Alcatel-Lucent announced an agreement for Alcatel-Lucent to support the expansion of AT&T’s UMTS/HSPA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service/High Speed Packet Access) wireless
network.
The expansion includes the deployment of Alcatel-Lucent’s
UMTS/HSDPA Distributed NodeB solution, which provides operators with the
flexibility to deploy third-generation (3G) radio network elements in a
wide array of locations including the sides of buildings, existing cell
sites, remote locations and more, helping operators build out their
networks more quickly and cost-effectively.
This advanced mobile network project will enable AT&T to expand
capacity while offering sophisticated next-generation services, including
advanced multimedia, mobile broadband and converged services such as audio
and video streaming, video sharing and high-speed mobile Internet access on
3G handsets. The technology also will help decrease AT&T’s operating
expenditures due to the cost saving features of this compact,
easy-to-deploy, low-power solution.
As part of the agreement - which builds on Alcatel-Lucent’s November
2004 UMTS/HSPA supply agreement with AT&T - Alcatel-Lucent has expanded the
end-to-end, turnkey UMTS/HSPA solution, including messaging, voice
switching and network applications and services. Alcatel-Lucent also has
previously supplied AT&T with an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service
delivery solution - TDM, ATM and MPLS networking solutions, as well as
ADSL/VDSL broadband access and optical advanced platforms.
“Alcatel-Lucent has had a longstanding relationship with AT&T,” said
Cindy Christy, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas business. “The
introduction of our Distributed NodeB reinforces Alcatel-Lucent’s worldwide
leadership in mobile broadband, highlights our strong footprint in the
North America market and underscores our commitment to helping service
providers transform their services, network and business to profitably
increase voice and data penetration, and enable mass-market wireless
broadband.”
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.