Alcatel announced that it has been awarded a contract with Uralsviazinform, one of the leading Russian regional operators, for the deployment of a broadband access solution in Uralsviazinform's network in the Ural region. Alcatel will also provide comprehensive business consultancy services.

Alcatel's offering enables Uralsviazinform not only to offer high-speed Internet connectivity to its residential users and enterprise customers in the Sverdlovsk, Tumen, Kurgan regions and Yamalo-Nenetsky autonomous area, but also to deploy innovative triple play services (voice, data, video). The commercial launch of the network is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2005.

Mr. Ufimkin, general director of Uralsviazinform, commented, "Broadband technologies are becoming more and more popular among Russian users, following the market development. Today our customers want to get more than just fast access to information through high-speed Internet connectivity. We are witnessing early demands for multimedia services. Uralsviazinform is investing in broadband access technologies to answer market demands. We have to act fast to secure our leadership position in the DSL-access market. I am confident that thanks to Alcatel's solution we will succeed in this task."

"The Russian broadband market is experiencing strong growth, which is reflected by service providers striving to extend their broadband footprint, and increasing their market coverage," said Michel Rahier, in charge of Alcatel's fixed communications activities. "The Alcatel portfolio will provide Uralsviazinform with the end to end solution required to support its future plans for user-centric triple play in Russia."

Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will supply Uralsviazinform with its industry-leading Alcatel 7302 Integrated Services Access Manager (ISAM) and Alcatel 7330 ISAM FTTN, which will address demand for high-speed Internet access services and high quality broadband applications like IPTV. Alcatel will also deliver the 7324 Remote Unit to extend the operator's service reach to less dense and remote rural areas and the Alcatel 5523 ADSL Work Station (AWS).

This contract further reinforces Alcatel's leadership in the global DSL market and IP triple play over broadband access. Since its launch in September 2004, 32 customers worldwide have now selected the 7302 ISAM. At the end of the second quarter of this year, Alcatel had shipped more than 68 million DSL lines worldwide, and its broadband access solutions are prominent in networks of over 120 service providers worldwide.