TIM to invest R$ 171 million in fiber optics in Northern Brazil

TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) is Telecom Italia's mobile phone brand, and runs a GSM, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA network in Italy and Brazil.  TIM Brazil had signed a contract with LT Amazon consortium to use their tower transmission lines and power substations to transport TIM cables across 27 cities in the states of Amazonas, Pará and Amapá, in Brazil. TIM will invest around R$ 171 million in this project, which is set to start in October and could be finished in 2013.

The contract with LT Amazon allows TIM to construct a backbone in the north covering 27 cities in the states of Amazonas, Pará and Amapá, and will increase by 100 times the voice and data transmission in the region.

The fiber-optic solution will replace TIM Brazil’s satellite infrastructure. The operation begin is scheduled for October this year and might be finished on January 2013. TIM expects to increase its customer base by 9%, considering only the capital Manaus and Macapá.

The project includes 1,985 kilometers of fiber optic OPGW (Optical Power Ground Wire) through 3,600 towers of transmission lines and power substations.

LT Amazon is a consortium of:

• Linhas de Xingu Transmissora de Energia S.A.
• Linhas de Macapá Transmissora de Energia S.A.
• Manaus Transmissora de Energia S.A.

On March 31 (2011), the consortium published a public offering of shared infrastructure. TIM’s partnership with LT Amazon was formed after an auction in May that chose the operator responsible for OPGW cable installation and use. TIM has agreed to install and donate the cables, since it holds the right to use the optical fiber for the next 20 years.

Cisco in Mexico

Telmex Offers to the Enterprise Market New World-Class Telecommunication Solutions with Cisco Technology

 In order to increase its world-class service offer, Telmex, working with Cisco as a technological partner, will offer new collaboration solutions for the enterprise market such as Cisco®Unified Communications, Cisco WebEx® and Cisco TelePresence®. These services will be available in Mexico at a national level on 30 August (2011) and later on in Latin America.

In the area of unified communications, Telmex will integrate Cisco's technology in two of its main offers:

• Managed Unified Communications: Addressed to middle and large businesses from hundreds to thousands of users, the service will be based on the Cisco Unified Communications Manager platform, allowing customers to deploy a collaboration integrated strategy that includes IP telephony, unified messaging, mobility, presence, collaboration via web and conference. All these services will be managed and supported by highly qualified experts and accessible through the payment of a monthly fee per user or site.

• Comunica Plus: The first 100 percent IP telephony system, "Comunica Plus" is a package for small and medium-sized businesses with 8 to 100 users, allowing them to have advanced collaboration solutions similar to the ones used by big companies, like presence, integration of voice mail with e-mail and smartphones, among others. It will allow companies to increase its productivity at affordable prices through a monthly fee.

Fiber Optic Tunnel Detection System

US Seismic Systems Inc. (USSI), a subsidiary of Acorn Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACFN), recently announced that the company demonstrated its Ultra High Sensitivity (UHS) Tunnel Detection product at the Force Protection Equipment Demonstration (FPED VIII) sponsored by (US) Department of Defense's Physical Security Equipment Action Group held last week in Stafford, Virginia. Designated GroundAlert-UHS, the system is based upon USSI’s revolutionary all-optical geophone, which can detect underground activity at levels more than 100 times quieter than competing systems.

The need for a tunnel detection solution around the world is becoming increasingly urgent, with 129 tunnels detected under U.S. borders since 1990. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies formed the rapid reaction tunnel detection joint capability technology demonstration in 2010 to address this pressing issue. The highly publicized escape of 480 Taliban fighters in April (2011) month through a tunnel from a prison in Afghanistan has now heightened awareness by the DOD for the need for a tunnel detection capability at secure sites around the world.

Fiber Optic Tunnel Detection System              USSI’s GroundAlert-UHS fiber optic tunnel detection system, which is powered only by light, utilizes highly sensitive, yet unobtrusive fiber optic geophones planted in the ground to detect subsurface digging activity at distances in excess of 100 feet, coupled with a real-time signal processing suite for screening out nuisance/false alarms. “GroundAlert-UHS is a solid example of the broader applications and markets available for our Ultra High Sensitivity (UHS) fiber optic oilfield seismic systems,” stated Jim Andersen, CEO of US Seismic Systems. “The requirements for tunnel detection closely align with those needed for detecting microseismic events in the oilfield, that being small, rugged, ultra-sensitive sensors that are simple to install requiring no insitu electronics and no maintenance.”

Security Project in Latin America              Late last year, USSI announced that its GroundAlert security system had been selected for a 20-site maximum-security project in Latin America. 

Force Protection Equipment Demonstration (FPED) serves leaders and other decision-makers in defense, homeland security, nuclear security, and first-response, as well as officials in state and local law enforcement, physical security and first-responder organizations, and defense and homeland security media. Military and civilian personnel in command, physical security and first response positions are encouraged to attend and see the latest in immediately available integrated force protection, anti-terrorist and first-response solutions presented in 20 equipment categories.

