Nortel aims to support 3G rollout

Cheah Chor Sooi
New Straits Times
03-07-2002
Nortel aims to support 3G rollout
Byline: Cheah Chor Sooi
Edition: 2*
Column: e-world

NORTEL Networks aims to bring its high-capacity optical Internet technology to Malaysia by the fourth quarter of this year to support the rollout of third-generation (3G) telecommunications technology.

Nortel Malaysia managing director Cheam Tat Inn said the company had responded to a number of tenders awarded by local telecommunication service providers vying for the three 3G licenses to be awarded by the Government by July this year.
"Optical Internet complements the 3G technology by enabling the latter to deliver multimedia services, which require very high bandwidth capable core network.

"Optical Internet is a prerequisite of 3G. A very solid optical core network is all that is needed to reap the fruits of investment in 3G," he said, noting that Nortel is the only player worldwide who is able to deliver an end-to-end optical Internet solution.

Cheam said Nortel would also be rolling out a number of optical Internet pilot sites by the end of the second quarter.

"Telecommunications service providers need not lay new fibre cable, hence no messy digging of roads. It allows them to deliver high bandwidth services on the same existing fibre.

"For businesses, optical Internet reduces telecommunication costs of end users and offers the ability of subscribing to high bandwidth type of services such as multimedia broadcasting, integrated voice and data communication and video conferencing in a cost-effective manner," he said.

Currently, the optical Internet technology is available in the United States, Europe, Australia, Korea, China and India.

Nortel currently holds the biggest market share in the worldwide optical networking market. bizdesk@nstp.com.my

Illustrations/Photos:
Cheam ... responded to tenders.

(Copyright 2002)