BEIJING -- China Telecom, the largest carrier in China, and Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT) (TSE:NT.) today announced the official opening and commercial operation of China Telecom's national high-speed transmission network, based on Nortel Networks optical networking equipment. The 15,000-kilometer network is believed to be one of the world's longest. Its spans 18 of China's total 31 provinces and covers most of the country's developed areas. The network is the most significant project China Telecom has built in recent years. It provides China Telecom with the massive bandwidth and levels of network intelligence that it needs, as well as enabling China Telecom to drive to industry's lowest cost per connected bit. In an international public tender announced in February 2001, China Telecom awarded Nortel Networks a contract estimated at approximately US$101 million to deploy this key project. By cooperating closely, the companies were able to install, develop, test and certify the network within one year. "The opening of China Telecom's national optical backbone network underscores the success of our ongoing undertaking -- building top-class optical long haul networks in China," said Masood Tariq, president, Nortel Networks Asia Pacific. "Nortel Networks is striving to cooperate with China Telecom and other Chinese customers to deploy industry leading solutions, and to keep pace with the rapid development of China's information industry."Nortel Networks solution for China Telecom includes Nortel Networks OPTera Long Haul 1600 Optical Line System and OPTera Connect DX optical switch.Nortel Networks Corp.