French-US vendor Alcatel Lucent has been selected by Azteca Comunicaciones Colombia as a major supplier for the deployment of a nationwide fibre-optic broadband network. The rollout is part of a state-backed project that will connect 1,078 of the country’s 1,119 municipalities. Alca-Lu will deploy point-to-point fibre broadband access technology and a combination of IP and optical routing solutions in 216 municipalities across Colombia. As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication (MinTIC) has allocated COP415.8 billion (USD232 million) from state coffers for the project, which is due to be completed in mid-2014.
Alexandra Reyes, CEO of Azteca said: ‘The government of Colombia has set very aggressive targets for increasing the availability of broadband services throughout the country… Our collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent…will help us to ensure that this project is completed quickly and with exceptional quality.’