Alcatel-Lucent Lands US$6B Contract with Verizon Wireless, Expansion Includes IMS

Verizon Wireless and Alcatel-Lucent signed a three-year agreement worth an expected US$6 billion for Alcatel-Lucent to supply a wide variety of network equipment, software and services supporting Verizon Wireless' ongoing network expansion and continuous improvements. With this agreement Alcatel-Lucent continues to be Verizon Wireless' primary network infrastructure supplier and will continue to help grow Verizon Wireless' existing portfolio of multimedia and data services.



The equipment, software and services from Alcatel-Lucent will increase the coverage and capacity Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess data network based on CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) technology and introduce new A-IMS services including VoIP, push-to-x, and mobile video telephony. The rollout will include various components of Alcatel-Lucent's IMS solution. The deployment also will accommodate the Verizon Wireless approach to multi-vendor interoperability of these systems. In addition, the agreement calls for Alcatel-Lucent to enhance Verizon Wireless' existing CDMA2000 1X network.



Under the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will provide infrastructure solutions spanning its entire portfolio to transition Verizon Wireless to an all-IP network. Verizon Wireless' CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A network will be expanded and enabled to support services such as VoIP with Quality of Service (QoS) through software upgrades. Selected IMS services will be enabled through the addition of Alcatel-Lucent's IMS platforms with the A-IMS compliant Application Manager and Services Data Manager functions.



Existing Alcatel-Lucent-supplied packet switches will be upgraded to support IP soft handoff and Transcoder Free Operation, and the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router will also provide IP routing and Ethernet aggregation.



Verizon Wireless will also use a wide range of products from Alcatel- Lucent's optical and wireless transmission products, including MDR 8000 digital microwave radios. The Alcatel-Lucent optical networking products will include the optical cross-connects LambdaUnite and 1671 Service Connect (SC), and the Metropolis DMX product family, which will provide an end-to-end solution for bandwidth management and mobility traffic backhaul.



Alcatel-Lucent is also providing comprehensive end-to-end network support services, ranging from network integration to installation, repair and maintenance services.

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