BOCA RATON, Fla. -- CopperCom today unveiled a comprehensive program that provides competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) with no-risk financing for the CopperCom next-generation softswitch platform plus a wide range of consulting services to help get their networks and businesses up and running. Designed especially for CLECs migrating from an unbundled network elements platform (UNE-P) to a facilities-based business model, the program is also expected to appeal to new service providers and existing carriers expanding into new territories.

The new CopperCom rental program allows service providers to try leading-edge switching technology without the risk of purchasing it outright. CopperCom Consulting Services gives CLECs access to trained technical professionals and regulatory experts whose counsel can reduce startup time by up to 50 percent.

"CopperCom has been an instrumental partner to New Frontiers in our transition to a facilities-based operation," explained Clint Wiley, president of New Frontiers Telecommunication, a Hagerstown, MD-based CLEC. "The guidance and flexibility of the CopperCom team, combined with the ability of the CopperCom softswitch, was critical to making our network deployment a success."

CopperCom's flagship product, the CSX, incorporates the most robust feature set on the market, ranging from advanced VoIP services to a full set of legacy Class 4 and 5 services. In addition, CopperCom's CPML allows CLECs to deliver unique services to their customers. With deployments in over half of the U.S., CopperCom has replaced nearly every type of legacy switch.

With the recent overturn of FCC rulings affecting UNE-P, CLEC survival depends upon how quickly they can adapt to these policy changes by offering services through their own switching platform. The feature offering from the CSX has given CLECs great confidence that they can continue to provide the same services they had been offering via UNE-P, while enabling them to build on this foundation and add new, value-added services to subscribers.

CopperCom