Alcatel today announced a multi-million Euro contract with FastWeb, one of the world's leading alternative broadband service providers. Alcatel will allow FastWeb to further expand its transport network--guaranteeing reliability and security--in order to provide voice, data and video services to its business and residential clients in Milan, Rome, Genoa, Turin, Naples, and Bologna.
FastWeb was the first broadband telecommunications operator in Italy to use Internet-Protocol technologies on DSL and fiber-optics to offer business and residential customers an integrated system for simultaneous use of telephone, Internet, and video services. Other FastWeb services for corporate clients include virtual private networks (VPNs) over IP, and its Business to Employee (B2E) service, wherein employees have the convenience of working at home and being able to access their company's local area network (LAN) at a speed of 10 Mbits/sec.
Using the Alcatel Optical Multi-Service Nodes (OMSNs) already in the network, FastWeb is able to support traditional services and provide seamless integration of new revenue-generating services, such as Metro Ethernet services, say Alcatel representatives. As a result, services such as Layer 2 VPNs and LAN-to-LAN interconnection can be provided in a more reliable and secure way. Customer access to the FastWeb network will be optimized by the Alcatel 7300 Advanced Services Access Manager (ASAM). The Alcatel 7670 Routing Switch Platform will be used to develop FastWeb's multi-service IP network and optimize the delivery of these differentiated services to business and residential subscribers. The Alcatel network management platform already in operation will be upgraded to include management of the new equipment.
"FastWeb is focused on innovative technologies that foster new services, which allow us to significantly increase our subscriber base while maintaining customer satisfaction," explains Alberto Trondoli, FastWeb chief technology officer. "The growth of broadband services, such as Web surfing, video-on-demand and videoconferencing, has led providers to deliver reliable and high-quality services to their customers through high-bandwidth multi-protocol networks."