Alcatel-Lucent and Globe Telecom sign LTE confirmation of award to expand mobile ultra-broadband access in the Philippines

PARIS, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) and Globe Telecom (PSE: GLO) have today signed a confirmation of award for the transformation of wireless network infrastructure in the Philippine regions of Visayas and Mindanao, upgrading it from WiMax to LTE-TDD and LTE-FDD ultra-broadband access technologies.

The LTE infrastructure is part of Globe Telecom's continuing network expansion to enable advanced technologies for better broadband service experience.  This will provide higher network capacity, plus faster transmission speeds, addressing ever-increasing demand for broadband service with higher bandwidth in a country of more than 105 million mobile subscribers.

The signing of the confirmation of award was done during the Philippines official state visit to France. President Benigno Simeon Aquino, III of the Philippines and President Francois Hollande of France witnessed the signing in a ceremonial event at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president.

Key Facts:

• Globe Telecom is the second largest telecommunications provider in the Philippines, with 45 million customers. 
• There are more than 105 million mobile broadband subscribers in the country, a number that has been growing by 10 percent each year, leading to ever-increasing demand for bandwidth, speed and capacity.
• Globe will deploy Alcatel-Lucent's LTE Radio Access Network (RAN) which is aimed at bringing ultra-broadband Internet access to a geographically diverse area comprised of 7,107 islands.
• Alcatel-Lucent will transform the existing Globe WiMax network to state-of-the-art LTE–TDD and LTE-FDD technology to help meet the ever-increasing demand for high speed mobile Internet access in the Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines.
• The LTE RAN technology equipment will be activated in approximately 1,200 sites, along with a converged Network Management System (NMS) to manage and control network equipment on an end-to-end basis from Access to the Core.
• Alcatel-Lucent also is providing Globe Telecom with a set of professional services to include engineering, installation, integration, and project management services.

Quotes:

Ernest L. Cu, president and CEO of Globe Telecom, said: "The rollout of LTE technologies will provide increased internet and fixed/wireless broadband capacity and better broadband experience for our customers in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. This is particularly significant for the Visayas region which is still recovering from last year's severe typhoon. This project also supports the Philippine government's thrust to expand the reach of broadband internet services which has been emphasized as an area for national improvement."

Michel Combes, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, said: "This project not only highlights how our LTE-TDD technology is expanding, but also continues the strong momentum of mobile ultra-broadband access in the Asia-Pacific region. As a key provider of infrastructure for some of the largest LTE network deployments in the world, Alcatel-Lucent's support for Globe Telecom's network expansion program is a further milestone in our growing global leadership in mobile ultra-broadband access."

About Globe Telecom 
Globe Telecom is a leading full service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services.  Its principals are Ayala Corporation and SingTel who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.  Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/talk2Globe and Facebook: http://facebook.com/GlobePH.

About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) 
We are at the forefront of global communications, providing products and innovations in IP and cloud networking, as well as ultra-broadband fixed and wireless access to service providers and their customers, and to enterprises and institutions throughout the world. Underpinning us in driving the industrial transformation from voice telephony to high-speed digital delivery of data, video and information is Bell Labs, an integral part of the Group and one of the world's foremost technology research institutes, responsible for countless breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Our innovations have resulted in our Group being recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Top 100 Global Innovator, as well as being named by MIT Technology Review as amongst 2012's Top 50 "World's Most Innovative Companies". We have also been recognized for innovation in sustainability, being named Industry Group Leader in the Technology Hardware & Equipment sector in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices review, for making global communications more sustainable, affordable and accessible, all in pursuit of the Group's mission to realize the potential of a connected world.

With revenues of Euro 14.4 billion in 2013, Alcatel-Lucent is listed on the Paris and New York stock exchanges (Euronext andNYSE: ALU). The company 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