Alcatel-Lucent and Linkem to introduce WiMAX Rev-e in the Lazio region of Italy

Paris, June 2008 — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that it has been selected by Linkem Spa – Italy’s leading wireless broadband service provider – to provide a turnkey WiMAX 802.16e-2005 network (also called Rev-e) in the Lazio Region. Terracina (in Latina Province) will be the first city reached by the service.

A holder of recent WiMAX licenses in 13 Italian regions, spreading from north to south and reaching 80% of the Italian population, Linkem is a leading Italian supplier of broadband services through the most innovative wireless technologies since 2001.

Alcatel-Lucent’s WiMAX solution will provide Linkem with a new powerful access technology enabling the operator to connect the still unconnected regions and provide citizens, enterprises and public offices with high-speed broadband access and services. It will help Linkem to contribute to reducing the digital divide, thereby promoting the economic and social development, within the regions where it holds the required licenses and frequencies.

“The collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent on WiMAX will complement our existing solid experience in wireless broadband services, enabling us to test and accelerate the deployment of mass WiMAX solutions in Italy as the preferred wireless technology for bridging the digital gap and as an efficient support for nomadic communications for our customers,” said Davide Rota, CEO of Linkem. “We trust Alcatel-Lucent’s unique ability to provide the entire set of required technologies and services– from consulting, to design of end-to-end network solutions, to deployment, and operations and support - to help us evaluate and deploy a WiMAX solution that meets our high expectations.”

Alcatel-Lucent will provide a complete WiMAX Rev-e infrastructure solution, including the radio access network, microwave backhaul and IP routers that will cover a selected area in the Lazio region and will support voice over IP (VoIP) and high-speed Internet access, enabling the delivery of advanced broadband multimedia services, such as video streaming, through a variety of end-user devices including modems and WiMAX terminals.

As a trusted partner, Alcatel-Lucent will provide Linkem with full support capabilities, including WiMAX planning expertise, site & technology implementation services, operation and maintenance, as well as with a complete portfolio of core network systems.

“Alcatel-Lucent is fully committed to support Linkem in boosting WiMAX deployments in Italian regions, both leveraging our regional support capabilities and local presence and reinforcing Linkem’s position as a leading wireless broadband service provider in Italy. Our WiMAX solution is supporting a wide variety of configurations, adaptive to various customer needs due to its modular and flexible design, from low-density rural coverage to high-capacity urban deployments,” said Pierre Barnabé President of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in France, Iberia & Italy. “We’re confident our accumulated unmatched expertise will help Linkem smoothly translate WiMAX into a cash-generating broadband business while bridging the digital gap.”

The Alcatel-Lucent’s 802.16e-2005 WiMAX solution has been selected for its higher efficiency in supporting fixed communications, while supporting nomadic traffic, and for its superior interoperability capability with standard commercially available CPE.

Thanks to Alcatel-Lucent’s Open CPE (customer premises equipment) Program, the infrastructure supports a wide range of terminals from various terminal equipment partners. This program is designed to promote an open device ecosystem, ensuring that customers have access to the widest possible range of interoperable end-user devices at attractive pricing.

With 25 commercial contracts and more than 70 trials around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is the undisputed leader in the WiMAX market. It is also a global leader in network planning, design, consulting, project management and optimization of networks.

Alcatel-Lucent’s Universal WiMAX solution integrates the latest technological innovations, such as “beam forming”* and MIMO**. Beam forming enables a service provider to dramatically reduce the number of radio sites needed to provide coverage – in some instances by as much as 40 percent – while reducing interference and ensuring better indoor penetration of the radio signal. MIMO helps make radio links more robust, nearly doubling the capacity delivered in dense urban environments.