RiverDelta nails down deal with Armstrong Cable

Armstrong Cable Services is on its way to delivering high-speed data services— and possibly voice-over-IP (VoIP)—over its cable networks.

The independent Western Pennsylvania-based cable operator—which is part of the Armstrong Group of Companies that includes Armstrong Telephone—is using RiverDelta Network’s broadband routing technology throughout its service areas in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, and testing equipment for future deployments as a carrier-class cable-modem termination system (CMTS).

Primarily, Armstrong will be upgrading “all their infrastructure with the view of being able to provide – in the future – voice-over-IP,” said Jeff Walker, RiverDelta’s marketing vice president. “They’re doing trials right now with RiverDelta.”

Those trials are being targeted to employees and friends of the service. The data services, though, are being developed for roll out to paying customers.

“It’s going to be a large deal,” Walker predicted, declining to offer dollar figures or how long the contract will run. “We will replace their existing equipment as well as (provide gear) for new rollouts.”

Additionally, RiverDelta is running a PacketCable-based end-to-end telephony demonstration with partner company Clarent at this week’s National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Cable 2001 gathering in Chicago.

The trial is comprised of Clarent’s OpenAccess technology and RiverDelta’s integrated CMTS/edge router.