Missouri's Big River Broadband Selects Alcatel-Lucent to Help Build New 4G Regional LTE Network

ST. LOUIS and PARIS, Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The US regional service provider Big River Broadband is taking a big step toward bringing mobile broadband to previously underserved residents of southeast Missouri by launching a 4G LTE service in seven Missouri counties in the first quarter of 2012. Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE : ALU) is providing its end-to-end 4G LTE solution to help customers of the St. Louis-based operator experience blazing fast broadband speeds and take advantage of new applications, games and other services over their mobile devices.  

Kevin Keaveny, CTO for Big River Broadband, said: "The residents of rural and underserved areas of southeastern Missouri deserve the same access to mobile broadband applications as those of the bigger, more metropolitan areas. Today, the seven counties in Big River's service territory suffer from a lack of access to affordable networks. The availability of an expansive and affordable broadband network will dramatically change many aspects of our customers' lives, including the areas of agriculture, public safety, government, administration, real estate, land values and tourism."

Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Americas Region added: "Capacity, choice and speed are some of the obvious benefits of expanded wireless broadband. But Big River also recognizes the less obvious benefit of technology like mobile broadband opening the door to opportunity. The ability to connect people and ideas at the speed of light changes everything from access to education, healthcare, retail and other services."

Big River's 4G LTE network will be funded with a $33 million dollar build-out through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Big River Broadband is part of the Missouri Broadband Commission entrusted to deliver 95% broadband penetration within the State of Missouri.  This program was awarded in September of 2010 by the Rural Utility Services (RUS) which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Having been selected so far by 18 customers for commercial deployments, including three of the world's largest service providers, and being involved in more than 70 customer trials, Alcatel-Lucent has established a clear leadership position in Long Term Evolution (LTE).The company's operational trials and active contracts span all regions of the globe.

About Big River

Big River Broadband (www.bigriverbroadband.com) is a wireless broadband and cellular service company focused on Southeast Missouri.  Like its parent company, Big River Telephone, it is a customer focused entity delivering the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS)/Long-Term Evolution (LTE) platform to the region. Headquartered in Farmington, Missouri it continues to rapidly grow as the information movement and management partner for residential and business customers.

About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU)

The long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leader in mobile, fixed, IP and Optics technologies, and a pioneer in applications and services. Alcatel-Lucent includes Bell Labs, one of the world's foremost centres of research and innovation in communications technology.

With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach.

The Company achieved revenues of Euro 16 billion in 2010 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.

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.

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent

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