Bangkok--Dec 16--Aziam Burson-Marsteller
Enables Advanced Multimedia Services for Subscribers Around the Globe
Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited (HKBN), the city’s largest alternative residential voice and broadband service provider, is expanding its VoIP telephony and multimedia services to increase capacity by 1 million subscribers through a major upgrade of its VoIP network supplied by Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT
].
To launch its 2b Broadband phone service, HKBN deployed a powerful combination of solutions including Nortel’s Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) 5200, a converged multimedia platform that enables enhanced communications regardless of location, access type or media. HKBN also deployed Nortel Communication Server (CS) 2000-Compact, making it possible for voice, video and multimedia services to be delivered on a single packetized network, providing more efficient and cost-effective use of its network.
HKBN’s 2b Broadband subscribers will now be able to enjoy VoIP with advanced multimedia services such as secure instant messaging, video calling and broadband access rolled out to subscribers in Hong Kong, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia.
“In just five years we have successfully established HKBN as a major force in Hong Kong’s highly competitive telephony and broadband market,” said Ricky Wong, chairman, Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited. “We offer value and bandwidth options that cannot be matched by older, traditional telephone networks, and this major network expansion by Nortel is expected to play a key role in our ability to attract new subscribers in local and global markets and further reinforce our market leadership.”
“Nortel’s VoIP and multimedia solution will allow HKBN to offer advanced voice, video and broadband service bundles to increasing numbers of users in Hong Kong and abroad,” said David Wong, managing director, Hong Kong, Nortel. “HKBN operates one of the largest Nortel multimedia communications platforms in the world. As competition for subscribers intensifies, Nortel will continue to support HKBN with solutions designed to deliver carrier-grade performance and reliability at significantly reduced operational costs.”
Nortel MCS 5200 is based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an industry standard designed to deliver a variety of multimedia services to enhance the human experience, such as desktop video calling, voice call management, instant messaging, collaboration tools and personalization services.
Nortel’s CS 2000-Compact superclass softswitch enables service providers to deliver the full suite of traditional voice services to business and residential customers on a packetized network with voice and data traffic sharing the same communications lines to provide more efficient and cost-effective use of existing transmission capacity.
Nortel ranked number one in the global markets for service provider softswitches and gateways for the first half of 2005 and the entire year of 2004, according to Synergy Research Group. Nortel is providing VoIP and multimedia solutions to many of the world's leading service providers, including Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Telus, Verizon, Sprint, MCI, British Telecom, Cable & Wireless, Hong Kong Broadband and CompleTel in France.
About City Telecom / Hong Kong Broadband Network
Established in 1992, City Telecom (H.K.) Limited (SEHK: 1137, NASDAQ: CTEL) provides integrated telecommunications services in Hong Kong. City Telecom’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited (HKBN), is in the process of expanding its Metro Ethernet from 1.2 million to 1.8 million homes pass, reaching 80% of Hong Kong’s total population. HKBN has achieved an aggregate voice, broadband (symmetric 1000Mbps, 100Mbps and 10Mbps), IP-TV and corporate data service base in excess of 600,000 subscriptions. HKBN is now the largest alternative operator for residential voice and broadband services in Hong Kong. Additional information on City Telecom can be found at www.ctihk.com.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world’s most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world’s greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
-*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
James Best / Kamolmas
Aziam Burson-Marsteller
02-252-9871
[email protected] End.