By TSA Newsfeed

Alcatel-Lucent announces the signing of a turnkey

contract with French Polynesian operator Office des Postes & Télécommunications (OPT). According to this agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will roll out a new, high

-speed submarine cable network linking Tahiti in French Polynesia to Hawaii in the U.S, as well as providing domestic connectivity.

This new submarine

network, with a value of 72.2 M Euros, has been called ‘Honotua' (a Tahitian name meaning the link towards the open sea) and it will greatly increase French

Polynesia's local and international connectivity.

Accordingly, OPT will be able to respond at more affordable costs, to the growing demand for broadband

services of its business and residential users. By providing the first submarine connection in French Polynesia, this network will also help reduce the digital

divide in the Pacific region.

Delivering an ultimate capacity of 32 x10 Gbps, the ‘Honotua' network will be composed of an international link between

Tahiti and Hawaii (4,650 kilometers) and a domestic connection (305 kilometers) linking some of the islands in the French Polynesian archipelago. With completion

scheduled in 2010, the ‘Honotua' submarine cable network will ease the availability and accessibility to high quality, innovative broadband applications such as

telemedicine, e-learning and on-line tourism programs.

“This is a fundamental endeavor for French Polynesia aiming to fuel economic and social viability for

our community” points out M. Jacqui Drollet, Minister of Culture, Post & Telecommunications in French Polynesia. “The new broadband services and business-driven

applications this network will make available will allow us to improve the quality of life for our citizens.”

“The adoption rates of data services are

growing fast, as well as end-users' needs for bandwidth, reliability and service delivery speeds,” emphasizes Jean-Paul Barral, OPT's Chairman of the Board. “With

its recognized experience, Alcatel-Lucent is a trusted technology partner as we take a new step in our communication capabilities to meet these new service demands

reliably and at affordable costs.”

“This contract confirms Alcatel-Lucent's commitment to helping customers like OPT bridge the digital divide and spur

sustainable growth”, says Etienne Lafougère, President of Alcatel-Lucent's submarine network activity. “Our solutions give access to advanced technologies for

delivering high added-value broadband services and applications that stimulate socio-economic development.”

This new contract further strengthens the long-

lasting cooperation between Alcatel-Lucent and OPT that already deploys Alcatel-Lucent's wireless and access solutions to extend service reach in less dense and

remote rural areas of the archipelago.