Johannesburg, 04 Apr 2001
Major optical networking wins in Germany and Iceland have extended Marconi`s global reach and further entrenched the company as one of the world`s leading communications specialists.
Marconi already announced deals with BT for the supply of Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment, which will be used to build Europe`s most advanced all-optical network, as well as orders from Telecom Italia, Fibernet (Germany), Telfort (Netherlands), Belgacomm (Belgium) and the Finnet Group of Finland.
In Germany, Marconi is to extend the NetCologne optical network beyond the city limits to cover four million potential new customers and will provide 24-hour, on-site back up for the entire system.
NetCologne has used Marconi`s Active Optical Network (AON) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) technology since 1997, the year after it became Germany`s first telco to win a city licence. It currently provides telephone services to over 60 000 premises, while its Internet and cable TV services are each taken by 40 000 subscribers.
Under the latest extension to the frame contract, Marconi will install arrays of its ONU 400, ONU 200 and ONU 32 Optical Networks Units as well as network gateways and controllers. Management of the entire system, which now contains over 700 optical network elements, will remain under the control of Marconi`s NSU management system. NetCologne`s subscribers are hooked up to the network by a mixture of fibre to the office and fibre to the kerbside, depending on their size.
In Iceland, Marconi has been awarded a major contract to expand the network of Iceland Telecom with Marconi SmartphotoniX DWDM technology. The Iceland Telecom telecommunications system ranks as one of the best in the world for transmission capacity, speed and resilience.
The contract involves the installation of equipment from the Marconi SmartphotoniX optical system portfolio, including Photonics Line Terminals, capable of delivering an initial 40 wavelengths per fibre, carrying 2.5 Gbit/s per wavelength. The Marconi optical products are scalable up to 80 channels of 10 Gbit/s each in and around Iceland`s capital city, Reykjavik, as part of a fully managed, highly resilient network.
The initial links in the network represent the first order for operational photonics equipment in the country and the contract includes training for Iceland Telecom engineers and comprehensive support.
Marconi Communications South Africa (MCSA) employs around 850 people, with its network division and headquarters at Midrand and a manufacturing division at Springs. Empowerment group African Renaissance Holdings (ARH) holds 25% of the MCSA equity. Marconi plc is a global communications and IT company with 49 000 employees worldwide and sales in over 100 countries. It supplies advanced communications solutions and the key technologies and services for the Internet. Marconi plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq under the symbol MONI.
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