SYDNEY -- 16 March 2000 -- The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has chosen Cisco Systems to build a combined voice and data network to serve peace-keeping forces in East Timor. The network will help the Australian-led peace keeping operations overcome the damaged state of East Timor's post-combat communications infrastructure, enabling voice calls and data transfer over a single network between the operation headquarters in Dili and the operational area covering East Timor, including five remote sites. The network will connect to ADF's Australia-based WAN (wide area network).

All sites throughout East Timor are interconnected via ISDN dial-up services and utilise Cisco encryption technology, enabling secure transmission of email and information between military bases and the outside world.

An easily managed and inexpensive voice communications solution was required for five satellite-connected remote sites. ADF chose a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) solution using Cisco's AS5300 multiservice platform at the core in Dili with VOICE card-equipped 2611's at the remote sites. The sites are connected via Telstra satellite services in Dili and incur a round trip latency of approximately 500 milliseconds.

ADF chose Cisco because of its large installed base of Cisco equipment in the organisation's core and peripheral networks. "As with all our communications systems, we had to be sure the East Timor network would be robust, offer high-performance with minimal faults, and be interoperable with our existing infrastructure," said Major John Wilson, the Army CIS (communications and information systems) planner who was responsible for developing and implementing the new network. "Cisco is a known and proven entity."

According to Major Wilson, the network is welcome in more ways than one. "Not only does it facilitate effective communications between deployed forces and headquarters, it is also a vehicle for peace-keeping personnel to communicate with family and friends back home."

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