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Lakedale Telephone Company Selects Lucent Technologies and D-Tel To Meet Increasing Demand for Class 5 Services and VoIP

Posted on: Thursday, 19 May 2005, 09:00 CDT

Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) and Designed Telecommunications (D-Tel), a Lucent sales business partner, today announced that Lakedale Telephone Company has selected technology from Lucent's Accelerate(TM) Next-Generation Communications Solutions to upgrade their network to more efficiently meet the growing demand for its services.

Lakedale Telephone Company, based in Annandale, Minnesota, offers voice, video and data solutions for both residences and businesses.

The Minnesota independent carrier, which serves subscribers in a mid-west region of Minnesota, is deploying the Lucent Compact Switch to increase network capacity more cost effectively than with traditional Class 5 switches. As a Lucent sales business partner, D-Tel is furnishing Lakedale Telephone with the Lucent Compact Switch and also will provide, along with Lucent Worldwide Services, a full set of turnkey professional services.

"Lakedale Telephone Company has established a robust infrastructure providing many platforms for voice, video and data to wireline and wireless subscribers in all of its exchanges. With the selection of the Lucent Compact Switch and the IMS architecture, Lakedale Telecommunications is ready to offer its subscribers a lot more than the "triple play" of services -- the grand slam bundle of next generation of telecommunications convergence," said Gene South, CEO and general manager of Lakedale Telephone Company and the current chairman of the board of the United States Telecom Association (USTA).

"D-Tel is pleased with the continuing business relationship and the trust and confidence that Lakedale Telephone has placed in us for delivering next generation solutions and services utilizing the Lucent Compact Switch," said Mario Asta, vice president - Network Services, D-Tel.

"The Lucent Compact Switch offers independent telephone companies, like Lakedale Telephone, a solution that can help them prevail in a competitive market today by enabling the flexibility to evolve, if they choose, to an IP Multimedia Subsystem architecture," said Gerry Cafaro, vice president of sales for Lucent Technologies. "By partnering with companies such as D-Tel, we can extend our reach in the market and deliver the most advanced telecommunications solutions to a wide variety of service providers."

Lucent also announced today that the Lucent Compact Switch has gained "RUS Acceptance" status from the Rural Utilities Service branch of the Rural Development Mission of the United States Department of Agriculture. This acceptance will enable Lucent, its sales business partners and suppliers in the Lucent business partner program to sell the switch to thousands of RUS-funded service providers. This status permits rural utility service providers that deploy these products to quality for loans at the cost of money to the government.

The Lucent Compact Switch can support from as few as 1,000 subscribers to more than 100,000 subscribers on a single integrated platform. Service providers can deploy the switch for end-office (Class 5) and tandem (Class 4) applications to replace an existing switch or as an addition to the network. In addition to providing VoIP, Internet off-load and gateway mobile switching center features, the compact switch also offers CALEA and E911 capabilities. In addition, Lucent recently introduced a new high-performance DS1 blade for the Lucent Compact Switch (and the Lucent Network Gateway) that can make the system even more efficient and economical at the lower port densities, ideal for independent telephone companies and smaller rural end offices.

About Lakedale Telephone

Lakedale Telephone Company is locally owned and operated since 1946. Since its inception, Lakedale Telephone Company has evolved into one of the most innovative and progressive telephone companies of its size in the United States. Lakedale's future continues to promise its customers the latest that technology can offer in telecommunications. For more information, visit www.lakedaletelephone.com.

About Designed Telecommunications, Inc.

Designed Telecommunications, Inc., (D-Tel), founded in 1987, is headquartered in Salem, VA. D-Tel, with a staff of over 500 employees, is one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of communications equipment and services in the Mid-Atlantic. D-Tel's services include; sales, engineering, project management and installation services that can be scaled to meet current and future communication requirements. Solutions range from landline to wireless networks that provide voice, data and video services. For additional information, please visit: http://www.d-tel.com.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit www.lucent.com.

Source: Business Wire

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