Blue Ridge Communications Selects General Bandwidth For Cable Telephony Deployment

Austin, Texas -- General Bandwidth, a leading Voice over IP equipment manufacturer enabling rapid deployment and new service revenue generation over broadband networks, has been selected by Blue Ridge Communications, a Pencor Company and leading cable service provider in eastern Pennsylvania, to deliver cable telephony services over their hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network.

With more than 178,000 access lines in service, Blue Ridge Communications is establishing itself as a major integrated communications provider in eastern Pennsylvania. Currently serving more than 46,000 high speed data customers over its HFC network, Blue Ridge plans to deploy the General Bandwidth G6 Universal Media Gateway Platform to launch digital phone service to customers by mid-summer.

“Blue Ridge has a long tradition of serving our customers with highly reliable telecommunications services by investing in innovative, high quality telecom equipment,” said Mark Masenheimer, general manager of Blue Ridge Communications. “General Bandwidth’s G6 platform is a very flexible, carrier grade voice service platform that can be deployed to deliver PacketCable™ telephony services for our customers.”

The G6 Universal Media Gateway Platform is a true carrier class, PacketCable-compliant solution providing full redundancy along with the capability of simultaneously supporting PacketCable Line Control (LCS) and Network-based Call Signaling (NCS) from a single G6 platform. With the ability to scale to more than 16,128 DS0s per chassis, the G6 platform provides the most cost effective solution for cable operators seeking to grow their network on a city-by-city basis.

“General Bandwidth is focused on delivering the highest quality media gateway to leading cable telephony providers like Blue Ridge Communications who are seeking true carrier grade performance and high VoIP quality of service,” said Charles Vogt, president and CEO of General Bandwidth. “We are pleased to be a technology partner at Blue Ridge as they begin to rollout their residential telephone service.”

About The G6 Universal Media Gateway Platform

The G6 Universal Media Gateway platform is the architectural basis for the multiple media gateway products offered by General Bandwidth. The G6 platform is a true carrier class VoIP services platform with the capability to simultaneously support multiple service architectures including legacy Class 5 switches, SIP-based feature servers, and next generation softswitches. The platform supports a variety of packet and PSTN interfaces, scaling from 240 to 16,128 simultaneous DS0s in a single chassis. The company markets the following media gateway products globally:
G6 Access MG

Providing Class 5 services over VoIP and AAL1/AAL2 broadband networks using existing GR-303, TR-08, V5.2, or T1/E1 CAS interfaces; extending the life of the legacy switching network.

G6 Reverse MG

Proven interoperable with the leading wireline and cable-based softswitches via MGCP or H.248, the G6 Reverse MG enables new IP-based features on legacy remote terminals by enabling their call control to be softswitch-based. The product is applicable to most GR-303, TR-08, and V5.x remote terminals.
G6 Trunking MG

Proven interoperable with the leading wireline and cable-based softswitches, the G6 Trunking MG provides circuit-to-packet media conversion using MGCP, H.248, or SIP softswitch call control. The product is one of only a few media gateways awarded PacketCableTM Media Gateway qualification for the cable network infrastructure. The product also provides SIP to PRI interworking for hosted IP communications services.
G6 Universal MG

The industry’s first universal media gateway serving the ILEC/PTT, CLEC, and MSO networks, the G6 Universal MG, provides simultaneous support for all access, reverse and trunking media gateway applications on a single G6 chassis. The product delivers seamless, risk-free migration to next generation services to address evolving broadband and voice service needs. The consolidation and management of voice services through a single G6 significantly reduces capital and operational expenses.
About Blue Ridge Communications

Blue Ridge Communications is the nation’s 23rd largest cable TV provider and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pencor Services, Inc. Pencor is a leader in the development and introduction of media and communications technology throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Pencor companies provide new media content and advertising services via cable TV, newspapers and the Internet.
About General Bandwidth

General Bandwidth is a leading provider of Voice over IP infrastructure solutions spanning more than 40 service providers worldwide. General Bandwidth delivers broadband solutions addressing a full range of applications, including residential and business access, trunking and enhanced VoIP solutions. With nine patents issued and nine pending, General Bandwidth’s flagship G6 Universal Media Gateway and network management system are OSMINE, RUS, PacketCable™, and NEBS-3 certified, produced in a TL9000 quality system, and deployed in MSOs, ILECs, CLECs, and RLECs networks worldwide. General Bandwidth was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Noah Sessions
GENBAND Inc.
+1.972.265.3664 (office)
noah.sessions@genband.com