Alcatel-Lucent provides Softbank Mobile with a scalable mobile backhaul solution

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced it has been selected by Japan’s Softbank Mobile to supply a mobile backhaul solution to help the operator meet rapidly increasing subscriber demand for broadband services on Softbank’s third generation (3G) mobile network. Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile backhaul solution– which leverages IP/MPLS technology - is part of Alcatel-Lucent’s Mobile Evolution Transport Architecture (META), the industry’s most comprehensive vision for the evolution of mobile networks to all-IP.

With 80 percent of Japanese mobile users having already migrated to 3G, mobile service providers need to offer reliable and innovative services in order to remain competitive. By deploying Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile backhaul solution to aggregation layer, Softbank can more flexibly and effectively address the rapidly increasing subscriber and traffic.

“Providing innovative 3G services based on a reliable and scalable network is critical to our success in the highly competitive Japanese market,” said Junichi Miyakawa, CTO of Softbank Mobile. “Alcatel-Lucent’s solution which we adopted can provide not only a customized mobile transport infrastructure that is perfectly suited to our needs, but also the capability and scalability for our evolution to all-IP.”

“Alcatel-Lucent‘s experience in major IP network and service transformation projects is unmatched in the industry,” said Frederic Rose, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Asia Pacific activities. “Our backhaul solution will evolve Softbank Mobile’s network efficiently and profitably, and at the pace of customer demand.”

Alcatel-Lucent’s solution includes the 7670 Routing Switch Platform, a highly scalable and configurable multiservice (switch/router) platform - capable of supporting next generation multimedia-rich services - and the 5620 Network Management (NM) platform. Alcatel-Lucent also will provide professional services such as project management, maintenance, integration and testing. This agreement highlights Alcatel-Lucent’s role as a leading supplier of backhaul solutions for 3G mobile networks, and strengthens its position in the Japanese market.

While being able to address the pressing demands for high-capacity 3G mobile backhaul with industry-leading ATM/IMA performance and reliability, the Alcatel-Lucent 7670 RSP allows the extension of its rich IP feature set to support non-stop IPv4/IPv6 and VPNs (6PE, and 6VPE), as well as MPLS pseudowires. As a result, Softbank Japan is able to future-proof its network to meet the continued growth of IP-based applications and services, and allow for the smooth evolution to all-IP.

More than 180 service providers in more than 70 countries around the world have selected the Alcatel-Lucent IP portfolio as key elements of their IP transformation, including massive, multi-year projects at AT&T, BT and Telstra. Alcatel-Lucent’s META is the industry’s most comprehensive vision for the evolution of mobile networks from TDM to all-IP. META leverages Alcatel-Lucent’s unmatched expertise in end–to-end IP network transformation, and leadership in CDMA, 2G/3G mobile, microwave, IP/MPLS, DSL/GPON, SONET/SDH, network management, and services.



About Softbank Group
Softbank Group is the holding company for several businesses linked to Internet culture, technology services and e-commerce. Three companies are at the core of the operation: Softbank BB for broadband infrastructure, Softbank Telecom for fixed communication and Softbank Mobile for mobile telecommunication business.

About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved adjusted proforma revenues of Euro 18.3 billion in 2006 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. [All figures exclude impact of activities transferred to Thales]. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com