Acme Aids Fibernet Launch

LONDON -- Acme Packet®, the leader in session border control solutions, today announced that Fibernet Group’s new VoIP interconnect service, IP gateway for London Carrier Ring (The ipLCR), is powered by Acme Packet’s Net-Net® session border controllers (SBCs). Launched last week as an extension to Fibernet’s successful London Carrier Ring (LCR), the new service is in beta now with Telstra, Thus, Lebara, iBasis and Gamma Telecom and will be in commercial production in the second quarter of 2006.

Fibernet’s Carrier Rings host more than 110 leading international operators that currently exchange in excess of 30 billion switched voice minutes per year. The new ipLCR service provides TDM (SS7) to SIP or SIP to SIP, H.323 to H.323, and interworking between SIP and H.323 networks. The ipLCR is aimed at Fibernet’s existing service provider customer base and new entrants to the VoIP market.

Acme Packet’s Net-Net SBCs are installed at peering points in Fibernet’s London network where they connect to their service provider customers. They perform a critical role in securing the ipLCR network with denial-of-service (DoS) protection, access control and network topology hiding, maximizing service reach with protocol interworking and IP address mediation, and assuring Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance with call admission control and QoS marking and mapping.

“With the ipLCR we’ve VoIP enabled all of the current LCR members and our service provider customers can ‘talk’ to any other member, regardless of protocol or location,” said Nigel Pitcher, Marketing and Communications Director, Fibernet. “The ipLCR is uncompromising in its approach to security, quality and reach and with the Acme Packet Net-Net SBCs we are able to offer our customers a trusted, premium VoIP interconnect service.”

“Fibernet’s LCR is Europe's pre-eminent hub for trading international voice traffic and its new VoIP interconnect service opens the door to new customers and new opportunities for existing customers,” stated Andy Ory, president and CEO of Acme Packet. “Acme Packet plays a key role in providing security, maximum service reach and assured SLAs for Fibernet’s new ipLCR.”

Fibernet Group plc (London: FIB)