Alcatel wins key $3.5b FTTH, FTTN project

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 15 November 2005 14:06

Business IT - Networking

Telstra has picked Alcatel as the key vendor to deliver on the most high profile component of its next generation networks strategy: the broadband fibre access network and associated service integration technology.

Under the proposed five year deal which Alcatel estimates will be worth around $3.5 billion Alcatel will provide Telstra with comprehensive network solutions and end-to-end integration capabilities, including network design and integration, product supply, deployment, maintenance and on-going support.  

Alcatel's responsibilities will include broadband access to consumers and enterprises, ethernet aggregation, NGN voice, network integration, support and maintenance. Alcatel will also create a Hosted Integration Centre, which will support integration testing and introduction of technology into Telstra's network and "provide a single facility to support product testing, trials and customer demonstrations."

More specifically, Alcatel will provide Telstra with IP DSLAMs, fibre to the node (FTTN) and fibre to the premises (FTTP) solutions, optical ethernet aggregation, NGN softswitches and associated media gateways.

However one key fact was omitted from the announcement: just how many customers Telstra expects to be able to serve with the new network.