News Briefs

Wholesale provider Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd. agreed in late July to be acquired by Indian provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). VSNL will pay $239 million for Teleglobe. The transaction should close in first quarter 2006. VSNL says the deal makes it the third-largest international wholesale voice provider, behind AT&T Corp. and MCI Inc.

CLEC Xspedius Communications LLC in late July officially closed a deal with ICG Communications Inc. to buy customers access to 194 buildings, more than 500 fiber miles and network facilities, and assets in five markets in the Southeast. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction expands Xspedius presence within its existing footprint in Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, while adding a new market, Charlotte, N.C.

Talk America has completed its acquisition of Midwestern provider LDMI Telecommunications Inc. in a $48.1 million deal. LDMI provides service on more than 131,000 voice equivalent lines and 27,000 data equivalent lines, primarily in Michigan and Ohio. Talk America expects the combined companies to use its softswitch platform to roll out VoIP business services in the fourth quarter 2005.

Cogent Communications Group Inc. is expanding its footprint in the United States and Europe. The companys new on-net markets include Baltimore, Cleveland, Portland, Ore., and St. Louis in the United States, and Copenhagen, Denmark; Nuremberg, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Vigo, Spain; and Porto, Portugal, in Europe. Cogent is providing all of its services wholesale and retail in these markets, Internet transit and Layer 2 point-to-point.

Wholesaler VoX Communications Corp. has launched its VoIP service in six additional metro markets. The wholly owned subsidiary of New Yorkbased eLEC Communications Corp. says it now serves Atlanta, Denver, metro New York, Orlando and southeastern Florida. VoX offers calling plans that include unlimited local and long-distance calling in North America for a flat, monthly rate. Customers can keep their phone numbers or choose new ones. The VoIP service comes with the standard calling features and costs either $9.95 or $29.95 per month.

Boingo Wireless Inc. and Skype Technologies S.A. have teamed up to offer subscribers access to Boingos hotspots. The Skype Zones Powered by Boingo service provide global Wi-Fi access to Skype callers at Boingos network of 18,000 hotspots. Subscribers will use a custom Skype version of Boingos software. Unlimited Wi-Fi access for Skype Internet telephony calls costs $7.95 per month, or $2.95 per connection. Once connected, users make Skype calls and access features such as presence, global user directory, contact lists and instant messages.

Frost & Sullivan has presented New Global Telecom Inc. (NGT) and PAETEC Communications Inc. with 2005 Customer Value Enhancement Awards. NGT was recognized in the managed wholesale IP telephony service market, while PAETEC was recognized for the companys marketing strategy and customer care. NGT has grown its customer portfolio since it officially launched its 6DegreesIP managed wholesale IP telephony service for service providers in January 2004. Meanwhile, PAETEC has widened its portfolio to attract new customers across manufacturing and financial verticals.