SSE Telecoms selects Alcatel-Lucent to double IP network coverage in UK

SSE Telecoms has selected IP networking technology from Alcatel-Lucent to extend network coverage across the United Kingdom (UK) as part of its ‘Project Edge' program.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide enhanced Ethernet and bandwidth capabilities to meet the scaling, resilience, and security demands of SSE Telecoms' customers, while enabling faster service delivery and reduced costs. This will almost double network coverage across the UK during the first phase of Project Edge, an SSE Telecoms initiative designed to achieve greater network coverage and service differentiation while lowering costs through network redesign and rationalisation.

The network will support the deployment of new mission-critical, high-bandwidth IP/MPLS (Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Layer Switching) services that enable enhanced security features, which allows the support of legacy Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) services across the enhanced network.

Alcatel-Lucent's IP Service Routers will also pave the way for high-speed, lower cost data center connectivity for the delivery of dynamic cloud services to meet the specific needs of SSE Telecoms' customers. The project is expected to be complete by December 2013.

With the deployment of 54 new nodes during the first phase of Project Edge, SSE Telecoms will almost double its UK network coverage, while lowering costs and speeding delivery of innovative new services to meet increased data demand from customers.

A robust network backbone using Alcatel-Lucent's 7750 Service Router (SR) portfolio will enable the delivery of Ethernet and high bandwidth services with enhanced security and cloud data centre connectivity.

Alcatel-Lucent's 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM) will allow SSE Telecoms to provide a better experience for customers in terms of service delivery.

The Alcatel-Lucent solution includes an option for 10Gb optical cards for the management of wavelength and dark fiber connectivity.

As part of the project, Alcatel-Lucent will provide its leading professional services capabilities, managing delivery, storage, installation and first level commissioning. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide annual maintenance and software support for all existing and new nodes in the network.

"We were the first to market in the UK with national Ethernet services more than 10 years ago, and since then we have continued to innovate our customer offering. We wanted to expand our network presence with a solution that gave us the flexibility to meet all of our customers' diverse needs, while also delivering the bandwidth, speed and quality that they expect - and with Alcatel-Lucent's portfolio we can do just that," said Chris Jagusz, managing director, SSE Telecoms.

"Alcatel-Lucent's relationship with SSE Telecoms has afforded us a real understanding of the challenges that the company faces. Alcatel-Lucent is a specialist in IP networking. Our IP/MPLS solution is being used to meet the mission critical needs of over 65 power utilities. Our service router portfolio has also been deployed with 500 service providers including 37 of the top 40 carriers across the globe. As such we are able to deploy a robust solution designed to meet the diverse and growing needs of SSE Telecoms' customers," said Henri Tallon, head of sales for Alcatel-Lucent strategic industries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.