After a series of acquisitions, Alcatel Alsthom SA’s Alcatel NV unit, the core of which is a combination of the former ITT Corp phone equipment business with the old CGE’s interests in the same field, has soared past AT&T Co to become the world’s largest telephone equipment supplier with $17,900m sales last year against $12,200m for AT&T’s business in that sector; Northern Telecom Ltd, Siemens AG and L M Ericsson Telefon AB take the next three places in the world rankings.
