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Illinois Valley Cellular Offers Push-To-Talk Service to Cellular Customers
Region’s Users No Longer Need National Wireless Operator to Get Walkie-Talkie-Style Communication
MARSEILLES, Ill., and AURORA, Ill. – June 5, 2007 – Illinois Valley Cellular (IVC) today announced that it had signed an agreement with Clarity Communication Systems, Inc. that will enable it to offer push-to-talk service (PTT), the same instant, one-to-one or one-to-many calling functionality made popular by Sprint Nextel. A natural fit for field-service teams, fleet management and emergency response environments, as well as family members who need to keep in close and instant touch, the service allows callers to reach one or many contacts walkie-talkie style at the touch of a button.
Illinois Valley’s PTT service will use VoIP (Voice over IP) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology to set up and route the instant calls. These technologies leverage the mobile operator’s prior investments in wireless CDMA 1X data networking, since VoIP sends voice as data packets over wireline or wireless data channels. A private line from Marseilles to Clarity’s secure data center in Naperville, Illinois will carry the packetized voice traffic as instant calls between the subscriber handsets and Clarity’s SIP-based switch.
Push-to-talk calls interact in under a second, according to Bill Jenkins, Clarity’s vice president of Strategy and Product Management. “This compares favorably with traditional phone calling. Voice quality is also comparable with traditional wireless telephony.”
IVC expects to be able to price this service competitively, since the service is largely operated for regional mobile operators by Clarity. The Illinois mobile network operator licenses it on a “pay as you grow” basis, giving Clarity and the service provider a stake in the offering’s success.
“Illinois Valley Cellular’s state-of-the art CDMA digital network enables us to make use of the latest Voice-over-IP applications throughout the nation, including Push-to-Talk,” said Tom Walsh, General Manager for Illinois Valley Cellular. “Our partnership with Clarity Communications allows us to price it very competitively, and give North Central, Illinois an alternative source for PTT.”
Push-to-talk customers will use PTT-capable handsets from Kyocera Wireless. Using SIP technology, these phones’ screens can display contact “presence” and availability information, instant-messaging-style. In the same IM fashion, PTT contacts and groups can be added or deleted through the handset.
About Illinois Valley Cellular
In its 15th year of operation, Illinois Valley Cellular provides wireless services to the people of North Central, Illinois. The company serves Illinois RSA (Rural Service Area) 2, containing LaSalle, Bureau, Putnam, Marshall, Stark, Livingston, Ford and Iroquois counties and a population of over 250,000. Website: www.ivcellular.com
About Clarity Communication Systems Inc.
Clarity Communication Systems specializes in the design, development and deployment of solutions for mobile devices and wireless networks. Clarity also provides network infrastructure solutions and works with major telecommunications carriers and equipment providers to deliver a wide range of custom-built products. Founded in 1998, Clarity is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. For more information, visit Clarity’s Web site at www.claritycsi.com.
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