Travelusacc Discussion Threads

[grupo guitarlumber] 09/6/2004 07:06

RNS Number:5622Z
BT Group PLC
09 June 2004



NR0445 June 9, 2004



BT TO SWITCH VOICE CALLS TO IP AS 21ST CENTURY NETWORK TAKES SHAPE

First 1,000 customers to trial high quality voice services on new IP network
link

BT to trial limited wider use of optical fibre in access network



BT's transformation of its network to deliver the next generation of
communications services took a step forward today with the announcement of a
pilot for the switch-over of voice calls to an end to end IP (Internet Protocol)
based network.

BT also announced trials of niche deployments of fibre to the premises,
aimed at testing the technical and commercial issues involved.

BT Wholesale chief executive Paul Reynolds said: "We've been talking about our
vision for our 21st century network and today marks the start of the transition
from planning stage to physical implementation.

"The 21CN programme will deliver today's services at better cost by removing
duplication in our networks and underpin the delivery of services customers will
want in the future. For customers, the end result will be a complete experience
- one based on convenience and ease of use of all communications services
including mobility, video, data services and voice."

As a precursor to large scale migration of voice and other PSTN based services
from 2006, the first stage in the migration pilot will involve the bypass of the
core PSTN network link between two major network nodes at Cambridge and
Woolwich. An extension is planned later to Faraday exchange in London.

From October 2004, BT will divert voice calls between these network nodes to the
21CN specific IP network. Calls will be carried using IP packet technology
rather than the circuit switched technology used on PSTN. The switch-over will
be seamless from the customer's perspective and service quality will be the same
or better than on PSTN.

The next stage of this pilot involves the installation of new equipment at 18
exchanges in South East London, Kent and East Anglia - which are connected to
the network nodes in Cambridge and Woolwich. This equipment, known as multi
service access nodes (MSANs), will carry voice and data services onto the core
IP based network, initially for 1,000 customers by January 2005.

Paul Reynolds added: "We want to be absolutely clear that using IP technology in
our network for our premium quality voice services is a gulf apart from the new
budget voice over the internet services being launched almost daily by a wide
range of providers.

"We believe we can provide these services over IP at the same or better than the
high standards of quality and reliability people expect from the PSTN today.
These calls are not going over the internet. They will be carried on our
dedicated high capacity IP networks which also carry data and broadband
services.

"Adopting IP as the common transport method is both cost efficient and
facilitates technology, systems, product and service convergence. BT's vision is
that voice will be one of many applications run over an IP network in our 21st
century network world."





BT today also announced 21CN programme fibre to the premises trials at
Martlesham Heath, Suffolk; at Kents Hill, the Bolbeck Park and Walnut Tree
developments in Milton Keynes; and at the Waterfront Studios business centre, at
Silvertown in London's Docklands.

The trials will provide telephone and broadband services over fibre for up to
1,500 homes and businesses. The first trialists will have their fibre lines
installed and working in October 2004 and the trial will run until September
2005.

Paul Reynolds said: "As part of our 21CN programme, BT is looking at the
potential that fibre in the access network can deliver for our customers and the
investment and operational requirements that go with it. If the commercial case
is proved, we could begin to consider the role that fibre may have further out
in the network in the future.

"We expect the real benefits of this trial to be in informing our thinking on
the relative costs and benefits of deploying fibre, rather than copper, to homes
and businesses in green-field sites or new-build developments."

BT's 21CN programme aims to migrate the company's existing multiple, service
specific networks to a single converged multi-service IP based network. It
includes work towards increasing the bandwidth of services provided over the
copper access network as well as the trials of fibre deployment.

Paul Reynolds added: "At this stage we don't envisage a widespread
deployment of fibre to the premises or the cabinet in the near or medium term.
While we believe the use of fibre can help deliver better operating costs in
terms of maintenance, we need to balance this against the cost of installation
and systems developments. These trials will help to shape our thinking and help
us make strategic investment decisions."

Note to editors:

Photographs of Paul Reynolds, BT Wholesale chief executive, and 21st Century
Networks related images are available via BT's picture library hosted by
Vismedia at www.vismedia.co.uk

PSTN to IP transformation trial

The initial customers to use IP based networks for end-to-end services
previously carried on the PSTN will largely be BT employees in the exchange
areas below. The deployment to these trialists will provide valuable information
about the technicalities and practicalities of the future large-scale migration
of services. The pilot will be extended to 3,000 customers in June 2005 prior to
large-scale migration in 2006.

