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This can't help our cause.
Plus is irks me because MCLD is my biggest hold with PAIR second:
Alcatel and McLeodUSA Sign Contract; McLeodUSA Will Deploy Alcatel's Litespan 2000 and Starspan Access Systems to Expand Multi-State Fiber Optic Network
PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 1999--McLeodUSA Incorporated (Nasdaq/NMS:MCLD), a rapidly growing Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has signed a multi-million dollar contract to deploy Alcatel's (NYSE:ALA) Litespan(tm) 2000 platform and Starspan(tm) fiber-to-the curb products for its expanding multi-state network.
The contract calls for integrating Alcatel's access platform into the McLeodUSA network over several years.
The deployment of Alcatel's Litespan platform will assist McLeodUSA in its transition from reselling telephony services to operating its own network. This transition is expected to bring financial benefits to McLeodUSA, along with greater control to continue delivering excellent customer service. The Litespan platform will provide digital clarity, excellent reliability, and advanced functionality for McLeodUSA customers.
"Alcatel's Litespan platform is an important element of the McLeodUSA network and corporate strategy," said Kirk Kaalberg, group vice president of Network Services, McLeodUSA. "With Litespan, we are quickly expanding our narrowband, wideband, and broadband service offerings. The Alcatel products allow us to add functionality and cost-efficiencies to our growing network. Litespan also provides exceptional digital clarity and reliability."
"We are extremely proud that McLeodUSA made its decision based on extensive market evaluations. Their selection validates Litespan's continued value leadership in loop access technology for voice, video and data," said Mike Pisterzi, senior vice president, Alcatel's Access Division. "Due to its feature-rich, robust architecture, Alcatel's Litespan is one of the most widely deployed solutions used by Incumbent and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECS) nationwide."
Litespan 2000 is a SONET-based Next Generation Digital Loop Carrier (NGDLC) system that meets GR-303 standards and serves up to 2,016 lines from each remote digital terminal. Together with its companion product, the Starspan optical network unit (ONU), Litespan delivers high-quality, services utilizing state-of-the-art fiber optic technology deep into the network.
Designed for flexible future growth, Litespan features a high-density architecture to accommodate co-location deployments where floor space is limited. Alcatel is continually enhancing the Litespan platform for delivery of new revenue-generating services using different transmission media, including coax, fiber, conventional copper twisted pair and microwave.
McLeodUSA, founded in June of 1991, is a provider of integrated telecommunications services to business and residential customers. The Company's telecommunications customers are located in ten Midwest and Rocky Mountain states. McLeodUSA is a facilities-oriented telecommunications provider with nine switches, 398,000 local lines, 5,300 employees and over 7,100 route miles of fiber optic network.
In the next 12 months, the Company's publishing subsidiaries will distribute more than 19 million copies of competitive directories in 21 states, reaching 33 million people. For more information, visit McLeodUSA on Internet: mcleodusa.com. The media and Investor Relations contact for McLeodUSA is Bryce Nemitz, 319/298-7800, bnemitz@mcleodusa.com.
A world leader in telecommunications systems and equipment, as well as related cables and components activities, Alcatel operates in over 130 countries. Alcatel provides complete solutions and services to operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers, ranging from backbone networks to user terminals. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: alcatel.com or the US Web site at usa.alcatel.com. Contact for Alcatel Investor Relations, (US) Michael Haase, 972/519-6855, michael.a.haase@usa.alcatel.com.
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