Cingular Wireless Selects Alcatel Multiservice Solution as Operator Migrates to IP
PLANO, Texas, Nov. 20 -Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that Cingular Wireless LLC, the largest mobile phone company in the United States, selected Alcatel's multiservice transport solution for delivery of advanced third-generation (3G) mobile services such as high speed data and video on demand.
The Alcatel solution enables Cingular to cost-effectively support the increased bandwidth requirements for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) in its radio access network. IP-based HSDPA services provide users with "anywhere", "anytime", high-speed wireless connectivity. Cingular took a leadership role when it launched the world's first widely-deployed commercial HSDPA broadband wireless access service in December 2005.
Alcatel's multiservice transport solution includes its 7670 Routing Switch Platform (RSP), which provides industry-leading support in both IP/MPLS and ATM realms. Coupled with the 7670 RSP, the Alcatel 1671 Service Connect (SC) multiservice cross-connect rounds out the transport solution by providing efficient grooming and traffic optimization. Alcatel offers the ability to migrate large-scale multiservice ATM networks to carrier grade IP/MPLS implementations without compromising high availability, manageability and Quality of Service.
End-to-end point and click network management of Alcatel's solution is ensured by its 5620 Network Manager (NM). The Alcatel 5620 NM provides Cingular with industry leading operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning tools that reduce operating costs and increase time to service.
"We will be moving in lock-step with Cingular's aggressive development of the first HSDPA 3G network in the US," says Hubert de Pesquidoux, president of Alcatel's North American activities. "The Alcatel solution is extremely flexible and scalable as well as simple to manage and will provide significant reductions in Cingular's overall CAPEX and OPEX."
Cingular's 3G UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network was the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA technology. Cingular 3G wireless broadband service is currently available in 137 metropolitan areas, including 64 of the top 100 largest cities. The company plans to expand service to most major markets in 2006. UMTS/HSDPA is the high- speed evolution of GSM/EDGE (Global System for Mobile Communication/Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution), which shares a common core network.
The Alcatel multiservice solution uniquely supports Cingular's UMTS/HSPDA interface requirements today and in the future. The Alcatel 7670 RSP and 5620 NM have been deployed in more than 100 networks including many tier one fixed and mobile service providers around the world. The Alcatel 1671 Service Connect is also widely deployed with both fixed and mobile service providers across North America.
About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com