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IP Exchange

IP Exchange (IPX) is an IP interconnect product from BT Wholesale.

Aimed at communication providers globally, IPX enables the translation between traditional type telephone calls and the new IP calls.

It's a product that enables communication providers to meet the needs of their own customers – both businesses and consumers – who increasingly expect to be able to connect from one device to many interfaces. That means IP phones communicating with the PSTN, videophones able to dial PCs, and IP phones talking to other IP phone - irrespective of operator.

IPX saves communications providers from investing in costly media gateway hardware to do the translation for themselves. These are media gateways that will have diminishing value in their organisation as more and more people and businesses move to IP calling. It goes without saying that IPX also saves on all the associated design, deployment and running costs of this equipment as well.

As we move towards next-generation networks, it's fair to say that IPX will be the de facto point of interconnect for the majority of operators in the UK.

The customers of IPX are those operators who run and operate their own network infrastructure. They have their own IP soft switch and IP calls which they need to transit and terminate on other networks.

IPX Customers consist of three main types:

• B2B - Comms provider provides their own branded business IP telephony service to SMEs around the UK
• B2C - large internet telephony provider, providing IP calling on the internet
• International - large international carriers shipping volumes of IP originated minutes in and out of the UK

Broadband Enabling Technology

Developed by Openreach, Broadband Enabling Technology (BET) is a new technology that is shown to enable stable 1Mb/s or 2Mb/s broadband services to be delivered over longer lines.

Potentially, BET could be the solution to a number of existing 'not-spots' where line length is a barrier to service.

It works by using a modified existing DSL technology platform - SHDSL - together with the use of a regenerator. The technology stands alone from existing systems and can therefore be offered as a completely equivalent and transparent product to Openreach CP customers.

Openreach is currently trialling the technology in Scotland were it has demonstrated lines of between seven and 12 kilometres running stable 1 or 2Mb/s services. A 2Mb/s service can be provided where two copper cable pairs are available to be bonded together.

A full launch of BET is dependent on Openreach identifying a sustainable commercial model to deploy this new capability. Openreach will be working closely with a range of funding bodies including end user groups, local authorities and the government's Digital Britain programme to identify opportunities to deploy BET commercially from early 2010.