Exchange County RDA
ADDISCOMBE Greater London London
BELSTEAD Suffolk East of England
BEXLEYHEATH Greater London London
BROMLEY Greater London London
CATFORD Greater London London
CHERRY HINTON Cambridgeshire East of England
CRAYFORD Greater London London
DARTFORD Kent South East
ELTHAM Greater London London
FELIXSTOWE Suffolk East of England
GROVE PARK Greater London London
IPSWICH TOWN Suffolk East of England
KESGRAVE Suffolk East of England
ORPINGTON Greater London London
SIDCUP Greater London London
WHITTON Suffolk East of England
WOODBRIDGE Suffolk East of England
WOOLWICH Greater London London

BT has selected the following companies to support the PSTN to IP pilot:


* Marconi is supplying core network Softswitches and
multi-service access nodes (MSANs) for voice services.

* Alcatel is providing IP ethernet switching equipment.

* Siemens is supplying metro media gateways and Juniper core and
edge routers.

Fibre to the premises trial

The fibre to the premise trial will involve the installation of new fibre optic
cables between a BT exchange and the property of those taking part. Telephone
and broadband services provided will be on a second line in parallel to services
currently provided over the BT network. Optical network units at the exchanges
and customer premises to manage the interface between the fibre and BT and
customer equipment.

ECI is supporting the fibre to the premises trials by supplying optical network
units for use at customer premises and optical line termination equipment at the
exchange.

Supplier contracts

BT is today formally launching the procurement process to select long term
suppliers for 21CN, which may not necessarily be those involved in the trials
and early implementation stages. Contracts for the main rollout phases will be
awarded following a formal competitive tendering process that will be concluded
by the end of 2004.



Forward-looking statements - caution advised

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and are made in
reliance on the safe harbour provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, without limitation, those
concerning: transformation of BT's networks and cost base; benefits to customers
of the 21CN programme; anticipated capital spend on 21CN transformation and
expected cash savings; timescales for delivery of 21CN; and delivery of
instantly available broadband.

Although BT believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking
statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will
prove to have been correct. Because these statements involve risks and
uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by these forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause differences between actual results and those implied by
the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: material adverse
changes in economic and financial markets conditions in the markets served by
BT; future regulatory actions and conditions in BT's operating areas;
technological innovations; developments in the convergence of technologies; and
the anticipated benefits and advantages of new technologies, products and
services, including broadband, not being realised. BT undertakes no obligation
to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.

---------------------------------------------


Inquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its
24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All
news releases can be accessed at our web site:



About BT

BT Group plc is the listed holding company for an integrated group of businesses
providing voice and data services in the UK and overseas, particularly in
Europe, but also in the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. British
Telecommunications plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc, holds
virtually all businesses and assets of the BT group.

BT is one of Europe's leading providers of telecommunications services. Its
principal activities include local, national and international
telecommunications services, higher-value broadband and internet products and
services, and IT solutions. In the UK, BT serves over 20 million business and
residential customers with more than 29 million exchange lines, as well as
providing network services to other licensed operators.

BT consists principally of three lines of business:

* BT Retail, serving businesses and residential customers and including BT
Openworld, one of the UK's leading ISPs.

* BT Wholesale, providing network services and solutions within the UK,
including ADSL, conveyance, transit, bulk delivery of private circuits,
frame relay and ISDN connections.

* BT Global Services, BT's managed services and solutions provider, serving
multi-site organisations worldwide. Its core target market is the top 10,000
global multi-site organisations with European operations.



There are a number of other businesses within the BT group, including BT Exact,
an internationally renowned centre of excellence in IT and networking
technologies. It is also BT's technology and research and development business.

In the year ended 31 March 2004, BT's turnover was #18,519million with profit
before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and taxation of #2,016million.

For more information, visit www.bt.com








This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

MSCEADKPEAPLEAE


Alcatel(ATT)

[grupo guitarlumber] 07/6/2004 21:34

LONDON, June 7 (New Ratings) - Analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein maintain their "sell" rating on Alcatel (CGE.ETR). The target price is set to €8.

Shares of Alcatel, an international provider of mobile handsets, are currently trading at €11.67.

