G6 Release 5.0 Fuels General Bandwidth's Growth into VoIP Access Architectures 

Austin, TX – January 21, 2003 – General Bandwidth®, a leading telecommunications equipment provider enabling carriers to deliver enhanced voice services over broadband networks, announced the availability of the Gigabit Ethernet Access Network Module (GbE ANM) for its G6® Packet Telephony Platform. To date, General Bandwidth’s G6 platform has been deployed at several dozen locations worldwide in support of packet voice services over ATM networks.

With the latest G6 Release 5.0 software, the GbE ANM opens the second phase of General Bandwidth’s carrier migration strategy by providing service providers the capability to connect the G6 platform directly to Ethernet or IP networks. The cornerstone of this strategy is the simultaneous support for VoATM, VoIP, traditional telephony protocols such as GR-303/TR-08 and V5.2, and Next Generation telephony protocols such as Megaco, MGCP, and SIP.

“With the addition of the Gigabit Ethernet ANM, customers can utilize a single G6 platform to simultaneously deploy VoATM and VoIP services over multiple access technologies,” said Brendon Mills, President and CEO of General Bandwidth. “While this card was developed to support the future needs of our ILEC/IXC customers, it is currently being deployed by international cable telephony providers as well as U.S.-based municipalities and public utility districts to deliver voice over their Fiber to the User networks.”

The G6 platform is a carrier-class, fully redundant platform that offers service providers a reliable, flexible solution for delivering traditional Class 5 voice services over IP and ATM networks. With simultaneous support for VoIP and VoATM, the G6 provides a realistic migration path from circuit to packet switched networks. Fully optimized for mass deployments, the G6 meets or exceeds the most stringent requirements for central office environments including NEBS Level 3 certification, as well as, passing all ILEC extended NEBS certification tests.

About General Bandwidth

General Bandwidth’s flagship G6® platform enables service providers to deploy voice over broadband technology to cost effectively deliver voice services over their existing broadband infrastructure and provide a migration path to end-to-end packet networks. www.genband.com

Contacts:
General Bandwidth
Tabitha Bailey
+1.805.241.2532
Tabitha.Bailey@genband.com