Alcatel-Lucent Optical Transport Chosen by Telecom New Zealand

Alcatel-Lucent, in association with Telecom New Zealand (News - Alert), will implement an Alcatel-Lucent converged 100 gigabit-per-second or 100G optical network to a minimum of 30 cities across New Zealand. The 100G optical network will be capable of delivering high-speed transport services, thereby assisting upcoming Telecom services, like the launch of a retail fibre product. Alcatel-Lucent’s (News - Alert) network will also assist New Zealand government’s “Ultra-Fast Broadband” proposal.

The latest network will be mostly functional during mid-2013. The latest network incorporates the power of IP with optical networking, thereby assisting Telecom New Zealand in tackling the rising subscriber needs for superior business services. These include high-definition video, rapid Internet access, Voice-over-IP and the content delivery networks required for facilitating movie processing and quick data links for Internet servers.

In a statement, David Havercroft, CTO of Telecom New Zealand said, “Alcatel-Lucent has been a longstanding, trusted supplier to Telecom New Zealand throughout our networks. We chose their 100G coherent optical transport network based on the best combination of technology capability, commercial terms, in-country support, and proven ability to deliver a large and critical project.”

In 2012, the New Zealand Government had unveiled the Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative with an aim to introduce speedy fibre-optic technology to homes, schools, hospitals, marae and businesses. The exclusive Bell Labs (News - Alert) silicon improvement has been leveraged by Alcatel-Lucent’s 100G optical coherent technology for supporting data speeds of 100 gigabits-per-second on all the 80 wavelengths of an optical fiber. As a result, network capacity and performance are considerably enhanced.

Andrew Miller (News - Alert), Managing Director of Alcatel-Lucent in New Zealand said, “The Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative’ is a critical project that will benefit all of New Zealand. Our Optical offering, which is unique in the industry and proven in the global market, will dramatically expand the capacity and advanced business services, helping ensure the best experience possible for Telecom’s customers accessing high-bandwidth services over the nationwide network.”

Telecom New Zealand is a major telecommunications organization in New Zealand that offers information and communication technology or ICT services to its customers.