telecommunications holds a hearing entitled "Recent Developments in Privacy Protections for Consumers," at 10:00 a.m.
IPOs:

Oct. 10: B2 Bredband (BRED). IPO managed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 29 million shares being offered at $11.61-$16.71 a share.

Week of Oct. 9: MCE Companies, Inc. (MCEI). IPO managed by Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown, 8.78 million shares being offered at $13-15 a share.
Upcoming Broadband Events:

Oct. 15-19: National Communications Forum 2000, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Chicago, Illinois; www.iec.org

Oct. 16-18: ASPCON, Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV; www.aspcon.com

Oct. 18-19: CTAM Broadband Opportunity Conference, Santa Clara Marriott, Santa Clara, Calif.; www.ctambroadband.com