FEB 15, 2000, M2 Communications - Paris -- Alcatel has been awarded a
five-year contract by Global Crossing to provide the operation and
maintenance of cable stations for the MAC (Mid-Atlantic Crossing), PC-1
(Pacific Crossing), PAC (Pan-American Crossing) and PEC (Pan-European
Crossing) sea link cable stations. The contract also includes an
opportunity for Alcatel to support and maintain the SAC (South American
Crossing) and EAC (East Asian Crossing) cable networks, due to come
into service at a later date. These systems form part of a worldwide
network being rolled out by Global Crossing - the leading independent
provider of global IP-based fibre optic telecommunications systems.
This contract is the second maintenance contract to be awarded to
Alcatel by Global Crossing, as part of Global Crossing's strategy to
subcontract non-core activities.
Alcatel has been successfully implementing turnkey solutions for
customers for a number of years and has acquired considerable
experience in managing multi-vendor networks and operating sizeable
systems. Alcatel has also successfully defined and implemented business
processes for operators and has provided the complex network management
systems and customer service and billing packages.
Christian Reinaudo, President of Alcatel Optics, commented:
"Alcatel's leadership in delivering the full range of
telecommunications services and products is complemented by our ability
to support our customers through the full cycle of operation and
maintenance of their networks. We are pleased to be building on our
partnership relationship with Global Crossing through this second
contract with them for support activities."
Alcatel will be supplying technical expertise, experience and
manpower to support 12 of Global Crossing's cable stations, in addition
to the cable stations operations centre located in London.
Global Crossing is rapidly developing high capacity fibre-optic
undersea cable systems and terrestrial facilities to connect the
leading cities in the world, reliably and cost-effectively, and is well
on course to developing, owning and operating the world's first
integrated global IP-based network to help satisfy the explosive demand
for reliable, high-quality transmission capacity.
Two of the networks were completed by the end of 1999, with all the
cable station personnel in place and operational. The remaining
networks will be completed during the year 2000. The cable stations for
the various undersea networks which Alcatel will maintain are:
Hollywood, FL., USA; Brookhaven, NY., USA; Ste. Croix, US Virgin
Islands; Fort Amador, Panama; Ambush Range, Panama; Tijuana, Mexico;
Mazatlan, Mexico; Caracas, Venezuela; Grover Beach, CA., USA; Harbour
Point, WA. USA; Bredene, Belgium and Broadstairs, UK.
About Alcatel
Alcatel builds next-generation networks, delivering integrated
end-to-end voice and data communications solutions to established and
new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 120,
000 employees and sales of EURO 23 billion, Alcatel operates in more
than 130 countries. For more information, visit our web site:
alcatel.com
Alcatel is the world leader in delivering full turnkey submarine
network solutions and services. Alcatel leads this industry in terms
of: - having the highest active capacity up to 2.5 Tbit/s for the
long-haul systems and 3.6 Tbit/s for the short-haul ones, using the
latest DWDM technology; - having the largest manufacturing capacity at
85,000 km per year strategically located around the Globe; - using 7
dedicated purposed-designed vessels for a tight control on the delivery
schedule.
Current contracts, worth US$ 3.1 + billion, include the most advanced
undersea networks in the world today: Atlantica-1 and FLAG Atlantic
systems in the Atlantic, the Japan-US and Southern Cross transpacific
systems, and the MAC and MAYA-1 systems in the Americas and the SAT-3
around Africa.
About Global Crossing
Global Crossing Ltd. (Nasdaq: GBLX) is building, and offering
services over, the world's first global fiber optic network with 97,200
announced route miles, serving five continents, 24 countries and more
than 200 major cities.
The Global Crossing Network and its telecommunications and Internet
product offerings will be available to over 80% of the world's
international communications traffic. Global Crossing hosts more than
300 of the top Internet brands at its web hosting division,
GlobalCenter. Among the brands are some of the largest and most densely
trafficked sites on the Web, including Yahoo!, The Motley Fool, Ziff
Davis, MP3.com and eToys. Global Crossing's operations are
headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with principal offices in Los
Angeles, California; London, England; Morristown, New Jersey; and
Rochester, New York. |
