Ericsson to supply an advanced fibre optic protection system to Venezuela

Ericsson to supply an advanced fibre optic protection system to Venezuela Ericsson has signed a three-year USD 28 million (SEK 218 million) general agreement to provide secure, state-of-the-art telecommuni-cations solutions to Venezuela's CANTV (Compañía Anónima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela). CANTV, one of Latin America's leading telecommunications operators offering switched, fixed local, domestic and international long distance telephone services, will deploy Ericsson Transport Network Architecture (ETNA) solutions. These solutions will include an advanced fibre optic protection system - the first to be deployed in Latin America - that ensures much higher traffic capacity and self-healing protection. The contract places Ericsson as the supply leader of the SDH technology in Venezuela, increasing the company's market share for this technology in the country to 70%. Additionally, it represents the beginning of a future relationship partner-supplier between Ericsson and CANTV/GTE that has lasted for more than 50 years. Ericsson is a leader in the provision of network protection systems and the company has recently announced that it is first to offer commercially available optical layer protection with its Ericsson Optical Networking (ERION ) platform. Protection systems, such as that integral to the eight Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) rings supplied to CANTV, are crucial to today's network operators. Responsible for handling vast amounts of voice and increasingly sensitive data traffic, network service can be jeopardized by fibre cuts. Ericsson protection systems safeguards against loss of service caused by such incidents, with powerful and seamless restoration. The SDH solutions will enable CANTV to increase their capacity and enhance their capability. The benefits will be improved telephony services as well as new datacom/multimedia services based on ATM and ADSL technologies at transport speeds of 155 Mbps, 620 Mbps and 2,5 Gbps. As part of the agreement, Ericsson will also provide cross connects and management systems for inter- exchanges and enterprise networks, covering the cities of Caracas, Valencia, Barquisimeto, Puerto La Cruz, Maracay and Puerto Ordaz. "The orders received during the present year reaffirms CANTV's confidence in Ericsson," said Dieter Nagel, Director of Marketing for Latin America and Spain at Ericsson Business Unit Transport and Cable Networks. Based in Horsham, UK, Ericsson Business Unit Transport and Cable Networks has developed, alongside its business partners, a range of technologies to build transport and access networks ready for the broadband revolution. Ericsson offers a full transport networks portfolio. The portfolio includes solutions based on SDH, PDH (Plesiosynchronous Digital Hierarchy), as well as DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing). More than 70 customers in over 50 countries worldwide have already chosen transport network systems from Ericsson. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with the freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Ramon Chacon, Account Manager Ericsson Business Unit Transport and Cable Networks Phone: +44 1403 277 314 or +44 410 368 651 Christopher Moseley, External Communications Manager Ericsson Business Unit Transport and Cable Networks Phone: + 44 1403 277 156 or +44 410 368 530 ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/10/23/19981023BIT00180/Cantv-en.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/10/23/19981023BIT00180/Cantv-en.pdf