Alcatel achieves record successes in Canada and Netherlands

Paris: Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) recently recorded two noteworthy successes. Apart from being awarded a multi-million dollar contract by Bell Canada, for the supply and deployment of its Intelligent Network (IN) platform and prepaid cellular services, the company also signed a turnkey contract with T-Mobile Netherlands, a leading mobile communications service provider and 100 percent subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, to expand T-Mobile's transmission network in the Netherlands.

In Canada, Bell Mobility, with the help of Alcatel's new platform, will be able to offer its wireless prepaid customers new services similar to those offered to postpaid customers. The platform will also ensure that Bell Mobility can meet evolving customer needs and expectations in the prepaid market.

The contract includes the deployment of the Alcatel 8690 Open Services Platform (OSP) and the Alcatel payment suite including the Alcatel 8618 Rating Engine and the Alcatel 8610 Prepaid application throughout Bell Mobility's network.

Bell Mobility is the wireless division of Bell Canada. Alcatel's solution will offer Bell the scalability and carrier grade reliability needed to develop and deploy new high-value revenue generating services with reduced time to market.

"This contract further bolsters Alcatel's long-term relationship with Bell Canada in bringing the most advanced communications services to the Canadian market," said Hubert de Pesquidoux, chief executive officer of Alcatel Canada. "By offering solutions that address the complete spectrum of mobile voice and data services, Alcatel has the ability to adapt to the end-user's communication needs - anywhere, anytime and from any device."

In Netherlands, Alcatel has signed a turnkey contract with T-Mobile Netherlands, a leading mobile communications service provider and 100 percent subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, to expand T-Mobile's transmission network in the Netherlands.

Alcatel will roll out five city-rings covering major Dutch cities (Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Breda and Utrecht) to accelerate the delivery of new data services to T-Mobile's end-users. The new rings will be fully operational in June 2004.

Alcatel's next-generation SDH data aware multi-service systems will enable T-Mobile to offer new services - including data over ATM, Gigabit Ethernet transport and UMTS mobile backhauling - on top of traditional voice services. The new equipment will be managed by Alcatel's modular and scalable 1350 management suite already in operation.

The existing transmission backbone, which is based on Alcatel's Optical Multi-Service Nodes (OMSN) and metro DWDM managed solutions, interconnects the seven main switch locations of T-Mobile's GSM/GPRS mobile network.

Leveraging Alcatel's advanced technologies, its deployment facilitated the unparalleled growth of T-Mobile's subscriber base in the Netherlands in 2003.

The new city rings will enable T-Mobile to further enhance the connections of multiple mobile stations from the access to the backbone networks.

"The capabilities of Alcatel's optical networking solutions will enable T-Mobile to extend their services well into the future and fully support them in growing their business," stated Romano Valussi, president of Alcatel's optical networks activities. "Fostering our relationship with T-Mobile, this contract also strengthens our leadership position in optical networking."