AT&T CANADA AWARDS $50 MILLION DSL EQUIPMENT CONTRACT TO NEWBRIDGE NETWORKS@
Full Suite of DSL-Based Services for AT&T Canada Business Customers Nationwide Enabled by Newbridge 350 IVSN
TORONTO, March 3 /CNW-PRN/ - AT&T Canada, (TSE: TEL.B, NASD: ATTC), Canada's largest facilities-based competitive provider of local and long distance, voice, data and Internet communications services, today announced that it has selected Newbridge Networks (NYSE: NN; TSE: NNC) to provide network equipment and service management for its nationwide DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) enabled network. When complete, the DSL deployment will allow AT&T Canada to offer DSL-enabled services to approximately 80 percent of the business access lines in Canada.
In an equipment contract worth over $50 million over three years, AT&T Canada will purchase the Newbridge 350 Integrated Versatile Services Node (IVSN) for DSL access along with the industry-leading MainStreetXpress 46020 Network Manager. Combined, these products will allow AT&T Canada to offer high-speed Internet and corporate network access digitally over standard copper telephone wires at lower cost than traditional dedicated private line service.
``AT&T Canada continues to invest in its access infrastructure to meet the growing wave of bandwidth hungry business applications driven by e-commerce and the Internet,' said Mark Senda, AT&T Canada's President of Local Services. ``Through the deployment of these advanced DSL technologies, we can extend our network reach with high speed access to customers who may not yet be directly served by our expansive local fibre-optic based network. We have been very impressed with the end-to-end capabilities of the Newbridge 350 IVSN as an excellent solution for our business customers.'
AT&T Canada selected the Newbridge 350 IVSN for DSL access based on its ability to combine DSL access delivery, ATM and IP switching, quality of service guarantees, and high-speed transport. The Newbridge network management system offers AT&T Canada end-to-end nationwide network and service management capabilities from the company's operations centre in Toronto.
AT&T Canada has already installed Newbridge equipment in three customer locations with plans to equip all of its approximately 90 collocations in incumbent telephone company switching centres by the end of 2000. These collocation centres are directly connected to AT&T Canada's 17,000 kilometre broadband local and long haul national fibre optic data network. Throughout 2000, AT&T Canada expects to launch a full suite of DSL-enabled services to those Canadian business customers in buildings not yet directly connected to its local fibre optic networks for high speed broadband Internet and data communications services.
``DSL is an extraordinarily powerful multiservice, multiaccess platform that delivers a series of business services today and allows a seamless extension of services for the future,' said Kieron Dowling, vice president and general manager, Newbridge Networks in Canada. ``Using the Newbridge solution, AT&T Canada is able to deliver a total package of interactive communications services over the telephone lines that run into their customers' buildings. Newbridge DSL offers AT&T Canada a fully interactive medium for delivering any kind of digital communication over twisted pair. The potential for adding value and further enhancing its brand with consumers is almost limitless.'
Breakthrough DSL technology can provide access to the Internet and corporate LANs at speeds up to 100 times faster than traditional analog modems. In addition to speed, other key benefits of DSL technology include continuous ``on demand' connectivity, eliminating dial-up or waiting; secure access using dedicated facilities; and, reliability because the network is monitored around the clock.
About Newbridge Networks:
Newbridge Networks designs, manufactures, markets and services wide area networking solutions for Internet service providers; local, long-distance, and wireless communications companies; cable television carriers; and corporate customers in more than 100 countries. The Company leverages its relationship with Newbridge Affiliate companies and strategic alliances with numerous other networking companies to deliver complete, end-to-end solutions. Newbridge customers include the world's 350 largest telecommunications service providers and more than 10,000 corporations, government organizations and other institutions. Founded in 1986, the Company employs more than 6,000 people on six continents. News and information are available at www.newbridge.com. Newbridge and logo are registered trademarks of Newbridge Networks Corporation.
About AT&T Canada:
AT&T Canada is Canada's largest facilities-based competitive provider of local and long distance voice, data and Internet telecommunications services. Created during 1999 from the merger of MetroNet Communications, AT&T Canada Long Distance Services, Netcom Canada and ACC TelEnterprises, AT&T Canada brings together the country's largest competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), three of Canada's leading competitive Internet Service Providers (ISP), and Canada's pioneer in competitive long distance. AT&T Canada Inc. is a public company with its common stock traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TEL.B and on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol ATTC. Visit AT&T Canada's web site, www.attcanada.com for more information about the company.
SOURCE AT&T Canada Corp.
/CONTACT: AT&T Canada, Investors and Analysts: Bruce M. Mann, Vice
President, Investor Relations, (416) 345-3577, bmann(at)attcanada.com, Media:
Drew Van Parys, Director, Corporate Communications, (416) 345-3623,
drewvanparys(at)attcanada.com, Newbridge Networks: Media: Nancy Moloney, (613)
599-3600, Ext. 3192, nmoloney(at)newbridge.com/
(TEL.B. ATTC NNC. NN) |
