SUNNYVALE, CALIF. (June 1) BUSINESS WIRE -June 1, 1999--
Test Assures TollBridge TollVoice(tm) System Supports All
Class 5 Services and Features on Lucent 5ESS and Nortel DMS
Voice Switches
TollBridge Technologies announced today that it has successfully tested the GR-303 interface on its TollVoice(tm) voice-over-Broadband (including: DSL, wireless, cable and T1) system with both Lucent 5ESS and Nortel DMS series Class 5 switches.
With the completion of these tests, TollBridge has proven that its flagship products can transparently support value-added voice services -- call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, oversubscription, automated provisioning and others -- on the vast majority of voice switches installed in the U.S. today. TollBridge conducted the end-to-end testing of its system over a three week period at both BellSouth testing facilities in Birmingham, Ala. and at ICG Communications' testing center in Denver.
Like Signaling System 7 (SS7) on the long-distance trunk side of a switch, GR-303 is the proven Bellcore standard on the access line side of Class 5 switches. Equipment that implements GR-303 is transparent to the conversations between Class 5 switches and the endpoints (e.g., phones) connected to them. Thus, with the TollBridge solution, voice CLECs can support, and end users can enjoy, the same voice services they have today: POTS, CENTREX, DID, DOD, 800 Numbers, Call Waiting, Speed Dial, and so forth.
"TollBridge believes that the best way to succeed in this marketplace is to make it as easy as possible for carriers and end users to adopt our solution," said Gary Tauss, TollBridge president and CEO.
"With the completion of these tests, we've proven to our voice CLEC customers that the TollBridge solution fits naturally into their existing networks, supports all the services their business customers demand and works with existing billing systems. The only difference is that voice CLECs can reach many, many more customers-any customer anywhere in the Local Access Transport Area-than they can today. That's a welcome change."
Toll-Quality TollVoice System
To deliver full-featured, toll-quality voice, the TollVoice system uses only the voice coding standards and rates supported by the Class 5 switch. This means any phone, fax or modem works as it does today. With the GR-303 interface, endpoints (phones) appear to the Class 5 switch as if they were connected directly to the switch over copper pairs.
To use the TollVoice system, business customers connect their existing telephone equipment to the TollBridge TB50 customer premise equipment (CPE) over standard interfaces. When a customer makes a voice call, the TB50 converts the signals to IP packets and then prioritizes the packets for transmission over broadband access networks.
While Voice-over-IP products that rely on H.323 require a dedicated packet stream for every voice call, TollVoice technology enables the TB50 to transmit multiple calls in a single packet stream to ensure the most efficient use of broadband connections. The TB50 dynamically assigns any unused bandwidth to data. Models of the TB50 support from eight voice lines up to 24 voice lines and trunk ports and are fully TR-00057 compliant to ensure compatibility with all phones, key systems and PBXs.
At the Class 5 switch, the TollBridge's TB200 Local Exchange Gateway receives IP packets over the broadband network from the TB50, unpacks the voice channels and converts them back into circuits that connect to any Class 5 switch. The TB200 connects to a Class 5 switch using multiple DS1 circuits running GR-303. The GR-303 interface allows voice CLECs to provide oversubscription, facilities protection and automated provisioning.
"The statistical multiplexing gain of packetized voice and data on the same wire is significant," said Peter Sevcik, senior associate, Northeast Consulting Resources, Inc. "A voice CLEC, using packetized voice with a GR-303 Local Exchange Gateway, can provision small business sites for telephone service at one-fifth the cost of traditional TDM methods. Furthermore, this still leaves enough bandwidth on the wire for high-speed Internet access."
TollVoice is the first IP-based voice system to deliver, using conventional telephones, the same high voice quality that businesses enjoy today and to provide support for all current voice services from the Class 5 switch. The TollBridge solution has been tested with ADSL, SDSL, LMDS, T1, ATM and Frame networks, and enables voice CLECs to sell Class 5 voice services over any broadband access technology. In addition, TollVoice works with any phone, fax, modem, key system or PBX.
About TollBridge Technologies
Founded in March 1998 and located in Sunnyvale, Calif., TollBridge Technologies is the leading developer of IP-based multiline voice solutions targeted at Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs). The company's solutions change the economics of delivering voice services to small business customers by allowing voice CLECs that own Class 5 switches to use broadband access technologies, such as DSL, to bypass the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) and deliver toll-quality voice and integrated data services.
For more information about TollBridge Technologies, visit the company's website at www.tollbridgetech.com or contact Kendyl Kellogg at 408/585-2145. |