According to Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein's research note published this morning, Alcatel is likely to enter into a merger deal with Italy's Alenia Spazio. Press reports suggest that the deal is likely to be signed in July this year, the analysts say. The merger would marginally strengthen Alcatel's group turnover, the analysts believe. The earnings volatility of the company, however, is likely to increase, the analysts add.

Press reports indicate that Alcatel is likely to consolidate its equipments segment after the merger. The major control of the management of the merged company would be with Alenia Spazio, the analysts believe. Kleinwort Wasserstein prefers to maintain a neutral view on the deal.

The EPS estimates for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are €0.08, -€0.10 and €0.06, respectively. The P/E estimates for 2004 and 2006 are 138.3x and 189.7x, respectively.

[maywillow] 05/6/2004 13:50

Alcatel: the future is in fibre
Darren Greenwood, ARN

04/06/2004 11:39:42

Alcatel has proclaimed the future of broadband is in fibre, declaring the next generation technology will generate a plethora of new online services, including movies on demand and holographic TV.

The claims followed the opening of the networking vendor’s new Applications Centre in Alexandria, Sydney, this week.

The centre features a range of broadband technologies, such as DSL, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and 3G/UTMS, which the telephony company is enhancing at the centre in conjunction with business partners.

During the launch, Alcatel officials displayed a multicast video-on-demand service - developed in the facility - that offered high definition video over existing DSL networks using compressed video technology.

Although such movies could be carried over DSL, Alcatel said the impending growth of fibre would better the quality of such services.

In addition, people will have simple handheld devices offering a range of services, not just phone and video. These devices will communicate with televisions or PCs to offer movies and other content. Content can then be stored on a home hard drive, offering instant digital-quality playback and letting users skip the ads.

Alcatel expects all newly-developed housing sites will have access to fibre by 2008.

Similarly, it predicted half of Australia's homes would have access by 2020, 3G technology would become widespread during 2004-2008, and 4G would start to replace it before 2012. Wireless technologies would continue to evolve, with WiMax and its successor 802.20, providing connectivity to fixed and mobile services. Furthermore, over time, new technology breakthroughs would quicken bandwidth speeds from around 1Mbps to 1Gbps for fibre, with wireless growing at a slower rate.

Alcatel innovation director, Geof Heydon, said some of the technologies, such as video using servers, already exist; it was just a matter of finding a market. Other technology applications, such as holographic TV, existed in the defence field, but had yet to be applied to the commercial market.

Heydon told ARN he expected devices for next generation broadband services would be supplied through the established channels. Brands such as Sony and Microsoft, for instance, currently offered gaming machines that might evolve into offering phone and other services.

People would increasingly care less and less about the technology behind a system, he said, so the technology would have to be simple and invisible. Users would prefer to stick to known and trusted brands, which would also avoid connectivity and integration issues.

Alcatel is working with carriers about delivering such services, and making them secure, but the question remained: Who would supply the content?

Alcatel Australia CEO, Andrew Young, said the content for these new services could come from anybody. Film companies, TV companies, ASPs, ISPs, telcos, corner video store, music suppliers or even types of organisations unheard of as yet could create content for the service.

“It’s a complete and open environment,” he said.

Recently in Korea, Young was shown two CDMA handsets, one of which was showing live TV and the other a recording. However, such new technologies would not mean the death of traditional free-to-air television.

“There’s a place for everybody, but perhaps they have to think differently,” he said.

[waldron] 05/6/2004 10:03

Alcatel Repeats Bullish Outlook; Alenia Talks Progressing




Friday June 4, 12:23 PM EDT

PARIS -(Dow Jones)- Alcatel SA (ALA) Chief Executive Serge Tchuruk confirmed Friday that the Paris-based telecommunications equipment maker is expecting an increase in its revenue for this year and a bounce-back to a "substantial" pre- goodwill profit.

Speaking to shareholders, Tchuruk also said talks on a possible tie-up between Alcatel's Alcatel Space unit and Italy's Alenia Spazio (ALE.YY) are progressing.

Tchuruk said an increase in first-quarter revenue at Alcatel, which had been struggling with falling sales and worsening financial difficulties, represented a "turning point" for the French group.

Earlier this year, Alcatel said it expected growth in revenue this year of between 5% and 10%. It also forecast that earnings per share, before goodwill, " should be positive for the second quarter and should become substantial for the full year."

