US Geological Survey Relocates to New Spectrum with LGS and Alcatel-Lucent Advanced Wireless Solution

VIENNA, Va.- LGS, the subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) dedicated to serving the U.S. government community, announced today that it worked with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to provide a turnkey solution that allowed the agency to officially turn over the 1.710 to 1.755 GHz spectrum in the San Francisco Bay Area. This was a part of the Advance Wireless Services (AWS) program mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

LGS worked with the USGS to provide an end-to-end solution to enable it to move its communications network out of the existing 1.710 to 1.755 GHz spectrum that the FCC auctioned to the wireless industry in August 2006, raising $13.8 billion. The solution involved evaluation, design, installation, testing and user training without disruption to the existing network.

USGS used the Alcatel-Lucent MDR-8000 radio product -- the most widely deployed TDM/SONET radio in the market - with the latest release offering Gigabit Ethernet and 32xDS1 capability all in one card. The 1.7 GHz radio was designed by Alcatel-Lucent to address the AWS 2GHz Relocation Program. Alcatel-Lucent 1.7 GHZ radio protected USGS’s investment in its communications system by enabling it to reuse costly infrastructure towers and site facilities and avoid installing towers at new sites for additional repeaters.

USGS used the spectrum to carry critical seismic data for the California earthquake region. The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

Some modification to the infrastructure still needs to be completed, but this phase of the project was completed ahead of the defined schedule, enabling USGS to turn over spectrum early, making USGS one of the first government agencies to completely release the entire occupied spectrum. This clears the way for the new commercial owners to start building out next-generation wireless network.

Working with its parent Alcatel-Lucent, LGS offers a comprehensive portfolio of telecommunications equipment and turnkey professional services to address the needs of government agencies required to move as a part of the FCC-mandated AWS Relocation effort. Using a combination of products and services, LGS provides the industry’s only 1.755 to 1.850 GHz microwave radio solution, giving agencies the ability to relocate to new frequencies without changing antennas, network topology or adding new towers for repeaters.