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District of Columbia Awards Alcatel-Lucent and LGS Contract to Build Broadband Network for the National Capital Region Interoperability Program

Posted on: Thursday, 1 March 2007, 12:00 CST

Alcatel-Lucent and LGS, Alcatel-Lucent's subsidiary dedicated to serving the U.S. Government community today announced they were awarded the Regional Wireless Broadband Network (RWBN) equipment contract by the District of Columbia as part of the National Capital Region Interoperability Program (NCRIP).

The award is for a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle with a potential value of up to $110 million. Alcatel-Lucent and LGS were selected by a multi-jurisdiction evaluation team to provide a turn-key solution to deliver, install, configure and deploy a regional wireless broadband network. The first phase of the project will involve the installation of a broadband network in multiple National Capital Region jurisdictions.

This will be the nation's first interoperable, 700-MHz-based, broadband network. The network will provide mission critical information to public safety professionals in the National Capital Region's 19 municipal, district, state and federal jurisdictions as they protect the lives and property of the more than 4.2 million people living in the region.

NCRIP was created in 2005 to comprehensively solve public safety data interoperability challenges. This is a particular challenge for the region because so many different government entities, each with their own communications systems, are located in a relatively small area. In order to effectively leverage the capabilities of each, particularly during a crisis, they need to have communications systems that work together.

The program also includes linking regional municipal networks to facilitate communications and a data exchange hub enabling the National Capital Region to share critical data and information during both emergencies and day-to-day operations.

"We are pleased to be a part of this effort to directly support the people who serve their communities day in and day out and are sometimes even called upon to put their lives on the line," said Ron Iverson, president, LGS. "The vision and leadership of the National Capital Region has enabled it to successfully tackle one of the most complex and challenging environments for interoperable communication in the United States."

LGS will work with its parent Alcatel-Lucent to deploy the third-generation (3G) CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) technology being rolled-out nationally by commercial wireless carriers. EV-DO Rev. A enables users to receive data at speeds of up to 3.1 Megabits per second (Mbps) and send data (reverse link) at speeds of up to 1.8 Mbps. These data speeds reduce data latency and enable real-time video and other multimedia services.

"The use of high-volume, commercial broadband networking technologies in the public safety 700 MHz band is the key to providing affordable and interoperable public safety communications solutions today with a clear road map for advanced services in the future," said Andy Smith, Director of Public Safety, LGS. "We were able to leverage the combination of Bell Labs innovation -- in enhancing commercial broadband technologies to meet the special needs of first responders -- and our leadership, experience and success in the wireless arena to deliver a groundbreaking solution that will help improve communications among government entities, particularly during times of crisis."

LGS teamed with AnyData a leading manufacturer of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) modems, data modules and mobile devices to provide laptop and handheld devices, and Qualcomm, a leading developer and innovator of CDMA and other advanced wireless technologies, who provided the reference design for 700 MHz capable CDMA chip sets.

Alcatel-Lucent recently announced a complete suite of CDMA products for the 700 MHz spectrum optimized for public safety applications in a press release issued on February 27, 2007.

About LGS

LGS designs and delivers Transformed Communications and R&D-based technology solutions to the U.S. government community. Leveraging the world-class R&D of Bell Labs and innovation of Alcatel-Lucent, with global reach and expertise, LGS challenges itself to solve the unsolvable and deliver secure, reliable, standards-based solutions to its customers. LGS, headquartered in Vienna, Va., and with offices in California, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina, was created by joining the Lucent and Alcatel Government business units and Bell Labs Government. For more information about LGS visit www.LGSinnovations.com.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With 79,000 employees and operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved proforma combined revenues of Euro 18.6 billion in 2005, and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. [All figures exclude impact of activities to be transferred to Thales]. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Source: Business Wire

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