Lucent Technologies Completes the Next Stage of TransTeleCom's Optical Network.

Business/Technology Editors

MOSCOW--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2000

Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) and ZAO Company TransTeleCom (TransTeleCom) today announced the completion of the next stage of TransTeleCom's optical transport network, which is being built alongside the more than 37,000 kilometers (about 23,000 miles) of the Russian Federal railway system.

With the capability of rapid simultaneous voice, video and data transfer, this network will allow TransTeleCom to become a "carrier's carrier," providing transport services to customers across Russia. Running from Vladivostok on the Pacific coast to Moscow and St. Petersburg on the country's western borders, Murmansk in the north and Novorossijsk in the south of Russia, the network will also allow TransTeleCom to provide transit transport services for international carriers.

"We chose Lucent not only because of its technical leadership and its ability to complete our network on-time, but also for its ability to provide rapid and extensive technical support," said K.G. Shapovalenko, president, TransTeleCom. "Lucent's services organisation has an excellent track record in large network design, planning and implementation with large carriers was the deciding factor in our choice."

"At the end of this project, TransTeleCom will be the operator of the nation's most advanced backbone network and will have the largest amount of optical fiber installed," said D.M.Kamensky, managing director of Lucent Technologies in Russia and the CIS. "This is continued evidence of the great progress Lucent is making in working with Russian companies to build next generation ready broadband networks."

Technical details

Within this project, Lucent has supplied synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) transmission systems as well as more than 4,000 kilometers (about 2,500 miles) of PowerGuide(R) all dielectric, self-supporting aerial fibre optic cable. The cable includes both conventional single-mode fibre and Lucent's TrueWave(R) RS high performance, non-zero dispersion fibre.

Lucent has supplied its state-of-the-art SDH products, including its WaveStar(TM) TDM 2.5G (STM-16) - an SDH system that uses a single laser to transmit 2.5 gigabits of information per second (Gb/s). That is the equivalent of transmitting approximately a half million one-page emails or 75 encyclopedia volumes each second. On some railway-level segments, lower-speed STM-4 (622 Mb/s) and STM-1 (155 Mbit/s) equipment are being used. The network includes now more than 600 SDH network elements from Lucent's SDH product families.

To manage the network TransTeleCom has installed Lucent's WaveStar Integrated Transport Management Systems, providing network management functionality at both the individual element and the network level in accordance with ITU recommendations. The SDH network element management systems are installed in all the regional TransTeleCom companies. Overall network management is provided from a single, central location.

Lucent's data networking equipment including the PacketStar(TM) PSAX 1250 Multiservice Media Gateways for ATM access and GX 550 Multiservice Wide Area Network switches for transport of ATM services in the core are also scheduled for delivery to enable construction of a full multiservice network.

About TransTeleCom

The private Joint Stock Company TransTeleCom (TTK) was founded in February 1997. Among TTK's shareholders are the Russian railways, which have combined their efforts to build a unified digital backbone communication network alongside the federal railway infrastructure. The Russian Federation's Railway Ministry has chosen TTK as the sole operator of the new network. For more information on TransTeleCom, visit its Web site at http://www.transtk.ru.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as optical and wireless networks; Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site at http://www.lucent.com.