Alcatel, Fujitsu Build Sea-Me-We 4

PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that it will be deploying the new generation of the Sea-Me-We submarine cable network. Alcatel and its co-contractor Fujitsu have been awarded the Sea-Me-We 4 project on a turnkey basis. The project will deliver a new terabit cable, which is more than 32 times the initial capacity of the previous Sea-Me-We 3 system, and supports a huge data growth, leased line and broadband services.

The Sea-Me-We 4 submarine cable will span nearly 20,000 km, which is equivalent to approximately half of the circumference of the globe, linking 14 countries from France to Singapore via Italy, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia with 16 landing points. Delivering the first ever Bangladesh submarine cable system, the new cable network will utilize Alcatel's submarine and terrestrial optical networking solutions based on the most advanced technologies recently delivered to the market. Alcatel will also provide a comprehensive set of services including marine and terrestrial installation, commissioning and integration.

Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will notably supply its new-generation dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) submarine line terminal which enables operators to expand and upgrade their repeatered submarine cable networks. This delivers the most recent developments in optical transmission and network design, featuring a compact footprint, reduced power consumption and enhanced ability to multiplex traffic over the same fiber. Alcatel will also supply its DWDM system for terrestrial applications completing and extending Alcatel's offering for regional and long haul DWDM.

"The new award strengthens our successful cooperation and shared customer-focus view to deliver communications infrastructures that allow end-users to continuously benefit from the most advanced services," said Jean Godeluck, President of Alcatel's submarine network activity. "Alcatel reconfirms its leadership in the submarine segment and commitment to the in-house development of end-to-end optical networking solutions."

In a separate release:

TOKYO -- Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) announced that it has been selected by the Sea-Me-We 4 consortia, together with its co-contractor Alcatel, to construct a high-capacity fibre optic submarine cable network, as part of the Sea-Me-We 4 submarine optical network linking Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe. The new terabit cable system will support more than 32 times the initial transmission capacity of the previous Sea-Me-We 3 network.

The 20,000-km cable network, a length equivalent to half the Earth's circumference, will link 14 countries from France to Singapore via Italy, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia with 16 landing points. The system is commissioned for start-up by July 2005.

The network caters to the demand among consortia countries for high-capacity transmission systems, which is expected to grow sharply over the next few years. The speedy and timely implementation of the Sea-Me-We 4 cable network is considered essential to meeting this rise in demand.

Under the terms of the contract, Fujitsu will provide a high-capacity submarine optical system featuring its own state-of-the-art submarine transmission technology, with optically amplified submersible repeaters and leading edge dens wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transmission equipment. This allows the company to achieve transmission capacities unprecedented for submarine networks of such a lengthy span. The project will be managed on a turnkey basis, covering all operations from marine survey, system design and manufacturing, through to marine installation, testing, commissioning and training.

Alcatel SA

Fujitsu Ltd.