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Date: 9th March 2006
Title: PacketFront and Siemens provide open access fibre-based network to SEAS-NVE

PacketFront, the world leader in FTTH technology and next generation broadband aggregation, has announced that SEAS-NVE, Denmark's leading consumer-owned utility company, will migrate to a sophisticated open access network powered by PacketFront's unique BECS technology. Working in partnership with Siemens Communications Group, the new fibre-based network will replace SEAS-NVE's current 'closed' broadband system, and will deliver triple play broadband services - including IPTV - to customers in SEAS-NVE's supply area. The contract is initially worth ?23 million.

SEAS-NVE's core business is the supply of energy and the establishment of network services to its customers in Denmark. The new platform's open structure makes it possible for multiple content providers to offer competitive triple play services - such as internet, IPTV and telephony - over SEAS-NVE's physical network. This arrangement offers customers a choice of services without having to change their network provider.

Torben Glar Nielsen, Technical Director of SEAS-NVE, commented, "Our extensive experience in supply of fibre-based connections has convinced us that open access networks with multiple service choices for customers will become the future for all networks of this nature."

PacketFront's award-winning BECS system sits at the heart of this deployment, and uses the distributed broadband routers in the network to control the access to each service. As the networking components for each user are fully automated, the time-consuming and resource-heavy task of manual configuration is eliminated, resulting in substantial OPEX reductions for SEAS-NVE. PacketFront's future-proofed and scaleable technology also offers SEAS-NVE the flexibility to open the network up to more service providers as and when it chooses.

"We are very excited to be part of this implementation, as it represents a major shift in customer demand towards the open access model of broadband service provisioning in Denmark," commented Martin Thunman, CEO of PacketFront. "As the digital home becomes more commonplace, users are more inclined to 'shop around' for the best deals. We are confident that the self-provisioning functionality of BECS will exceed SEAS-NVE's customers' expectations, enabling them to benefit from both greater choice and reduced costs as a result of this new automated solution."

PacketFront has partnered with Siemens Communications Group, which has designed the SEAS-NVE network to be homogenous, scaleable and secure. Siemens Communications Group will also be responsible for deliveries and integration.

About SEAS-NVE
SEAS-NVE is Denmark's largest consumer-owned utility company with 380.000 electricity customers in an area that covers West and South Sjaelland. SEAS-NVE's core business is to supply energy and communication services to consumers in Denmark.

About Siemens
The Siemens Communications Group is one of the largest players in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers a full-line portfolio of innovative solutions for voice and data communication. Its comprehensive offerings range from devices right through to complex network infrastructures and services for wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. It is the largest Group within the Siemens organisation and operates in more than 160 countries around the world. In fiscal 2005 (September 30), its 54,500-strong workforce posted sales of over 13 billion euros.