ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, 1998 AUG 11 (NB) -- By Sylvia Dennis, Newsbytes. SouthNet TeleComm Services (STS), the Internet service provider (ISP) and competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), has selected Ascend Communications' [NASDAQ:ASND] MultiVoice technology to roll out its Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice service across the US.
According to SouthNet, its rollout will be one of the first and largest deployment of intra city, intra state, interstate, and international phone-to-phone and PC-to-phone IP-based voice services networks to date.
SouthNet plans to use Ascend's H.323 compliant Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology, including MultiVoice DSP (digital signal processor) cards running on Ascend Max WAN (wide area network) access switches, and the MultiVoice Access Manager, which manages telephone-to-IP address translation, billing, and other functions.
Newsbytes notes that SouthNet is taking a novel approach to deploying IP telephony on its network. Through a series of resale agreements with local telecommunications suppliers in key markets, the company says it is able to deploy IP-based voice services cost effectively.
The company plans to wholesale Internet dial access ports to local ISPs to partially offset the costs of deploying IP telephony, then will offer the IP-based voice services for resale by local CLECs and other resellers, including schools and other fund raising organizations, in each major market.
According to SouthNet, its roll out of IP-based voice services is on an aggressive schedule, with plans to complete more than 100 US and international cities by the end of this year. The company plans to extend its network to cover many more additional cities next year for total coverage of 250 US and international cities by the end of 1999.
SouthNet's Web site is at www.stsi.net .
Ascend's Web site is at ascend.com .
Reported by Newsbytes News Network, newsbytes.com . |