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Paris, October 15, 2008 — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE:
ALU) today announces that it has strengthened cooperation with the East Africa
Submarine Cable System (EASSy) consortium with the signature of a contract to
more than double the design capacity of the optical submarine cable network
landing in East Africa. Based on Alcatel-Lucent’s submarine and terrestrial
optical solutions, EASSy will now be able to deliver a regional capacity of 1.4
Terabit/s, the highest capacity in the region, satisfying broadband needs for
years to come.
The EASSy submarine cable network will provide connectivity across the
continent to support the increase in local traffic from both traditional and
new broadband services. Additionally, with interconnection to other submarine
cable systems to the North and South, this project will provide an
international gateway, crucial for the economic development of the region and
for the reduction of the digital divide.
The EASSy submarine network will span nearly 10,000 km linking eight
countries from Sudan to South Africa, via Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania,
Madagascar and Mozambique. Landings will be located in Port Sudan (Sudan),
Djibouti (Djibouti), Mogadishu (Somalia) Mombasa (Kenya), Dar Es Salaam
(Tanzania), Toliary (Madagascar), Maputo (Mozambique) and Mtunzini (South
Africa). By interconnecting with existing cables and other submarine systems
currently under construction, the EASSy submarine cable system will also serve
as a supporting infrastructure for these networks.
“This increase in final system capacity is another important step in the
development of the African communication infrastructure, where there is a very
strong need for affordable capacity”, said Trevor Martins, MTN International,
Chairperson of the EASSy Management Committee. “Alcatel-Lucent further proves
itself as a trusted partner for its turnkey expertise and cooperation on
accommodating the design change without impact on the final delivery date.”
“The upgrade to the submerged equipment will enable the EASSy consortium to
support the enhanced capacity required to meet the new bandwidth requirements
emerged in the past year,” said Etienne Lafougère, President of
Alcatel-Lucent’s submarine network activity. “This design change reflects our
capacity to capture our customers requirements and to provide tailored
solutions that can easily evolve over time as needed.”
About the EASSy Consortium
EASSy is a project set up by 25 licensed telecommunications operators in the
Eastern and Southern African region and international carriers.
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