DERRY, N.H. -- Cedar Point Communications, Inc., a leader in packet-based voice switching technologies for the cable industry, announced today that it has successfully demonstrated the technology needed for cable system operators to migrate from a Class 5 circuit switch to Cedar Point’s SAFARI C³ packet-based next generation voice platform.

The demonstration, which occurred in Lucent Technologies’ Holmdel, NJ facility, shows how lines connected to Host Digital Terminals (HDT) and Digital Loop Carriers (DLC) via a GR 303 interface can migrate from a Class 5 switch onto Cedar Point’s next-generation platform.

The GR 303 interface is a critical element of the unique “reverse gateway” functionality for cable operators that enables SAFARI C³ to handle circuit and VoIP calls simultaneously over the same next-generation packet fabric. SAFARI C³’s support of circuit-to-circuit, packet-to-packet, circuit-to-packet, and packet-to-circuit traffic provides the cable industry with the first elegant migration strategy for the more than 5 million cable telephony subscribers worldwide served today by legacy circuit switches.

“The ability to support the migration path from circuit to packet has been a significant need for cable system operators,” said Mark Dzuban, executive vice president, cable telephony deployment for Cedar Point Communications. “The Lucent professional services group has the unique role of bringing the world’s richest background in carrier class voice to companies developing innovative solutions for the telecommunications industry. It was vital that we be able to count on their skills and knowledge base for a test of this magnitude for the cable industry.”

“The demonstration with Cedar Point in our interoperability lab will help cable operators deploy VoIP technology quickly and efficiently to their customers,” said David Dial, vice president of business development, Lucent Worldwide Services. “We are offering an array of Professional Services capabilities that will help cable operators build their VoIP networks without worrying about network integration and implementation issues.”

Cedar Point Communications Inc.

Lucent Technologies Inc.