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Large-scale customer trials with VDSL2 Vectoring technology to start by
end-2012
Brussels and Amsterdam (Broadband World Forum), October 17, 2012 –
Belgacom, Belgium’s largest telecommunications services provider, and
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) are well on track to deliver the
next generation VDSL2 broadband network to a large majority of Belgian
households, leveraging Alcatel-Lucent’s VDSL2 Vectoring technology. Tests of
the new VDSL2 Vectoring technology are confirming that it delivers on its
promise of realizing significantly higher broadband speeds over Belgacom’s
existing telephone lines, offering a dedicated speed of 50 megabits per second
(Mbps) to a vast majority of customers, along with a guaranteed high quality
video experience.
Today Belgacom’s VDSL2 network – supplied by Alcatel-Lucent – already
delivers a dedicated speed of 30 Mbps to the vast majority of customers, and a
high quality HDTV experience to more than 83% of the households, making Belgium
one of the world’s leading broadband nations, with more than one million active
VDSL2 customers. Thanks to its early and continuous investment in
fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) and to the successive innovations in DSL
technology, Belgacom has brought Belgium into the top two of European countries
in terms of broadband coverage and penetration, according to analysts [1]. Last
year, Belgacom and Alcatel-Lucent announced their partnership to jointly
develop the next generation VDSL2 System Level Vectoring technology – in order
to achieve the targets set by the European Union’s Digital Agenda and to
provide its customers with a truly premium broadband service experience.
Belgacom has clearly expressed and confirms its plan for a nationwide
upgrade of its large VDSL2 network.
Over the past twelve months, Belgacom and Alcatel-Lucent have been working
with key industry partners such as the home gateways manufacturers Sagemcom and
Technicolor, and chipset developers Broadcom and Ikanos to prepare jointly an
“operationally ready” end-to-end solution. The collaboration inside this
eco-system will allow Belgacom to achieve a complete solution, taking into
account the operational aspects of an existing network and to realize a massive
and smooth deployment of the new technology, at a national scale. Furthermore
the Belgian regulator BIPT, the other services providers and Belgacom have also
jointly worked out a regulatory framework that will ensure the emergence of an
open and evolutive next generation VDSL2 network in Belgium. With all of this
in place, Belgacom will now engage in large scale trials within its operational
network.
Geert Standaert, Executive Vice President Service Delivery Engine, Belgacom
explains: “Belgacom has always played a pioneering role in the industry.
Since 2003, we have pursued a comprehensive Fiber-to-the-Cabinet and VDSL
strategy, with currently tens of thousands of optical street cabinets bringing
high speed broadband to our customers. One year ago, we were the first to
announce our VDSL2 Vectoring plans as an extension to this strategy;
today, we can proudly confirm that we are well on track to engage in a mass
rollout of VDSL2 Vectoring throughout the country.”
Luc Defieuw, VP CIS, North, Central and Eastern Europe at Alcatel-Lucent
says: “In the last year, numerous service providers around the world have
followed Belgacom’s leading example, looking into VDSL2 Vectoring to deliver
higher bandwidths to more subscribers over their existing copper
infrastructure. Leveraging the results from VDSL2 Vectoring trials with more
than 20 service providers, we have shown that Vectoring delivers on its
promise. We are proud to partner with Belgacom to now bring VDSL2 Vectoring
from innovation to mass deployment.”
Alcatel-Lucent and VDSL2 Vectoring
Alcatel-Lucent is at the forefront of VDSL2 Vectoring – both in terms of
technology innovation and commercial deployments. Alcatel-Lucent was the first
to announce a commercially-available VDSL2 Vectoring solution in September
2011, and has a track record of 6 commercial VDSL2 Vectoring contracts to date,
and trials with more than 20 service providers around the world.
Alcatel-Lucent’s VDSL2 Vectoring technology builds on the company's ISAM
family, which has already been deployed by more than 250 service providers, and
supports more than 90 VDSL2 projects. Please visit our campaign pages to find
out how operators can Get To Fast, Faster
with VDSL2 Vectoring.
[1] Webinar “FTTx roll-out and capex forecasts”, 2012–2017”, 25 April
2012, Rupert Wood, Analysys Mason
About Belgacom:
The Belgacom Group [Euronext: BELG]. Drawing on its solid experience as
Belgium's national telecom operator and the multiple talents of its teams, the
Belgacom Group is the main provider of integrated telecommunication services in
Belgium. Thanks to its continuous investments in cutting-edge technology,
Belgacom is able to offer its private and professional customers telephony,
Internet and television services around the clock, irrespective of location and
the access device used. For the fiscal year ending 31 December 2011, the Group
posted a total revenue of €6,406 million and a net operating profit before
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of €1,912 million.
Belgacom Press contacts:
Jan
Margot :
+32 2 202 85 01 or+32 475 58 5l0 37
Frédérique Verbiest :
+32 2 202 99
26 or +32 479 26 09 45
Haroun
Fenaux : +32
2 202 48 67 ou +32 476 60 03 33
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