MORRISVILLE, N.C. (BUSINESS WIRE) Oct. 11, 2004
Competitive Local Exchange Carriers Deploy Tekelec’s Distributed Class 4/5 Switching Solutions for Rapid Expansion
Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), a leading developer of telecommunications products for next-generation fixed, mobile and packet networks to operators worldwide, today announced that Budget Phone Inc. and Pine Tree Networks have deployed the Tekelec 3000 (formerly SanteraOne) Multimedia Gateway Controller (MGC) and Tekelec 8000 Multimedia Gateway (MG) to enable expansion of prepaid calling and long-distance services.
Budget Phone, a Shreveport, La.-based competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), deployed Tekelec’s multimedia gateway and controller in May 2004 when its prepaid calling card subscriber base outgrew the capacity of its existing platform. Now, the Tekelec solution manages all of Budget’s inbound and outbound call traffic and provides real-time updates to the operator’s prepaid call application server for an almost unlimited number of subscribers. Tekelec’s switching solutions also have enabled Budget Phone to begin offering long-distance service to its subscribers and will serve as the foundation for future applications. «We reviewed nearly all of the products on the market, and Tekelec’s platform was best suited to cost-effectively support our rapid growth and entry into new markets, while giving us the flexibility to continue using our existing infrastructure,» said Gary Honeycutt, technical director, Budget. «Prepaid calling and long-distance services present immense revenue-generating opportunities for Budget, and Tekelec enables us to offer these and other applications to our subscribers.»
Country Road Communications, a company that operates a multitude of carrier properties around the country, deployed the Tekelec 3000 MGC and Tekelec 8000 MG for its Pine Tree Networks property in Portland, Maine. Tekelec’s switch went live in April 2004 to facilitate Pine Tree’s steadily increasing local and long-distance voice traffic. The Tekelec platform now manages all of the carrier’s competitive long-distance services and supports all new Class 4 traffic. Since the platform was deployed, Pine Tree has significantly increased its network capacity.
«Tekelec was the only provider to deliver a cost-effective, advanced total switching solution to handle Pine Tree’s rapid growth of local and long-distance services,» said Harry S. Bennett, chairman and CEO of Country Road Communications. «Tekelec’s complete product offerings have taken our network to the next level of service and capacity while providing us with the ability to offer new applications.»
Lori Craven, Tekelec’s chief operating officer, added, «We are pleased to provide the foundation for Budget Phone and Pine Tree to expand their networks and deploy new services. Tekelec offers true, next-generation solutions that support today and tomorrow’s networks, allowing our customers to grow existing services, enter new markets and deliver competitive and revenue-generating services.»
About Tekelec 3000 MGC and 8000 MG
The integrated Tekelec 3000 MGC and 8000 MG platforms comprise a now and next-generation switching solution that allows carriers to offer voice services to subscribers in a compact system at affordable prices. The platform costs significantly less than comparable legacy switchesbetween one-third and one-half as muchand carriers can realize up to a 70 percent reduction in operational costs. The carrier-grade solution delivers key applications such as full-feature interexchange carrier (IXC) tandem, Class 4/5, primary rate interface (PRI) offload, packet/cell switching, and voice over broadband (VoB) services all on a single platform. It has both circuit (TDM) and packet fabrics and supports all of the regulatory requirements of a legacy system, including local number portability (LNP), the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), and Enhanced 911 (E911), enabling a graceful migration from traditional circuit-based networks to next-generation packet-based technology such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Internet protocol (IP).
About Tekelec
Tekelec is a leading developer of now and next-generation switching and signaling telecommunications solutions, network performance management technology, and value-added applications. Tekelec’s innovative solutions are widely deployed in traditional and next-generation wireline and wireless networks and contact centers worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located in Calabasas, Calif., with research and development facilities and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.tekelec.com.
About Budget Phone, Inc.
Budget Phone, Inc., was formed in 1996 to provide low-cost prepaid home phone service. With headquarters in Shreveport, La., Budget Phone, Inc. is now by far the largest pre-paid home phone service provider in the country serving more than 100,000 customers in 43 states and will soon cover the entire continental United States. Budget Phone recently launched its first post-pay product nationwide called TalkSmart. For more information, please visit www.budgetphone.com and www.talksmartnow.com.
About Country Road Communications, LLC
Country Road, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., was formed in January 2000 to acquire and operate local exchange carriers to provide advanced telecommunications services to communities outside of the major metropolitan areas throughout the U. S. With the acquisition of Pine Tree Telephone and Telegraph and Saco River Telephone and Telegraph, and the addition of competitive services in the Portland area, Country Road has over 42,000 access line equivalents in the state of Maine, where it operates under the brand name Pine Tree Networks. In addition to its operations in Maine, Country Road owns local exchange carriers in California, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, with an additional 20,000 access line equivalents. The company offers a full range of telecommunications services including DSL, national and international long distance, conference calling and dedicated and private line service.
The Tekelec logo, EAGLE, G-Flex, G-Port, and IP7 are registered trademarks of Tekelec. Sentinel, TekServer, and TekWare are trademarks of Tekelec. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
