Alcatel lights up SBC

As expected, SBC has selected Alcatel to supply equipment for the RBOC’s fiber-to-the-premises buildout.

Terms of the four-year, non-exclusive agreement were not disclosed.

Under the agreement, SBC will deploy Alcatel’s 7340 FTTU (Fiber to the User) system, which consists of several passive-optical-network-based elements, including equipment for the central office, and business and home terminals. Field trials of the technology are planned for the first half of 2004.

Alcatel was selected after a six-month evaluation process conducted in conjunction with Verizon and BellSouth, two of the other RBOCs that – along with SBC – issued the FTTP specification and RFP earlier this year. Alcatel’s 7340 FTTU system is already deployed in an SBC trial in Mission Bay, Calif., where it is used in a mixed-use business/residential application that will include nearly 6,000 residential units.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/1215specialfocus.html?page=2

Qwest announced a new bundled service offering for small businesses and residences.

Called Qwest Choice, the bundle offers customers more options and flexibility in selecting and paying for their local, long-distance, wireless and Internet services, Qwest says. Plan elements include free evening and weekend long-distance calls from home for Qwest wireless customers.

With Qwest Choice, the company is now offering the potential of additional savings – such as free wireless or long-distance calling – on top of the flat monthly bundle fee.

https://www.nwfusion.com/edge/news/2003/1216qwest.html

As Lucent funds the development of its own optical Ethernet system within Bell Labs, the telecom giant’s Worldwide Services arm this week said it will support Salira Optical Network Systems’ products in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lucent Worldwide Services will offer service providers in that region network design, deployment, maintenance and post-sale services to support Salira’s line of Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) broadband systems. Janet Davidson, president of Lucent’s Integrated Network Solutions group, recently told investors that Lucent is funding Bell Labs’ development of an EPON system to be released in two or more years.

Salira’s products are scheduled for live customer trials to begin in 2004.