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Hanover and London, March 15, 2007 — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris
and NYSE: ALU) and Manx Telecom - a wholly owned subsidiary of O2, today
announced they have successfully completed the first, third-generation UMTS
(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink
Packet Access) network deployment using the 900 MHz spectrum on the Isle of
Man. This real life field trial followed a series of Alcatel-Lucent first
demonstrations of UMTS 900MHz in Europe.
During the six-month trial, the companies leveraged the lower frequency to
extend UMTS voice and HSDPA data coverage and measured the benefits of
deploying UMTS at 900 MHz using Alcatel-Lucent's UMTS/HSDPA base station
products developed for this spectrum band. A scanner supplied by Rohde
& Schwarz was used to measure
UMTS900 against UMTS2100 and GSM900 for indoor and outdoor coverage.
“Alcatel-Lucent is the only vendor with a field-proven UMTS 900 MHz
solution, which positions us well in the market place as the industry moves
forward with making this frequency available for use in several European
countries,”said Mike Loundes, Chief Technology Officer, Manx Telecom.
Deploying UMTS/HSDPA technology in the 900 MHz spectrum can help mobile
operators cost-effectively deliver UMTS/HSDPA services because the lower
frequency provides an important increase in base station coverage,
significantly reducing (by 60 % in this trial) the number of sites required for
rural coverage. Additionally, it enables better signal penetration for
in-building coverage, 30% better than with 2100 MHz and can reach 40% in deep
indoor penetration.
The trial also proved that the HSDPA throughput could increase by as much as
10%, raising overall network capacity by around 5%. Another critical finding
was the ability of the network to hand over calls between base stations
operating at different frequencies.
The tests confirmed that an incumbent GSM900 operator could reuse sites for
UMTS technology without having to completely redesign and redeploy the network.
This will significantly reduce operational costs tied to new network
deployments.
“With O2, we are proving that Alcatel-Lucent is uniquely positioned for new
spectrum opportunities such as 900 MHz. Alcatel-Lucent’s deepest and broadest
wireless portfolio in the industry integrates the best of the newly Alcatel,
Lucent and Nortel combined forces to establish a strong footprint in the
telecom equipment market,” said Philippe Keryer, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s
GSM/W-CDMA/WiMAX activities.
On Nov. 1, 2005, O2, Manx Telecom and what is now Alcatel-Lucent, launched
the first commercial HSDPA network service in Europe on the Isle of Man.
This commercial network, deployed in the 2100 MHz spectrum band, was used
during the trial to benchmark against the 900 MHz field trial.
As a global leader in the development and deployment of third-generation
(3G) networks, Alcatel-Lucent has deployed commercial 3G (UMTS/HSPA and
CDMA2000) systems for more than 70 operators worldwide.
About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable
service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice,
data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed,
mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and
services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling
communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With
operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with
global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the
industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation
organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved
adjusted proforma revenues of Euro 18.3 billion in 2006 and is incorporated in
France, with executive offices located in Paris. [All figures exclude impact of
activities to be transferred to Thales]. For more information, visit
Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
Contact the Alcatel-Lucent Press Office: press@alcatel-lucent.com
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