Alcatel-Lucent wins India’s TEMA award for Excellence in R&D for pioneering WiMAX technology

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and C-DOT, the Indian Government’s telecom technology development center, today announced that the C-DOT Alcatel-Lucent Research Centre—a joint venture between the two organizations — has received the Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (TEMA) Award for Excellence in R&D 2007 from Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Honorable Minister of State for Communications & IT.

TEMA instituted this award to acknowledge outstanding technological innovations that have brought prestige to India. It is awarded to those Indian innovators and their companies who develop technology that meet the highest global standards. Technologies that are considered for the award are those that lead to commercially successful products, processes and services that give India a sustainable competitive advantage.

"This is a very proud moment for all of us,” said Patrick Veron, CEO, C-DOT Alcatel-Lucent Research Center, who accepted the award from Dr. Ahmed. “We worked very hard to develop a reference design for low cost terminals for WiMAX 802.16e, which will help to meet broadband needs in India and elsewhere in the world. WiMAX 802.16e offers a very efficient way to bridge the digital divide, offering affordable connectivity in rural and urban areas where there is no high-quality wireline networks in place.”

“This award makes us proud as a co-parent of the research centre along with Alcatel-Lucent,” said Vijay Madan, Executive Director C-DOT. ”We are happy that the young teams at the centre have worked very hard. We appreciate the role played by Mr. Poornalingam Chairman Board of Directors, Mr. Patrick Veron CEO, Mr. Brito CTO and the staff involved in the centre to make it possible. It is good that our partner in the joint venture is also sharing new technology innovations to develop creative and cost-effective solutions to enable mass market broadband connectivity. This award also reflects Alcatel-Lucent’s worldwide efforts in the broadband wireless technology and C-DOT’s new initiatives towards market oriented R&D. We wish that C-DOT Alcatel Research Centre captures a major share in Indian as well as Global WiMAX market.”

“I am delighted that our India R&D organization is getting due recognition and that the pioneering activities of C-DOT Alcatel Research Center in Wireless Broadband space are highly appreciated by the Indian Telecom Industry,” said Ravi Sharma, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in South Asia. “The government of India has declared 2007 the ‘Year of Broadband’ and it envisions 9 million broadband connections by the end of 2007 and 50 million broadband connections by 2010 - a sign that the country understands and appreciates the potential of WiMAX and the impact it can have in meeting the average person’s day-to-day communication and information needs.” Alcatel-Lucent is among the world’s leading WiMAX vendors, with 70 operators worldwide deploying its WiMAX equipment and 11 commercial deployments.

TEMA selected the winner after rigorously evaluating several Indian technology companies through a careful analysis of a variety of parameters including technology innovation, commercial success, execution of strategy and dedication to research and development. The TEMA National Telecom Awards 2007 ceremony was held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Ahmed, along with many senior officials from TEMAas part ofthe World Telecom & Information Society Day on May 17.