April 25, 2006 Stockholm, Sweden and London, UK -- Cisco Systems announced that Bredbandsbolaget (B2), a broadband communication provider in Sweden with more than 375,000 residential and business subscribers, is delivering triple-play video, voice, and data services to FTTH customers via the Cisco IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN) platform featuring the company's ME 3400 Series Ethernet Access Switch.
B2 says it has seen an increase in residential subscribers as the company extended its network reach to over two million Swedish households, or two-thirds of the country's population, through the build-out of its network, based on the Cisco IP NGN architecture, within the last year. The provider says the growth in demand for triple-play services engendered a requirement for more powerful quality-of-service (QoS) capabilities, higher levels of security, and easier provisioning and management in the access network.
"From our tender process, we found that the Cisco ME 3400 Series switch was the closest match for our requirements on performance, security, and manageability," comments Lars-Ake Norling, vice president and COO at B2. "Our focus is to further develop our residential customer base, and we looked for a platform that was optimized for triple-play services. The ME 3400 Series is purpose-built for broadband providers like us."
"Cisco was the first to address the specific needs of service providers who are offering Ethernet services to both consumers and businesses," adds Sverker Hannevall, general manager of Cisco Systems, Sweden. "By delivering key features in the areas of QoS, multicast, and security, we aim to help service providers like B2 to deploy innovative and successful triple-play services."
Cisco says its ME 3400 Series is an access switch family optimized for the FTTH market, providing both Ethernet-to-the-home (ETTH) triple-play services and Ethernet-to-the-business (ETTB) VPN services. The company says the series provides a complete security platform for metro Ethernet access that covers subscriber, switch, and network protection. The series was recently certified for Carrier Ethernet services delivery compliant with the Metro Ethernet Forum MEF 9 technical specifications.