Etisalat awards DSL contract to U.S. firm

Etisalat has awarded the U.S.-based Zhone Technologies a supply contract to support the corporation's comprehensive multi-service DSL (digital subscriber line) end-to-end solution in the UAE.

The contract was awarded last week, a spokesman of Etisalat told Gulf News, without disclosing the value.

As per the contract, Etisalat will use Zhone's BAN (Broadband Access Node) next-generation DSLAM with an integrated V 5.2 voice gateway to deliver leased-line and high-speed Internet services over a packet network simultaneously offering derived voice services over the same loop using VoDSL.

The Single Line Multi-Service (SLMS) architecture of Zhone Technologies will provide Etisalat sufficient backplane capacity for both current and future service delivery, line and trunk flexibility and industry-leading density and price.

"Etisalat's selection of Zhone's SLMS architecture is further evidence of the need for a manageable, scalable, cost-effective broadband access solution," said Mike Scheck, vice-president of international sales, Zhone Technologies.

"This deployment further demonstrates global market acceptance for SLMS and Zhone's worldwide dedication to the next-generation local-loop infrastructure. No other company can make that claim," he added.

Zhone's SLMS architecture is the industry's first next-generation, local-loop network developed to deliver both narrowband and broadband service while reducing the cost of the network.

Designed for outside cabinet deployments and other applications, SLMS extends multi-service networking across the local loop/last mile combining traditional voice, voice-over-packet and broadband data in a carrier class access platform.

Zhone's SLMS architecture is currently deployed at dozens of carriers on five continents.

The Oakland, California-based company was founded by the senior management team that grew telecommunications pioneer Ascend Communications Inc from its start-up roots to the multi-billion dollar company acquired by Lucent Technologies in September 1999.

Zhone's advanced networking solutions include the SLMS, FlexBank Multi-Service access port, Zhone Management System, Broadband Access Node and a host of others.