 |
February 27, 2008 |
|
|
|
 |
ALCATEL-LUCENT SA: Inks O&M Services Deal With Brasil Telecom Alcatel-Lucent has siged a major contract with Brasil Telecom to provide Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services for the carrier internal plant (including wireless, wireline and data networks), as well as their outside plant. This project reinforces the strategic partnership between Brasil Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent, and solidifies the company's leadership in providing operations and maintenance services for fixed, mobile and data networks in Brazil. This contract represents a milestone in Latin America as no other company in the region is responsible for the whole infrastructure of an operator. Brasil Telecom is pioneering this field by selecting an experienced and capable supplier as its partner to simplify and expand its business. Based on the agreement Alcatel-Lucent will take care of 100 percent of Brasil Telecom infrastructure, including detailed O&M for the operator's wireless network (voice, data and core); switches and transmission for fixed land line; data communications and ADSL (core and access); satellite platform; infrastructure (building, AC/DC energy, air conditioning, towers and poles); network management systems; and technical support for all levels. "This is the biggest contract signed by Brasil Telecom in the last few years and we look forward to an exceptionally close working relationship with Alcatel-Lucent as we strive to bring out customers the most reliable and highest quality communications services available," said Brasil Telecom Operations Vice-President, Francisco Santiago. "Alcatel-Lucent will take care of the whole operation and maintenance of our fixed-line and wireless telephony infrastructure and we trust their capacity for that. For us it's a new way of working, creating a package of services that spans maintenance, engineering, installation and operations to attain OPEX and CAPEX reduction." This new contract demonstrates the breadth and depth of Alcatel- Lucent services portfolio, as it encompasses network consulting and planning, network operations, optimization and maintenance. Alcatel-Lucent is the main equipment and solution supplier for Brasil Telecom and has also provided O&M services for the operator since 2002. Alcatel-Lucent plans to create a centralized technical management center, implement process and organizational improvements between outside plant and internal infrastructure, and improve productivity at central management center level through application of workforce management, improving existing Operation System Support tools to better apply fault correlation and automatic dispatching. "This network services contract with Brasil Telecom builds upon our long-term relationship with them, which is built on trust, confidence and a spirit of partnership. Their decision to have a single partner responsible for the operation and maintenance of their network is quite visionary and is a pioneering strategy by the operator, both in Brazil and the region," said President of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in the Caribbean and Latin America region, Victor Agnellini. "We are committed on delivering the best services and an excellent experience for Brasil Telecom and its customers by ensuring the reliability and quality of the carrier's entire infrastructure. And we look forward to welcoming the talented employees from Brasil Telecom who will be joining Alcatel-Lucent to ensure we can leverage their expertise to maintain the high quality of the service Brasil Telecom provides." Brasil Telecom is a leading telecommunications integrated services provider and frontrunner player involved in bundle fixed/mobile and broadband services in Brazil. With more than 8 million fixed line users and close to 4 million mobile subscribers, as well as more than 1.7 million ADSL broadband users, the operator's services cover a large portion of Brazil, including the Federal District and the states of Acre, Rondonia, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias, Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande Do Sul. It also offers nationwide and international long-distance services. About Brasil Telecom Headquartered in Brasilia, Brazil, Brasil Telecom Participacoes SA -- http://www.brasiltelecom.com.br -- is a holding company that conducts substantially all of its operations through its wholly owned subsidiary, Brasil Telecom SA. The fixed-line telecommunications services offered to the company's customers include local services, including all calls that originate and terminate within a single local area in the region, as well as installation, monthly subscription, measured services, public telephones and supplemental local services; intra-regional long-distance services, which include intrastate and interstate calls; interregional and international long-distance services; network services, including interconnection and leasing; data transmission services; wireless services, and other services. About Alcatel-Lucent Headquartered in Paris, France, Alcatel-Lucent S.A. -- http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/ -- provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end users. Alcatel-Lucent maintains operations in 130 countries, including, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, United States, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, Indonesia, Australia, Brunei and Cambodia. * * * As reported on Nov. 9, 2007, Moody's Investors Service downgraded to Ba3 from Ba2 the Corporate Family Rating of Alcatel-Lucent. The ratings for senior debt of the group were equally lowered to Ba3 from Ba2 and the trust preferred notes of Lucent Technologies Capital Trust I have been downgraded to B2 from B1. At the same time, Moody's affirmed its Not-Prime rating for short-term debt of Alcatel-Lucent. Moody's said the outlook for the ratings is stable. Alcatel-Lucent's Long-Term Corporate Credit rating and Senior Unsecured Debt carry Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' BB rating. Its Short-Term Corporate Credit rating stands at B. |
|
|
||
|
Today's Top Stories have been selected from the Troubled Company Reporter - Latin America. To receive the Full TCR-LA please CLICK HERE.
