C&W wins BSkyB contract from BT

BSkyB has signed a three-year contract with Cable and Wireless to link its premises in the UK and Ireland using virtual private network (VPN) technology.

The satellite broadcaster will use an Internet Protocol (IP) VPN with guaranteed quality of service (QoS). Financial terms have not been disclosed.

The deal replaces networking provided by BT, which is a major partner of BSkyB's in the provision of interactive services to customers and other parts of the broadcast business, for example providing fast, wide-area pipes using DWDM - dense wave division multiplexing.

BSkyB telecoms manager Bob Glenn said the new system will go live this summer, with C&W having to deliver against tight deadlines.

The IP VPN will carry voice, data and video over a single network, consolidating separate networks employed in the past.

C&W and BT are two of the main providers of IP VPNs. Other competitors internationally include AT&T, Equant, MCI, NTT and Sprint.