Choice One Selects Lucent to Provide Infrastructure for New Local Networks; Companies Sign $100 Million Equipment Deal
ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice One Communications (Nasdaq: CWON - news), an Integrated Communications Provider offering facilities- based voice and data telecommunications services to small and medium-sized businesses, has awarded Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU - news) a three-year, $100 million contract to provide the infrastructure for a network expansion. The Lucent equipment will provide advanced data and voice platforms that will meet Choice One's customers' growing telecommunications requirements.
According to Steve Dubnik, Chairman and CEO of Choice One, ``This purchase will allow Choice One to meet our current customer growth demands for services, and at the same time implement the foundation for the next generation of combined voice and data networks.'
Choice One offers a comprehensive, fully integrated package of telecommunications services including local, long distance, data, Internet and high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in the Northeast.
Under the agreement, Lucent is providing Choice One with a set of industry-leading voice, data networking, switching/access systems and software. Included is Lucent's 7R/E Packet Solutions, which will allow Choice One to create a multi-service packet network that integrates voice, video and data services all on a single converged packet network. In addition, the 7R/E solution, which is flexible and scalable, will provide a rapid new service creation environment allowing Choice One to offer a rich set of features without having to build and maintain separate voice and data networks.
The agreement also includes Lucent's 5ESS© switches, CBX(TM) Multiservice wide area network switches, PacketStar(TM) PSAX 1250 and 2300 access concentrators, AnyMedia© access systems, WaveStar(TM) 2.5G multiplexers, NetworkCare(TM) services, as well as OneVision Network Management(TM) software.
``This agreement is the culmination of months of hard work,' said Gerry Cafaro, Area Vice President of Sales for Lucent Technologies. ``Teams of engineers from both companies have been working collaboratively for several months to enable Choice One to accelerate the evolution of its network infrastructure. This agreement positions Choice One to benefit from the continuing evolution of today's circuit-switched network to a more robust and efficient packet-based technology.'
``We are confident that the hands-on involvement of Lucent engineers and our state-of-the-art equipment, combined with Choice One's proven ability in the marketplace, will enable Choice One to raise the bar on service quality, establish a new threshold of reliability, and successfully differentiate its services in the telecom arena.'
About Choice One Communications
Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Choice One (Nasdaq: CWON - news) offers local exchange and long distance telecommunications services, and high-speed data, Internet and DSL solutions, primarily to small and medium-sized businesses in second and third tier markets in the Northeast, U.S. In February, Choice One completed an Initial Public Offering for a total of $164 million of common stock at $20 per share. The Company is making significant long-term commitments in its target markets by deploying integrated switching and data platforms, including DSL technology, to offer its clients fully integrated, high quality solutions for telecommunications services. Choice One currently serves customers in Albany, Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo, New York; Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Allentown, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; Manchester and Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts. The company plans to operate in Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut by mid-year and in Akron, Dayton, and Columbus, Ohio by the end of the year.
For further information about Choice One, visit their web site at choiceonecom.com or contact us at 1-888-832-5800.
About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as optical and wireless networks; Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site at lucent.com.
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