Cabovisao Prepares for VOIPCabovisao Prepares for VOIP

SAN DIEGO -- Cabovisao, the second largest cable operator in Portugal, with more than 770,000 homes passed, has deployed the Nuera Communications Inc. ORCA(R) RDT-8v Voice-over-IP gateway to offer telephone services. Nuera's RDT-8v broadband access gateway enables Cabovisao to leverage their Class 5 circuit-switched infrastructure to offer voice services over an IP network. Currently, Cabovisao offers voice service to more than 160,000 customers using Constant Bit Rate (CBR) technology. The company plans to grow its voice network using VoIP to take advantage of a converged voice, video and data network.

Cabovisao has implemented an advanced bi-directional HFC network and national fiber-optic backbone in Portugal for the delivery of cable television, high-speed Internet access, telephony and data transport services. Nuera's technology helps Cabovisao bundle these services over an efficient, converged IP network. Cabovisao will initially rollout a VoIP commercial trial to serve 4,000 customers. "Nuera's RDT-8v, with its advanced voice processing capabilities and high system availability, allows us to bundle services cost-effectively through a single digital infrastructure," said Jorge Patricio, marketing director of Cabovisao. "We introduced our 'triple play' bundled services in 2001. This VoIP implementation enables us to continue to offer the 'triple play' on a more efficient network and continue to maximize penetration rates, average revenue per user (ARPU), and margins."

In addition to this recent win in Portugal, Nuera has been successful deploying VoIP technology in cable operators' networks worldwide. Nuera has been deployed in revenue-generating networks in Singapore, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Romania and in several regions in the United States. Field trials are underway in India, China, Austria, Germany, Spain and Mexico. Nuera is the leader in broadband access deployments worldwide.

"The telecommunications market in Portugal is ripe with opportunity for competitive carriers," said Joe Matibag, director of product marketing, Nuera. "The favorable economic and regulatory conditions present a terrific opportunity for Cabovisao to grow their telephony, cable, and data business. We are pleased to assist Cabovisao, and other cable operators worldwide, to increase revenues while providing reliable, high-quality voice."

Nuera Communications Inc.