US Seismic Systems Inc. (“USSI”), formerly US Sensor Systems Inc., designs, integrates, manufactures, and sells fiber optic sensing systems and solutions for the Energy and Defense markets. USSI utilizes all-optical fiber sensing technology for

its state-of-the-art sensors. USSI’s proprietary optical fiber and electronics combine to form the sensor system. It is designed to replace the legacy electronic-based sensor systems at a lower cost and with improved performance and reliability. For more information visit the USSI website at: www.ussensorsystems.com

Acorn Energy, Inc. is a holding company focused on technology driven solutions for energy infrastructure asset management. Our four businesses in which we have controlling interests, improve the world's energy infrastructure by making it cleaner and less expensive to operate air pollution systems for coal and gas-fired power plants (CoaLogix), more secure by providing security solutions for underwater energy infrastructure (DSIT), more reliable by providing condition monitoring instruments for critical assets on the electric grid (GridSense) and more productive and efficient by increasing oil and gas production while lowering costs through use of ultra-high sensitive seismic tools for more precise pinpointing of oil and gas reservoirs (USSI). For more information visit www.acornenergy.com

This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. There is no assurance that US Sensor Systems Inc. or Acorn Energy, Inc. will continue to grow their respective businesses, execute the initiatives described above or meet the expectations described above. A complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties which may affect Acorn Energy’s business generally and the businesses of its subsidiaries is included in “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Fiber Optic Security Fence

Optellios, Inc., a leading U.S.-based fiberoptic technology company, is a provider of advanced solutions for sensing, security, and communication. Its FiberPatrol® line of security products leverages company's pioneering patented fiberoptic sensor technologies to provide the most advanced and cost effective security solutions for military bases, airports, power plants, water treatment facilities, pipelines, secure data networks, and other critical infrastructures and high-value assets.

David Smith, President and CEO of Optellios comments, “We feel that this is an excellent opportunity to meet with the specialists that are tasked with maintaining the physical and operational security at locations with a unique set of challenges.” The summit is co-funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and SOCMA, underscoring the current regulatory environment due to the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorist Standards (CFATS). Smith adds that, “Optellios continues to have success delivering perimeter intrusion detection systems within the chemical sector.

The FiberPatrol® FP2100-X perimeter intrusion detection system uses in-ground fiber-optic sensors to detect humans and vehicles crossing over the sensor area. Unlike the readily visible fence-mounted sensors, a buried FP2100-X sensor is covert. Moreover, because FiberPatrol sensors are non-metallic and produce no electro-magnetic emissions or heat, they are not merely invisible, but virtually undetectable.

The FP2100-X systems feature high sensitivity monitoring, capable of easily detecting and pinpointing the location of an intruder’s footsteps. Sensing cables are buried in protective conduits using standard utility contractor techniques to minimize the installation cost. Buried sensors can be deployed in a single straight line or configured to cover areas of any shape and size on flat or rolling terrain. The in-ground sensors are compatible with a wide range of soil types and climate conditions.

The FP2100-X systems can be calibrated to report GPS coordinates of an attempted breach, which can be used for activating corresponding PTZ camera presets or for personnel dispatch. The location-sensing ability of an FP2100-X system enables it to resolve multiple simultaneous disturbances, making it immune to defeat by overwhelming.

When a sensor cable is cut, either by accident or in an attempt to defeat the security system, an FP2100-X system immediately reports the incident, including its exact location. Moreover, the system retains the ability to detect and pinpoint intrusion attempts up to the cut point. A self-healing sensor ring can be implemented by installing an FP2100-X sensor in a closed loop configuration. The same fiber-optic cable can be used for video and data transmission.

The FP2100-X systems are commonly deployed to provide intrusion detection around the site perimeter or to isolate individual high-value assets within the facility. The FP2100-X in-ground sensors can be discreetly incorporated into landscaped areas, where security fencing may not be desirable on aesthetic basis. Alternatively, the FP2100-X can be used as a second layer of intrusion detection, in conjunction with fence- or wall-mounted sensors.

Argentina - National Fiber-Optic Network

Almost a year ago, President Cristina Fernández pledged to marshall investments totaling $2 billion to create a nationwide fiber optic network so that everyone in Argentina can access the Internet.  President Fernandez called access to information “a universal right” and said the plan would prove to be a “historic milestone” like the creation of public television here was 59 years ago.  The program is scheduled to be fully up and running within the next couple of years.

The announcement was also part of a plan by the government to provide free, nationwide open-air HDTV signals to households around the country, even in areas that have never had access to cable TV or other broadcast signals.  The HDTV network will have a total of 16 channels, including one dedicated to showing Argentine films.  Additionally, the broadband plan provides for free WiFi hotspots in plazas and other public places around the county, as well as the creation of cyber libraries.

Fiber Optic Project in the Andes - Peru

Fiber Optic project in the Andes will culminate in the first half of 2012 - Peru

In the first half of next year, Telefonica del Peru (TdP) will culminate the installation of the optical fiber for the Fiber Optic Project “Andes”, through which will be connected to eight departments in the sierra and jungle of Peru, said today the executive chief of Telefonica del Peru, Javier Manzanares. "We have come to Cusco which marks the first milestone of the project, which has required an investment of 300 million new soles for lying of 400 kilometers", he said.

The project uses a network of 1,800 kilometers of optical fiber and is developed by the Colombian firm Internexa, part of the ISA. This initiative is part of TdP investment program for the period 2010 - 2013, amounting to US$ 1.500 billion.

"It's a major project and will benefit more than 2.4 million inhabitants of the highlands and jungle of Peru, giving them access to an Internet service with the same characteristics as in Lima", he explained.

He said that before the arrival of the optical fiber to Cusco, the voice, data and Internet services were very limited in speed because there was greater carrying capacity. "We're talking speeds ranging from 200 to 400 kilobits (Kb) per second and can now get up to four megabytes of speed", he said.

Manzanares announced that the next cities to connect the remainder of the year are Huancavelica, Abancay (Apurimac), Andahuaylas (Apurimac), Ayacucho, Carhuamayo (Junín), Huánuco and Tingo María (Huánuco) and Pucallpa (Ucayali). "For the first part of 2012 is expected to arrive with the service in Tocache Juanjuí, Bellavista and Tarapoto in San Martin and Amazonas Yurimaguas", he said.

He recalled that a World Bank study on the impact of broadband in the development of medium income countries such as Peru, found that for every ten points of penetration of broadband Internet, economy grows by about 1.38 percentage points extra.

(Source: Andina NewsPaper)

Venezuela - Cuba: Fiber Optic Cable

In the beginning of 2011, an undersea fiber-optic cable was deployed between Venezuela and Cuba, a connection aimed at dramatically improving Cuba's telephone and Internet services.  Officials of the two countries launched the project in a ceremony at Venezuela's Camuri beach near the port of La Guaira, where the cable was suspended from buoys behind the French-flagged ship used to run the cable along the sea floor to Cuba.

Alcatel-Lucent SA of Paris carried out the project for the two countries' state telecommunications companies. Cuban officials said it expected the cost to reach about US$70 million (Cuba’s state-owned Juventud Rebelde newspaper reported that the cable installation is being handled by “the french-chinese company Alcatel Shanghai Bell” (“la empresa franco-china Alcatel Shanghai Bell“).

The cable spans about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) across the Caribbean Sea to Siboney in eastern Cuba. A second segment of about 150 miles (245 kilometers) extends from Cuba to nearby Jamaica.

Cuba is the only nation in the Western Hemisphere that was not linked to the outside world by optical fiber. Instead, it relied on slow, expensive satellite links because the U.S. government's embargo prevented most trade between the island and the United States and has made companies in other countries shy away from doing business with Cuba.

The cable is one of many joint projects promoted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close ally of Cuba's communist government. It is dubbed “ALBA-1,” after the Bolivarian Alternative bloc that includes Venezuela, Cuba and other left-leaning allies.

Cuban Ambassador Rogelio Polanco praised Chavez's government for what he called a historic connection that is “breaking the United States' criminal blockade against our country” in telecommunications.

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration loosened some embargo restrictions in 2009, opening possibilities for cooperation with Cuba in telecommunications.

Yet one proposal by Florida company TeleCuba Communications Inc. to lay a fiber-optic cable a much shorter distance — from Key West to Cuba — was held up because U.S. regulators balked at the Cuban government's demand that companies connecting calls to the island pay the Cuban phone company 84 cents per minute.

The U.S. government approved a maximum of 60 cents per minute. TeleCuba has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to pay Cuba 84 cents per minute, saying that would improve call quality and reduce current prices since calls are now routed through other countries at higher cost.

Late in 2010, Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) announced that it was selected by Compañia Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV), the leading Venezuelan telecommunications provider, as the major supplier for its national fiber optic network expansion project. The network is part of a countrywide infrastructure development plan that will dramatically expand Venezuela’s broadband capacity and ensure nationwide access to high-speed Internet, voice, video and data services.

As part of the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will deploy 2,705 kilometers of fiber in the Central Western region of Venezuela -- the largest portion of the 5,800 km network expansion. The project will be implemented in phases over two years with Alcatel-Lucent providing equipment, project management, detailed design engineering, fiber optic and passive elements sourcing, installation, acceptance tests and training. The initial phase of the project has already started.

This project will expand the Venezuelan national fiber optic network to reach 20,000 km and provide some 12 million Venezuelans, residing in 19 states, with simultaneous access to multiple high-definition TV channels, video on demand, SMS, voice and high-speed Internet access.

“We have both the technology and the right people in place to deliver on the Venezuelan government’s vision for universal broadband connectivity,” said Osvaldo Di Campli, head of Alcatel-Lucent activities in the Caribbean and Latin America region. “This network expansion provides CANTV with the capacity it needs to reliably provide Venezuelans with a world-class broadband user experience.”

The CANTV project reinforces Alcatel-Lucent’s commitment to Venezuela, a country where it has many years of experience providing the best in class and most advanced telecommunications technology, in line with the company’s mission of helping build a more communicated and better connected world.