Espoo, Finland - CommTel Network Solutions Australia, a value added re-seller of Nokia's network solutions, has signed an agreement for the supply and implementation of Nokia broadband DSL solutions and related services to the Soul group of companies all operating in Australia. Deliveries commenced in January 2006 and the system will be up and running during April 2006.
The Nokia D500 IP Multi Service Access Node was selected due to its unique ability to provide fast Internet access in excess of 24Mbps, IPTV, and Voice over IP (VoIP) in conjunction with Soul's SIP-based softswitch. The 60Gbps scalable capacity provided in every Nokia D500 Node provides high quality of service and throughput for Soul's diverse range of broadband customers and services, including capacity for up to 200 simultaneous fast-switching multicast video channels.
Soul is the new brand name for the SPT group of companies which includes Soul Pattinson Telecommunications, B Digital, Digiplus, Kooee and SPTCom (formerly Comindico) all operating in Australia. The Soul network is a fully converged video, voice and data IP-based network with distributed switching throughout regional Australia. These capabilities enable Soul to deliver broadband products and services, whether voice, video or data, through to the "last mile" on its own fully converged network throughout metropolitan, regional and rural Australia.
"Soul maintains a strong position in the multimedia market, as we already offer the full suite of telecommunications and multimedia services including high speed broadband, broadcast video as well as mobile and fixed telephony services to over 500,000 customers across Australia," says Rob Millner, Chairman of Soul. "Our relationship with CommTel and Nokia allows us to extend the delivery of multi-media services including VoIP to our existing customers as well as offering content to a wider converging customer base."
"The alliance between Soul and CommTel will allow us to introduce alternative, competitive broadband infrastructure to regional Australia which is a key objective for the Federal Government under the Broadband 'Connect' program. Meanwhile, we're also looking at opportunities to deliver voice services to consumers (using VoIP technology) as well as trialing IPTV services," Millner said.
"As an industry leader in SIP-enabled solutions Nokia is now one of the first in the world to commence deliveries of SIP-based Voice over broadband, enabling Soul's customers to continue using their existing home telephone over an IP-based voice network," says John Stefanac, Vice-President, Networks, Asia Pacific, Nokia.
"The Nokia D500 is a complete IP-based platform providing the security and quality of service that VoIP demands. It supports the latest DSL standards, SHDSL.bis and ADSL2+, increasing bandwidth for residential and business customers over both IP and ATM-based connections. We have now commenced trials, connecting with Soul over wireless LAN to leading SIP-compliant mobile devices such as the Nokia Eseries," Stefanac said.
Nokia has a renowned track record in carrier-class broadband and narrowband products and works together with key partners to enable broadband services for more than 50 customers across the globe, covering the European, Asia-Pacific, China, and the Americas markets.
About Soul
S P Telemedia Limited (ASX Code: SOT) trading as SOUL is an innovative market leader in the IP telecommunications and multi-media market. Listed on the Australian Stock, Soul's entry into the market in 2000 was met with huge success in a relatively short period of time. Since its establishment, Soul has maintained rapid growth, proving itself to be a dynamic and significant force in the Australian telecommunications industry. Among other features of Soul's capability are:
- it has the largest fully converged voice, video and data IP based access network in regional Australia
- it has the largest voice enabled IP network in Australia
- a 46% interest in B Digital Limited, making it the largest mobile telephony reseller in Australia and servicing in excess of 500,000 consumer telco services
- it owns Australia's highest rating television station, NBN Television
These capabilities enable Soul to deliver IP based broadband products and services, whether voice, video or data, end to end through to the "last mile" on a fully converged network throughout metropolitan, regional and rural Australia.
About CommTel
CommTel Network Solutions Pty Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia, is a specialist company, providing Design, Engineering and Integration of advanced telecommunications systems to Carrier and Dedicated Networks Customers in the Oceania and APAC Regions. CommTel's core expertise is the application of new and advanced DSL and optical fibre transmission technologies to applications in the carrier, power utility, oil and gas, and transport markets.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com
Media Enquiries:
Nokia, Networks
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34379
Soul
Michael Simmons / Steve Legge
Tel. +61 2 8220 6000
E-mail: msimmons@soulaustralia.com.au
slegge@soulaustralia.com.au
www.soulaustralia.com.au
CommTel Network Solutions Pty. Ltd
Michael Harrisson
Tel. +61 3 9330 4722
E-mail: business@commtelns.com
www.commtel.com.au
www.nokia.com
Notes to editors:
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is an application-layer control protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating sessions with one or more participants, allowing multi-user, multi-device (fixed and mobile) environments. These sessions include Internet multimedia conferences, Internet telephone calls, and multimedia distribution. Members in a session can communicate via multicast or via a mesh of unicast relations, or a combination of these
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a family of digital telecommunications technologies designed to allow high-speed data communication over the existing copper telephone lines between end-users and telephone companies. xDSL is a generic abbreviation for various different DSL types, e.g. ADSL, ADSL2+ SHDSL, and VDSL. xDSL calls for modems at either end of a copper twisted-pair wire to deliver data, voice, and video over a dedicated digital network.
DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) is multiplexing equipment that contains a high concentration of central office splitters, xDSL modems, and other electronic equipment to connect traffic to the wide area network (WAN)
IP (Internet Protocol) is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network. It is a network layer protocol, in the transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology is a set of protocols that facilitate phone calls over an IP network, such as the Internet. VoIP phone calls can be established between computers, between mobile phones and between a VoIP device and a traditional telephone.