Lucent Technologies Strikes Deal Valued at Approximately $500 Million for Bell Atlantic's State-Of-The-Art Data Network
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PR Newswire - March 30, 1998 14:41
Delivers DWDM, Network Management Software and SONET Equipment
MURRAY HILL, N.J., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU)
today announced a five-year agreement with Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL) valued at
approximately $500 million for optical networking, including dense wave
division multiplexing (DWDM), network management software and SONET
transmission equipment. Lucent's solution will help Bell Atlantic's local
telephone companies carry traffic across a state-of-the-art data
communications network.
Lucent's contract is part of Bell Atlantic's project announced today to
accelerate deployment of a next-generation broadband data network. Lucent's
equipment will help Bell Atlantic companies offer bandwidth-intensive services
ranging from high-speed Internet access, data storage and video conferencing.
In addition, Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. will use Lucent's software
to manage equipment from multiple vendors within the carrier's next-generation
network.
"Bell Atlantic is aggressively investing in the modernization of its
network, using Lucent's high-capacity, optical networking products that can
grow to meet our customers' communications needs for the future," said
Lawrence Babbio, president and CEO, Bell Atlantic Network Group, and chairman,
Global Wireless Group. "We chose Lucent to deliver a complete, totally
flexible and cost-effective solution to meet our data networking
requirements."
This agreement builds on Lucent's existing business with Bell Atlantic
Network Services, Inc. that covers SONET and other areas of the carrier's
network including switching and access systems.
"As a carrier that's consistently pursuing better ways of providing the
most sophisticated data, voice and video services to its customers, Bell
Atlantic is primed to deliver a network that has uncompromising speed,
reliability and state-of-the-art technology," said Carly Fiorina, group
president for Lucent's Global Service Provider business. "Lucent is proud to
help Bell Atlantic realize significant cost savings and increased capacity
over a fully integrated network, by offering pay-as-you-grow optical
networking, SONET and software solutions. Today's announcement is further
proof that Lucent is enabling its customers to redefine their networks for the
future."
Under the agreement, Lucent will deliver its high-capacity WaveStar(TM)
optical networking system that lets carriers combine and transport
16 channels, or wavelengths, of information end to end over a single fiber.
Lucent's WaveStar system is easily upgradeable to grow as demand for capacity
dictates, delivering up to 80 optical channels over one fiber.
As announced in January, Lucent introduced the industry's first
80-channel, 400 gigabits per second (Gb/s) DWDM system. Called the WaveStar
OLS 400G, Lucent's 80-channel optical system is the first to support a mix of
SONET rate input at 2.5 or 10 Gb/s, from different vendors, giving carriers
added flexibility in managing their network traffic.
Lucent's network management software will also be delivered to Bell
Atlantic, enabling the carrier to efficiently provision and maintain its data
network. This element management system optimizes bandwidth as well as
reduces the time required to turn up service for customers, helping Bell
Atlantic add customers to its network more quickly.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lucent will also provide SONET
transmission equipment covering multiple signal rates (OC-1, OC-3, OC-12,
OC-48 and OC-192). Lucent's SONET systems gather and manage voice and data
signals from network central offices, converting them to higher speed signals
for transmission.
Additionally, Bell Atlantic has the option of using Lucent's new WaveStar
BandWidth Manager. Unveiled in March, this revolutionary network bandwidth
management system is capable of routing all the traffic being handled by
today's largest telephone central offices and saves carriers up to 60 percent
in equipment costs.
Lucent is a leading provider of optical networking and SONET equipment
under its WaveStar product family, which includes breakthrough capabilities in
DWDM technology. The company has delivered more than 1,100 DWDM systems, with
16-channel systems being delivered to major customers around the world, and
maintains the largest deployment of any optical networking vendor.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey, designs,
builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks,
communications systems and software, data networking systems, business
telephone systems and microelectronics components. Bell Laboratories is the
research and development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent
Technologies, visit the company's web site at lucent.com.
SOURCE Lucent Technologies
/CONTACT: Paula Horii, 908-582-5522 - office, or 908-301-0344 - home, or
phorii@lucent.com, or Loren Talley, 908-559-6417 - office, or 888-520-7338 -
pager, or ltalley@lucent.com, both of Lucent/
/Web site: lucent.com
(LU BEL) |
