Mumbai International Airport Private Limited (MIAL), the company that runs Mumbai''s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), has chosen Nortel to build one of the most extensive and comprehensive IP communications networks ever deployed at Indian airports.

Mumbai airport plans to consolidate the majority of its data, telephony and video systems onto a converged wired and wireless IP-based network. This will be powered by Nortel''s innovative Metro Ethernet-based provider backbone bridging (PBB) and provider backbone transport (PBT) technologies.

As a long-term technology partner to MIAL, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will provide systems integration for the converged triple-play communications upgrade project. Passengers, airline staff, retailers, security and airport operations employees will benefit from a variety of airport-wide WiFi and VoIP services.

The new wired and wireless infrastructure will provide network coverage throughout the airport terminal buildings and outside maintenance areas. Based on Nortel''s 10G DWDM fiber-optic backbone, the system will cost-effectively leverage optical networking technology to enable super-fast gigabit Ethernet and storage connectivity.

It will significantly reduce capital expenses, as well as simplify network management and optimisation. Nortel''s Metro Ethernet-based PBB / PBT technologies will be used to provide VPN and point-to-point Ethernet transport services for airlines. PBT combines carrier-grade reliability and ease of management with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of Ethernet, to provide a high-bandwidth network that has great efficiency and control.

Advanced communications services like SIP-based presence, IM, collaboration, conferencing and messaging will simplify the way people connect and communicate across the expansive airport area, helping reduce cost of operations and equipping staff to respond more quickly to customer needs.

Airport operations and customer service personnel will be enabled to experience increased productivity by leveraging the unified communications capabilities. The solution includes a new emergency notification system for public safety.

MIAL managing director GV Sanjay Reddy said: "This will bring will help raise Mumbai airport to global standards. The new technology meets and even exceeds what is currently available at top airports across the world."

A joint venture between the GVK-SA consortium and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), MIAL was awarded a 30-year contract to modernise, operate and maintain Mumbai airport in April 2006. India''s busiest airport, it catered to 22.2 million passengers and 480,000 tonnes of cargo in 2006-07.

A part of the Tata Group, India''s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 94,000 of the world''s best trained IT consultants in 47 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of $4.3 billion (Rs17,406 crore) for the year ended 31 March, 2007.

Nortel is a leader communications. Its technologies help eliminate barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. The company does business in more than 150 countries around the world.