BCNET in December announced the successful completion of a record-breaking file transfer across Canada and the U.S. The B.C.-based advanced networking group partnered with CANARIE, the University of Carleton, the communications company YottaYotta Inc. and others to send 5TB of data from Chicago to Vancouver and thence to Ottawa. The transfer topped out at 11Gbps – 15 times faster than the previous record – and employed WAN storage architecture, TCP/IP, fibre-optic connections, as well as YottaYotta’s NetStorager System to complete the feat. The transfer proves BCNET’s Optical Regional Advanced Network (ORAN) is up to speed, the group said.
On the lighter side…
Industry analysts at Oklahoma-based TeleChoice Inc. have published online a cheeky “Worst Case Scenarios Survival Guide: Telecom.” Visit the firm’s Web site to learn how to handle sticky situations, such as “How to be a Telecom Service Provider CEO” (“Fire all your outside advisors, consultants.…Wait a day. Quietly hire them back.”) and “How to win an industry award for your product that’s not yet ready.” (“Make absurd performance promises. Disgustingly absurd.”) TeleChoice says the guide is meant to lighten the “telecom malaise.” It’s online at www.telechoice.com/WCSGreetings.htm.
ILEC updates
BCE Inc. in December said it would layoff up to 1,700 Bell Canada workers in 2003. Parent company to numerous Canadian telcos, BCE said the cuts would occur across the board to better align Bell’s costs with revenue. Industry analysts said the payroll purge pales beside rival Telus Corp.’s decision earlier in 2002 to chop 6,500 from its roster. BCE said the cuts would satisfy stakeholders during 2003, predicted to be a flat year for the firm. Telus, meanwhile, in December said year-end profits might prove better than expected.