Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd, the leading supplier of high performance telecommunications solutions, has announced that they are working with BT Wholesale to deliver a range of value-added turnkey network solutions to Other Licensed Operators (OLOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), based on Fujitsu's FBX Access SDH product range. The move recognises the challenges faced by OLOs and ISPs in the current economic climate, and is intended to provide an economic, fast-track avenue for developing networks anywhere in the UK.

The relationship will enable BT Wholesale to offer value-added turnkey network solutions based on BT Wholesale's core capacity and Fujitsu's access infrastructure platform, as Margaret Ashton of BT Wholesale's Business Partnership Programme explains:
"Over the past 15 years, BT Wholesale has been developing an extensive portfolio of products, services and contacts, building up an unprecedented breadth of expertise in wholesale solutions that reflect the market's needs. Our relationship programmes, as evidenced by our work with Fujitsu, offer a fast, safe and convenient path for OLOs and ISPs to grow their network offerings - benefiting from our combined experience and support. We regard this as a highly important activity and look forward to working more closely with Fujitsu to help build better, faster and ever more efficient networks throughout the UK."

Commenting for Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited, Sales Director Keith Vinning, said:
"As the quest to service customers with increased bandwidth, quality and cost-efficient services increases, the relationship between Fujitsu and BT Wholesale represents an important boost to help operators maintain competitive advantage. We recognised that the economic climate has prevented speculative network investment on any major scale, and wanted to find a way of assisting network growth in a manageable, controllable way from which OLOs and ISPs could benefit. Fujitsu's FBX Access is well established in Europe and Australia, and is the preferred multi-service access platform for BT in the UK. We are delighted to be partnering with BT Wholesale, in effect presenting a one-stop-shop for end-to-end network solutions and our successful access infrastructure products."

An additional benefit for OLOs and ISPs is that via the reseller agreement, they can also access a suite of BT Wholesale and Fujitsu support services, as well as Operational Support Systems Services (OSS) functions that are individually tailored to the operator's requirements. This suite of bundled services considerably reduces the investment overhead faced by OLOs and ISPs, providing a scalable resource that will enable them to respond to market opportunities quickly and economically.

About FBX-Access

Fujitsu's FBX Access is a multi-service broadband data platform that is designed to unlock the full potential of proven communications technologies (IP, ATM, SDH) - cost-effectively deploying fully managed connections all the way to the customer's communications room or desktop. It combines exceptional manageability and resilience, together with the ability to manage latest-generation IP technology alongside legacy services. The FBX-Access range of equipment is designed to address the full spectrum of network operators' access requirements, together with a range of core transmission features. Its design principles reflect the need to be able to connect customers quickly, followed by the ability to expand end-user connectivity when and where required. FBX-Access concentrates all the required access network elements into a single platform - fusing innovation and flexibility into a standard-setting solution.

About Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited is the largest supplier of Broadband Access equipment in the United Kingdom and is Fujitsu's worldwide design location for access network solutions - including a centre of excellence for the development of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology.

Currently employing over 1200 staff and headquartered in Birmingham, UK, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is focused on providing strategic end-to-end solutions, supported by complete turnkey services. Fujitsu is playing a fundamental role in the creation of "Broadband Britain" - from world-leading products and technology, through project planning, community liaison, cable laying and civil engineering, to installation, implementation and ongoing maintenance. For more information, please visit: www.ftel.co.uk

About BT Wholesale

BT Wholesale provides comprehensive network services within the UK to more than 500 communication companies, network operators and service providers, including other BT businesses: BT Retail, BT Ignite, and BTopenworld. BT Wholesale seeks to build complete communications packages working with its customers to help them succeed in their business.

It offers connectivity to every corner of the UK and its strategy is to upgrade its network to next generation services, including ADSL, to extract efficiencies from the scale and scope of its operations, to broaden its customer base and satisfy demand for bandwidth by applying new technology to boost capacity, and lower costs. Its assets in the UK include fibre and copper networks, the core telecommunications network and local exchanges.

The BT Wholesale portfolio provides a comprehensive range of wholesale and service provider products including asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), internet protocol (IP) access, the bulk delivery of private circuits, frame relay and integrated services digital network (ISDN) connections for service providers and operators. For more information please visit www.btwholesale.com

For further information, please contact: