Alcatel-Lucent at the ITU Telecom Africa 2008

Vincenzo Nesci, President of Alcatel-Lucent's business in the Middle East and Africa is participating in the May 12 Plenary Session 'Africa's markets: challenges and Opportunities'.

Vincenzo Nesci, President of Alcatel-Lucent activities in Africa and the Middle East commented: 'Being a long-term committed market leader in Africa and the Middle East, Alcatel-Lucent welcomes the ITU Telecom Africa 2008 in Egypt, the major networking platform for Africa's top ICT players. Alcatel-Lucent is proud to demonstrate its technology leadership, end-to-end solutions and services' wide expertise during the upcoming trade show. We are fully committed to the social and economic development of the African continent and this will be featured at our participation in the show.'

He added:

'We believe that the African telecom markets have achieved some of the highest growth rates in the world. These markets which barely existed ten years ago were estimated to be worth $25bn in 2005. African operators today are enjoying unprecedented growth in subscribers and revenues. We are also today witnessing the rise of local mobile companies who are expanding globally. Al this bears witness to the tremendous opportunities that exist and can be realized in Africa. ITU is an important exhibition for us because it puts us in touch with key technologies and brings up to date with the latest policies and applications which are driving Africa's ICT sectors. Alcatel-Lucent has an active presence in almost all the region's countries. With a comprehensive and diversified portfolio of products and solutions, R&D capabilities, a renowned services practice, Alcatel-Lucent is well positioned in Africa and the Middle East to address the fastest growing areas of broadband network transformation of various network operators and services providers in the region. that is considered among Alcatel-Lucent's most promising growing markets.'

Souheil Marine, Alcatel-Lucent's Digital Bridge Manager is participating in a Technology Session dedicated to 'Convergence and NGN', also on May 12.

In addition to Mr. Nesci and Mr. Marine, Alcatel-Lucent will have several subject Matter Experts to discuss the depth of strength the company has in the region, highlight major customer projects underway, and highlight the various Digital Inclusion projects the company is actively supporting in the region.

Alcatel-Lucent is also hosting a press conference on Tuesday, May 13th from 12-1 PM - during which the company will discuss primary research conducted on broadband connectivity in Egypt and Kenya.

Like service providers around the world, African and Middle Eastern operators are engaged in transforming their networks to meet the growing demand for voice, data and video services.

This means, that according to the type of environment constraints (rural, urban …) they need tailored solutions not only to deliver fixed broadband access like DSL, or IPTV, but also wireless/mobile broadband access like GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA , CDMA/EV-DO and WiMAX .

Some key highlights of major Alcatel-Lucent projects in the region in 2007 and 2008 include:

- First Managed Services contract of its kind with Telecom Egypt for an overall network modernization project
- Broadband access solutions in Algeria and Tunisia
- Next generation wireless transmission network in Morocco
- Turnkey GSM network for Hits in Uganda
- Triple Play service contract for Kenya Data Network
- First mobile broadband network (3G UMTS/HSPA) in Nigeria for Globacom
- 3G UMTS/HSPA network rollout in Mozambique
- GSM/EDGE network expansion in Angola
- Major submarine network projects to bring additional global connectivity to the region (TEAMS, MENA, TE NORTH, EASSy)

To facilitate the continued development of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, Alcatel-Lucent launched the 'Partnership Centre' in Tunisia in 2003, followed by the 'Cairo Content Development Centre-CCDC' located in Egypt in 2005.

They are incubation centers located within Alcatel-Lucent premises and open to local partners, selected on the basis of their proposals.

Alcatel-Lucent provides developers with a platform for the realization of innovative applications and services designed for mobile networks.

These initiatives, are contributing to the economic and social development of Egypt and Tunisia by developing local skills and creating new jobs in the telecoms sector.

To support Digital Inclusion, one example is a social investment project in SA is with the Mzansi Internet Café established in Tembisa in March 2006.

Co-sponsor Telkom and Alcatel Lucent have invested about R500,000 in the project, which brings broadband Internet access to the township.

The Mzansi Internet Café provides ICT services to the community for a small fee and gives access for several hours a week to children of a the nearby, Endulwini Primary School.

Alcatel-Lucent is enabling emergency medical staff at the Gabriel Touré hospital in Bamako, Mali, to rapidly diagnosis patients to identify the most appropriate treatment through a renovation of the hospital's communications system.

To achieve this, Alcatel-Lucent is providing a technical solution based on the Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Office platform, combining an IP voice server, electronic messaging server, internal communications controller and an emergency contact center.

This contribution is an integral part of the Fondation Thiam program, whose overall objective is to contribute to the improvement of emergency care in Mali.

So, whether you're covering the latest technology trends in the region, particular countries or regions, ways to bridge the digital divide or the overall market trends in the region; Alcatel-Lucent will have executives and product experts on hand at ITU Africa 2008 to provide information for stories on WiMAX, Mobile TV and many other topics of interest.

Alcatel-Lucent is a long-term committed market leader in Africa and the Middle East, headquartered in Egypt, with active presence in almost all the region's countries.

With a comprehensive and diversified portfolio of products and solutions, R&D capabilities, a renowned services practice, Alcatel-Lucent is well positioned in Africa and the Middle East to address the fastest growing areas of broadband network transformation of various network operators and services providers in the region that is considered among Alcatel-Lucent's most promising growing markets.