Alcatel's DWDM Solutions Selected by Portugal Telecom for Its National Optical Backbone Network
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2001--
The first 32-channel DWDM system ever deployed in Portugal
starts real traffic operations today
PT-Comunicacoes (PT Com) - a company owned by Portugal Telecom, the largest telecom and multimedia business organization in Portugal - awarded Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE:ALA) a multi-million Euro contract to build Portugal's first 32-channel DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) long-haul transmission network.
The new high-capacity and high-speed national backbone network, which starts real traffic operations today, is connecting the two major cities across Portugal - Lisbon and Oporto - spanning a 350 kilometers distance and interfaces with Portugal Telecom's existing transmission core network, based on Alcatel's Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) systems. This expansion provides Portugal Telecom with the necessary bandwidth capacity and feature-rich base to rapidly deploy the new broadband services demanded by the Portuguese market.
The 32-channel DWDM system supplied - part of Alcatel's Optinex family of top-class transmission products - can operate up to 10 Gbit/s and is equipped with Forward Error Correction technology that enables Portugal Telecom to substantially optimize its network operating costs. The DWDM link is managed by the same Alcatel's integrated management platform already deployed by Portugal Telecom to manage and supervise the SDH core backbone network.
"The Lisbon-Oporto project is key for Portugal Telecom (PT-Com)," said Carlos Costa, PT-Com Board member for Network Infrastructure. "It will enhance the capacity and robustness of our network, which are vital to the provision of multimedia communications. Alcatel's solutions will allow us to steadily augment the system as the traffic grows and to offer advanced and fast transmittable services with the quality our customers require."
"This new backbone typifies Portugal Telecom's trend to go through a diversification business process and create a wider service environment, " said Jean-Marie Vansteenkiste, president of Alcatel's terrestrial networks activities. "We are pleased that Portugal Telecom renewed its confidence in Alcatel's solutions to further position itself as the avant-garde of technological innovation."
About Portugal Telecom
Portugal Telecom provides telecommunications and multimedia services in Portugal, Brazil and other international growth markets. Portugal Telecom's service offering covers a full range of mobile services, multimedia services (such as pay TV, Internet access, portal and e-commerce services), data and business solutions (such as data communications, business-to-business e-commerce and data and networking solutions), and wireline telephone services for retail and wholesale customers. In a liberalized domestic market, Portugal Telecom maintains its leadership with estimated market shares of 98% in the fixed telephone service, 70% in data, 50% in mobile, around 90% in cable TV and 40% in Internet. Internationally, PT is present in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.
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 130,000 employees and sales of EURO 31 billion in 2000, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, please visit Alcatel's Web site at www.alcatel.com
CONTACT: Alcatel
Press:
Jamie Horton, Tel: + 707-792-7843
Jamie.horton@usa.alcatel.com |
