Alcatel, Innovatia and Aliant Telecom Collaborate on
Broadband Initiatives
Aliant Telecom customers to trial next generation of IP-based services as
part of Alcatel and Innovatia's LivingLAB agreement
OTTAWA, ON and SAINT JOHN, NB, July 16 /PRNewswire/ - Alcatel (NYSE: ALA and Paris:
CGEP.PA), the world leader in broadband access, announced today it will further develop the
delivery of advanced services over digital subscriber line (DSL) through a LivingLAB(TM)
agreement with Innovatia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aliant Inc. (TSE:AIT - news) and one of
Canada's leading research and innovation companies for broadband Internet-Protocol (IP)
applications.
``We recognize that Alcatel is a world leader in broadband access,'' said Gerry Pond, President,
Aliant Telecom and Emerging Business. ``Broadband delivers more than high speed Internet. Aliant
and Alcatel share the same vision of optimizing IP technology for service providers and customers
by developing and delivering IP-based services such as video on demand and interactive TV that
can be delivered over DSL. We are already working together to deliver interactive TV service,
known as VibeVision, to Aliant Telecom customers in Atlantic Canada. We are confident this
agreement with Alcatel will prove to be mutually beneficial and deliver more winning broadband
solutions.''
DSL allows carriers to offer revenue-generating high-value services such as video on demand over
their existing copper infrastructure and Innovatia's state-of-the-art LivingLAB environment provides
a unique production and test facility in which these new services are brought to market in a
significantly reduced timeframe. Alcatel will provide DSL equipment for the roll out of new IP
service prototypes with Aliant Telecom customers.
``Working with Innovatia's LivingLAB and Aliant Telecom allows Alcatel to continue developing
solid, feature rich products. The real-time R&D that the LivingLAB provides gives Alcatel an
extensive test bed for validating new and existing services,'' said Alcatel Canada CEO, Hubert de
Pesquidoux. ``Aliant's customers have enjoyed interactive television over ordinary copper telephone
wires for more than a year. The LivingLAB agreement will enable Alcatel and Aliant to optimize the
evolution of next generation broadband services at an accelerated pace to meet subscribers
demands.''
About Innovatia
---------------
Headquartered in Atlantic Canada, Innovatia focuses on designing and commercializing Internet-based innovations. Through its base of
highly skilled professionals, Innovatia accelerates the design, development and sale of applications to service providers worldwide
through the LivingLAB(TM) innovation, research and development approach. Using IP technology, Innovatia provides a variety of
advanced Internet-based open standard services for governments, enterprises and service providers, including interactive television,
e-business solutions as well as Web-based knowledge services. For more information about Innovatia please visit www.innovatia.net.
Innovatia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aliant Inc. Aliant Inc. (TSE:AIT - news) is one of Canada's top high-tech companies,
providing integrated communications and IT solutions through subsidiaries operating worldwide. By combining industry-leading
expertise from across the group of companies, Aliant utilizes the Aliant Premium(TM) Model to deliver unique, end-to-end solutions to
customers. With 10,000 employees and a market capitalization of almost $5 billion, Aliant ranks in the top 100 publicly traded
companies in the country. Please visit www.aliant.ca for more information about Aliant.
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 sales of EURO 31 billion in 2000 and 110,000 employees, Alcatel
operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: alcatel.com.
SOURCE: Aliant Inc. |
