Alcatel and SFR extend relationship
Alcatel-Lucent is to enable SFR, one of France’s leading telecommunications providers, to meet increasing demand for ultra-broadband access from both mobile and fixed-line customers by deploying its 1830 Photonic Service Switch as the key element of the operator’s legacy optical network moving to one that is all-IP transport-based.
SFR is transforming its network to an IP-Optical converged infrastructure to address traffic growth and enable faster and less expensive deployment of new services, to meet demand from residential and business customers of both fixed and mobile services.
Alcatel-Lucent is deploying its 1830 Photonic Service Switch converged WDM/OTN/Packet based-platform together with its 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM) for seamless management for both the IP and Optical portfolio, as well as support bandwidth-hungry services such as cloud. Alcatel-Lucent will also deliver design, professional services, installation and commissioning services.
Pierre-Alain Allemand, of SFR, said: 'Customer demand for more bandwidth to their homes, their offices and everywhere else continues to grow and grow. An upgrade of our optical metro became a high priority for SFR. Alcatel-Lucent’s IP transport technology solution combined with their experience gained as a long-time supplier of technology and services made them a logical choice for the upgrade.'
Olivier Gordien of Alcatel-Lucent added: 'Alcatel-Lucent and SFR have a working relationship that extends back over decades. We understand their existing network and the issues they are facing because we supplied their original SDH optical network. We are in a unique position to provide for SFR an efficient and seamless transition to IP transport cloud-optimised metro transport to enable the delivery of ultra-broadband and cloud services.'
