ICE to Deploy Next-Generation Optical Systems to Help Increase Capacity and Reduce Costs
Lucent Technologies
announced that Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the sole telecommunications provider in Costa Rica, will deploy next-generation optical solutions from Lucent.
The systems will enable ICE to provide mobile and wireline services using a common transport network, which increases network capacity, reduces equipment and power costs, and saves space in the central office environment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lucent, through its Business Partner Coasin Costa Rica, will supply ICE with a variety of optical networking systems to expand its nationwide
network, COASIN Costa Rica, a Lucent Business Partner, is working with ICE and Lucent to supply and implement the Lucent solution.
Lucent's end-to-end solution will allow ICE to expand its SDH network and offer new services outside the major metropolitan areas as it integrates seamlessly into ICE's existing infrastructure, avoiding the need for an overlay network built for new services. Mesh restoration capabilities on the LambdaUnite® MSS will also help ICE to migrate to new mesh-based networks, while leveraging traditional protection architectures.
COASIN Costa Rica led the sales process through the presales cycle and will manage the implementation and deployment of the solution. "As our Business Partners program is gaining traction in Latin America, our partners are helping us gain critical projects and penetrate new market segments", said Francisco Berrueta, sales director Lucent BusinessPartners organization Latin America.
Teacher's
Union Threatens New Protests
Teachers
are ready to go back to strike if the issue on
pensions is not settled soon. APSE, the largest
of the teacher's unions, has elected a new
members to the board of directors, who are ready
for new protests.
In June of this year, teachers were on strike
for 21 days, asking the government to settle
their dispute over pensions. The changes made by
the legislation in May affects 8.000 teachers,
that will see a reduced pension on retirement.
The Government and the Unions reached an
agreement to send the dispute to more study,
while the teachers returned to their classrooms.
The Unions are now saying that they are no
closer than before the strike and are prepared
to take new action, but were no specific if that
meant going back on strike.
New Jersey man sentenced on money laundering charge
A New Jersey man was sentenced to a year and nine months in federal prison for his part in a money laundering scheme that moved millions of dollars through an illegal offshore trust program to avoid paying U.S. taxes.
A jury convicted Richard Castellini, 36, of Bridgeton, N.J., in July 2002 of money laundering and conspiracy.
Prosecutors said Castellini was a customer of Anderson Ark and Associates, a Costa Rican offshore trust that offered U.S. clients a way to move taxable funds to Costa Rican banks to make it appear the funds were not controlled by the clients. The clients were then able to recover the money without paying taxes.
Castellini referred clients to Anderson Ark and, for a fee, assisted in laundering funds. One of Castellini's clients, whom he helped between March 1999 through December 2000, was an undercover IRS agent.
Castellini, who was one of six people charged in the case, was also sentenced to two years of probation.
Wayne Anderson, 55, of Squaw Valley, Calif.; Karolyn Grosnickle, 58, of Hoodsport, Wash.; Richard Marks, 57, of Los Osos, Calif.; and Michael Gonet, 49, of Stow, Mass., have all been convicted.
The last defendant, Keith Anderson, 59, of Santa Ana, Costa Rica, was recently extradited to face charges, said U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, whose office prosecuted the case.
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