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Date: 2nd February 2008
Title: Örebro and Kumla City Networks move 13 500 households to PacketFront’s technical platform in record time 

PacketFront, the pioneer of open access broadband networking, has concluded an agreement with OpenNet on upgrading the city networks in Örebro and Kumla, Sweden. In just two weeks 13 500 households have moved to the new technical platform, which provides greater freedom of choice and higher capacity. Above all, it is PacketFront's management systems, i.e. the control and provisioning system BECS and the access routers' software iBOS, which have made it possible to upgrade the networks so quickly.

"When you consider the extent of the task, the technological change has gone really well", says Robert Kjellberg, CEO of OpenNet. "Now ÖBOs tenants have access to one of Europe's best networks where you can choose among some 50 services for Internet, TV and telephony."

"The work has gone really well", agrees the IT manager of Örebrobostäder (ÖBO, Örebro Housing), Kenneth Haglert. "We think that this will increase further interest in our flats."

The key component of the platform that PacketFront supplies to ÖBO is the award-winning control and provisioning system BECS. BECS makes it possible for operators to build and run fully automated broadband networks with self-provisioning functionality "on demand". This provides end users with the opportunity to increase capacity and choose services themselves, without having to wait for a third party to carry out the changes. PacketFront also supplies access routers in the ASR series.

"We are happy about the trust from ÖBO and OpenNet, and proud that we succeeded in replacing so many ports in record time – with hardly any inconvenience to tenants", says PacketFront's CEO Martin Thunman. "The open access business model is spreading like wildfire throughout the world and it is forward-looking network owners and communications operators like ÖBO and OpenNet who are leading the way."

About Örebro and Kumla City Networks
The municipalities of Örebro and Kumla took the initiative in 2001 to build a powerful fiber network in Örebro and Kumla. Right from the start the municipalities were effective in bringing an open broadband network to inhabitants of the municipalities and today the majority of bigger companies and municipality workplaces are connected.

About OpenNet
OpenNet is the Nordic region's leading communications operator of open networks. OpenNet does not supply its own services but carries the services of other leading service providers in open networks. OpenNet stands for choice, diversity and competition which lead to high quality and low prices. OpenNet is today operating in several broadband networks in Sweden, among them Karlstad, Skövde, Tierp, and Mora. The services offered in this network are among others broadband TV, IP telephony and Internet via a number of different suppliers.