Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that it has been selected by Vodafone Group as a Supplier of Reference for LTE metro cells with integrated Wi-Fi capability. The award is part of Vodafone's investment program, Project Spring.

Small cells are a critical component in the rollout of LTE ultra-broadband services, augmenting the existing network as well as adding capacity in areas of high usage by offloading traffic from the macro network to provide the best possible customer experience.

Vodafone's award to Alcatel-Lucent signifies the operator's commitment to developing multi-vendor heterogeneous networks (Hetnets) in order to provide the best possible customer experience. The use of small cells will enable Vodafone to bring connections closer to the end user, ensuring an exceptional mobile ultra-broadband experience including enriched multimedia services wherever consumers are located.

Key Facts:

  • Vodafone has named Alcatel-Lucent a Supplier of Reference for small cell and Wi-Fi technology.
  • The award adds Alcatel-Lucent as a supplier to Vodafone's Project Spring organic investment program.
  • As supplier of reference, Alcatel-Lucent can bid on business in all Vodafone countries with its Metro Cell Outdoor small cell products.
  • This award consolidates the long term small cells partnership between Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent, initiated years ago through the deployment of Alcatel-Lucent residential and enterprise small cells in multiple properties for Vodafone, followed more recently by Alcatel-Lucent´s latest generation of small cells trial in the Netherlands.
  • Alcatel-Lucent's market leading small cell portfolio has over 115 contracts in over 45 countries.

Quotes:

Luis Martinez Amago, President of Alcatel-Lucent's EMEA region, said: "Vodafone Group is taking a leadership role with the deployment of small cells throughout their global properties and by serving as an industry reference with the deployment of a multi-vendor heterogeneous architecture. In being named a Supplier of Reference, Vodafone has given Alcatel-Lucent a strong endorsement that our small cells will help them to deliver high quality service to their customers. We are grateful for the opportunity to help Vodafone deliver an extraordinary and differentiated ultra-broadband experience for their customers.

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