Pac-West PSTN On Ramp

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Pac-West PSTN On Ramp

Pac-West PSTN On Ramp

Pac-West PSTN On Ramp

Pac-West Telecomm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PACW), a provider of communications services to service providers and enterprise customers in the Western U.S., contacted me about their "PSTN On Ramp" product which they recently launched. PSTN On Ramp enables Pac-West to expand its service offerings to its existing customer base, as well as reach new customer segments. Targeted at carriers and providers of enhanced services such as unified messaging, calling cards, conferencing, Fax over IP, and Voice over IP (VoIP), PSTN On Ramp provides 2-way connectivity between the service provider and the PSTN (public switched telephone network) through Pac-West's SuperPOP network.

A Pac-West spokeman told me, "We are best looked at as IP agnostic, if you are providing VoIP, FoIP, or any IP applications that need traditional PSTN access, Pac-West will enable the provider with TDM services that assist with the transition." He continued, "Pac-West provides local DID numbers as well as local presence in every Lata within CA and 16 Latas within the Western US. Our greatest value proposition is Pac-West's coverage, DID presence, and our ability to deliver services like no other CLEC in California."

He also espoused the benefits of Pac-West's PSTN On Ramp by stating, "Thousands of local DID's, termination rates as low as .003, along with free origination. Western US via six circuits. Until the world is 100% VoIP, we will still need access to the legacy systems."

Here's a list of benefits:
- Serve 671 rate centers in five states from one SuperPOP
- Offer local access throughout the Western U.S.
- Reduce your costs by eliminating the need to locate equipment and establish trunks in multiple rate centers and LATAs

PSTN On Ramp Service Includes
- Local access number blocks
- 2-way connectivity with your choice of:
- Western U.S. coverage from one SuperPOP
- California coverage from one SuperPOP
- Ala carte coverage
- Origination and termination
- Local, intrastate, interstate, off-net, international, and toll-free

Wayne Bell, Pac-West's Vice President of Marketing and Sales, said, "PSTN On Ramp is the first product in a suite of new services that Pac-West will be introducing in the coming months to enable the delivery of next generation services. With the rapidly expanding adoption of VoIP and other IP-based services, Pac-West's unique network architecture, gateway to the PSTN, and expansive Western U.S. footprint make us well positioned to shape this emerging growth market."
According to IDATE, one of Europe's leading analyst groups specializing in telecommunications, Internet, and media sectors, by 2009 corporate voice over IP and telephone over IP will account for 40% of business telephone lines, or 180 million lines. By 2010, IDATE predicts that IP business calls will exceed 50% of all business traffic. (Source: VoIP Goes Big Business, eMarketer Daily, September 20, 2004.)

PSTN On Ramp enables Pac-West's customers to rapidly enter new Western U.S. markets, including virtually 100% of California, without having to locate their equipment in every LATA (local access and transport area), which accelerates time to market and significantly reduces network equipment and operating costs. In California, where Pac-West offers wider local access coverage than SBC or Verizon, customers gain the added benefit of working with a single provider to cover the entire state.

"Capitalizing on our gateway to the PSTN, Pac-West offers carriers and enhanced service providers a reliable, cost-effective solution for delivering IP-based services in the Western U.S.," continued Bell. "With PSTN On Ramp, our customers can offer businesses and residential users access to their enhanced services through a local phone call, which lowers both the providers' and end-users' access charges."

Pac-West's service includes call origination and termination (local, intrastate, interstate, international, and toll-free), local telephone numbers, 2-way connectivity, and access to multi-rate center, multi-LATA coverage from a single Pac-West SuperPOP (switching center).



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