Powercor Australia chooses Nortel Networks for regional optical backbone

Powercor Australia, a large electricity distributor in Victoria, has signed a supply agreement for optical communications equipment and support services from Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT)(TSE:NT.) for a new, carrier-grade telecommunications network that is expected to deliver high-quality data services to customers in the region's major urban and rural growth centres.

Powercor Australia plans to deploy Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 4000 Multiservice Platform, a fully-managed optical transport system that addresses multi-rate application needs in SDH-based access, metropolitan and regional backbone networks.

The agreement calls for Nortel Networks to provide an end-to-end solution for Powercor Australia including technical consulting and operations expertise, as well as 24/7 network monitoring and management via Nortel Networks Melbourne-based Carrier Network Operations Center.

OPTera Metro 4000 is part of Nortel Networks complete, flexible Optical Metro portfolio. This portfolio includes DWDM, next generation SONET/SDH and Optical Ethernet products.

About Powercor Australia:

Powercor Australia is a joint venture of Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) and Hongkong Electricity (HEH). Powercor Australia's current network infrastructure extends from the western suburbs of Melbourne to the Murray River and the South Australian border, and incorporates major regional cities. For more information, visit www.powercor.com.au.

About Nortel Networks:

Nortel Networks provides networking and communications solutions and infrastructure for service providers and corporations. For more information, visit www.nortelnetworks.com.