Tianjin Netcom has selected Alcatel (ALA) to transform the service provider's existing network to deliver next-generation services across the municipality of Tianjin.

The contract was signed through Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel's flagship Chinese company.

By migrating to a new service-oriented, IP-based next generation network, Tianjin Netcom's residential and business customers will be able to enjoy a wider range of advanced services, from basic multimedia to IP Centrex services, prepaid phone, color ring-back tones and number portability. In addition, the Alcatel solution is ready for fixed-mobile convergence, supporting both fixed and 3G mobile offerings on the same platform.

Alcatel will deploy its comprehensive IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) solution, which includes the Alcatel 5020 Softswitch, the Alcatel 7510 Media Gateway, Alcatel's multiservice access gateways, and the Alcatel 1430 Unified Subscriber Server. Alcatel will also deploy its multiservice edge router, the Alcatel 7750 Service Router (SR), to build a highly-available and feature-rich service delivery infrastructure.

In China, Alcatel is a leading NGN solutions provider for leading telecom operators, government organizations or enterprises. Prior to this project, Alcatel was selected by China Netcom to deploy a nationwide long-distance NGN trial network covering 31 provinces of China.