[waldron] 04/6/2004 17:15

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel chief executive Serge Tchuruk said he expects sales to
grow faster in the second quarter than in the first.
On a constant exchange rate basis, sales grew 2 pct in the first quarter and
company guidance for full-year 2004 is for growth in the high single digit
percent.
Tchuruk told the company's AGM: "In 2004, we believe we are at the beginning
of a rebound... the crisis is, I hope, behind us and the growth in the sector
should return to faster growth than that of GDP."
He said growth will not match that seen at the height of the internet boom,
but that the company's shares have "capacity for improvement".
"Our valuation in proportion to our size and profit-making is still below
that of our competitors."
[e-mail]
mrg/lam

[maywillow] 03/6/2004 10:54

LONDON, June 2 (New Ratings) - Analysts at UBS maintain their "neutral" rating on Alcatel (CGE.ETR). The target price is set to €14.

Alcatel is an international supplier of telecom equipment.

According to UBS' research note published this morning, Alcatel's 7750 router is expected to be selected for AT&T's Multi-Service Edge (MSE) deployment. However, Alcatel missed the target schedule for the contract due to technical errors found during the initial trials, the analysts say. The AT&T contract value is likely to be in the range of $50-$100 million per year, the analysts add.

According to UBS, AT&T has delayed its MSE deployment till August and the selection of Alcatel's router depends upon the performance review in August. AT&T would award the contract to Cisco, in case technical issues associated with Alcatel's 7750 router persist, the analysts say. Winning the AT&T contract is likely to be crucial for Alcatel to ensure the growth of its routing products, the analysts add.

[maywillow] 01/6/2004 07:35

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel managing director Philippe Germond raised company
guidance for delivery of new ADSL lines in 2004 to 22 mln from 19 mln
previously.
While this represents growth of 40 pct from last year's 15.8 mln lines,
pricing pressure means growth in financial terms will at a much lower rate, La
Tribune cited Germond as saying.
Alcatel delivered 5.5 mln ADSL lines in the first quarter.
Market research group Infonetics said separately that Alcatel retained its
global leadership in ADSL in the period, followed by China's Huawei Technologies
Co Ltd, but said the market's overall value declined 6 pct from a year earlier.
[e-mail]
mrg/jms

[ariane] 29/5/2004 09:55

Jun. 4, 2004 Shareholders General Meeting (Paris)
Jun. 14, 2004 Technology Conference, Bear Sterns (New York)
Jul. 29, 2004 Q2 2004 Earnings Release / Conference Call
Oct. 28, 2004 Q3 2004 Earnings Release / Conference Call
Dec. 2, 2004 Analysts Day (Paris

[ariane] 29/5/2004 09:53

All Press Releases for the last ten days




May 27 2004 Alcatel's DSL management suite successfully tested 4 million managed lines with one element management platform


May 27 2004 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council cuts telephony costs by 50 percent with IP network from Alcatel


May 27 2004 Alcatel Named Next Generation Infrastructure Vendor of the Year 2004


May 26 2004 Marc Pircher appointed Chief Technical Officer of Alcatel Space


May 26 2004 Alcatel to provide transmission network for Taiwan rail system


May 25 2004 Twisto of France chooses the Alcatel IP call center and becomes the first customer for the Alcatel OmniTouch Call Center Office


May 24 2004 Alcatel launches Alcatel OmniPCX Office Compact Edition, its new SOHO solution


May 24 2004 Alcatel supports China Telecom to deploy 3G trial network in Shanghai


May 24 2004 Manx Telecom selects Alcatel for its next generation mobile services in the Isle of Man (UK)


May 24 2004 OPT New Caledonia chooses Alcatel for 3rd DSL network expansion


May 21 2004 Alcatel and UN agency announce partnership to sponsor international training center for local authorities in China


May 19 2004 BT selects Alcatel as prime contractor for Project Bluephone


May 19 2004 Alcatel signs Protocol of Cooperation with new Russian operator


May 19 2004 Alcatel selected by North-West Telecom to deploy broadband access network in Russia


May 19 2004 Alcatel wins Euro 21 million GSM/GPRS network expansion contracts with SMARTS in Russia


May 19 2004 Alcatel provides Dutch newspaper publisher MGL with a full range of IP solutions


