Ericsson & Interoute go live with Spain's 1st nationwide IP voice & data network

Ericsson and Interoute go live with Spain's first nationwide IP voice and data network Ericsson and Interoute Telecomunicaciones SA today announced that Spain's first nationwide IP voice and data network has gone live. The network uses Ericsson's robust carrier-class IPT 1.6 system. The core network of points of presence (PoPs) covers customers in eight main provincial centers in Spain - Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville and La Coruna, Malaga and Cadiz - with Madrid as the central hub. Complete network design and deployment of this first phase was accomplished just six months from the announcement of the contract in March of this year. The main network management center is located in Madrid, with stand-by facilities in Barcelona. Ericsson Spain is providing a 24-hour, 7 day network support, backed by Ericsson's European Technical Support center in Sussex, England. "The cooperation between the Interoute and Ericsson teams was key in accomplishing the implementation in this short time frame," said Staffan Lindholm, General Manager, IP Services Ericsson Datacom Networks and IP Services. "To get to this stage, where the core network is going live in such a short space of time, has been an enormous feat of co-ordination and team effort. We are delighted to be partnering with Interoute in this project and pleased that the confidence Interoute placed in Ericsson's IP and datacom strengths has been justified." Interoute chose the Ericsson IP solution because it offers more compact, more efficient and less expensive PoPs than circuit switched systems, enabling Interoute to comply with Spanish PTT requirements at greatly reduced investment costs. The second phase of the network will add sub-area switching centers in a further 42 towns, to achieve the extent of national coverage required by 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 contract, valued at USD 11 million (SEK 90 million), comprises Ericsson designing, installing and supporting Spain's first nationwide Internet Protocol Telephony system (IPT), using their carrier-class IPT solution. Ericsson's IPT system, version 1.6, is a high-capacity system that 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. Ericsson provides a full range of data networking products for wireline and wireless operators, new entrants and ISPs. Ericsson's Datacom business unit, headquartered in Boston, focuses on five main data areas: backbone infrastructure, access, IP services, network management, professional services and systems integration. 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. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Paula Wagstaff, Media Relations Director, Ericsson Ltd., UK Phone: +44 1444 234 354; E-mail: paula.wagstaff@etl.ericsson.se Staffan Lindholm, General Manager, IP Services Ericsson Business Unit Datacom Networks and IP Services Phone: +46 70 510 0603; E-mail: staffan.lindholm@etx.ericsson.se Antoinette Torell, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 519 3699; antoinette.torell@lme.ericsson.se About Interoute Interoute (http://www.interoute.com) is a leading pan-European telecommunications group and one of the fastest growing in the world. The Interoute network is now within reach of 80 percent of Western Europe, or 310 million people. Operating in 11 countries throughout Europe, as well as North America, the group offers a wide range of communications services to business customers, residential users and other carriers. The group operates its own international network with gateway switches in London and New York and is building national networks throughout Europe. Interoute has more interconnects in the UK than any other carrier, except BT, and has full operating licenses and interconnect agreements in most major European countries. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/09/15/19990915BIT00010/bit0001.pdf http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/09/15/19990915BIT00010/bit0002.doc