FYI...
Lucent Technologies Announces US$40
Million Contract to Build a State-of-the- Art
Communications Network for Service
Provider in The Philippines
June 2, 1998
MANILA, The Philippines, July 1 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- Lucent
Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced a US$40 million contract to design, supply
and install a complete, state-of-the-art communications network for Bayan
Telecommunications Inc. (Bayantel), one of the country's leading network operators.
The project will include wireline and wireless local loop access lines, covering the
regions of the Visayas and Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.
The contract also includes the sale of international gateway switching equipment to be
installed in San Francisco, California.
Under the contract, Lucent Technologies will supply switching, transmission, access,
wireless local loop equipment, professional services for customer care and
administration. For the core of the network, Lucent will provide its flagship switching
system, the 5ESS(R)-2000 Switch and its DECT- based Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
product, SWING.
Bayantel is a joint venture between Benpres Holdings Corp. -- a subsidiary of the Lopez
Group of the Philippines, whose diversified interests include electricity and water
utilities, energy and broadcasting -- and Bell Atlantic, a U.S. telecom services provider.
Bayantel was awarded a license in 1995, in its initial phase of operation, by the National
Telecommunications Commission to operate the telecommunications franchise in
selected rural and urban areas of the Philippines. As a result of successful early
completion of the project, Bayantel received government approval earlier this year to
expand its network with an additional 150,000 lines.
"Part of our corporate mission is to participate in the economic development of the
Philippines through improved communications services," said Rod C. Salazar, president,
Bayantel. "Bayantel's vision is to provide state- of-the-art communications services
where previously there was little or no service. To do so requires partnering with
government and leaders in the telecom industry such as Bell Atlantic and Lucent
Technologies. We selected Lucent as our technology partner in this network expansion
based on its technological capabilities and established track record for bringing
networking technology together in an integrated fashion," he said.
According to Mitherpal Singh, president of Lucent Technologies Philippines, the
Bayantel project establishes Lucent as one of the leading equipment suppliers in the
Philippines. "Lucent is proud to have been selected to work in partnership with
Bayantel to build a network that can provide not only basic telephone services, but also
capabilities for advanced voice, data, video and the Internet," said Singh. "Upon
completion, Bayantel's network will include some of the most advanced communications
technology available today. "
Bayantel's new state-of-the-art network will use leading technology developed by
Lucent's research and development arm, the world-renowned Bell Laboratories. As part
of the initiative, Lucent will install over 100 units of its Hardened Remote Integrated
Services Line Unit (HRISLU) Cabinet. An outdoor remote switching device, the HRISLU
is designed for areas which are environmentally harsh, remote or lacking in reliable
power sources to bring fiber optic transmission and switching capabilities closer to the
end user.
For the 25,000 wireless local loop lines, Lucent will provide its SWING product. SWING
is the Lucent DECT-based WLL product which has already been selected by operators
in several countries worldwide to connect an estimated one million subscriber lines.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey, United States,
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 Labs is Lucent's research and
development arm. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit the company's
web site at lucent.com
SOURCE Lucent Technologies
/CONTACT: Jonnie Oden of Lucent Technologies, Hong Kong, 852-2506-8033, or
jonnie@lucent.com; or Barbara Burgess of Lucent Technologies, U.S., 908-559-6310, or
home, 973-267-9615/ /Web site: lucent.com (LU)
[Copyright 1998, PR Newswire] |
