Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade Belgacom International Carrier Services backbone network throughout Europe from 10Gigabit per second to 40

By December 2009, Belgacom International Carrier Services (Belgacom ICS) will have quadrupled the network capacity available to to its international carrier and service provider customers. BelgacomICS has appointed Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its optical network transmission capacity from 10 Gigabit per second (Gbps) per wavelength to 40Gbps.

“Our customers are witnessing an increased demand for high-speed Internet access due to the increasing use of bandwidth-hungry applications. The 40 Gig network upgrade will help us deliver better services to our existing customers as well as provide enhanced capacity to serve new customers at the most competitive price levels,” said Patrick George of Belgacom ICS. “We selected Nokia Siemens Networks for the network optimization as it has extensive field experience in large scale optical networks.”

Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will optimize Belgacom ICS’ Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network from 10Gbps to 40Gbps. The optimization consists in the deployment of the long-haul DWDM platform, including optical amplifiers and software upgrades.

The transition to an optimized 40Gbps network will be executed smoothly to fulfil the required quality and performance levels with minimum investment. Nokia Siemens Networks is providing its SURPASS hiT 7500 ultra-long haul DWDM platform to the carrier, that allows faster provisioning of services at lower costs and high reliability.

Belgacom ICS has very high standards with respect to service availability and operational simplicity. Nokia Siemens Networks’ automated DWDM platform supports BICS’ goal to keep costs low. With its user-friendly DWDM planning tool, TransNet, which offers a high degree of automation, Nokia Siemens Networks can simulate the whole rollout.

“As 40G is now becoming more widely available, carriers such as Belgacom ICS are carefully selecting their suppliers. Besides selecting a partner with a mature and stable 40G product, it’s essential to ensure that the vendor has a proven track record in rolling out high-speed DWDM networks,” said Michael Finkenzeller, Strategy and Portfolio Manager at Nokia Siemens Networks. “This extensive field experience will allow us to support Belgacom ICS to face the challenge of higher bandwidth requirements now and in the future.”

About Belgacom International Carrier Services
Belgacom International Carrier Services S.A./NV (Belgacom ICS) is a leading global carrier of voice, data and value added services to over 500 wireless, wireline and service providers through sales offices in Brussels, Bern, Dubai, Singapore and New York.
Belgacom ICS is at the forefront of the international communications industry, acting as a catalyst for growth, both in terms of traffic and reach. The company aims to enable global interworking across all networks, technologies and services. As a result of this approach and the joint venture with Swisscom ICS, Belgacom International Carrier Services is now one of the largest wholesale voice carrier and a world leader in data transit services.
For more information, please visit www.belgacom-ics.com

About Nokia Siemens Networks
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

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Media Enquiries

Belgacom ICS
Catherine Bals
Tel : +32 473 922810
Email : catherine.bals {at} belgacom-ics(.)com

Nokia Siemens Networks
Anne Samson
Communications
Tel : +33 6 03 79 30 86
Email : anne.samson {at} nsn(.)com

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