Sprint reaches VoIP patent agreement with Big River Telephone

Large incumbent operators filing lawsuits against competitive and independent service providers over VoIP services has become a phenomenon in recent years. Case in point is Sprint. The IXC, which currently provides wholesale VoIP services to other cable operators, has settled a VoIP patent lawsuit with Big River Telephone Co. Although financial details of the settlement were not revealed, the agreement will allow Big River Telephone to provide wholesale telephone services to other small cable operators.   

In January 2008, Sprint filed a lawsuit claiming that Big River Telephone, in addition to Nuvox Communications, BroadVOX Holdings and PAETEC Communications, infringed on six VoIP patents it owns. Sprint previously reached similar settlements with the three other telecom service providers. Perhaps one of its most notable lawsuits came in 2007 when Sprint won a patent-infringement judgment against VoIP provider Vonage who paid $80 million to settle the case.

Similar to Sprint, Big River Telephone not only provides traditional residential and commercial telecom services, but it also offers Mo.-based cable operators back office services and support to independent cable operators, including New Wave Communications, Metrocast, US Cable, Allegiance Communications and Eagle Communications.

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