Paul Whittle, Huawei Sales Director for BT 21CN, believes that the BT 21CN project shows clear industry leadership and that BT is the most important forward looking example of a dynamic service provider seeking to move forward and embrace IP networks in the global communications market. Paul feels that the communications industry as a whole will closely monitor BT’s 21CN network leadership with a view that similar next generation network
initiatives will follow shortly.
Innovation is expected to be high on the agenda, as selected suppliers work towards developing and setting new standards to ensure service interoperability. John Frieslaar, CTO for Huawei UK, stated: “This heightened level of vendor cooperation should ensure that BT is able to offer its customers a smooth transition from multiple legacy platforms including the PSTN to the new 21CN network, offering significant service
improvements.”
The BT 21CN project is an important project that will offer many benefits for the social and economic advancement of UK plc. It is believed that the BT 21CN project will allow the UK to benefit from the most advanced communications network in the world, attracting and enabling new investment that will benefit ‘UK Ltd’ in the years ahead.
Huawei believe that being selected to supply BT with 21CN network infrastructure will generate new employment prospects, which will help to maintain many existing industry positions and ensure that many new jobs will be created here in the UK.
“This is a very significant moment for Huawei in the UK,” comments Tim Mao, UK MD for Huawei Technologies.
“Our innovative and disruptive technology solutions are enabling major players such as BT to change and shape the way the new communications structure will look, generating competitive advantage for BT and significant benefits for the UK. This announcement demonstrates Huawei’s growing position as a leading supplier of next generation network solutions in Europe.”
About BT
BT Group plc is the listed holding company for an integrated group of businesses providing voice and data services in the UK and overseas, particularly in Europe, but also in the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. British Telecommunications plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc, holds virtually all businesses and assets of the BT group.
BT is one of Europe’s leading providers of telecommunications services. Its principal activities include local, national and international telecommunications services, higher-value broadband and internet products and services, and IT solutions. In the UK, BT serves over 20 million business and residential customers with more than 29 million Exchange lines, as well as providing network services to other licensed operators.
BT consists principally of three lines of business:
- BT Retail, serving businesses and residential customers and including BT Openworld, one of the UK’s leading ISPs.
- BT Wholesale, providing network services and solutions within the UK, including ADSL, conveyance, transit, bulk delivery of private circuits, frame relay and ISDN connections.
- BT Global Services, BT’s managed services and solutions provider, serving multi-site organisations worldwide. Its core target market is the top 10,000 global multi-site organisations with European operations.
There are a number of other businesses within the BT group, including BT Exact, an internationally renowned centre of excellence in IT and networking technologies. It is also BT’s technology and research and development business.
In the year ended 31 March 2004, BT’s turnover was 18,519million with profit before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and taxation of 2,016million.
For more information, visit www.bt.com
About Huawei
Established in 1988, Huawei Technologies is a high-tech enterprise which specializes in research and development (R&D), production and marketing of communications equipment, providing customized network solutions for telecom carriers in optical, fixed, mobile and data communications networks. Huawei’s customers include China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom, China Unicom as well as Thai AIS, Telefonica, SingTel, Hutchison Telecom, PCCW HKT, SUNDAY, Etisalat (UAE), Telemar (Brazil), Rostelecom (Russia), BT (UK), Neuf Telecom (France) etc. Huawei’s contracted sales in 2004 reached 5.58 billion USD, an increase of 45% year on year.
