Alcatel Intros GPON OLT

PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced the enhancement of its industry leading broadband access portfolio with the introduction of a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) solution for operators who are using or considering fiber-to-the-premise for triple play service delivery. Based on ITU standards and the latest proposed specifications by the Full Service Access Network (FSAN) working group of the ITU, the Alcatel 7342 ISAM FTTU extends the benefits of the current ISAM family's architecture to GPON access, enabling subscriber rates of 200Mbps and higher. The Alcatel ISAM product line is already deployed worldwide with more than 15 large customers since its introduction.

Through adherence to the latest ITU GPON standards (G.984.x) and optimization for IP convergence, the 7342 ISAM FTTU adds an additional "last mile" option to Alcatel's existing end-to-end triple play solution. This option enables service providers to deploy voice, data and video services directly to users over fiber optic facilities at rates to 2.5Gbps.

"By adding GPON to its access portfolio, and providing a clear migration path from BPON to GPON, Alcatel further strengthens its position as a highly competitive supplier of full turn-key triple play solutions," according to Dave Dunphy, Principal Analyst of Optical Infrastructure at Current Analysis. The 7342 ISAM FTTU lets operators leverage their large installed base of Alcatel's broadband management systems and offers a timely response to U.S RBOC interest in making a gradual transition from BPON to GPON, particularly as they accelerate triple play roll out."

With IPTV as a driving force behind the strong interest in GPON technology, scalability is a critical concern for operators who plan to launch service to millions of subscribers. The Alcatel 7342 ISAM FTTU can scale to over 2,000 users per shelf. Sharing the same platform as Alcatel's industry leading 7302 ISAM DSLAM and 7330 ISAM fiber-to-the-node platforms, all management and field practices have commonality, reducing a network operator's total cost of ownership through operational synergies. In addition, operators who have already deployed Alcatel 7340 BPON solutions will have a migration path to higher bandwidth systems.

"The introduction of our GPON solution demonstrates Alcatel's continued commitment to providers worldwide who are deploying triple play services, and we believe fiber-to-the-premise represents a key dimension in their deployments," comments Michel Rahier, in charge of Alcatel's global fixed communication activities. Through compliance with standards, with the latest industry recommendations and due to the commonality with existing Alcatel access platforms, the 7342 ISAM FTTU enables providers to deliver these latest broadband services in a scaleable manner with minimal impact to ongoing field practices."

Alcatel