Nortel Networks’ technology to combine data and voice services

NEW DELHI: Nortel Networks has launched a single access platform to allow

service operators deliver converged voice and data traffic. Available for

service operators in Europe, Asia and Latin America, the multi-service Universal

Edge enables bundled services such as data, video, fax and voice to be delivered

over conventional copper telephone lines to consumers. "Our aim is to help

operators deliver high bandwidth services across their entire network, what we

call 'megabits to the masses'," said V. Venkatraman, Area Manager, India,

Nortel Networks. "As bandwidth and intelligence move to the last mile, the

integration of voice and data significantly reduces the operational costs for

service operators."

Linked to high-speed optical networks, the Universal Edge will provide

scalable capacity to accommodate voice and data traffic. By using technologies

such as ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and SDSL (Symmetric Digital

Subscriber Line), this platform is capable of delivering true e-commerce and

multimedia applications. Nortel claims that the platform will not only support

emerging IP applications such as Virtual Private Networks, Voice over IP and

Multimedia over IP but also deliver traditional telephony services.

"The multitude of services deployable from this single platform, coupled

with our track record in building the Optical Internet, ensures that the

Universal Edge is the best in-class next generation access platform," said

Joseph Samuel, Managing Director India, Nortel Networks. The $17.6 billion

Nortel Networks, a global leader in telephony, data, wireless and wireline

solutions for the Internet, is working on creating an Internet that is more

reliable and faster than ever before by redefining the economics and quality of

networking and the Internet.