SkyPoint Selects Alcatel for its LMDS Broadband Wireless Network Deployment
The project initially exceeds Euro 100 million
The deployment has already been completed in seven main Spanish cities.
Paris, October 30, 2000 - SkyPoint, a new generation Spanish telecommunications operator
with a wireless access licence in the 26 GHz band, has selected Alcatel to supply its LMDS
(Local Multipoint Distribution Service) solution.
SkyPoint has signed a contract with Alcatel with the initial phase of the project valued at over
Euro 100 million. The network is currently being deployed throughout seven major Spanish cities
and SkyPoint will start offering its services on a commercial basis early next year- six months
prior to its commitments under the terms of the wireless access licence. Alcatel will supply
SkyPoint with a turnkey LMDS solution, as well as additional service elements.
The comprehensive Alcatel LMDS solution is a multiservice broadband wireless network
comprising base stations and customer premises equipment, as well as network and service
management. SkyPoint has signed a contract with Alcatel to develop applications for network
services (ASP solutions) which will be deployed next year on the LMDS platform. These
applications will be commercialised by SkyPoint over the next few months under the agreement
with Alcatel and other leading companies in the computing and telecommunications industry.
Manuel Gordillo, CEO for SkyPoint Spain, said: "Our aim is to become renowned for the quality
of our service offering. We will, of course, compete on price, but also on the quality of the
services we will offer. Alcatel's leadership in LMDS technology and its knowledge of the
Spanish telecommunications network were key to us awarding them this contract".
Pearse Flynn, President of Alcatel's Carrier Networking Group, said: "We are delighted to be
selected by SkyPoint for this major LMDS deployment. If you add this to Alcatel's recently
announced broadband wireless wins with Retevisión in Spain, Bell South in Uruguay, Former's
Telephone in USA and Pro Futuro, S.A. in Poland, it is clear that Alcatel is the supplier of
choice for broadband wireless access technology".
SkyPoint is owned by Grapes Communications, former Comunitel, (30%), Star One (30%),
Recoletos (15%), Unedisa (15%) and Isolux (10%). The President is Marcial Portela and the CEO
is Manuel Gordillo. Last April, SkyPoint was awarded one of the three wireless access licenses
in Spain in the 26 GHz band. To date, they have made installations in the seven major Spanish
cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Málaga, Zaragoza and Bilbao) with an investment of
about 18,000 million pesetas. In February 2001, SkyPoint will serve 22 cities and in 4 years time it
will serve all cities with a population of over 50,000. For more information, visit the SkyPoint's
website at: skypoint.es
About Alcatel
Alcatel builds next generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data
networking solutions to established and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers
worldwide. With 120,000 employees and sales of EURO 23 billion in 1999, Alcatel operates in
more than 130 countries.
Contact press@www.alcatel.com |
