11 August 2003 São Paulo, Brazil Lightwave -- Telefônica Group has awarded to Nortel Networks a series of contracts collectively estimated at $20 million over three years for the expansion and maintenance of Telefônica Brasil's nationwide multi-service optical network and for maintenance and support services for the data backbone operations of Telefônica Empresas.
Per the agreements, Nortel will provide optical solutions for Telefônica Brasil, including Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 4100, OPTera Metro 4200, and TN-1C. Telefônica Empresas will also deploy Nortel's data networking solutions, including the Passport 7000 Multiservice Switches and the Passport 15000.
"Nortel Networks is an important technology ally for the Telefônica Group, supporting us in our effort to offer increasingly advanced, reliable, and innovative services to our customers," contends Luiz Anton, vice president, Networks, Telefônica Group. "We rely on a vast array of technologies developed by Nortel Networks, spanning data communications, optical networks, and enterprise systems. In addition, we are currently running trials of Nortel Networks next-generation voice over IP [Internet Protocol] network solutions and multimedia applications, and look forward to working with them on implementing that technology in the future."
Nortel Networks' OPTera Metro 4000 series is designed to help service providers offer a range of services while driving lower operating costs by saving space, simplifying network management, and reducing spares requirements. In addition, DWDM support allows more bandwidth to be added on the same fiber. Nortel has installed more than 20,000 OPTera Metro 4000 platform network elements around the world, say company representatives.
According to Nortel, its Passport 7000 series multi-service switches offer a versatile and scaleable networking platform for the service provider edge. The Passport 15000 is a scaleable, carrier-grade switch that enables operators to 'grow as they go,' supporting multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), IP virtual private networks (IP VPNs), ATM, frame relay, circuit emulation, and voice services with high quality of service (QoS).