Verizon spends $6 billion on Alcatel-Lucent gear

According to a press release, the three year contract for network equipment, software and services has gone to the French based Alcatel-Lucent company.

Verizon Communications and Vodafone, which own Verizon Wireless wants to boost the coverage and capacity of its wireless broadband network.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide IP network infrastructure and expand the lot to support VoIP. Existing Alcatel-Lucent-supplied packet switches will be upgraded and the old Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Routers will now provide IP routing and Ethernet aggregation.

Verizon Wireless will also buy optical and wireless transmission products, including MDR 8000 digital microwave radios and optical networking gear. The Metropolis DMX product family, will look after bandwidth management and mobility traffic back haul.

The deal is good news for Alcatel-Lucent which has been having a bit of a time of it lately as it tries to carry out its merger. In February it said that it would cut 12,500 jobs, or 16 percent of staff mostly as part of its recent marriage between the two technology companies. µ