Looks like LU is gaining ground in the voice+data over the Internet.
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FirstWorld Inks $70 Million Pact
With Lucent
(04/16/99, 2:45 p.m. ET)
By Steven Burke, Computer Reseller News
FirstWorld Communications, an Internet
solutions and telecommunications provider,
has inked a five-year $70 million pact with
Lucent to deploy and support an end-to-end
packet network that integrates voice and
dataover the Internet.
FirstWorld, which has an ATM backbone network, is
moving fast to deploy integrated voice and data services
over the Internet, as well as high-speed Internet access.
FirstWorld said it plans to be the first company to
deploy Lucent's PathStarAccess Server, a
central-office product, to build an IP-based local
network. FirstWorld local services includes DSL, T1,
and other access services.
David Gandini, executive vice president of Greenworld
Village, Colo.-based FirstWorld, said his company will
begin offering the integrated voice and data over IP
beginning in the July time frame. The company said it
plans at that time to have switches rolled out in Los
Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Portland, Ore.
FirstWorld evaluated products from Cisco and
Northern Telecom, but Lucent was ahead of the pack,
Gandini said. He said the quality of service for voice
over IP is not an issue.
Gandini said FirstWorld may be the first to roll out the
Lucent packet switching converging voice and data.
"We won't have to have separate voice and data
networks," he said. "This is a single path to the
customer. We will be providing multiple solutions down
that path with a 95 percent reduction in space required
vs. the legacy voice equivalent. "
FirstWorld is positioning itself as a one-stop Internet
solutions and telecommunications provider to small and
midsized businesses with a full range of services
including Web hosting and consulting, said Gandini.
FirstWorld, which acquired two companies this year, is
on the acquisition trail, aiming to buy one company a
month to beef up its Internet solutions offerings, he said.
FirstWorld has no formal channel program, but is willing
to consider partnering with VARs, said Gandini.
The PathStar Server will allow FirstWorld to integrate
voice and data over ATM throughout its current
network, utilizing DSL. FirstWorld also will deploy
Lucent's PortMaster integrated remote-access
concentrators.
FirstWorld said it plans to provide telephony features,
such as call waiting, three-way calling, business group
dial, and auto call back, over its IP network. Lucent's
PathStar Access Server provides Class 5 telephony
features based entirely on Internet technology for IP
and/or ATM networks for carriers.
FirstWorld is at the start of a major paradigm shift with
voice and data integration, with voice traffic growing at
1 percent to 3 percent a year and data traffic growing at
50 times a month, said Gandini. "We want to enable the
companies of the future." he said. |
