10 July 2003 London Lightwave -- COLT Telecom Group plc, a European provider of business communication services, has appointed Nortel Networks as its "Preferred Supplier" to meet its optical metro WDM network equipment needs until December 31, 2005. In addition, and under a separate agreement between the two companies, Nortel Networks has designated COLT as a "Gold Solutions Partner," one of its premier partnership accreditations.

Both agreements are aimed at closer collaboration between COLT and Nortel Networks that will better serve European businesses.

Under the preferred supplier agreement, Nortel Networks will be able to work together with COLT to provide COLT's extensive European customer base with broadband communications solutions. The agreement includes Nortel Networks OPTera portfolio of both metro optical and long haul optical network products. COLT will be able to offer optical connectivity solutions to enterprises for storage networking, business continuity, multimedia, and other broadband services.

Nortel Networks will continue to be the key equipment supplier for COLT's long-distance, pan-European networks, enabling COLT to increase its optical long haul capacity as improved broadband metro services drive up the amount of traffic on the COLT network. This traffic will be managed and delivered throughout the network via Nortel Networks optical equipment.

"Gold Solutions Partnership" accreditation is Nortel Networks most advanced partnership designation. The award is strictly limited to strategic, multi-national companies, and awarded only upon completion of an aggressive set of criteria. The relationship between Nortel Networks and COLT Telecom is customer focused and aims to bring together Nortel Networks expertise and communications portfolio with COLT's range of telecoms products, services, and solutions.