May 18 2004 Alcatel enables service provider revenue growth with new release of multiservice IP platform


May 18 2004 Seven-company consortium united behind BT's Project Bluephone


May 18 2004 Alcatel awarded a Euro 9 million DSL contract to power broadband development in Malaysia


May 18 2004 Belgacom selects Alcatel for first large VDSL roll-out in Belgium


May 17 2004 Proximus deploys data backbone from Alcatel for enhanced 3G mobile communications


May 17 2004 Alcatel and Draka confirm the creation of a world leader in optical fiber and communication cables


May 16 2004 Alcatel Broadens Aerial Right-of-Way Cable Solutions with new Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) cable

[ariane] 29/5/2004 08:49

Far off In a world according to the charts.......................

when Alcatel hits 14.7 euros the next target would be 18 euros and then 23 euros

One lives in hope

[grupo guitarlumber] 24/5/2004 12:03

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has won an order for its Alcatel 8610 Open
Services Platform (OSP) network equipment from Manx Telecom, the Isle of Man
telecom operator owned by mmO2 PLC.
The equipment will allow Manx Telecom to provide prepaid mobile calling and
voicemail services, with the launch expected for autumn 2004.
Financial details were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
js/jkm/

[ariane] 22/5/2004 09:35

Alcatel Leads DSL Aggregation Hardware Market; Siemens and Thomson Lead DSL CPE Market

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide total DSL aggregation
hardware DSL ports declined 4% in 1Q04 from the monster 4Q03, and revenue was
down 6%, while worldwide DSL CPE revenue fell 3% but units grew 12%, according
to Infonetics Research's DSL Aggregation Hardware and DSL CPE quarterly
worldwide market share and forecast reports.
"We saw great ADSL shipments in the previous quarter, and the first
quarter of the year is typically low, so the slightly down quarter is no
surprise," said Michael Howard, principal analyst of Infonetics Research and
lead author of the DSL Aggregation Hardware report. "But money is still being
spent on ADSL: We project revenue to increase to $1.41 billion in the first
quarter of 2005. We still believe the DSL market has shifted into high gear,
as it was preceded by five straight quarters of DSL port growth in the
double-digit percents."

DSL Aggregation Hardware Market Highlights

-- Alcatel leads in worldwide DSL aggregation port and revenue market
share; Huawei is a distant second
-- Huawei leads in worldwide IP DSLAM port and revenue market share, and
UTStarcom is a strong second; 88% of IP DSLAM revenue comes from the Asia
Pacific region
-- IP DSLAM revenue and ports are rapidly becoming significant portions of
total worldwide DSLAM revenue and ports
-- DSLAMs make up 70% of total DSL revenue; NGDLCs/BLCs make up 30%
-- Asia Pacific and EMEA tie for top DSL revenue, followed by North
America, and then CALA

"The DSL CPE market is achieving double-digit percent unit growth in an
attempt to match the installed base of DSLAM and next gen DLC DSL port
deployments, but to achieve this growth, CPE prices fell noticeably in the
first quarter of the year," said Richard Webb, directing analyst and lead
author of the DSL CPE report. "We forecast units to grow 57% between 2003 and
2007, while revenue will inch up only 8%. As higher functionality DSL CPE
decreases in price, existing broadband users will upgrade from basic ADSL
modems to units with wireless or voice, or possibly VDSL/G.SHDSL CPE."

DSL CPE Market Highlights

-- ADSL modems make up 52% of total DSL CPE revenue; ADSL routers make up
37%, G.SHDSL modems and routers 3%, VDSL modems and routers 4%, and DSL
IADs 3%
-- 45% of DSL CPE revenue was from EMEA, a significant rise from 4Q03 (the
European broadband boom is accelerating); North America's and Asia Pacific's
proportion of revenue fell a bit, and CALA remained flat
-- Siemens leads overall DSL CPE revenue market share, followed closely by
Thomson (the two swapped first and second place from 4Q03)

The DSL Aggregation Hardware and DSL CPE reports track DSL CPE, ATM
DSLAMs, IP DSLAMs, next gen DLCs, and BLCs. Worldwide and regional market
share and forecasts are updated quarterly and cover all regions (worldwide,
North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, CALA).

