ARRIS and Telco Systems have announced a product for MSOs to offer T1/E1 Services over HFC Networks. Combining DOCSIS and Advanced pseudo-wire circuit emulation technologies it enables MSOs to target small and medium business customers. Now when I eventually setup my Asterisk@Home at home (pun intended) server I can use my cable company's coax wire to deliver a T1 line to either a Sangoma T1/E1 card or a Digium T1/E1 card. Course I don't know why I would need 24 channels of voice, but it would be fun to test. :D

Check out the release.

Suwanee, GA - March 27, 2006: ARRIS (Nasdaq: ARRS), a leading provider of Multi System Operator (MSO) broadband access and cable telephony solutions, and Telco Systems, a provider of carrier-class transport and access solutions for public and private IP and TDM networks, today announced that the companies have entered into a reseller agreement. Telco Systems’ Cable Services Aggregator (CSA) 9000, which acts as the aggregator, when integrated with their metro Ethernet access platform offers an end-to-end circuit emulation services (CES) to cable providers.

The CSA 9000 will be marketed by ARRIS to key MSOs, allowing them to deliver T1 voice, frame relay, and leased line services in the US, and similar E1-based services worldwide, over standard DOCSIS infrastructure, without any plant modifications. According to Kagan Research, this increased level of business activity will lead to availability of cable-based commercial services to 54% of U.S. businesses by 2007.

"ARRIS is pleased to bring this innovation to our MSO customers to enable them to achieve new revenue potential,” said Bryant Isaacs, President ARRIS New Business Ventures. “The CSA 9000 and the ARRIS Touchstone™ CSM470 T1/E1 MTA constitute a complete solution for efficient T1/E1 delivery.”

"We are excited to work with ARRIS in bringing circuit emulation via our metro Ethernet access platform to cable providers," said Dave Lee, VP, Marketing and Services of Telco Systems. "This cost-effective approach should help MSOs grow their business and gain a significant share of the Small and Medium Business (SMB) T1/E1 services market."

Deploying the CSA 9000 will minimize rack space and power consumption, while supporting scalability through a range of aggregation density options for handoff of T1/E1 traffic to the carrier TDM network. The solution utilizes the ARRIS Touchstone Commercial Services Modem (CSM470) with 1 T1/E1 port, in addition to a standard 10/100BaseT Ethernet port.

ARRIS will showcase the CSA 9000 at the NCTA National Show in Atlanta, April 9 through 11, 2006 at booth #3551.

About ARRIS
ARRIS provides broadband local access networks with innovative high-speed data and telephony systems for the delivery of voice, video and data to the home and business. ARRIS complete solutions enhance the reliability and value of converged services from the network to the subscriber. Headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, USA, ARRIS has design, engineering, distribution, service and sales office locations throughout the world. Information about ARRIS
products and services can be found at http://www.arrisi.com.

About Telco Sysytems
Based in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Telco Systems is a leading provider of carrier-class transport and access solutions for IP and TDM networks for carrier, service provider and enterprise markets. Its suite of products includes solutions for Metro Ethernet Access Rings, residential and enterprise VoIP, FTTx, SONET, WiFi and T1 backhaul.

Founded in 1972, Telco Systems' focus is to maximize the power of their customers' networks by integrating transport, access and packet technologies onto industry-leading platforms that meet today and tomorrow's network demands. Telco Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of BATM Advanced Communications (London stock exchange ticker symbol: BVC). For more information, please visit Telco Systems' web site at http://www.telco.com.