RUS approval

16 Mar 2007 07:02

BATM Advanced Communications Ld16 March 2007 USDA's Rural Utilities Service Approves Telco Systems' Fiber-To-The-Home Solutions EdgeGate CPE Enables Internet Phone Service, Video-On-Demand and High-Speed Internet Access BATM subsidiary,Telco Systems, announces today that its EdgeGate CPE 232 and 482IP media gateways, which provide broadband Internet access, Internet phoneservice (VoIP), IPTV access and video-on-demand to the consumer's home overfiber, were accepted for use in Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) projects funded by theUnited States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS)following review by the RUS Technical Committee for telecommunications products. With the RUS technical review and official acceptance, Telco Systems' entireEdgeGate product family can be used by rural communities that are deployingcommunity broadband networks utilizing RUS loans and grants. Telco Systems'EdgeGate 282 was approved by RUS back in 2004. The EdgeGate family of IP mediagateways enables service providers to offer FTTH or FTTB (Fiber-To-The-Business)for converged VoIP Internet voice service, video, data and broadband Internetaccess over a single fiber pair to the end user at their home or office. Telco Systems' EdgeGate CPE is currently being used in the nation's largestactive Ethernet based FTTH deployment in the Grant County public utilitydistrict in Washington state as well as in FTTH networks serving in multiplegreenfield deployments as well as utilities and municipalities The EdgeGate CPE gateways provide the optical-to-electrical conversion thatmakes FTTH possible and enables end-users to connect standard phones, faxes,PCs, video monitors and televisions to an optical fiber IP Ethernet network. Thedevice is an Ethernet-based switch with up to 4 analog voice lines and up to 8high-speed Ethernet ports for video, data and broadband Internet access. Itsupports VoIP signaling protocols including SIP and MGCP, and IGMP snooping forvideo transmission. An optical uplink supports either a fast or Gigabit Ethernettransceiver over traditional fiber pair or a single fiber, which can cut servicedelivery costs in half. The device can be deployed indoors (in a residence, business or Multi DwellingUnit) or outdoors in an environmentally controlled and secure cabinet that isequipped to support battery backup and provide lifeline telephony. The EdgeGate CPE IP gateway is part of Telco Systems' FTTH and FTTB end-to-endsolution, which includes the company's family of carrier-class IP aggregationand core routing switching platforms. The Telco System FTTH/FTTB end-to-endsolution enables a service provider to connect end-users over fiber from theirhome or office throughout a community, metro area, campus environment, MDU ormulti-tenant unit to an IP backbone. USDA Rural Development Telecommunications program offers many programs forfinancing rural America's telecommunications infrastructure. USDA RuralDevelopment's mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve thequality of life in rural communities. As a venture capital entity, RuralDevelopment has invested over $76 billion since the beginning of the BushAdministration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and fostergrowth in homeownership, business development, and critical community andtechnology infrastructure. The grants are for rural, economically-challenged communities to providebroadband transmission services to rural schools, libraries, education centers,health care providers, law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations aswell as residents and businesses. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA RuralDevelopment office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov. About Telco SystemsBased in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Telco Systems is a leading provider ofcarrier-class transport and access solutions for IP and TDM networks forcarrier, service provider and enterprise markets. Its suite of products includessolutions for Metro Ethernet Access Rings, residential and enterprise VoIP,FTTx, SONET, WiFi and T1 backhaul. Founded in 1972, Telco Systems' focus is to maximize the power of theircustomers' networks by integrating transport, access and packet technologiesonto industry-leading platforms that meet today and tomorrow's network demands. Telco Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of BATM Advanced Communications(London stock exchange ticker symbol: BVC). For more information, please visitTelco Systems' web site at http://www.telco.com. For further information please contact: BATM Advanced Communications LimitedDr Zvi Marom, Chief Executive +972 9 866 2525Ofer Bar-Ner, Chief Financial Officer +972 9 866 2525 Threadneedle CommunicationsGraham Herring / Josh Royston +44 20 7936 9605 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange