Paris, July 3, 2002 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) has signed a major contract with Telmex, Mexico's largest incumbent operator, to upgrade its current fixed network in Mexico enabling the provision of advanced network services by the end of this year.
The agreement covers the hardware and software upgrades of all the Alcatel 1000 switches currently installed in the operator's network. This solution provides new state-of-the-art functionality such as V5.2 interfaces, STM-1 terminations and Voice over ATM gateways and allows Telmex to increase its service offering potential while safeguarding its current voice network infrastructure.
This new platform deployment in Telmex' network will pave the way to further introduction of Alcatel's next generation network solutions, such as access platforms, softswitches and media gateways.
Jaime Chico Pardo, general director of Telmex, stated: "Telmex has a commitment with its customers to offer products and services that exceed their expectations. Alcatel contributes to our effort to increase our network capacity for the benefit of our clients throughout the country".
Angel Gutiérrez, general manager of Alcatel Mexico, added: “This contract represents a major milestone for Alcatel and confirms its leading position in the Mexican market.”
Alcatel's current installed base in Mexico amounts to 9 million terminations, representing a 43% share of the local fixed market.
About Alcatel 1000 switching systems
Alcatel 1000 is a powerful switching platform with fully distributed processing and control offering state of the art functionality (as V5.2 interfaces, integrated STM-1 terminations, integrated VoATM gateway, Internet traffic by-pass for access nodes and V5.2). It has a unique architecture, providing both network operators and end-users with reliability and quality of service for voice and multimedia applications. Due to its high modularity, Alcatel 1000 is a cost-effective solution throughout the range from very small to large exchange sizes. The feature-richness software package is suited in a rapidly changing business and multi-vendor environment. The Alcatel 1000 systems are present in more than 145 countries and total more than 300 million terminations.
About Alcatel
Alcatel designs, develops and builds innovative and competitive communications networks, enabling carriers, service providers and enterprises to deliver any type of content, such as voice, data and multimedia, to any type of consumer, anywhere in the world. Relying on its leading and comprehensive products and solutions portfolio, stretching from end-to-end optical infrastructures, fixed and mobile networks to broadband access, Alcatel's customers can focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of EURO 25 billion in 2001 and 99,000 employees, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.
About Telmex
Telmex is a world-class telecommunications company that provides total telecommunications solutions to its clients: Local and long distance wired service, wireless communications, multimedia network for video, audio and data, network engineering, digital wireless network access and Internet. Telmex is the leading telecommunications company in Mexico with more than 13.4 million telephone lines in service, 1 million 574 thousand data lines, 913,127 Internet accounts and with a 68,000 kilometer fiber optical digital network at the end of 2001. Visit www.telmex.com.