September 16, 2002 -- China Telecom, the largest fixed-line carrier in China, has selected Nortel Networks (www.Nortel.com) to supply a 1,500-km, 10-Gbit/sec optical ring network spanning the southern province of Hunan.
Scheduled for completion by the end of 2002, the new optical backbone will connect Changsha, the provincial capital, and eight key cities -- Yueyang, Changde, Shaoyang, Yonghzou, Chenzhou, Hengyang, Xiangtan and Zhuzhou -- to deliver voice, data, and leased bandwidth services to Hunan's China Telecom customers.
The agreement provides for Hunan province's new optical ring to be based on Nortel Networks' OPTera Connect DX optical switches and OPTera Long Haul 1600 Line System, which extends the reach of DWDM transmission. The OPTera Connect DX optical switch enables service providers and carriers to increase network capacity, provide flexible services, improve connection and network management capabilities, and enhance network reliability.
The deal with China Telecom builds on previous awards Nortel has received in the burgeoning Chinese market. In fact, Nortel has won more than forty 10-Gbit/sec and DWDM contracts, covering a total distance of more than 50,000 km.