Lucent Technologies signs contract to build Korea Telecom's optical network

Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU) announced it has been awarded a contract to supply optical networking systems to Korea Telecom -- South Korea's largest communication service provider -- for the construction of its new high-speed backbone network. This is Korea Telecom's largest nationwide optical networking project to date and has a potential value of up to $ 40 million over the next three years.

Lucent's dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical networking system will link South Korea's five largest cities -- Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju -- enabling Korea Telecom to offer its business and residential customers sophisticated telecommunications services, including high-speed data networking. The commercial service is scheduled to start this December.

Under the terms of the contract, Lucent Technologies will initially deliver 35 WaveStar OLS 400G systems, each with a capacity of 400 gigabits per second (Gb/s). That is the equivalent of transmitting the data contained on 75 CD-ROMs each second. The OLS 400G system can be upgraded to a 1.6 terabit system, which can transmit 1.6 terabits of information per second without disrupting existing service.

DWDM technology provides creates additional capacity by significantly boosting the transmission of multiple wavelengths -- or colors -- of light across a single fiber strand, with each color carrying a distinct stream of information.

About Korea Telecom:

Korea Telecom is a service provider in South Korea. It runs the largest and most sophisticated communications network in South Korea for local, long-distance, and international call and data service.

About Lucent Technologies:

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers networks for communications service providers. For more information, visit www.lucent.com.