Soul Deploys Cisco Equipment to Drive the $300 Million NSW Government Broadband Network

State-wide IP MPLS network to provide advanced applications including VoIP, video streaming and multicasting to 2,000 sites

SYDNEY, Australia, January 31, 2006 - Soul, (ASX:SOT) a leading Australian telecommunications company, has selected an array of advanced communications technologies and services from Cisco Systems® as part of its contract to create an IP MPLS network for the New South Wales Government’s $A300 million broadband project.
Cisco® has been selected to supply the 12000 Series Router, which now connects a wide range of agencies in New South Wales and extends across the State. The network uses Internet Protocol (IP) technology to provide Soul’s Government agency customers, including education and healthcare with quality-of-service enabled data, voice and video applications, including voice over IP (VoIP), streaming video and multicasting.

The agreement expands a long-term relationship between Soul and Cisco, which has seen Soul (formerly known as S P Telemedia) develop Australia’s largest purpose-built Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-enabled network, powered end-to-end by Cisco technology.

Steve Legge, Chief Operating Officer at Soul said; “The fact that all Soul networks are purpose-built to support IP traffic was a major reason that our company was selected to deploy the NSW Government’s core network. By using an end-to-end Cisco network in all our infrastructure rather than a mix of different vendor products, Soul can provide the highest possible quality of service and scalability. We were able to demonstrate a proven ability to cater to ’triple play’ and converged services and emerging applications such as multicasting, secure virtual private network (VPN), business VoIP and consumer VoIP services.”

The New South Wales Government network includes 24 access points in major regional centres and two in Sydney to connect up to 2,000 sites for a wide range of public sector functions including schools, police, health, and justice and government services. Soul has deployed the IP MPLS network under a five-year contract that is expected to continue significantly beyond this period as more agencies connect to the network and the range of products and services carried on the network increases.

Cisco managing director, Ross Fowler, said; “Soul is demonstrating the ability to build state-of-the-art, next-generation networks built around Cisco technology. With demand for services such as multicasting growing rapidly, purpose-built networks with end-to-end technology are already showing significant quality advantages over best-in-class infrastructure.”

The core network connects with Soul’s existing infrastructure in New South Wales, which is also powered by Cisco equipment.

It also includes a national voice network that can provide services to more than 98 percent of addresses in Australia. The Cisco-based network provides state-of-the-art, carrier-grade soft-switching capable of carrying over a billion voice and data minutes with 99.99 percent network availability.

About Soul (S P Telemedia)

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 Exchange with a market capitalisation exceeding $600M, 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. Soul is a multi-media full service telecommunications company providing innovative voice, internet and data solutions to a wide range of customers from consumer through to SME, Corporate and Government sectors.

About Cisco Systems

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