Polish mobile VoIP deployment offers insights for U.S. operators

A Polish cable operator's decision to launch a fixed-mobile converged (FMC) network that leverages mobile VoIP will have educational and operational implications for cable operators in the U.S., according to the CEO of equipment vendor Cicero Networks.

Ross Brennan, Cicero's CEO, said his company's software is being used by Polish cable provider Multimedia Polska to enable users to start a SIP-based VoIP call on WiFi and migrate onto a GSM networks-or vice versa. "It's an area that's been of interest to cable operators for quite a few years... (but) Multimedia is the first cable operator in the world to launch a SIP IMS service," he said.

According to Brennan, Multimedia won't be the last cable operator to use FMC as a product differentiator and deployments won't be restricted to Poland or even Europe. "We're seeing more activity from cable operators in North America at the moment than we are in Europe for active projects, with an imminent service launch within the next 12 to 18 months," he said.

Besides voice, Brennan said, the Cicero technology enables presence and instant messaging "so I can see who's online and chat with them using SIP-based messaging rather than necessarily having to send SMS's every time."

For more:
- see this news release [1]

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