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March 02, 2009

Alcatel-Lucent Deploy the First Extensive Fiber Access Network for M-Net

By Raju Shanbhag
TMCnet Contributor

The Munich-based regional network operator M-net has awarded a multi-million Euro contract to Alcatel-Lucent where Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) will deploy the first extensive fiber access network for M-net in Munich. According to the agreement, the network will consist of mixed fiber-to-the-building (FTTB)/fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) architecture.
 
Unlike traditional networks, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) architectures reach the homes of the subscribers directly from the central office. This supposedly gives a better quality of service to the customers. Fiber-to-the-Building (FTTB) also makes use of the existing wiring in the buildings to reach the destination. With an FTTH network, companies can provide bandwidths that copper wire simply cannot match and offer innovative and appealing service offerings to the customers.
 
This new agreement will make the Munich-based network the largest and most modern optical access network in Germany. The network will support data transfer rates of 100 Mbps in the beginning and expects to provide increased data transfer rates in the future. M-net can now provide future services such as IPTV (News - Alert) with this network.  
 
“With the largest German GPON project to date, we are helping establish Munich and Augsburg as new centers for broadband,” said Alf Henryk Wulf, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s business in Germany. “Our solution is efficient and economical to maintain, making it a perfect fit for M-net's requirements.”
 
With its 5520 AMS and Alcatel-Lucent 5529 OAD management products, Alcatel-Lucent’s solution includes its GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) access platform - the Alcatel-Lucent 7342 ISAM FTTU. The company will provide optical network termination (ONT) units and residential gateways for in house usage. With the help of multi-dwelling unit ONTs to translate the optical signal into VDSL2, Alcatel-Lucent will use existing copper wiring in buildings for the FTTB piece.
 
Recently, the company announced a joint end-to-end interoperability testing (IOT) program named WiMAX (News - Alert) Ensure with Intel, for the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) Rev-e standard (802.16e-2005). With this program, Alcatel-Lucent aims to accelerate the interoperability for embedded and non-embedded devices and aims to establish common, commercially validated, global profiles for data-centric mobile WiMAX devices.

Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Raju’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tim Gray


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