Alcatel announced that it has been awarded a contract by Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecommunications group, for the delivery of an IP broadband access network based on Alcatel's Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) product family. This roll-out will enable Swisscom to deliver enhanced Triple Play services to its customers in Switzerland, as they have announced plans to deliver IPTV services by the second half of 2005.

With this contract, Alcatel remains the sole supplier of Swisscom's broadband access network. Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will supply Swisscom with a VDSL-enabled broadband access network consisting of the Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) product family. VDSL will allow the delivery of bandwidth of 25 Mbps and more to end-users.

"The step-by-step implementation of our Triple Play strategy reflects our company's continued investment in the future of communications in Switzerland. We are creating a new television experience, supporting changing user habits and triggering an innovative step forward in the television business. We almost doubled the number of broadband subscribers last year," said Adrian Bult, CEO of Swisscom Fixnet. "The VDSL powered ISAM family will enable us to deliver rich and enhanced services such as Triple-Play to a broad audience in Switzerland. We are convinced that the technological leadership and end-to-end know-how of our partner Alcatel will strengthen our efforts to further enhance the broadband solutions for our customers."

Michel Rahier, in charge of Alcatel's fixed communications activities, added: "The delivery of triple play services - and specifically IPTV - becomes a strategic necessity for many customers worldwide to beat various competitors and off-set the loss in voice revenues by new service sales. In preparing their networks to address this strategic transformation, operators - like Swisscom - are looking for a strategic partner that guarantees a risk free and timely delivery. Since the investment in the access network for these projects is significant, that partner should have a proven track-record in operationalizing a broadband access network, which is one of Alcatel's strengths."