ONEMAX and Alcatel-Lucent Launch the First Worldwide WiMAX Rev-e Network in the 3.5 Gigahertz Spectrum

ONEMAX and Alcatel-Lucent Launch the First Worldwide WiMAX Rev-e Network in the 3.5 Gigahertz Spectrum

PARIS and SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEMAX, a new and innovative broadband wireless access provider serving the Dominican Republic, and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced the launch of the first worldwide WiMAX 802.16e-2005 (Rev-e) network in the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum.

ONEMAX is the first service provider in the Dominican Republic to offer subscribers and visitors wireless high-speed broadband Internet, multimedia and Voice over IP (VoIP) services. WiMAX is a flexible wireless technology that enables people to access high-speed, high-quality broadband wireless services wherever they are, providing truly "universal" wireless broadband access in fixed, nomadic and mobile environments.

"The launch of ONEMAX is generating a great deal of excitement in the Dominican Republic, an ideal market for WiMAX technology because of its strong economy and relatively large and young population of more than 9 million people whose rapidly growing demand for broadband services needs to be met," said Raoul Fontanez, ONEMAX CEO. "We are going to open the door to the new concept of Mediacom provider: Internet, telephony, and new communication services. With this concept information technology and entertainment are fully integrated in our customer's daily experience. We greatly appreciate the work performed by Alcatel-Lucent to date. We selected Alcatel-Lucent as our exclusive partner because they were the first to delivery WiMAX Rev-e solutions."

A ceremony later today in Santo Domingo will mark the official launch of ONEMAX's new network.

"As the first operator to commercially introduce WiMAX Rev-e services, ONEMAX is truly a world pioneer and we are gratified to play such an important role in enabling them to develop the wireless broadband market in the Dominican Republic," said Olivier Picard, President of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in the Europe and South region. "Our WiMAX solution will enable ONEMAX subscribers and even visitors to enjoy fast, reliable connections to the Internet in both fixed and nomadic environments, particularly in areas with little or no DSL coverage.

"The industry-leading deployment in the Dominican Republic is a clear demonstration of WiMAX's important role in bringing broadband services to more and more people in fast-growing economies, not only in Latin America but worldwide. This highlights the maturity of our WiMAX Rev-e solution, the strength of our Open Customer Premises (CPE) Program and our compelling end- to-end offer."

The network deployed in the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band represents a significant milestone in the commercial introduction of WiMAX services and highlights the opportunity that WiMAX represents for operators worldwide.

"As the mobile WiMAX market matures, transitioning from trials to deployments, Alcatel-Lucent's launch with ONEMAX highlights some key market realities," notes Peter Jarich, Research Director with Current Analysis. "In particular, vendors need to be ready to deliver an end-to-end solution, bringing in multiple device partners and features such as MIMO and beam forming, all backed by a global services reach."

Alcatel-Lucent's solution supports a wide range of terminals from various customer premises equipment (CPE) partners. This is part of Alcatel-Lucent's Open CPE Program, which is designed to promote an open device ecosystem and ensure customers have the widest possible range of interoperable end-user devices. This allowed ONEMAX to select the appropriate CPE for delivering mobile, nomadic and fix services ranking from PC MCIA cards up to advanced indoor residential gateway for end user and enterprise.

Alcatel-Lucent's WiMAX solution integrates the latest technological innovations, such as "beam forming"* and MIMO**. Beam forming enables a service provider to dramatically reduce the number of radio sites needed to provide coverage -- in some instances by as much as 40 percent -- while reducing interferences and ensuring better indoor penetration of the radio signal. MIMO helps make radio links more robust, nearly doubling the capacity delivered in dense urban environments.

With more than 70 pilots and deployments across the world and 15 commercial contracts signed since the beginning of 2007, Alcatel-Lucent is No. 1 in the worldwide WiMAX market.

About WiMAX:

WiMAX (802.16e-2005) stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It enables Voice and Broadband connectivity for fixed, nomadic or mobile use in urban, suburban and rural areas. For more information about Alcatel-Lucent WiMAX solutions, please visit www.alcatel-lucent.com/wimax.

     * "Beam forming" is an Advanced Antenna Technology (AAT) that ensures       that radio power is concentrated where the WiMAX terminals are,       adjusting the beam automatically as the terminals move around the       coverage area.    ** "MIMO"(Multiple Input -- Multiple Output) is an Advanced Antenna       Technology (AAT) that combines the radio signals transmitted and       received on separate antennas. The technique takes advantage of the       multiple paths and reflections of a radio signal to strengthen radio       communications, particularly in densely populated areas where signals       can be degraded by buildings and other physical obstacles.    About ONEMAX  

ONEMAX is a pioneering service provider offering a wide range of wireless voice and data services including Voice over IP (VoIP) and hight-speed wireless data connectivity to business and consumers. ONEMAX is the first in the Americas, and one of the first in the World, to deploy a commercial WiMAX Rev-e network. For more information about ONEMAX, www.onemac.com

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved adjusted proforma revenues of Euro 18.3 billion in 2006 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. [All figures exclude impact of activities transferred to Thales]. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: debono@alcatel-lucent.com

Source: Alcatel-Lucent

CONTACT: Media, Mark Burnworth, + 33(0)1-40-76-50-84,
mark.burnworth@alcatel-lucent.com, or Dick Muldoon (North America),
+1-908-582-1616, rpmuldoon@alcatel-lucent.com, or Investors, John DeBono,
+1-908-582-7793, debono@alcatel-lucent.com, or Don Sweeney, +1-908-582-6153,
dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com, all of Alcatel-Lucent

Web site: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/wimax
http://www.onemac.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment