Com Hem embraces fixed line IMS

Swedish cable operator Com Hem bought itself a shiny new IMS from Nokia Siemens Networks on Monday.

The carrier intends to use it to deliver VoIP services, running on a Siemens SURPASS HiQ server, and the system will deploy ENUM to map traditional telephone numbers to IP addresses.

“We are excited to be one of the first telecom operators in Sweden to adopt IMS as a key technology to further develop our VoIP services. This is a strategic move that will not only provide our customers with the best VoIP offering on the market, but also open the way to new applications and converging services,” said Martin Kull, CTO of Com Hem.

It has been frequently suggested that IMS, a technology developed in a mobile network operator context, may actually be more likely to succeed in the context of multi-service fixed operators like Com Hem. In many ways, it’s simpler to implement there, and providing cable TV or video on demand and fixed line voice is less fraught with openness issues than mobile or fixed internet service.