Companies tracked in these reports include ADTRAN, AFC, Alcatel, Cisco,
Corecess, Fujitsu, Lucent, Marconi, Motorola, NEC, Netopia, Nokia, Polycom,
Samsung, Siemens, Sumitomo, Thomson Multimedia, Toshiba, US Robotics,
UTStarcom, and many others.

For the table of contents, log on to the new Infonetics Research
Information Portal and download it at or contact
Larry Howard, vice president, at [e-mail], 408-298-7999 x225.

Infonetics Research ( is an international market
research and consulting firm covering the data networking and
telecommunications industries in North America, Europe, and Asia. Infonetics
helps companies develop, market, and sell products and services by providing
objective analysis of end-users, service providers, and product manufacturers.
Infonetics has offices in Silicon Valley, the Boston Metro Area, and London.



SOURCE Infonetics Research
Web Site:

[grupo guitarlumber] 20/5/2004 19:50

One box, two box – Alcatel plays MSE
by Carol Wilson - 5/20/2004

Alcatel yesterday announced enhancements to its 7670 Routing Switch Platform (RSP) intended to extend the company’s two-box approach to the multiservice edge market.

With Release 2.2, the Alcatel 7670 takes on new Internet Protocol, Ethernet and Multi-Protocol Label Switching characteristics to become a migration vehicle for service providers wanting to protect legacy services even as they move into new IP service arenas.

Under Alcatel’s plan, its 7670 RSP lives within carrier ATM networks and adds IP functionality while its 7750 Switch Router supports emerging services such as IP VPNs and VPLS.

It’s a strategy that can succeed, says analyst Tom Nolle, president of CIMI, but isn’t guaranteed success.

“There is no question we are moving to a multiservice architecture, but there are a lot of questions about how we get there and what this converged condition actually looks like,” says Nolle. The two-box strategy would enable Alcatel to cost-effectively address both the service providers, such as AT&T, MCI and Sprint, with substantial legacy services to support as they migrate to multiservice and those, such as many of the local telcos, who don’t have a substantial frame relay and ATM service business and are more interested in IP services, he says.

The Alcatel 7670 RSP Release 2.2 includes a hardware upgrade in the form of a channelized multi-rate 48 line card, operating at 2.4 Gigabits per second and supporting concurrent IP/MPLS and ATM/PNNI. It enables the switch to support any service on any port.

Software upgrades include IP VPN capability, Martini tunnels for Ethernet, Ethernet to FR/ATM interworking over MPLS as well as enhancements to support for MPLS and IP class of service.

While acknowledging that Alcatel faces stiff competition in building a migration path to multiservice, in the form of established players such as Lucent and Nortel, and newer companies including Laurel and Hammerhead, Jim Guillet, assistant vice president of product marketing in Alcatel’s IP division believes this company can stand alone.

“Where we are different against the established competitors is our continuous investment and focus on IP-MPLS – we provide a clean operational roadmap,” he says.

Guillet cited two large customers who are using the 7670 RSP in differing ways. Korea Telecom is using it to build a new MPLS Core backbone network that will work seamlessly with their existing multiservice network. Slovak Telecom, majority owned by Deutsche Telecom, is using the 7670 to build an IP/MPLS network for its basic telephony services, essentially leapfrogging the digital Central Office phase of development for a converged IP network.

“Obviously, when they are using this network to support landline voice services, they are expecting a high degree of reliability,” he says.

In addition, Guillet says two U.S. incumbent carriers have bought the 7670 RSP, but have not made a public announcement.

[grupo guitarlumber] 20/5/2004 19:44

Leaner Alcatel May Decide to Snap Up Rivals




05-20-04 12:20 AM EST
PARIS -- As Alcatel SA (ALA) emerges leaner from its three-year restructuring effort, Europe's largest maker of fixed-line telecommunications networks needs to decide whether it's time to bulk up again, Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.

With the global telecom market showing new signs of recovery, acquisitions are once more high in the minds of the large-equipment makers. Telecom executives and analysts have long said consolidation is necessary in the sector, and now suppliers like Paris-based Alcatel are sizing up whether it makes sense to snap up rivals. Such a move could help them capitalize on the anticipated upturn, but the ensuing reorganization hassles also could slow them down just as the market revs up.

In recent years, suppliers of telecommunications equipment have suffered as the companies that buy network infrastructure have slashed capital spending. That hammered equipment suppliers such as Alcatel, along with peers Nortel Networks Corp., based in Brampton, Ontario, and Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, N.J. They all posted steep losses and made hefty cuts in their work forces.

