**PACKETS & POPS**
Ericsson wins contract to provide Spain's first nationwide IP voice and data network
Date: Thursday, March 11 1999
Ericsson UK has won a contract valued at USD 11 million (SEK 90 million) from
Interoute Telecommunicaciones SA, the Spanish subsidiary of the London-based
pan-European telecommunications group.
Under the contract, Ericsson will design, install and support a nationwide
Internet Protocol Telephony system (IPT), using the latest in IP technology.
Interoute Spain chose the Ericsson IP solution because it offers more compact,
more efficient and less expensive points of presence (POPs) than circuit
switched systems, enabling Interoute to comply with Spanish PTT requirements
at greatly reduced investment costs.
"This is exciting for IP networking. To our knowledge, it is the largest
order for an IP telephony network so far," said Staffan Lindholm, General
Manager, IP Services Ericsson Datacom Networks and IP Services. "Of course,
we're also pleased about the confidence being placed in Ericsson's IP and
datacom strengths by one of Europe's leading service providers."
Ericsson will initially install a core network of POPs covering six main
provincial centers in Spain - Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville and
La Coruna - with Madrid as the central hub.
The network will then be extended, by the addition of sub-area switching
centers, in a further 45 towns to achieve the extent of national coverage
called for under Spanish PTT regulations. The main users of the network are
expected to be residential and pre-paid card customers, with increasing usage
by commercial customers for both voice and data transmissions as the network
expand.
The Interoute network will use Ericsson's robust carrier class IPT system. IPT
version 1.6 will be installed in the network. This high-capacity system is
expandable to 780 ports and provides SS7 interconnection to the PSTN. The
system is the platform for a wide variety of applications, including phone-to-
phone, pre-paid calling card, fax and PC-to-phone, phone-to-PC and web-based
dialing.
The main network management center will be located in Madrid, with stand-by
facilities in Barcelona. 7-day, 24-hour, network support will be provided by
Ericsson Spain, backed by the resources of Ericsson's European Technical
Support Centre in Sussex, England.
"There is considerable growth in the Spanish market as well as strong
competition," said Nigel Wallbridge, CEO of Interoute Europe. "However, the
installation of a state-of-the-art IP network through our contract with
Ericsson means we are well placed to take full advantage of the opportunities
available. We chose Ericsson because of their experience in supplying public
communications networks and their depth of investment in new world
technologies."
Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with
communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with
freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140
countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network
operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Paula Wagstaff, Media Relations Director, Ericsson Ltd.
Phone: +44 1444 234354
Staffan Lindholm, General Manager, IP Services
Ericsson Business Unit Datacom Networks and IP Services
Phone: +46 8 719 5176, +46 70 510 0603
E-mail: staffan.lindholm@etx.ericsson.se
Antoinette Torell, Ericsson Corporate Communications
Phone: +46 70 560 0134
E-mail: antoinette.torell@lme.ericsson.se
Company Information
Interoute, a leading communications service provider, was formed in 1995 by a
team of experienced telecommunications professionals and granted an
International Facilities license in 1996.
The group, which offers a diverse portfolio of communications services to
business and residential users in Europe and North America, employs over 1,000
people, has offices in 12 countries, and has annualized revenues of more than
$300 million. In the UK, Interoute Telecom Services (ITS) sells a range of
national and international telecoms services to corporate and residential
customers. ITS is also a leading provider of pre-paid card services under the
'First National' brand.
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