Nextel Communications Inc. selected telecommunications equipment giant Lucent Technology yesterday to supply high-capacity gateway switches for its digital wireless network.
Under the agreement — the first between the two companies — Lucent will deploy at least 10 5ESS Wireless Gateway switches for Nextel's iDEN network, with installations expected to be completed by year's end.
Lucent officials said the new switches are interoperable with Nextel's existing switching equipment and will increase calling capacity.
The greater call capacity will allow the company to defer incremental capital investments in new switches, said Limond Grindstaff, senior vice president of engineering at Nextel.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
