Fujitsu and Alcatelramp Up 3G Investment

Fujitsu and Alcatel have announced the extension of the scope of expertise and activities of Evolium SAS, the joint venture between Alcatel (66%) and Fujitsu (34%). Its parent companies have finalized agreements to further increase their cooperation in the area of 3G/UMTS mobile network infrastructures.

Alcatel and Fujitsu have engineered a lot more than an OEM agreement or a technology partnership. Fuelled by a common business interest Evolium SAS, that has established a clear technology leadership in 3GPP-compliant UMTS radio-access, has been designed for the long haul, as illustrated by this additional step forward in combining Alcatel's and Fujitsu's 3G development forces.

Evolium SAS, was already developing the UMTS radio access solutions (including the RNC and the Node B) for all Mobile Operators around the world. It is now also responsible for Fujitsu for developing the 3G radio access solutions that are needed by NTT DoCoMo in Japan, to support its evolution towards latest 3GPP standards. To achieve this, the Evolium SAS and Fujitsu technical teams have already started a tight collaboration for the joint development of common Radio Network Controller (RNC) and Node B platforms.

Marc Rouanne, COO of Alcatel's Mobile Communications Group commented: "Our two-year-old partnership with Fujitsu is already a great technical success and has given us both much credibility and a clear cost leadership in the market. This tighter co-operation is a key asset for Evolium SAS and its customers. The main benefits of this strategic decision are the optimization of the Alcatel and Fujitsu R&D efforts, enabling Evolium SAS to develop a broader portfolio of products while reinforcing its technical and cost leadership."

Posted to the site on 20th February 2003