Residential VoCable
Overview
Voice over IP has been hugely successful for cable operators, enabling them to leverage their broadband infrastructure to market compelling service bundles including telephony to their subscriber base, and capturing a huge slice of the residential phone market. But first generation PacketCable solutions are looking a little dated now, lacking the ability to deliver Web integration or support for business services.
The Metaswitch solution for Residential VoCable is based on a scalable, distributed PacketCable architecture with a unique Emergency Stand Alone capability to deliver enhanced service availability. Offering interoperability with a wide range of E-MTA devices and trunking gateways, the Metaswitch solution is ideally suited to support cap-and-grow strategies in existing PacketCable deployments.
Cable operators deploying the Metaswitch solution can offer a substantially enhanced experience to their voice subscribers. With MetaSphere Voicemail, subscribers can benefit from a rich set of next generation messaging features, including voice message forwarding to email and notification of new messages via SMS or outdial. Adding CommPortal into the mix provides subscribers with access to their voice service settings and voice messages via the Web, and opens up the possibility of a TV interface to telephony applications such as voicemail access, live message screening and click-to-dial via the set-top box.
Many cable operators are keen to parlay their success in residential voice into business services. With native SIP support built-in, the Metaswitch Residential VoCable solution offers a ready-to-go platform for both business IP trunking and hosted PBX. And with the META architecture providing a bridge from the current generation of VoCable technology to IMS, the Metaswitch solution offers cable operators an excellent basis for the evolution of their networks to PacketCable 2.0.
Features And Benefits
- Provides equivalence to all of the existing local calling features and services – promoting subscriber retention through complete service transparency
- Offers a range of options for next-generation voice services including unified messaging and subscriber access to voice services over the Web – providing outstanding opportunities for service differentiation
- Interoperates with the installed base of E-MTAs, cable headends and trunking gateways, ensuring painless deployment in existing PacketCable networks
- Meets all of the regulatory requirements that apply to cable operators in the provision of voice services
- Provides all of the management capabilities that are essential to the maintenance of a healthy voice network
- Offers unique features that simplify switch co-existence – eliminating the complexities associated with progressive cutover of subscribers
Solution Elements
The Metaswitch solution for Residential VoCable is based on the following elements:
- MetaSphere, configured with Local Calling Features, Voicemail, Session Control, Gateway Control and Lawful Intercept
- One or more Universal Media Gateways, which may be MG2510 or MG3510 systems, and which provide both trunking gateway and media server functions
- MetaView, configured with Service Assurance Server and MetaView Web
- Interoperability with a wide range of E-MTA and trunking gateway equipment
- Professional Services and automated tools to handle the migration of subscriber configuration from legacy PacketCable systems or Class 5 switches to MetaSphere
The basic Residential VoCable solution may be enhanced with the addition of the following elements:
- CommPortal and CommPortal Widgets, providing subscribers with an easy-to-use Web interface to their cable telephony services
- MetaSphere applications including Incoming Call Manager, Easy Attendant and Live Message Screening