GDYNIA, Poland, Dec. 2, 2021 – FALCON V SYSTEMS, a Polish joint venture established by Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) and VECTOR Group to develop Open DAA solutions for Multiple System Operators (MSOs), today announced that it has closed a strategic series funding round, with a new investment from Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) and continued investment by Liberty Global. This financing will accelerate the delivery of key virtualization technologies, including FALCON V SYSTEMS’ MAC Manager for Open DAA, which will increase the velocity and lower total cost of network deployments.
FALCON V SYSTEMS is a recognized innovator developing vendor agnostic solutions for the Open DAA ecosystem that leverages virtualization technologies to reduce deployment complexity, increase scalability, and ensure multi-vendor interoperability. The vendor’s MAC Manager is essential in enabling Open DAA via standard interfaces, data models and testing automation, and this investment round solidifies FALCON V SYSTEMS’ lead in this space.
“The key strategic goal for FALCON V SYSTEMS is to develop an open DAA ecosystem supporting the transformation to next-generation access networks for the global cable industry, exceeding not only today’s requirements but also those in the years to come, including fiber-powered technologies. We are delighted to have the new support of Charter, a company that is leading in its efforts to bring multi-gigabit services to market,” said Bartosz Kajut, CEO, FALCON V SYSTEMS.
„Involvement from another prominent Tier-1 MSO accelerates our efforts to build an Open DAA environment that helps avoid vendor lock-in and supports multi-vendor interoperability.„
Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) is an evolutionary approach to transform the cable industry’s access infrastructure by decentralizing and virtualizing headend and network functions.
„FALCON V SYSTEMS’ solution will be a key component in assisting Charter to continue its deployment of enhanced networks with superior bandwidth, lower latency, and better compute capabilities,” said Andrew Ip, SVP of Emerging Technology and Innovation at Charter. “The benefits that software virtualization and Open DAA will have on the evolution of our networks include the ability to enable new technology partners and more quickly and cost efficiently drive the path to 10G technology and technology convergence.”
„Three years ago, FALCON V SYSTEMS was founded as a joint venture with Liberty Global to reinvent cable infrastructure by leveraging software development and process automation. We’re excited to see Charter join this partnership, further validating our mission and view that an open, cloud-native infrastructure is critical for future networks,” said Enrique Rodriguez, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, Liberty Global.
„By building an Open DAA ecosystem together with FALCON V SYSTEMS, we are steering a path towards access technology convergence, and ultimately the technologies important to our customers.”
About FALCON V SYSTEMS:
FALCON V SYSTEMS is an independent challenger that delivers a cost-effective, scalable, and non-proprietary open DAA solution for Multiple System Operators (MSO’s) based on Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). This non-monolithic, agile architecture will enable more efficient use of network assets, data centers, and cloud assets. Thanks to open interfaces, the solution evolves along with the growth of needs and supports the cooperation between operators and other vendors.
As a part of VECTOR Group, the company have gained extensive experience in access network technologies, delivering advanced technology solutions to the world’s largest cable operators.
About Charter Communications:
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 31 million customers in 41 states through its Spectrum brand. Over an advanced communications network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services including Spectrum Internet®, TV, Mobile and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business® delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach® delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distributes award-winning news coverage, sports and high-quality original programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks and Spectrum Originals. More information about Charter can be found at corporate.charter.com.
About Liberty Global:
Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) is a world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications services. We deliver next-generation products through advanced fiber and 5G networks that connect over 85 million subscribers across Europe and the United Kingdom. Our businesses operate under some of the best-known consumer brands, including Virgin Media-O2 in the UK, VodafoneZiggo in the Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium, Sunrise UPC in Switzerland, Virgin Media in Ireland and UPC in Eastern Europe. Through our substantial scale and commitment to innovation, we are building Tomorrow’s Connections Today, investing in the infrastructure and platforms that empower our customers to make the most of the digital revolution, while deploying the advanced technologies that nations and economies need to thrive.
Our consolidated businesses generate annual revenue of more than $7 billion, while our joint-ventures in the UK and the Netherlands generate combined annual revenue of more than $17 billion.
Liberty Global Ventures, our global investment arm, has a portfolio of more than 75 companies and funds across content, technology and infrastructure, including strategic stakes in companies like Plume, ITV, Lions Gate, Univision and the Formula E racing series.
Revenue figures above are provided based upon 2020 results and on a combined Virgin Media and O2 UK basis. For more information, please visit www.libertyglobal.com.