Telica goes island hopping

Telica announced today that GoTel Communications Limited, a Jamaican fixed wireless provider, has deployed the Plexus 9000 to provide integrated voice and data services via IP access to its customers.

GoTel, which is focused mostly on residential subscribers, is using various unlicensed frequencies to reach most of the island nation. The country is currently experiencing a significant population shift from Kingston into the northern parts of the country where Cable and Wireless, the island’s incumbent carrier, has not put in infrastructure. The carrier is using the Plexus 9000 as a Class 4/5 switch providing both TDM and IP-based services.

“There’s a pent up demand,” said Bryan Sheppeck, vice president of sales and customer service for Telica.

The Lewis Group, a system integrator, worked closely with Telica to complete the install and test the switch. Telica’s switch can be deployed in either a distributed, centralized or integrated configuration. A single Plexus 9000 shelf supports 137,088 ports for TDM applications and 24,192 simultaneous voice-over-packet calls.

GoTel’s decision to launch with a softswitch comes at a time when softswitch vendors are moving rapidly into the wireless market. According to Sheppeck, wireless start-ups without legacy infrastructure or rapidly expanding incumbent carriers have shown the most interest.

“It can be rolled out so much faster and that’s particularly important in a developing country,” he said.