Fast Facts Infrastructure: February 12, 2001

London Calling

One 2 One, the smallest mobile operator in the U.K., launched an unmetered service package last week, hoping to recruit British callers from landline service. Precept Max offers unlimited, anytime calling for about $111 per month, a bargain for anyone whos on the phone for more than 40 minutes a day.

Data Flowing

Wireless data services have been slow to take off, but Cingular Wireless success shows the segment is growing, Cingular says it will spend about $50 million boosting capacity and coverage of its data-only network, including deployment of at least 300 new base stations. The network, formerly BellSouth Wireless Data, supports devices from Research In Motion and some wireless-enabled personal digital assistants.

Buy, Sale, OK

The Justice Department OKd JDS Uniphases $18.2 billion purchase of rival SDL Inc. after it agreed to sell a Swiss optical fiber amplifier factory to Nortel Networks. The JDS-SDL union was heavily scrutinized because the combined company would dominate the market for pump lasers used to boost signals sent over fiber networks.

Software Emperative

Emperative has rolled out new provisioning software it says will slash the time it takes to provision service across multi-vendor fiber-optic networks from months to minutes. ProvEn Optical software will be packaged with optical equipment from Redback Networks and Ciena.

Lost Change

SeaChange International, a maker of interactive-TV equipment that has banged the video-on-demand drum loudly, reported a fourth-quarter loss, citing delays in residential video-on-demand orders. SeaChange lost 7 cents to 10 cents per share in the quarter ended Jan. 31. Analysts had expected earnings of 5 cents per share.