Westell Addresses Wi-Fi Voice Quality Needs of Wireless Service Providers
New gateways improve user experience with dual-mode phones
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Westell Technologies today introduced two residential gateways that allow service providers to deliver a better experience to Wi-Fi phone users. The new gateways share a common set of features that offer distinct improvements to voice quality, handset battery life, and ease of setup; all of which play an important role in fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services such as UMA, IMS, and wireless VoIP.
Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) deploys Westell’s wireless voice features as an enhancement to their Fusion WiFi service. “Westell gateways are an important part of our Wi-Fi service offering. The superior wireless performance and instant setup with dual-mode handsets ensure that Cincinnati Bell is able to deliver the levels of voice quality and convenience that our customers expect,” said Larry McClanahan, director of DSL and Internet for Cincinnati Bell.
Both new products feature advanced antenna technology and increased output power to extend wireless reach in the home, prioritization of voice traffic over the broadband network, and a separate wireless SSID dedicated to handsets. “These are critical features for voice quality and improved user experience,” explains Muckai Girish, Westell vice president of business development. “Service providers stake their reputations on delivering clear and reliable calls. To meet this commitment, Wi-Fi coverage must be at its best and call quality must be unaffected by data traffic in the home.”
Additionally, Westell’s gateways support standards that improve battery efficiency in dual-mode handsets. The power saving feature allows handsets to remain in a “sleep” state more often, significantly increasing stand-by time. The products also eliminate the hassles and complexity of manually entering wireless network and security settings. Setup is quick and easy with a simple pushbutton that automates the entire process.
The full suite of wireless voice features is offered in both of the following models:
VersaLink® 7501 Wireless Gateway – Advanced wireless access point, 4-port Ethernet switch, USB host port, Ethernet WAN, and high-performance routing in a compact package.
TriLink IMS™ Gateway – In addition to the capabilities of VersaLink, provides two analog voice ports for connection of standard home phones to VoIP services.
“The immediate availability of these products is well timed with the current growth of the dual-mode handset market”, adds Girish. “We are excited about the opportunity to enable services that drive additional ARPU and customer stickiness for our service provider partners.”
About Westell
Westell Technologies, Inc., (NASDAQ: WSTL) is a holding company for Westell, Inc. and ConferencePlus, Inc. Westell, Inc. designs and develops broadband communications access products. ConferencePlus, Inc. is a collaborative Application Service Provider that manages and hosts voice, video, IP applications and back-office services. Additional information can be obtained by visiting Westell’s Web site at http://www.westell.com.