PARIS -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) announces the signing of a turnkey contract with French Polynesian operator Office des Postes & Télécommunications (OPT). According to this agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will roll out a new, high-speed submarine cable network linking Tahiti in French Polynesia to Hawaii in the U.S, as well as providing domestic connectivity.

This new submarine network, with a value of 72.2 M Euros, has been called ‘Honotua’ (a Tahitian name meaning the link towards the open sea)and it will greatly increase French Polynesia’s local and international connectivity.

Accordingly, OPT will be able to respond at more affordable costs, to the growing demand for broadband services of its business and residential users. By providing the first submarine connection in French Polynesia, this network will also help reduce the digital divide in the Pacific region.

Delivering an ultimate capacity of 32 x10 Gbit/s, the ‘Honotua’ network will be composed of an international link between Tahiti and Hawaii (4,650 km) and a domestic connection (305 km)linking some of the islands in the French Polynesian archipelago. With completion scheduled in 2010, the ‘Honotua’ submarine cable network will ease the availability and accessibility to high quality, innovative broadband applications such as telemedicine, e-learning and on-line tourism programs.

“This is a fundamental endeavor for French Polynesia aiming to fuel economic and social viability for our community" points out M. Jacqui Drollet, Minister of Culture, Post & Telecommunications in French Polynesia. “The new broadband services and business-driven applications this network will make available will allow us to improve the quality of life for our citizens."

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)