SFR to upgrade fiber-optic network to support access services

French telecom services provider SFR will upgrade its fiber-optic network across France to support the increasing bandwidth its ultra-broadband access network has created to meet both mobile and fixed-line requirements. The company will deploy the 1830 Photonic Service Switch from Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) as a cornerstone of the upgrade.

SFR identified a need to increase capacity and improve efficiency as its broadband access offerings expand (see, for example, "SFR boosts FTTH speeds to 300 Mbps, launches 1 Gbps trial"). The network enhancement will see SFR transform its network to an IP/optical converged infrastructure. In addition to increasing network capacity, the upgrade also will enable faster and less expensive deployment of new services, Alcatel-Lucent asserts.

The systems house will supply both its 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) as well as its 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM). SFR previously had deployed Alcatel-Lucent’s 7360 Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) and 7750 Service Routers.

Alcatel-Lucent also will supply design, professional services, installation, and commissioning services.

“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,” said Pierre-Alain Allemand of 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.”

“Alcatel-Lucent and SFR have a working relationship that extends back over decades,” concurred Olivier Gordien of Alcatel-Lucent. “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-optimized metro transport to enable the delivery of ultra-broadband and cloud services.”

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