Kabel BW Upgrades Its Cable Network With Nortel Technology

Nortel Supports Kabel BW’s Unified Communication And Triple-Play Services
FRANKFURT, Germany - Kabel BW, one of the largest cable operators in Germany, is delivering triple-play services and preparing to offer unified communications to businesses and residents using a complete carrier VoIP solution from Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT].


The Baden-Württemberg cable network operator plans to use its Nortel carrier VoIP solution to launch unified communications solutions and expand its triple-play offerings such as telephony, high-speed Internet and TV. Kabel BW is offering residential customers an integrated package of VoIP, digital and analogue TV and high-speed Internet access - up to 32 Mbps downstream and 2.5 Mbps upstream - which is two times faster than current services. The service expansion also enables Kabel BW to reach out to small and medium businesses (SMBs) with additional service offerings such as video conferencing and PBX functions.

As an innovative provider of digital cable TV, broadband Internet and telephony, Kabel BW is already represented in 3.6 million households in Baden-Württemberg, making it the region’s leading triple-play provider. In order to continue to meet the needs of its current subscribers and attract new customers, Kabel BW is focused on expanding and modernizing its network infrastructure to include Baden-Württemberg’s major centers and the surrounding rural areas.

“With our latest network investment, Kabel BW will be able to generate new services for SMBs,” said Uwe Baermann, CTO of Kabel BW. “By making communications more efficient for SMBs through video conferencing and instant messaging, informed decision-making can be accelerated to ensure quick response to changes in customer requirements.”

“Nortel’s technology is making it possible for Kabel BW to generate new sources of revenue with multimedia services and unified communications,” said Wim te Niet, president, Central Europe, Nortel. “The current network upgrade paves the way for a high level of service quality in telephony, digital TV and data applications over the cable network.”

Nortel’s Communication Server 2000 is an IP multimedia softswitch that delivers network infrastructure services and supports a wide range of voice and multimedia features based on the open, industry-standard SIP protocol which allows Kabel BW to also offer businesses unified communications solutions. With unified communications, multimedia conferences can be initiated with ease, calls can be taken with one click of the mouse, regional branches and teleworkers can be connected, and the entire service can be facilitated and managed by Kabel BW.

With recent studies showing that unified communications can boost corporate productivity by up to 18 percent¹ and lead to a return on investment of up to 250 percent², the opportunity to opt for swift and high-quality communications is very much in line with Kabel BW’s business customers’ needs.

With Nortel’s assistance, Kabel BW can also improve its voice messaging system and enhance the deployment of the triple-play technology that combines TV, Internet and telephony. By extending the telephony offering and multimedia applications, Nortel is not only supporting the Baden-Württemberg network operator with planning and implementation but is also in charge of servicing and maintenance of the network infrastructure.
Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as “could”, “expects”, “may”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “targets”, “envisions”, “seeks” and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel’s Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
¹ 2007-2008 Mobile Unified Communications State-of-the-Market Report** Dec 2007 by Peter Brockmann and Steven Taylor
² Based on Unified Communications ROI Calculator developed on behalf of Nortel with Nemertes Research