Alcatel has weathered the downturn better than some of its peers, thanks in part to a broader mix of businesses.

Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Cassell Bryan-Low contributed to this report.


Dow Jones Newswires
05-20-04 0020ET
Copyright (C) 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[waldron] 19/5/2004 14:27

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a contract from Russian telecoms
company JSC North-West Telecom to build a broadband network in Russia.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Separately, Alcatel said it signed an agreement with Russian telecoms
operator Comstar United Telesystems to jointly develop networks owned by
operators part of the Comstar group.
[e-mail]
sr/cml

[ariane] 18/5/2004 15:45

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has won a 9 mln eur order to supply
equipment for a digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband network to Malaysia's
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TMB).
Alcatel will supply its 7300 Advanced Services Access Manager (ASAM) to TMB,
with installation scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
[e-mail]
js/cml

[ariane] 18/5/2004 10:50

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a contract from Belgacom NV to supply a
Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) broadband network.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
sr/cmr

[ariane] 18/5/2004 09:09

Alcatel provides backbone for Proximus' 3G network
May 17, 2004

Alcatel today announced that Proximus, mobile operator in Belgium, has deployed the first phase of its data backbone for 3G mobile communications using the Alcatel multiservice solution. By running its UTMS over an Alcatel converged network, the Belgian operator can offer multiple, new and existing revenue generating services over a highly reliable network with guaranteed quality of service (QoS).

Proximus is the first Belgian mobile operator to launch its 3G services, which took place on April 8, 2004. The Alcatel equipped network currently covers the capital city Brussels and other major cities in Belgium.

The Proximus high-speed data transfer mobile network is based on the Alcatel 7670 Routing Switch Platform (RSP) and the Alcatel 5620 Network Manager (NM), a managed, single-platform solution that supports aggregation and transport network consolidation of all generations of mobile traffic.

"Mobile operators are seeking competitive, future-proof solutions that will support all types of mobile voice and data traffic," said Basil Alwan, president of Alcatel's IP activities. "Alcatel is well versed in the mobile market and supplies global systems for mobile communications networks worldwide. The Proximus project is an excellent example of enabling enhanced 3G mobile communications by consolidating UMTS services on a highly reliable network."

[grupo guitarlumber] 14/5/2004 11:38

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a contract from Telenet to supply its
7750 internet protocol (IP) service router for the Belgian cable operator's
broadband network.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
sr/cmr

[ariane] 12/5/2004 20:56

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has won an order from China Mobile's
Shannxi Mobile unit to upgrade an existing GSM network to a GPRS network, with
completion scheduled by the end of this year.
Alcatel will provide its Evolium network equipment and software in six
cities in Shannxi province.
Financial terms of the order were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
js/cmr

[grupo guitarlumber] 06/5/2004 19:05

MILAN (AFX) - Pirelli & C SpA has agreed to sell some of its submarine
telecommunication system activities, along with intellectual property rights, to
Alcatel SA in return for a five pct stake in the merged unit.
In a statement issued jointly, Pirelli said it would receive a 52.5 mln eur
payment from Alcatel for the businesses.
A Pirelli spokesman said that figure included a 7.5 mln payment to cover the
cost of re-organising its plants which make the submarine cables and which
Pirelli will keep.
But under the terms of the deal, Pirelli will make a 45 mln eur payment to
Alcatel for a stake in the expanded submarine telecom cables business.
Pirelli said the deal is a further step towards focusing on its cables and
optical fibre businesses, as well as products for broadband access and photonic
second-generation telecoms technologies.
However, at the same time Pirelli said it would keep a stake in the
submarine telecom cable sector.
Alcatel said the deal would reinforce its world leadership in this sector
and give it a bigger presence in the European market.
The deal is subject to anti-trust clearance, which is expected by end-June,
the companies said.
nt/rhb

[maywillow] 04/5/2004 17:44

LONDON, May 4 (New Ratings) - Analyst Mark Davies Jones of JP Morgan maintains his "underweight" rating on Alcatel (CGE.ETR). The fair value is set to €11.

In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that the company reported its 1Q04 sales short of the estimates. The company's DSL markets remain healthy and its IP markets are improving, the analyst says. However, JP Morgan expects the company to lose share in the infrastructure markets.