MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, February 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Together with Alcatel-Lucent , Orange has successfully completed the first phase of its trial of Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology with a live network in France. This trial enabled Orange to develop hands-on insights into the capabilities of LTE technology and evaluate how it performs in a real, live network environment. Following the trial's first phase, Orange is evaluating the introduction of new multimedia applications over an LTE mobile network, such as voice over IP (VoIP) steered by IMS and streaming video. This is part of Orange's ongoing work towards preparing for a timely implementation of LTE in support of customer demand.

After initial testing in Orange's RD laboratories, a network was deployed in the vicinity of Orange France's offices in the south of Paris to conduct LTE tests in actual operating conditions using the 2.6 GHz frequency band. Results revealed excellent network stability and very good performance, in line with 3GPP standards expectations, using Alcatel-Lucent's end-to-end LTE solution.

The first results obtained on the LTE trial network are encouraging: the user experience and the quality are very good inside the buildings as well as on the move, said Alain Maloberti, Group VP, Networks, Architecture and Design for France Telecom-Orange. We are confident in the capability of the LTE technology to provide improved customer experience, easier network configuration management and reduced cost to serve. We are eager to proceed to the next phases of our trial, including VoIP, service continuity between 3G and LTE, video streaming, and self-optimisation.

The end-to-end LTE solution deployed by Alcatel-Lucent for the trial included base stations (eNodeBs), Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and its associated management system. Alcatel-Lucent provided critical professional services such as the installation and commissioning for all of the equipment deployed for the LTE trial as well as configuration, performance monitoring and fault management. The network will also utilize subscriber services provided by Alcatel-Lucent's IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Mobile TV offerings - supporting a consistent multi-screen experience for communication and entertainment services.

These first successful results are a major step in the adoption process of LTE technology in Europe, and more specifically in France, and highlights Alcatel-Lucent's position at the forefront of the development of 4G, said Pierre Barnabe, Head of Alcatel-Lucent in France. This joint success bears witness to the trust that Orange has placed in Alcatel-Lucent to test LTE live in its main market. We are working in close cooperation with the teams at Orange RD to contribute to the definition of an end-to-end network architecture that can support future needs of Orange.

About Alcatel-Lucent and LTE

With 40 LTE customer trials secured to date, Alcatel-Lucent is a worldwide leader in LTE. The company is actively engaged in the majority of LTE projects being pursued by tier 1 operators around the globe. To help operators realize their potential, Alcatel-Lucent is offering a unique, pre-integrated, end-to-end LTE solution and a full set of associated professional services. Alcatel-Lucent's network architecture is based on Alcatel-Lucent unique converged radio access network (http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/newsreleases/detail?LMSG_CABINE...) (RAN) strategy allowing scaling of W-CDMA networks and smooth evolution to LTE. The company also founded the ng Connect Program (http://www.ngconnect.org/about-us/index.htm), a global initiative to drive the development of an open and diverse ecosystem of LTE device manufacturers, content providers and application partners. Through the ng Connect program and with Alcatel-Lucent's end-to-end LTE solution, wireless broadband operators benefit from open innovation, pre-integrated solutions, reduce time to market with LTE-enabled services, and the ability to drive new and non-traditional business models. For more information about Alcatel-Lucent's end-to-end LTE solution, please visit: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/lte

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About Orange

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators. With 126 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (38.1 billion euros for the first nine months of 2009) and at 30 September 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 190 million customers in 32 countries. These include 128.8 million mobile customers and 13.4 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers worldwide. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number two provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies. The Group's strategy, which is characterized by a strong focus on innovation, convergence and effective cost management, aims to establish Orange as an integrated operator and benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. Today the Group remains focused on its core activities as a network operator, while working to develop its position in new growth activities. To meet customer expectations, the Group strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly, while maintaining a sustainable and responsible business model that can be adapted to the requirements of a fast-paced and changing eco-system. France Telecom is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information: http://www.orange.com, http://www.francetelecom.com, http://www.orange-business.com. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent is the trusted transformation partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries such as defense, energy, healthcare, transportation, and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 15.2 billion in 2009 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

SOURCE: Alcatel-Lucent

CONTACT: Press Contacts Alcatel-Lucent: Peter Benedict, Tel:+33(0)1-40-76-50-84, pbenedict@alcatel-lucent.com; Valerie La Gamba, Tel:+33(0)1-40-76-12-28, valerie.la_gamba@alcatel-lucent.com; Alcatel-LucentInvestor Relations: Remi Thomas, Tel: +33(0)1-40-76-50-61,remi.thomas@alcatel-lucent.com; Don Sweeney, Tel: +1-908-582-6153,dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com; Tom Bevilacqua, Tel: +1-908-582-7998,bevilacqua@alcatel-lucent.com; Tony Lucido, Tel: +1-908582-5722,alucido@alcatel-lucent.com