Cable plowing ahead with softswitches

The cable industry has a long history of pushing technologies out to market before they’re ready, only to abandon them if they don’t find sufficient consumer acceptance in a short time. That model is quickly disappearing when it comes to softswitching and other network elements needed to get into the voice market. 

Cable operators are relying heavily on PacketCable, R&D consortium CableLabs’ initiative to develop interoperable interface specifications for delivery of multimedia services over two-way cable plant. Via PacketCable, which has been at least three years in the development process, cable operators are preparing a major launch of voice-over-IP services toward the end of this year and throughout 2004.

Softswitch vendors that have been through the PacketCable testing wringer say the end result will be a service that looks and acts just like traditional telco voice service, but with a lot more flexibility. “We have been pushing forward more and more at integration with feature services,” said Ted Griggs, CEO of Syndeo, which along with Nortel Network and Cisco Systems constitutes the only three recipients of certification for PacketCable’s call management servers (CMS).

In PacketCable parlance, a CMS functions like a softswitch. “The [CMS] design is geared to support a carrier level of performance,” said Mark Dzuban, CEO of Cedar Point Communications, which takes pains not to call its product a softswitch because CMS provides more functionality. “It follows the Bellcore assumptions of what constitutes [traditional telephone service]. The performance is basically the same as circuit switch, and the synergies are high given that it’s a component of your high-speed data network,”   

While some multiple systems operators (MSOs), notably Cox Communications, have made significant market share gains with circuit-switched services, the emergence of VoIP will allow most to leapfrog the technical capabilities of telcos. Comcast, which acquired more than 1 million voice customers with its acquisition of AT&T Broadband and is the largest domestic MSO, has repeatedly said it is pleased with the progress of PacketCable and will roll out VoIP early next year.  

“Cable is getting ready for battle,” Dzuban said.  “They’re pulling on the armament.”