Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) will shortly start using Lucent Technologies‘ Kenan Arbor/BP billing product and Arbor/OM order management software products.

SCV is Singapore‘s leading broadband cable network provider. Lucent Technologies designs and delivers networks for the world‘s largest communications service providers. The company‘s systems, services and software are designed to help customers quickly deploy and better manage their networks and create new, revenue-generating services that help businesses and consumers.

SCV is counting on this solution to offer flexibility and scalability, which is needed to support its services -- SCV MaxTV and SCV MaxOnline. The company will also be able to introduce new enhanced broadband service packages to cope with growing customer requirements. The software will also support the launch of SCV‘s new lifestyle services in the near future.

SCV MaxOnline will soon introduce a new modem from electronics giant Thomson. Based on the DOCSIS technology it comes with a USB port that allows new subscribers to plug and play, and get instant broadband connection to the Internet. SCV MaxOnline was among the first in the world to introduce DOSCIS modems. The advantage of deploying leading open standard modems is that there will be many more competing brands in the market place to choose from.

An Ariane-5 solid rocket motor (MPS) was test fired on the booster teststand (BEAP) at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe‘s spaceport in Kourou, under the Ariane-5 Research and Technology Accompaniment programme, earlier this week.

ARTA-5 is a European Space Agency programme, the technical and financial management of which is delegated to CNES. Its objectives are to verify that Ariane-5 launcher qualification, reliability and performance levels are maintained and also to qualify modifications resulting from obsolescence or changes in technology. ARTA activities cover the solid rocket motors built by Europropulsion.

This motor test will serve to qualify Ariane-5 improvements designed to increase launcher lift-capability and get production costs down. Overall planning for the test is built around four main objectives: qualify new procurement sources for one constituent of the propellant, involve use of Amonium Perchlorate produced by the US company Wecco, evaluate the effect of ageing and analyse behaviour on an over 6-year-old rear booster‘s segment (S3).

Other objectives targeted under this test involve simplifying the boosters‘ electric ducts and reducing the number of high-pressure capacities needed for each booster‘s thrust vector control from two to one. Responsibility for conducting the test has been assigned to CNES, whose role covers stand deployment, supplying the test facilities and conducting operations with Arianespace‘s assistance.