..specifics re Cox's voIP deployment in Roanoak, VA --
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COX SWITCHES FROM CIRCUIT-SWITCH TO VoIP IN NEW TELEPHONY DEBUT
12/17/03
Cox, which for 6 years has advocated the benefits of circuit-switched telephony, introduced voice-over-Internet protocol in the Roanoke, Va.
COMMUNICATIONS DAILY
Cox, which for 6 years has advocated the benefits of circuit-switched telephony, introduced voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) in the Roanoke, Va., area, where it will go head-to-head with Verizon. But unlike many cable players that in recent days have announced VoIP as their first voice offerings, Cox sees its long-term strategy as more of a hybrid, with the circuit switches serving as a backbone for a national architecture and VoIP deployment in smaller markets where its relatively low startup costs make it the more attractive option.
The company insists it's not trying to take advantage of a VoIP regulatory vacuum and, in fact, voluntarily will pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF) in Roanoke. The FCC has yet to determine the regulatory paradigm for VoIP, but some commissioners, including Chmn. Powell, have given early indications of a hands-off approach for new services such as VoIP. Those cues, combined with the relative ease with which the VoIP application can be applied to the existing cable architecture, have sent many of the top cable companies scrambling to roll out telephony service for the first time(CD Dec 12 p1). In recent weeks, Time Warner Cable and Comcast have announced such plans.
Cox Vp-Regulatory Affairs Carrington Phillip told us Cox didn't intend to distinguish between VoIP and circuit-switch when it came to regulatory requirements because it was unclear what the requirements would be. Our opinion is that that's not been determined. In fact, we feel that you are required to comply with CALEA and other federal and state regulations, Phillip said. The company has 911,000 circuit- switched customers in San Diego, Orange County, Cal., Phoenix, Omaha, Conn., R.I., Hampton Roads, Va., New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita and Tucson. Phillip said he saw no difference between what the company was offering those customers and the ones in Roanoke. Cox officials, in fact, said the company wasn't opposed to regulation of a market's dominant players.
Asked why Cox would choose VoIP over circuit-switch, despite its years of experience with the latter, a spokesman said it was not a move to avoid the common carrier regulation that came with circuit switches. Rather, in smaller markets that essentially were satellites to locales where Cox already offered telephony, it was more economical to use VoIP, he said. Regulation of telephony doesn't drive our strategy... We've been waiting for a technology that offers a more affordable option in medium and smaller markets, he said.
The spokesman said the company didn't plan to migrate its circuit-switch markets to VoIP because of regulatory concerns. In fact, he said the company was a big believer in USF and was pleased to comply with CALEA and offer 3rd- party operator assistance to its customers.
Cox has long- standing interconnection agreements with AT&T and Sprint, and WillTel helped with some long distance traffic on the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN). Still, the company expects to perform some critical functions in-house, such as E-911 and number portability, based on its experience as a phone company in its own right. The product also will offer features such as call waiting. In the long run, Cox may be able to route its own calls, given that it has a footprint that stretches from New England to Southern Cal., as well as the South, the spokesman said, noting that the company already could complete 30% of calls made on its current network.
Roanoke marks Cox's 12th digital telephony market. It has been running a VoIP test there. David Pugliese, Cox vp- product marketing and management, called the full-scale debut monumental for Cox, saying VoIP would allow it to expand its phone service footprint on a national scale. Telephony is a critical component of Cox's bundle of advanced services, as underscored by the fact that 40% of Cox Digital Telephone customers also subscribe to Cox High-Speed Internet and video, he said.
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12-26-03
Roanoke Test Goes Commercial
Circuit-switched telephony stalwart Cox Communications Inc. launched its first voice-over-Internet protocol service offering last week in Roanoke, Va., after several months of testing the technology there.
This launch marks Cox's going-forward approach on telephony: VoIP for new "greenfield" markets, and VoIP technology as an "add-on" technology in existing circuit-switched markets.
Roanoke becomes Cox's 12th phone market. The other 11 markets launched using circuit-switched telephony plant.
A Cox spokesman said the MSO would likely have a mixture of VoIP launches next year — a mix of new markets, such as Roanoke, and "spur" additions to existing circuit-switched markets.
"The launch of Cox Digital Telephone in Roanoke is monumental for Cox," Cox vice president of product marketing and management David Pugliese said in a statement. "It furthers our commitment to providing customers with a full-service package of communications and entertainment services, while also allowing us to expand our phone service footprint and maximize the power of our nationwide IP backbone network with the use of VoIP technology."
In Roanoke, Cox subscribers would plug existing phones into an Arris Group Inc. Touchstone cable modem to activate VoIP service. Telephone calls would go through the cable plant, through Cox's cable modem termination system, and would then be routed via the operator's nationwide Internet backbone to a soft switch in Atlanta.
Local calls would be sent back through the network to Roanoke. Long-distance calls would be handed off to the public switched-telephone network.
Roanoke subscribers will be able to receive enhanced 911, call waiting, caller ID, voice mail and number portability.
Cox will offer unlimited local and long-distance service in Roanoke for $49.95 a month. High-speed data customers can get $10 off their combined monthly bill if they subscribe to video or telephony service, knocking the cost down to $39.95 — in line with what other MSOs are charging.
Cox also offers a $34.90 a month plan for unlimited local calls and 60 minutes per month of long distance.
The MSO said the pricing still was 10% below the cost of local incumbent Verizon Communications Inc.
Cox launched a local print and cross-channel marketing campaign to let subscribers know about the service, and will follow that with direct mail. Cox has 58,000 basic subscribers in the market and passes 85,000 homes.
Cox is using Arris' Touchstone 202P embedded multimedia terminal adapter in Roanoke. |
