Cable talk: VoIP generates conversation at TV show
Matthew Miller, Special Projects Editor -- EDN, 5/5/2004
The topic of VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) seems to be almost as popular as TV at this week's National Show, hosted by the NCTA (National Cable and Telecommunications Association) in New Orleans. Cable operators are eager to steal voice customers away from traditional carriers. And companies including VeriSign, Net2Phone, and Level 3 Communications are eager to let them know that they don't have to reinvent the wheel in order to accomplish that goal.
VeriSign announced MSO-IP Connect, a service that provides end-to-end VoIP routing for cable MSOs (multiservice operators). By keeping calls off the PSTN (public switched telephone network), the company says, the service improves security and reduces costs. The service supports two protocols for call routing: ENUM and the PacketCable SIP (session initiation protocol)-based CMSS (call management server signaling). The product also includes billing and settlement services.
Level 3's news focused on the launch of its residential VoIP service—(3)VoIP Enhanced Local—in more than 50 US markets. The company also says it is on track to offer the service, which it sells as a private-label product to cable operators, in more than 300 markets by the end of this year. The service offers local numbers, operator assistance, interconnection with the PSTN, local number portability, and E911 services. The initial launch reaches 22 million households, while the eventual target is 73 million, according to Level 3.
For its part, Net2Phone revealed that it will partner with Level 3 and use that company's (3)VoIP Enhanced Local service to augment its own offerings to cable operators. Net2Phone's PacketCable and SIP platform performs call management, provides Class 5 features, and includes billing and provisioning. The relationship with Level 3 adds the features mentioned above—local numbers, PSTN interconnection, local number portability, and E911.
Net2Phone also announced a deal with Great Lakes Data Systems, which provides billing services to small, independent cable operators. The deal means those operators will be able to include VoIP services provided by Net2Phone, including call details, on their customer invoices, according to Net2Phone. |
