Alcatel launches two innovative America’s Cup new media services

Paris, May 9, 2006 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced the launch of America’s Cup Live Sailing for Internet-connected PCs and America’s Cup Broadband TV, two innovative new media services that enable America’s Cup sailing fans to enjoy the action and excitement of the Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 2006 how, when and where they want.

America’s Cup Live Sailing, Alcatel’s award winning animation service for mobile phones, has been extended to Internet-connected PCs. Now with Live Sailing, fully interactive, high quality animations of the Louis Vuitton Acts including detailed race information are available for Windows and Mac OS-based computers in addition to the most popular mobile handsets. The service provides both live coverage and an archive of all races.

America’s Cup Broadband TV offers a range of video contents to sailing fans globally via the Internet. The Broadband TV service makes daily highlights and other America’s Cup video coverage including live broadcast of Louis Vuitton Act 12 semi finals and final, available in many countries for the very first time. This complements the America’s Cup TV coverage provided by America’s Cup TV Rights Holders (Broadcasters) by providing an otherwise inaccessible archive of video material.

Both America’s Cup Live Sailing and America’s Cup Broadband TV services leverage Alcatel’s new media rights for the 32nd America’s Cup and are available for subscription through www.americascup.com

At the launch of the new services, Marc Rouanne, President of Alcatel’s mobile communications activities commented: “These new America’s Cup services are further proof of Alcatel’s ability to deploy turn-key telecoms solutions for content owners, broadcasters and operators so that they may fully monetize video and other contents and rights. In our extensive experience in IPTV and Mobile TV we are increasingly seeing the need to ubiquitously deliver content across any platform”.

“Each of these products give an opportunity for fans of the America’s Cup to access their favorite sport with ease, wherever they happen to be,” says Paco Latorre, Director of Communications for the organizing body of the America’s Cup. “The America’s Cup Broadband TV service, for example, gives the consumer the choice of watching Cup action whenever and wherever they want. With Alcatel, we are continuing the tradition of communications innovation that has long been associated with the America’s Cup.”

About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.

Contact Information

Robin Karvo

Corporate Media Relations

Alcatel

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