(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) As the first phase of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative nears completion with work currently underway in the second phase, many communities throughout North Carolina already have seen an immediate positive impact from the $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). Now, NCREN customers have new services available because of the historic project. MCNC today announced the availability of high-definition Movi videoconferencing software and other managed/shared services enabled by the GLRBI with the unveiling of a new NCREN Services Catalog. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) The North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) is the digital highway allowing many North Carolinians to thrive in today’s globally interconnected society. The current expansion of connectivity and services on NCREN will benefit almost every citizen in every community throughout the entire state. Two federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grants totalling $104 million awarded in 2010 represent the largest known single investments in “middle-mile” broadband infrastructure in North Carolina history. The BTOP grants are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress on Feb. 13, 2009 at the urging of President Obama, who signed it into law four days later. A direct response to the economic crisis, the Recovery Act had three immediate goals: create new jobs and save existing ones; spur economic activity and invest in long-term growth; and foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the long-term effects of the act are dire, with results that include a long-term 0.2 percent reduction in the GDP, an increase in budget deficits by about $825 billion through 2019, and “no long-term effects on unemployment.” MCNC officials have stated the design, construction, and operation of the broadband network being built via these federal taxpayer dollars could create more than 1,000 engineering/construction jobs. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC) has announced the completion of its acquisition by a consortium led by Siris Capital Group, LLC (”Siris”) and including affiliates of The ComVest Group, funds and accounts managed by GSO Capital Partners LP, Sankaty Advisors LLC, ZelnickMedia and other Siris limited partners and affiliates, in a transaction valued at approximately $780 million. The transaction was initially announced on November 7, 2011 and was approved by Tekelec’s shareholders on January 25, 2012. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC) today announced that at a special meeting held today its shareholders voted to approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated November 6, 2011 (the “merger agreement”), providing for the acquisition of Tekelec by a consortium led by Siris Capital Group, LLC (”Siris”) and including affiliates of The ComVest Group, funds and accounts managed by GSO Capital Partners LP, Sankaty Advisors LLC, ZelnickMedia and other Siris limited partners and affiliates. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), the mobile broadband solutions company, today published research from industry analyst firm Heavy Reading showing that the majority of tier one mobile operators plan to integrate policy servers with existing charging and billing systems rather than deploy pre-integrated policy and charging systems from a single vendor. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), the mobile broadband solutions company, tops the list of policy server vendors for the third year in a row, according to Infonetics Research’s annual global service provider survey. Tekelec leads the list of companies named as a top policy vendor with 50 percent more respondents than the second-place company. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), announced today that the “12 Days of Broadband”  kicks off tomorrow through Dec. 23 and highlights a dozen innovations directly impacted by the historic expansion of NCREN and high-speed broadband connectivity throughout the entire state in 2011. (more…)

(Greenville, N.C.) MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state’s leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), the mobile broadband solutions company, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by Siris Capital Group, LLC (“Siris”) and including affiliates of The ComVest Group, funds and accounts managed by GSO Capital Partners LP, Sankaty Advisors LLC, ZelnickMedia and other Siris limited partners and affiliates. The transaction is valued at approximately $780 million. (more…)

(Raleigh, N.C.) More than 900 educators, researchers, government officials, and business leaders from North Carolina and the nation participated throughout the week at NCREN Community Day 2011, which was held in conjunction with the 2011 Internet2 Fall Member Meeting at the Raleigh Convention Center. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), announced today that it has selected ECC Technologies to oversee commercial broadband opportunities included in the second phase of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative (GLRBI) awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). With corporate offices in Penfield, N.Y., ECC Technologies specializes in project planning, design, engineering, implementation, and support services for educational, corporate, and community environments.  (more…)

(Edenton, N.C.) Northeast Rural Broadband (NERB) is beginning work with rural communities in northeastern NC to ensure they are able to deploy “Last Mile” high-speed broadband coverage. (more…)