Alcatel-Lucent offers solutions to help clear the 2.1 gigahertz Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum band to make way for mobile communications services

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)today announced that it is providing rapid relocation solutions to clear the 2.1 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band to make way for service providers that will be introducing mobile voice and data services following the recent auction of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum.

With a comprehensive portfolio of telecommunications equipment and professional services, Alcatel-Lucent addresses the combined needs of incumbent 2.1 GHz microwave communications network operators leaving the band and Auction 66 winners – typically mobile network operators -- entering the spectrum. As mandated by the FCC, incumbents must vacate the spectrum in a timely manner, and the AWS entrants must provide an equivalent replacement for the existing systems.

Since microwave radio offers a unique blend of high circuit availability and low cost of ownership, many of the incumbents required to vacate the spectrum will choose to relocate to other microwave bands. Utilizing a unique combination of products and services, Alcatel-Lucent provides the industry’s best solution for expediting relocation of 2.1 GHz microwave links to other bands at the lowest total cost.

“For many affected customers, the most significant challenges will be planning the microwave relocation and maintaining quality of service during cutover to the new system,” said Scott Nelson, Director of Business Development for Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless Transmission activities in North America. “Based on our extensive experience with the PCS relocation in the 1990’s, Alcatel-Lucent anticipated this requirement and developed new products and processes to accelerate relocation with the least impact to those vacating the spectrum and those moving in.”

Among the solutions Alcatel-Lucent offers for 2.1 GHz relocation is a new microwave radio which can operate in unlicensed spectrum at 2.4 GHz or licensed spectrum at 2.47 GHz. This radio, the only one of its kind on the market, enables most incumbents to re-use their existing 2.1 GHz antenna systems and simply changing out the radio hardware itself. Keeping legacy antennas in place may enable operators to avoid challenging tower modifications or significant increases in tower lease rates. The savings to the new AWS operators – which are responsible for the relocation costs -- can be quite substantial. Additionally, for those 2.1 GHz operators holding secondary licenses, and thus not eligible for reimbursement, this provides them with a cost effective solution that can offer a high quality of service.

Alcatel-Lucent has a number of other 2.1 GHz microwave relocation options including a full portfolio of radios to support licensed and unlicensed frequencies ranging from 2.4 to 38 GHz, with capacities ranging from 8 DS1s to OC-3, including up to 155 Mb/s Ethernet. Alcatel-Lucent provides full turn-key solutions addressing the critical operations, resources and business needs of common carrier and private operators needing to relocate. We have a dedicated team with the technical expertise that is essential for this process.