Weekly Erlang: A Digest of Telephony News Traffic

Lawsuits, Deployments and Apps The Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been in the papers, explaining the state’s suit against Vonage by saying that the voice over Internet service provider doesn’t make it clear that customers must register to make 911calls. Volo Communications meanwhile announced an expanded and “ubiquitous” 911 service, dubbed i-911, that that works for stationary and mobile callers. At the same time, Level 3 is promoting its compatibility with the enhanced (E) 911 systems that cities, towns and counties have invested in over the past few decades. Deployments In news that we’d been anticipating, Adelphia Communications named Level 3 as its exclusive provider of wholesale VoIP services for residential voice. Adelphia VP of Data and Voice Engineering and Operations Tom Buttermore (who will be speaking at Communications Technology’s breakfast panels at NCTA) is bullish about both VoIP and a combined wireless offering. In that arena, Cedar Point announced its plans to demonstrate at NCTA how its media switching system can enable next-gen voice services, including “seamless mobility” between WiFi and cellular networks. Videotron placed a “substantial initial order” of ARRIS DOCSIS 2.0-certified Touchstone Telephony Modem indoor embedded (E) MTAs. Canadian-based reseller Capella Telecommunications brokered the deal. Skype, IMS, ICQ, Astrology Skype released Skype for Windows version 1.2, which enables remote access to contact lists and the importing of contact lists from other desktop apps. The company also says it simplified the “Getting Started Wizard.” This follows an announcement in Mid-March that more than 1 million users (out of 29 million total) are using SkypeOut service to reach the PSTN, and an earlier announcement in February of Skype’s plan to form a Seamless Mobility Alliance with Motorola. The instant messaging service ICQ owned by America Online announced ICQ 5, which includes a “walkie-talkie” style voice service called ICQ Voice Chat and an enhanced video IMS. On the research front, SMS.AC and IDC announced a survey partnership to provide on-demand wireless market intelligence and analysis. Fixed-line short messaging service (SMS) is one of the fastest growing telephony applications, says a European-focused report from Aktivia SARL. The Mobile Media Company announced an agreement with CosmoGIRL! publisher Hearst Magazines to launch an a cross-carrier, daily mobile horoscope service. – Jonathan Tombes