Services include regional seminars, grant writing assistance and technology consulting

MURRAY HILL, N.J., May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced its "Broadband for All" program in the United States, which provides advisory services to help telecommunications companies, municipalities and developers apply for broadband stimulus funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Act provides more than $7 billion in grants, loans and loan guarantees to unserved and underserved rural areas, offering them broadband access and services that have been previously limited or unavailable.

More than 6,200 small service providers, municipalities, utilities and developers provide communications services to residents of rural areas throughout the United States. Alcatel-Lucent's "Broadband for All" program offers telecom providers a turnkey service to apply for government funding including grant application assistance, as well as technology solutions to enable them to upgrade their voice, video and data services for the 21st century. The ARRA of 2009 represents the government's largest commitment to accelerate the availability of broadband technology for the rural and underserved markets, as well as public safety.

The Alcatel-Lucent has a team of specialists able to support rural service providers, municipal customers, and private developers by offering:

• Funding application preparation and follow-up
• Advocacy with the key stakeholders and agencies (National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) which are administering the funds)
• Technology consulting and solutions
• Regional seminars and webinars to educate customers and consultants about the funding and application process

"The stimulus bill offers a unique opportunity for service providers, municipalities and developers to upgrade their networks for decades to come with technology that supports broadband access and services," said Rich Wonders, Vice President of Strategic Marketing for Alcatel-Lucent's Americas region. "Not only is this a chance to offer their customers the kinds of broadband access enjoyed in more densely populated areas, but this represents a significant opportunity to create jobs throughout the U.S. The single largest cost component of deploying rural broadband is in the physical construction and deployment of the network, so these projects will create jobs as well as result in much better communications services for the residences and businesses in those communities."

With a proven track record of working with telecommunications providers in rural areas, Alcatel-Lucent has one of the broadest portfolios of products granted Rural Development Acceptance and/or Buy American status by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency for deployment under the Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. Alcatel-Lucent has more than 20,000 U.S.-based employees and includes the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry.

"The Broadband Stimulus funding is a significant opportunity for communications providers to extend broadband service to difficult-to-serve areas, but the clock is ticking," said Nancy Victory, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP and former Administrator of the NTIA. "The application process is sure to be challenging and time-consuming, and the competition for funding is likely to be stiff. Given the aggressive schedule set by the government for awarding the funds, interested entities should be planning their projects now and identifying resources they should bring to bear to compete for funding."

Alcatel-Lucent's purpose in introducing the program is to help its customers meet the challenges inherent in the process and be well-equipped to compete for funding. According to the ARRA Act, the $7.2 billion in funding will be allocated by the NTIA and the RUS, and must be disbursed by September 30, 2010. The agencies are expected to award the money in three phases, starting in summer 2009.

For more information about how Alcatel-Lucent's "Broadband for All" program can help providers meet the challenges inherent in the process, as well as a list of cities where Alcatel-Lucent will be hosting information seminars, visit www.broadband4all.com/alu.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent

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