Alcatel-Lucent to deploy high-speed communications network in Norway

Alcatel-Lucent has announced that it has been selected by Jernbaneverket, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, to deploy an advanced high-speed network based on IP/MPLS technology to handle all business communications for the railway. Alcatel-Lucent’s solution will transform Jernbaneverket communications infrastructure into a next-generation network, enabling more reliable and secure services throughout its nation system.

Jernbaneverket has overall responsibility for all of Norway’s rail transportation, encompassing 357 stations spread along the 4,114 kilometers of track throughout the country. Alcatel-Lucent will deploy a full IP solution for handling the transmission of Jernbaneverket’s operations including signaling, railway intersections, sign-posts on train platforms, and control and transport of all communication related to GSM-R (Global System for Mobile-Railway).

“This is a major step in modernising the Norwegian railways, and necessary to meet the increased requirements for security and reliability expected by our customers,” said Terje Steinsvik, Director of Telecom and Operational ICT in Jernbaneverket. “Alcatel-Lucent proposed the best technical solution from edge to core, along with strong services and its proven experience in transportation infrastructure deployments. Besides that they also had a very competitive price structure”

“After Banverket in Sweden, Jernbaneverket is the second national railway administration in the Nordics that has selected the Alcatel-Lucent’s IP/MPLS solution to support their business critical applications,” added Andy King, head of Alcatel-Lucent North Europe Vertical Sales. “Our deep telecom knowledge, the breadth and depth of our portfolio, and our customer insights in building communication networks for the railway market makes us a trusted partner.”

Alcatel-Lucent will supply products from its industry-leading service router portfolio including the 7750 SR, 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, the 7705 Service Access Router and the 5620 Service Aware Manager to address the access, aggregation and core network layers. To offer a full end-to-end solution, Alcatel-Lucent will supply a complete set of professional services including project management, consulting and design, installation and deployment, and testing and maintenance.

Alcatel-Lucent is a global leader in implementing dynamic communications solutions for railways. In 2009, Alcatel-Lucent was selected for major projects in Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou. In 2008, Alcatel-Lucent was selected by the Gotthard Base Tunnel, for a major project in Switzerland. More information about Alcatel-Lucent solutions for the railway industry is available online.