New technology from Swisscom: telephone, television and Internet via Internet Protocol (IP)

New technologies based on Internet Protocol (IP) make it possible to combine fixed-line and mobile services like telephony, television and Internet. Swisscom will be introducing a communications platform of this type gradually over the next few years, making it one of the technological leaders in Europe. IP allows innovative, integrated communications and multimedia applications to be implemented quickly, irrespective of the network. Swisscom is offering an initial product bundle containing Voice over IP telephony and high-speed Internet access from May 2009.
Internet Protocol (IP) represents the future of telecommunications and entertainment. New platforms, such as the Integrated Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), are based on IP and are set to replace the current telephony technology over the coming years. For example, fixed-line telephony, television, Internet and mobile solutions will be combined into integrated communications and multimedia applications. A single address book for mobile phone, fixed-line telephone, television and computer, or sending a TV programme directly to your friend’s mobile phone -these are just a few examples of applications which will be possible thanks to the switch to IP. Swisscom is one of the first telecoms providers in Europe to start the gradual changeover to this pioneering technology.


Test until end of April 2009


Swisscom has been preparing the technological changeover for some time so as to ensure it can offer its customers the best possible telecommunications and multimedia services with the same level of quality, availability and reliability. A test has been underway since 1 July 2008 for the first Swisscom Internet and telephony service on the new IMS platform, whereby some 1,000 Swisscom employees and customers are testing an IP-based Internet and Voice over IP (VoIP) connection until the end of April. This test has allowed Swisscom to gain important insights in real conditions which will be incorporated into the development of products, processes, service and support services.


First product bundle with Voice over IP


From 11 May 2009, Swisscom will be offering Infinity plus, the first product bundle based on IP. Infinity plus is the Voice over IP version of the existing Infinity offering and offers high-speed Internet (up to 20,000 Kbps) as well as free phone calls to the Swiss fixed network. The basic charge of CHF 25.25 is included in the monthly price of CHF 94. The service will initially be offered to test customers, and then to new Infinity customers. With Infinity plus, customer connections are equipped for supplementary services which will be possible on IP in the future. Swisscom is thereby initiating a gradual technological switch to Internet Protocol (IP).