Alcatel-Lucent to rollout 4G LTE network in Oklahoma and Kansas with Pioneer Cellular in United States

PARIS, Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) is to deploy a complete 4G LTE overlay network in the Midwestern U.S. states of Oklahoma and Kansas to enable Pioneer Cellular, an affiliate of Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, to offer ultra-broadband mobile access to its customers and enable higher quality service for video, gaming and Internet connectivity on smartphones and tablets.

Mobile ultra-broadband plays a critical role in today's rural landscape as it fuels better educational opportunities, better economic activity, more entertainment choices and a better overall quality of life.  The demand for mobile broadband by those in rural areas are no different than those of urban counterparts, however, scaling networks for rural areas has been a challenge.  LTE enables rich communications, commerce, entertainment, productivity and educational activity virtually anywhere at any time. 

Pioneer Cellular is helping bridge the mobile ultra-broadband gap by providing service primarily in unserved and underserved areas of rural Kansas and Oklahoma.  The LTE deployment with Alcatel-Lucent will enable Pioneer Cellular to provide customers with ultra-broadband access and also interconnect with other carriers through roaming agreements.

Key Facts:

• With Alcatel-Lucent's support, Pioneer will offer LTE based mobile service to its entire customer base covering 47 counties in Oklahoma and 14 counties in Kansas.
• The initial 25 sites to be deployed will be completed by the end of 2014, with an eventual plan to cover all of Pioneer's network.
• Alcatel-Lucent is providing Pioneer Cellular with an end-to-end 4G LTE overlay solution including LTE Radio Access Network, IP Mobile Packet Core (MME, SGW/PGW, PCRF), Subscriber Data Manager, IP Mobile Backhaul (7705 SAR) and associated deployment and integration services

Quotes:

Richard Ruhl, General Manager of Pioneer, said: "Rural operators like Pioneer face specific challenges in serving rural areas. Pioneer Cellular is a customer driven organization with a corporate mission to provide the best service possible to our wireless customers in areas where most carriers have chosen not to provide advanced services. The new 4G LTE Core Network will allow Pioneer to provide our customers with high quality mobile and fixed ultra-broadband services."

Charles Marsh, President of Alcatel-Lucent's Americas region, said: "Alcatel-Lucent enjoys a strong and positive 20-year working relationship with Pioneer. This announcement extends that partnership further, demonstrating the importance of 4G LTE for Pioneer's customers and the rural marketplace in general."

Additional links:

About Pioneer Cellular
Cellular Network Partnership d/b/a Pioneer Cellular is a Partnership Group comprised of Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, Inc., KanOkla Telephone Association, South Central Communications of Kansas, and Hinton Cellular Company in Hinton, Oklahoma. Established in 1988, the group serves customers in 47 counties in Oklahoma and 14 counties in southern Kansas and provides nationwide coverage through roaming alliances with national carriers. Pioneer Cellular provides 4G LTE and 3G EVDO, as well as advanced mobility services and data applications such as Video, Picture, Text Messaging and High-Speed Web Browsing.  For more information about Pioneer Cellular, dial 1.800.641.2732 or visit www.wirelesspioneer.com.

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 2013 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