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TDM selects Alcatel-Lucent to extend nation-wide optical backbone and bridge digital divide in Mozambique


WEBWIRE

Paris — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) announced today that it has further strengthened its working relationship with Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique (TDM), the Mozambican state-owned telecommunications company, by signing a 21 million Euro contract to deploy the third phase of Mozambique’s national transmission network.

Alcatel-Lucent recently finished the two first phases, laying 2,970 km of optical fiber across the country. Once the third stage complete, Mozambique will be equipped with one of Africa’s most modern and widespread fiber optic backbones that will interface with neighboring landlocked countries and support Mozambican economic growth as well as social development.

Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel-Lucent will lay 2,585 km of optical fiber and deploy its optical transmission solutions to connect any remaining geographic areas. Scheduled for completion in 2011, the Mozambican National fiber optic backbone, spanning 5,500 km in total, will connect Mozambican citizens and companies to the worldwide submarine network and bring high-speed connectivity to provincial capitals across the country.

“This phase will conclude our nationwide project to build the Mozambican backbone transmission network, which is one of the most significant and largest telecommunications investments in our country,” said Joaquim de Carvalho, Chairman of the Board in TDM. ”The project’s final objective is to link all of our provincial capitals via an optical backbone network, bringing Mozambique into the information and communication community, and bridging the digital divide.”

Alcatel-Lucent will provide TDM with a turnkey integrated solution including its state-of-the-art, optical multi-service transport solution for traffic aggregation, along with a comprehensive set of services including design, consulting, project management, installation of the fiber optic system, testing, commissioning, integration and training.

“Alcatel-Lucent’s optical transport solutions will provide TDM with the capacity, reliability, flexibility and scalability to efficiently address the country’s communication demands,” said Adolfo Hernandez, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in Europe the Middle East and Africa. “TDM’s optical fiber infrastructure illustrates Alcatel-Lucent ability to deploy the relevant solutions the operators in the region can leverage on to offer new services and opportunities to the end-users.”

About Telecomunicaçoes de Moçambique (TDM)
TDM is the main supplier of public telecommunication services in Mozambique. The fundamental role of communications in a modern society and the advent of the information society are continuing to make telecommunications a critical sector in the development of any country. TDM takes cognizance of the important role it has to fulfill in the socio-economic development of Mozambique. It is to this effect, and in accordance with the policies of the Government of Mozambique, that all efforts are directed towards the implementation of an ambitious program for the development of the National Telecommunications Network. This will assist in satisfying the communication needs of the community at large, while also guaranteeing that a large section of the population will have access to telephone and ICT services. The development program, of which the National Backbone Transmission Network project will form an important part, will at the same time also address the imbalances existing in development through the integration on a national level of the terms on which products, services and other facilities are provided. For more information, visit TDM on the Internet: external linkhttp://www.tdm.mz

About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com



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