WESTFORD, Mass., and STAINES, U.K. -- Sonus Networks, (Nasdaq: SONS), a market leader in IP communications infrastructure, today announced that it has been selected by Belgacom International Carrier Services (ICS), the ninth largest wholesale voice carrier, to transform its network with next generation IP technology. The IP-based network will enable greater capacity and efficiency through centralized routing, multi-media gateways and secure session control.

Sonus will deliver a next-generation network (NGN) to support Belgacom ICS' strategy for growth throughout Europe, Africa and Asia over the next ten years. The network will offer greater capacity, scalability and availability for its expanding portfolio of wireless and wireline customers, while maintaining the secure, robust and fully redundant service their customers demand. The NGN migration, to be completed by the end of 2009, will enable seamless migration to a SIP core while assuring inter-working with the legacy ISUP connections; supporting the multitude of international standards currently in use by Belgacom ICS.

"The IP-based network delivered by Sonus will expand our capacity, open new opportunities for IP peering and reduce operational expense," commented Johan Wouters, vice president Service Delivery & Engineering at Belgacom ICS. "We have a diverse group of wireless and wired operators worldwide and chose the Sonus next-generation infrastructure to efficiently connect to all of our customers; some using the newest SIP core and others still with a legacy network. Sonus offers the best technology and vision to support our objectives to grow our business faster and more cost effectively."

Sonus is deploying a next generation network that will centrally manage policy and routing on the Belgacom ICS network regardless of the traffic type. The same implementation will concurrently support Belgacom ICS legacy TDM traffic and next generation IP traffic. As their wholesale customers move to all IP environments, the Belgacom ICS investments in Sonus gateway hardware will transition to IP session border security and media transcoding.

Sonus Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS)

Belgacom SA (Euronext: BELG)