France Telecom to launch backbone in Prague

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, July 18, 2003

France Telecom announced that it will launch a new backbone Point of Presence (PoP) in Prague by first quarter 2004 to respond to exponential demand for telecommunication services from local companies and to support strong economic growth in the Czech Republic. The new PoP will provide Czech carriers and ISPs with direct access to competitive transit and interconnection services, as well as extending the coverage provided to worldwide customers of France Telecom's Open Transit wholesale solutions. The France Telecom group is not a newcomer to the Czech Republic, already providing a full scope of services through Equant, the industry leader in data and IP services for multinational businesses. Present in five Czech Republic cities, Equant has been serving major multinational companies in the country for more than seven years.

This latest move will position France Telecom as an attractive partner for carriers and ISPs in the high-potential Czech telecom sector and provides a closer access point for other customers in Central Europe. In addition to the PoP in Prague, France Telecom will also open a PoP in Warsaw, Poland during first quarter 2004. With these two new customer access points, the company will be well-positioned to satisfy demand for high-capacity, quality transit from competitive carriers and ISPs in Central Europe as broadband and next-generation mobile services take off.