Paris /Boston, MA, October 9, 2012 – Seaborn Networks has signed a turnkey contract with Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) to build Seabras-1, a new 10,700 km submarine cable system that will create a direct route between New York and Sao Paulo in Brazil, with a branch to Fortaleza, Brazil.
Seaborn Networks and Alcatel-Lucent have already commenced the permit acquisition and marine survey work for the project.
The 100 Gigabit per second (100G) Seabras-1 system will deliver new capacity on the primary route for the majority of Internet, data and voice traffic between South America and the rest of the world. In addition, this new system will support a wide variety of consumer and business broadband services between two of the world’s most connected societies.
By providing low-latency communication via a 10,400 km segment directly connecting Sao Paulo and New York, and route diversity via a 350 km branch to Fortaleza, Seabras-1 will also enhance traffic protection in the region.
“Our management team has a long history of working with Alcatel-Lucent on other submarine cable projects, and we believe Alcatel-Lucent’s industry-leading submarine technology is an invaluable tool to offer added-value and reliable services to our customers,” said Larry Schwartz, Seaborn Networks’ Chief Executive Officer.
“Seabras-1 will be the first direct route between New York and Sao Paulo and also the longest 100G transoceanic link to date. Once deployed, it will contribute with other ongoing initiatives to enhance trans-continental connectivity, for the benefit of the global consumer and business community,” said Philippe Dumont, President of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks.
The Alcatel-Lucent solution to be deployed for this project includes an integrated 100G wet plant of cable and high bandwidth repeaters, power feed equipment, and its 1620 Light Manager (LM) submarine line terminal equipped with advanced coherent technology and offering unique flexibility to increase direct connectivity between countries. Designed to accommodate 100G wavelengths, the Alcatel-Lucent 1620 LM enables seamless capacity upgrade on flexible grid for channel spacing without traffic interruption. As part of the turnkey contract, Alcatel-Lucent will also be responsible for project management, system design, installation and system commissioning.
About Seaborn Networks
Seaborn Networks is the developer and operator of Seabras-1, the first-ever direct fiber optic cable between the United States and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Seabras-1 is a 32 Tbps system that will connect the New York metropolitan area and Sao Paulo, with a branch that lands in Fortaleza, Brazil. Seaborn was founded by successful submarine cable and wholesale carrier executives with experience in designing, building and operating many of the world’s largest submarine and terrestrial networks. Prior submarine systems designed, built and operated by Seaborn’s workforce represent a total of 75 landing stations, 250 points of presence and 250,000 km of submarine cable (more than 6X the circumference of the earth).
For additional information, see www.seabornnetworks.com
About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)
The long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leading innovator in the field of networking and communications technology, products and services. The company is home to Bell Labs, one of the world's foremost research centers, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent was named one of MIT Technology Review's 2012 Top 50 list of the “World's Most Innovative Companies” for breakthroughs such as lightRadio™, which cuts power consumption and operating costs on wireless networks while delivering lightning fast Internet access. Through such innovations, Alcatel-Lucent is making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – Realizing the Potential of a Connected World.
With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The Company achieved revenues of Euro 15.3 billion in 2011 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.
For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com,