Telecommunications giant Lucent Technologies Inc has signed an exclusive five year multi-million dollar deal with regional Bell operating company Ameritech Corp for the supply of wireless equipment for its Cellular Services Division, for a Code Division Multiple Access standard digital cellular network. The deal, according to industry consultant TeleChoice Inc, could be worth as much as $1bn, but Lucent and Ameritech would not discuss financial terms. Lucent will supply a number of 5EES-2000 switches, mobile base-stations, software and services for Ameritech’s ClearPath cellular network. ClearPath services have been launched in Metropolitan Chicago, with Detroit set for the end of the year, and Cleveland and Indianapolis to follow in mid 1998. Lucent will also be providing technology for Ameritech’s Personal Communications Services network, which uses a different frequency to cellular communications, and gives higher performance than GSM or CDMA systems. This service will be run in Cleveland and Indianapolis. Lucent, which had revenues of $27.3bn in 1996, signed a similar wireless deal, worth $500m, with US West Communication Group Inc in May (CI No 3,152) and has a $30m deal with Deutsche Telecom (CI No 3,166).
LUCENT STRIKES UP MULTI-MILLION WIRELESS DEAL WITH AMERITECH
