Telecom Egypt S Regulatory News (TEEG)

31 Jan 2008 07:00

Telecom Egypt S.A.E31 January 2008 Telecom Egypt awards Alcatel-Lucent new submarine cable network linking Northern Egypt to France Strengthens Egypt as communication hub connecting Asia/Africa to Europe Cairo, Egypt and Paris, France, January 31, 2008 - Telecom Egypt (TE) (Ticker:ETEL.CA; TEEG.LN), the incumbent telecom operator in Egypt, and Alcatel-Lucent(Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced they have signed a US$125 millioncontract to deploy a new submarine cable network linking Sidi Kerir in Egypt toMarseille in France. Named TE North, the project will enable Telecom Egypt toexpand international connectivity, providing diversity from existing cableroutes. Additionally, the TE North submarine cable system will help TelecomEgypt enhance its network capacity to operate as a wholesale carrier to otheroperators and expand its service offering to businesses and consumers. Spanning 3,100 km, TE North can deliver an ultimate capacity of 128 x 10Gbit/son eight fiber pairs, which makes it one of the largest cable systems in theregion. As a result, Telecom Egypt will be able to meet the growing demand forbroadband services of its business and residential users at more affordablecosts. Moreover, it will further establish Egypt's role as internationalcommunication hub between Europe and Asia/Africa, and it will also reinforce thecity of Marseille as a communications hub with 'open access' facilities. "Egypt has a young population with a growing demand for more and more capacity.In addition Telecom Egypt has decades long tradition of being the partner ofchoice to all Asia-Europe submarine cable systems, by providing theinfrastructure for crossing from Red to Mediterranean Seas. Today, through TENorth, we extend the Telecom Egypt service footprint by offering an option toextend this infrastructure from the Red Sea to Europe," said Akil Beshir,Chairman and CEO of Telecom Egypt. "Alcatel-Lucent's turnkey expertise andtechnological lead in submarine networks shall help us achieve our project andbusiness objectives on time." "Access to advanced technologies is key to operators like Telecom Egypt to bestserve their customers," said Georges Krebs, Chief Operating Officer ofAlcatel-Lucent's submarine network activity. "By meeting the requirements ofcommunications infrastructures in terms of capacity, flexibility andscalability, Alcatel-Lucent helps Telecom Egypt respond to the ramping demandfor innovative applications." - Ends - About the Alcatel-Lucent solution The Alcatel-Lucent submarine solution will be based on its 1620 Light Managernext-generation DWDM submarine platform, and will also include cable, branchingunits and submarine repeaters, providing direct connectivity to landingstations. A comprehensive suite of professional services, including permittingand project management, engineering, marine operation, and installation testingand commissioning, is part of this turnkey project. About Alcatel-Lucent Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enableservice providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, dataand video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile andconverged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services,Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compellingcommunications services for people at home, at work and on the move. Withoperations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner withglobal reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in theindustry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovationorganizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achievedadjusted proforma revenues of Euro 18.3 billion in 2006 and is incorporated inFrance, with executive offices located in Paris. (All figures exclude impact ofactivities transferred to Thales). For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent onthe Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com Notes to Editors: Within this statement, we may make forward-looking statements regarding futureevents or the future performance of the Company. By their very nature,forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, bothgeneral and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts,projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Youshould be aware that a number of important factors could cause actual results todiffer materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates andintentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. When relying onforward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the political,economic, social and legal environment in which Telecom Egypt operates. Suchforward-looking statements speak only as of the time of this release today.Accordingly, Telecom Egypt does not undertake any obligation to update or reviseany of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwiseother than as required by applicable laws, the Listing Rules or Prospectus Rulesof the United Kingdom Listing Authority, the Egyptian Capital Markets Authorityor the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange. The documents filed from time totime with these authorities may identify important factors that could causeactual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-lookingstatements. About Telecom Egypt Telecom Egypt (TE), Egypt's incumbent telecommunications operator, started itsoperations in 1854 with the first telegraph line in Egypt. Then it wascorporatized in 1998 to replace the former Arab Republic of Egypt NationalTelecommunication Organization (ARENTO). The Company is the largest provider offixed-line services in the Middle East and Africa with 11.03 million subscribersas at the end of September 2007. TE provides retail telecommunication services including access, local, longdistance and international voice, Internet and data, and other services. Thecompany also provides wholesale services including bandwidth capacity leasing toISPs, and national and international interconnection services. Telecom Egypt'sservices also include the provision of narrowband and broadband internet accessthrough its subsidiary TE Data. TE Data has active operations in Egypt andJordan. TE currently participates in the mobile segment in Egypt by providing mobileinterconnectivity through its current, increased 44.79% holding in VodafoneEgypt, one of the three existing Egyptian mobile operators. For further information: Telecom EgyptAlia Allouba Tel: + 202 3131 5217 alia.allouba@telecomegypt.com.eg Alcatel-Lucent Press ContactsRegine Coqueran Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 76 49 regine.coqueran@alcatel-lucent.com 24Mark Burnworth Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 76 50 mark.burnworth@alcatel-lucent.com 84 Alcatel-Lucent Investor RelationsRemi Thomas Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 76 50 remi.thomas@alcatel-lucent.com 61Maria Alcon Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 76 15 maria.alcon@alcatel-lucent.com 17John DeBono Tel: + 1908-582-7793 debono@alcatel-lucent.comTony Lucido Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 76 49 alucido@alcatel-lucent.com 80Don Sweeney Tel: + 1 908 582 6153 dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange