Deutsche Telekom's T-Com Selects Lucent Technologies To Upgrade Copper

HANNOVER, Germany, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lucent Technologies today announced that it has been awarded a contract by T-Com, the fixed line division of Deutsche Telekom, to supply and install new technology designed to make high-speed Ethernet connections possible over copper infrastructure.

Today, the majority of all companies in Germany are only connected to the T-Com network over copper and are unable to access Ethernet Wide Area Network (WAN) services, which, until now, required an optical connection. By the additions of a new plug-in card in T-Com's network, corporate customers will be able to use Ethernet services over the copper wire pair, with a line speed of up to 10 Mbit/s. In this way, Ethernet services will be available virtually nationwide.

Under the terms of the contract, Lucent will integrate its Metropolis(R) AMS multiplexers into T-Com's optical transport network, which is based on SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy). Where needed, Lucent will equip Metropolis(R) AMS multiplexers and Metropolis(R) AM multiplexers with optional SHDSL (Single-line High-Speed DSL) plug-in cards and connect them via copper with an Ethernet network termination unit.

"Lucent is delighted to be supplying this advanced technology and services to help T-Com further develop and offer innovative nationwide Ethernet services," said Holger Schmidt, director sales Deutsche Telekom wireline at Lucent Technologies. "The seamless integration of Ethernet traffic over the copper pair and optical fiber in one system means more flexibility for T-Com's customers and makes network operation and network management even more efficient."

The Ethernet-over-copper solution complements T-Com's existing Ethernet services (10, 50, 100, 1,000 Mbit/s). Using the quickly implemented solution over the copper pair will, for example, make it possible to integrate individual company locations that do not have an optical connection into the overall corporate network.

The equipment provided by Lucent comprises the Metropolis(R) AMS and the Metropolis(R) AM. When equipped with the optional SHDSL card, both systems can connect copper as well as fiber-optic lines. Since this is done within one system, this means that the service area of T-Com's existing optical SDH infrastructure can be expanded very quickly and efficiently.

The Ethernet-over-copper solution requires components on the network side and on the customer's premises. An Ethernet network termination unit installed on the corporate customer's premises takes the Ethernet traffic and routes it over the existing copper infrastructure to a multiplexer of the Metropolis(R) family from Lucent. This multiplexer in turn is connected to T- Com's optical transmission network.

The Metropolis(R) AMS multiplexer and the Metropolis(R) AM, equipped with the SHDSL card, multiplex the signals of several copper wires and thus enable Ethernet transmission at speeds of up to 10 Mbit/s in combination with an Ethernet network termination unit.

This latest contract, to supply Ethernet technology, is part of an existing multi-year frame agreement between the two companies covering T-Com's optical transport network. Lucent Worldwide Services will provide installation of the equipment and the SHDSL card.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit http://www.lucent.com/.