Alcatel-Lucent to meet demand for ultra-broadband access and gigabit services with new innovations in fiber and copper technology

LONDON, Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadband World Forum 2015 -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) has today launched industry-leading innovations in fiber and copper technologies that will enable operators to meet current and future demand for ultra-broadband access services – including addressing performance and capacity requirements critical to delivering on the promise of 5G.

Operators are looking to technologies that can provide them the flexibility to cope with all the demands being placed on their networks by existing and emerging services and applications. 'Gigabit services' – ultra-broadband access speeds of 1 gigabit per second and beyond – is expanding from the enterprise into the consumer domain. By the end of 2015 over 40 million 4K TVs¹ are expected to be in homes and by 2020² the number of connected devices is likely to reach 50-100 billion.

At this year's Broadband World Forum, Alcatel-Lucent is showcasing three new fixed access technologies across fiber and copper to support operators in meeting these needs. On show will be:

• Alcatel-Lucent's new G.fast multi-port micronode and advanced vectoring 2.0 technologies, enabling operators to leverage G.fast to accelerate Fiber-to-the-home deployments and bring gigabit speeds to multiple residences using existing copper infrastructure, avoiding the need for costly and time-consuming in-building cabling.

• The first commercially available Vplus products from Alcatel-Lucent, filling the gap for operators between VDSL2 vectoring and G.fast to provide a quick, simple and cost-effective means of delivering ultra-broadband access at higher speeds over longer distances to more customers.

• An expansion to the TWDM-PON (Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Networks) portfolio, including a new optical network unit for home deployment and enhancements to its Fiber-to-the-home platform that add switching and uplink capacity, critical for large-scale multiple-gigabit deployments. Alcatel-Lucent will also introduce new features to its Network Management System to simplify the management and provisioning of GPON and TWDM technologies over the same fiber network.

Commenting on the introductions at Broadband World Forum, Federico Guillen, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Fixed Access business line said: "Today's world is going wireless, but wireless is going fixed. As customer demand for ultra-broadband access continues to increase, operators need a wide range of technology options to effectively meet evolving demands spanning residential, business and mobile backhaul services.  With the industry's most advanced and complete portfolio of solutions across fiber and copper, Alcatel-Lucent is uniquely equipped to help operators address any situation they may face today and in the future.  Collectively these technologies will play a critical role in helping operators turn their fixed networks into an essential asset that will make 5G possible."

Rupert Wood, Lead Analyst for Fixed Networks at Analysys Mason added: "With 96% of all IP data worldwide associated with fixed access networks and over 75% of wireless data generated indoors, FTTH/x based fixed access networks are quickly becoming the most critical asset for operators and their ability to meet the future, evolving ultra-broadband demands of their subscriber base."

Leveraging its portfolio of ultra-broadband access technologies, Alcatel-Lucent's fixed access business is committed to enabling global operators to maximize their network investments and extend profitable services further to their customers.

The innovations being showcased at Broadband World Forum follow a recent number of industry 'firsts' by Alcatel-Lucent in the field of fixed access, and include the world's first commercial deployment of TWDM-PON by EPB in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the first commercial application of G.fast with Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan, the introduction of Vplus technologies with launch customer A1 in Austria, and the world's largest trial of G.fast technology, with BT in the UK.

ABOUT ALCATEL-LUCENT (EURONEXT PARIS ANDNYSE: ALU)
Alcatel-Lucent is the leading IP networking, ultra-broadband access and cloud technology specialist. We are dedicated to making global communications more innovative, sustainable and accessible for people, businesses and governments worldwide. Our mission is to invent and deliver trusted networks to help our customers unleash their value. Every success has its network.

For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.

References

1. MESA "IHS: 4K TV Pick-Up Higher Than Expected" May 28, 2015
2. Bell Labs "Networked Devices"

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent

Related Links

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