Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU), Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT) and OTE S.A. join the first-quarter fun in today's roundup of Euro telecom news.

Alcatel-Lucent's renaissance continues with first-quarter results showing that the vendor has increased revenues by 15.2 percent year-on-year and reduced net losses from a cumbersome €515 million ($748 million) to a frankly pocket-sized €10 million ($14.5 million). North American sales were largely to thank for the ongoing revival. (See AlcaLu Recovery Continues in Q1 and AlcaLu Reports Q1.)

Everything's on the slide on Deutsche Telekom's first-quarter financial report, including revenue (down 3 percent year-on-year) and EBITDA (down 5 percent year-on-year). (See Deutsche Telekom Shrinks in Q1, Deutsche Telekom Reports Q1, DT & FT Deepen Ties, DT's Shares Rocket on AT&T Deal and Mixed 2010 for Euro Giants.)

Greek incumbent OTE -- in which Deutsche Telekom holds a major share -- confirmed everyone's worst fears about the state of its domestic economy by revealing in its first-quarter financials that net profits dropped 54.1 percent year-on-year. Its fixed-line business segment in particular was hit hard by the public sector’s rationalization of its telecom infrastructure, as well as by businesses downsizing or simply going under. (See OTE Reports Q1 and Euronews: August 10.)

South Korea's KT Corp. has sold its Russian unit, New Telephone Company (NTC), to VimpelCom Ltd. (NYSE: VIP) for $346 million, reports Reuters. KT is South Korea's largest fixed-line and second-largest mobile operator. (See KT Goes Nationwide With WiBro and KT Retires 6,000 Staff.)

U.K. incumbent BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) is recruiting 200 ex-armed forces personnel to help deliver its "super-fast" fiber broadband program, which is supposed to be accessible to two-thirds of U.K. premises by the end of 2015. A case of soldiers back in the trenches, perhaps? (See BT Calls Up Former Soldiers for Fiber Push, BT Preps 'Landmark' FTTC Investment and BT Ramps FTTx Plans, Turns a Profit.)

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading