Using technology supplied by
Nortel Networks, BT’s
Spanish subsidiary is planning to build the world’s largest Internet
telephony and multimedia network. BT
will make a multi-million investment in Spain to support the venture.
“BT is committed to help
grow the Spanish communications market. We have already invested more
than US$640 million in our various fixed, mobile and Internet interests,
and plan to spend at least an additional US$970 million over the next
ten years,” said Pat Gallagher, BT’s European director.
Initially, the network will provide coverage from 12 nodes, serving
millions of customers. Within three years BT says it will expand the
network to 27 main nodes.
On offer to Spanish residential and business customers will be
a whole range of IP telephony services. They will include direct and
indirect dial facilities, freephone, and virtual private network (VPN)
applications.
Later, the range will be extended to value-added and
new multimedia services. BT says it will be the only service of
its kind to support full interoperability with the standard telephone
system.
Meanwhile, BT’s customers in the UK home market can only envy
their Spanish counterparts and hope that “BT’s global IP strategy” will
eventually touch home base.