Cork firm buys switching licence

A CORK-based entrepreneur has secured the European licensing rights to a US-developed product which he says will allow cable and telecommunications companies to improve their multimedia capabilities by delivering broadcast television signals to the end user over the telephone line.

The technology is said to integrate networks to fully use all existing bandwidths, by eliminating the need for traditional broadcasting techniques, like UVH and VHF. "This technology would allow a great telephone company to become a great cable company overnight.

"Everyone has been looking for the Holy Grail of switching systems which can interpret multiple signals and output them in multiple formats," says Mr Gary Keefe, managing director of Genesis Technologies 2000. Genesis has acquired the licence - for an undisclosed sum - to deploy the technology in Europe. It was purchased from a US consortium which secured the patent one year ago after a prolonged evaluation process. According to Mr Keefe, more than 420 companies have hit on the same technology in the past six months only to discover it is already registered at the US Patent Office under the US consortium's existing patent. The patent protects a connection technology, combined with a methodology that can transport, translate and re-configure video or data, travelling through existing pipelines.

It allows diverse data signals to be accepted, crunched down to the smallest possible packet and transmitted in whatever format they are required.

It is claimed that consumers can look forward to receiving a broadcast quality television signal through a standard telephone line.

Applications of the technology include private video networks for businesses and video-phones "in real time". It could also be used for hospital video networks which would allow specialists to participate in surgery remotely. Mr Keefe is confident there will be a very healthy demand to licence the product within Europe. Genesis says it is already in discussions with Deutsche Telecom and France Telecom, as both are large traditional telecoms companies whose extensive copper networks are in need of very costly upgrades. Although the service will not be available for 18 months, Mr Keefe says he has already received a number of offers from companies seeking to purchase the licensing rights.

Mr Keefe says the technology has already been very positively received by representatives from the Irish telecommunications, cable and TV industries, and Genesis plans to enter into talks next month with Eircom.

Mr Keefe, an Irish-American, settled in Cork two years ago. He has previously been involved in a number of offshore investments in small to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.