Verizon tabs Nortel for VoIP trunking system

Although Verizon residential and commercial customers won’t be offered the multimedia wonders of voice-over-IP phones any time soon, the telecommunications giant took is taking steps in that direction by deploying packet switching in West Orange, N.J., and Tampa, Fla.

The deployments, using Nortel Networks’ end-to-end packet technology, will let Verizon evaluate the reliability of packet switching in major metropolitan areas, including faster call routing, expanded network capacity and the ability to deliver new services. Nortel announced a similar VoIP deal last year with Qwest in Boise, Idaho.

“You’re seeing a carrier level of comfort with taking this solution into even more mission-critical business-centric regions,” said Jenna Stanley, Nortel’s director of carrier voice-over-IP marketing. “One of the critical reasons Nortel won the contract with Verizon is that we brought to bear the whole end-to-end solution that can bring the voice-over-IP capabilities to the customer’s network and the switching to help them ensure that all the end-to-end testing and integration has been done.”

Packet switching capabilities do not immediately translate into consumer VoIP for Verizon, which is beginning to feel competitive fire from Comcast’s packetized cable telephony deployment in its Philadelphia region.

“End-to-end from Verizon’s perspective means they have a single vendor delivering the solution for them into their network,” said Stanley. “This is the trunking layer of the network, so it would be direct interconnect to enterprise networks and other interexchange carrier and wireless networks.”

The contract gives Nortel a foothold with Verizon.

“We’re not the major embedded base vendor for Verizon, so this is a strategic footprint in the largest carrier in North America,” she said.