NTT DoCoMo has contracted Alcatel-Lucent to build the mobile backhaul network for its LTE rollout.
Alcatel-Lucent\'s Ethernet transmission solution is based on the 1850 Transport Service Switch and its universal switching technology, Alcatel-Lucent said. It forms part of the company\'s Mobile Evolution Transport Architecture suite.
"This selection is a strong endorsement of our innovation and forward-looking capabilities," said Sean Dolan, head of Alcatel-Lucent\'s Asia-Pacific operations.
NTT DoCoMo, which was the first carrier to offer UMTS in 2001, will be one of the first operators in the world to launch LTE when it starts service in 2010. The operator began testing the technology in July 2006.
Around 49 million of DoCoMo\'s 54 million subscribers use FOMA, a W-CDMA-based 3G service, the company said.