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Verizon Selects Lucent For Ultra-Long-Haul Optical Network

Verizon will become the first service provider in the United States to deploy Lucent Technologies' LambdaXtreme Transport for the company's next-generation nationwide ultra-long-haul optical long-distance network, under a three-year agreement. The next-generation high-bandwidth network, part of Verizon's Enterprise Advance growth initiative announced in November 2002, will strategically position the company in expanding its nationwide reach.

Verizon plans to begin deployment of Lucent's LambdaXtreme Transport -- a dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) core optical networking solution capable of transmitting trillions of bits of information across continents -- this summer. The selection of the LambdaXtreme Transport supports Verizon Enterprise Advance by enabling the company to expand its service portfolio for large business and government customers by connecting existing regional networks across the country via an IP (Internet Protocol) backbone.

The network will enable Verizon to provide high-bandwidth services over a nation-wide automated photonic network while at the same time substantially increasing and enhancing Verizon's ability to support its customer's current and future requirements for high-bandwidth applications -- while reducing capital and operating expenses.

By deploying the ultra-long-haul DWDM transmission equipment, the per mile wavelength transport cost is significantly lower compared to first generation DWDM. Lucent is the sole supplier for this technology that will provide a high-capacity network capable of carrying traffic farther and faster than ever before.

"This high-capacity ultra-long-haul network is a significant step in expanding the services we can offer customer's nationwide, and creates revenue streams through new offerings, such as wavelength-on-demand and video applications," said Claudia Cuddy, vice president of global network solutions at Verizon. "Expanding our reach, reducing our costs and making our network more efficient while maintaining existing reliability all give us the competitive edge we need to support our aggressive strategic direction and growing business needs."

Verizon will be the only U.S. service provider with a nationwide ultra- long-haul DWDM 10Gb per second and 40Gb per second network poised to support high-bandwidth applications.

"This agreement underscores the value that Lucent -- backed by Bell Labs research -- continues to bring to Verizon as they expand their nationwide presence," said Mary Alice Noonan, vice president of sales for Lucent Technologies. "It reaffirms Lucent as a leading full-line provider of next-generation optical transport products and services."

"LambdaXtreme Transport offers Verizon a system that is able to meet its distance and capacity needs, while continuing to deliver significant savings in operations expenses," said Vince Molinaro, president North America sales for Lucent Technologies. "With today's announcement, Lucent is continuing to deliver the cost-effective, technically superior systems our customers are demanding through our complete optical networking portfolio."