September 19, 2005 Paris, France -- Alcatel has been awarded a contract, valued at approximately 120 million euro, to build and deploy a converged high-speed telecommunication network alongside England's motorways.
According to a press release, the project is managed by GeneSYS, the consortium selected to deploy England's National Roads Telecommunications Services (NRTS) on behalf of the UK Highways Agency. The project is expected to "make a significant contribution to safe roads, reliable journeys, and informed travellers." Implementation of the project will begin in 2006, with completion of the core transmission network planned for the first quarter of 2007.
The UK Highways Agency says it currently manages and maintains 28 networks with data coming from over 11,000 roadside devices. According to the agency, Alcatel's installation of a single, IP-based optical backbone network will improve the transmission of various types of information - such as CCTV footage, variable messaging, and electronic signaling � while also enhancing the delivery of commercial services such as emergency telephony.
Alcatel calls itself the telecoms design authority of the GeneSYS consortium, which is headed by Fluor, one of the world's largest publicly owned engineering, construction, and maintenance services organizations. The consortium says it will migrate existing voice, video, and data networks onto one converged platform, and will be responsible for project management, construction, financing, and maintenance of the project.
GeneSYS says it will provide, coordinate, and manage the country's National Roads Telecommunications Services on a national basis, which will enable motorists to benefit from services such as Active Traffic Management, and nationwide distribution of CCTV footage to the Highways Agency's customers, including travel information providers and navigation companies.
"Alcatel has a strong track record of implementing complex projects that harness powerful state of the art ICT solutions for the 21st century needs of the transportation sector," remarks Jacques Dunogue, executive vice president of Alcatel. "We are proud to contribute to this smart road project, which will transform England's highway system into one of the most advanced in Europe."