October 12, 2005 Hilversum, the Netherlands -- Fastfiber Netwerk, a carrier headquartered in Oisterwijk, the Netherlands, has selected Lucent Technologies to provide a managed services platform for the carrier's broadband optical fiber network. The platform is to include network integration services and integrated fiber networking equipment.
According to a press release, under terms of a three-year frame contract, Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS) will provide its entire services portfolio in support of Fastfiber's nationwide, 3600-km fiber-to-the-business (FTTB) network, including design, installation, integration, and network maintenance. Fastfiber will also leverage the LWS Global Network Operation Centre (GNOC) in Hilversum, which will provide 24-hour network operations and provisioning services. Under the contract, Lucent will also supply and deploy optical Ethernet networking platforms from World Wide Packets and Foundry Networks.
Fastfiber says its network will be open to service providers, enabling them to serve their enterprise customers with services such as high-speed Internet, high-speed backup facilities, remote storage services, Voice over IP, Virtual Closed Private Networks, and video-based security services. The carrier says its market approach is unique for the Dutch market, because Fastfiber will not provide end-user services by itself, but only via third parties. The carrier's network supports fully transparent layer-2 capabilities, with MPLS/VPLS at its core.
"Our strategy is based on our strong conviction that the demand for bandwidth will increase in the coming years," remarks Erik Kamps, CEO of Fastfiber. "For small and medium-sized businesses, expensive fiber-based lines are not viable, economically. By sharing a fiber connection, business park customers can now get super-fast network access, which was not an option to many of them before. We are confident in Lucent's ability to handle the entire management of the network, leaving Fastfiber room to focus on its core mission, serving its customers."
"Fastfiber's choice underlines our expertise in offering a customized package of managed and professional services and network integration capabilities for deploying optical Ethernet," concludes Andy Williams, president of Lucent Technologies Europe. "We will provide Fastfiber with a reliable, fully-redundant network that will enable the operator to offer its business customers high-bandwidth services, cost-effectively."