SBC this week named Alcatel as its primary network infrastructure and services supplier for Project Lightspeed, SBC's $6 billion fiber-to-the-node buildout. The announcement had been anticipated.

The deal is worth $1.7 billion to Alcatel over five years.

Alcatel will provide access and fiber technologies, IP routing and Ethernet switching systems, and network systems integration services.  Additionally, Alcatel will work with SBC on video systems integration. 

In conjunction with Microsoft, SBC's FTTN project is intended to deliver IPTV to subscribers.
Project Lightspeed also is designed to deliver high-speed broadband services, IP voice and wireless bundles of products to 18 million households by year-end 2007.

Specifically, Alcatel will provide SBC with its remote 7330 IP DSLAM, 7340 Fiber to the Premise systems, 7750 Service Router and 7450 Ethernet Services Switch.  SBC has also selected Alcatel as the network and video services integration partner for the entire project. 

Alcatel will take responsibility for the end-to-end integration of the network, and for the end-to-end video integration. 

SBC reportedly had also been considering Lucent for the FTTN integration project. This "pre-selection" of vendors was designed to fast track the project, according to two investment research firms, though both differed on whether this pre-selection replaced a formal RFP process for equipment supply contracts.