| Belgacom, the largest Belgian telecommunications operator, has recently signed a three-year contract with Lucent Technologies to build the optical backbone of Belgacom's pan-European network. The new optical network is part of Belgacom's plans to expand throughout Europe.
Under the terms of the contract, Lucent will install its WaveStar� OLS 400G systems in Belgacom's network. In the past, a glass fiber could only carry one single data stream. Using Lucent's new system, Belgacom's fiber-optic network will carry up to 40 simultaneous data streams across a fibre - substantially increasing the capacity of the glass fibre. With a maximum capacity of 400Gbit/s, Belgacom's optical backbone will be able to transmit roughly the equivalent of 12,000 encyclopaedias or 75 CD-ROMs per second. The agreement between Belgacom and Lucent involves a complete expansion of the DWDM part of the network. The Western ring will mainly connect sites in the Benelux and the United Kingdom; the eastern ring will connect sites in Germany and France. Under the contract, Lucent will design the network, conduct preparatory studies and configure each site, install all necessary network equipment, implement and maintain the network. Lucent's DWDM systems will act as repeaters and ring, or end, terminals in this network.
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