nTelos selects Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade network for wireless broadband services

nTelos Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NTLS), a Virginia-based integrated telecommunications provider serving customers in the mid-Atlantic region, and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that NTELOS Inc. has selected Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade the nTelos wireless network. The three-year agreement with nTelos is worth up to USD 88.2 million in equipment, services and software.

The network upgrade includes the deployment of third-generation (3G) CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) technology in nTelos markets in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina.

The CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A platform will enable nTelos to provide an enhanced mobile data customer experience. nTelos customers will experience faster uploads and downloads when connecting to the internet, and new mobile high-speed data services including mobile video telephony, high-quality music and other multimedia applications. Alcatel-Lucent will become the exclusive provider of new CDMA technology throughout the nTelos service area.

“We have decided to upgrade our networks using Alcatel-Lucent CDMA technology based on their proven ability to deliver a 3G solution that will transform our network to a next-generation system, bringing the benefits of new, advanced services to our customers and improving our operations,” said Bobby McAvoy, vice president of Wireless Engineering and Operations at nTelos.

In addition, Alcatel-Lucent will provide its industry leading IP/MPLS solution, which includes the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router and 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, to deploy an IP routing and IP RAN backhaul solution. Built on a single unified IP infrastructure, Alcatel-Lucent’s IP-based solution is designed to support multiple types of services with superior scale, hierarchical quality of service and availability, which are critical for ensuring subscriber Quality of Experience (QoE) for multimedia applications. Alcatel-Lucent will provide installation, engineering, training and technical support.

“Providing our EV-DO technology throughout nTelos’ wireless service area expands our existing relationship and reinforces our commitment to all wireless service providers who put their faith in Alcatel-Lucent’s network, services, and business transformation capabilities,” said Cindy Christy, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s North America business.

EV-DO Rev. A continues the evolution of CDMA2000 technology, bringing increases in efficiency, data speeds and capacity to existing CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO networks.

CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association.