Leading independent telecommunications holding company SureWest Communications continues to lead the market in broadband video technology as it prepares to become the first company in the United States to offer High Definition TV (HDTV) commercially over its Internet Protocol (IP)-based fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network.

Beginning October 25, 2005, the Roseville, CA-based company will take its HDTV over IP beta testing out of the lab environment and into a broader production environment. This full-service round of testing will be the final stage leading up to SureWest's commercial HDTV deployment.

"Using IP technology over our fiber-optic network offers the potential for increased clarity to the HD experience and will allow SureWest to offer a variety of emerging video products, while maintaining the area's fastest high-speed Internet service," says Bill DeMuth, SureWest's vice president and chief technology officer. "The IP FTTP service delivery model provides flexibility and abundant cost-effective bandwidth to deliver voice and data services, as well as a host of interactive television capabilities with IPTV.

"This is more of what people are looking for from their televisions and we are excited to be at the forefront of this movement."

As part of its broadband growth strategy, SureWest has built an FTTP network throughout the Sacramento, CA region, passing more than 80,000 marketable homes. SureWest currently expects to launch HDTV over IP commercially in November 2005. SureWest's fiber network currently provides an industry-leading speed of up to 10 megabits per second (Mbps) high-speed Internet service (both downloading and uploading), with the option to double that speed up to 20 Mbps.

SureWest enhanced its ability to deliver advanced IP video service over a fiber network with a Cisco® IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) featuring Cisco Catalyst® 4510 and Catalyst 6509 switches that help enable SureWest to deliver high speeds based on the 100 Mbps standard bi-directional to its residential customers.

"It's gratifying to work with a company like SureWest, a firm that continues to search for new ways to offer customers leading-edge services through its IP network," said Jeff Spagnola, vice president of service provider marketing, Cisco. "Customers are increasingly demanding more advanced services, and we are committed to working with providers like SureWest to enable video/IPTV networks that scale with a lower total cost of ownership and that have unparalleled video-application linkages for a better user experience."