Yesterday, the French firm opened a research and service center in Buenos Aires, as well as a new ADSL modem line. The event involved President Néstor Kirchner, the President of Alcatel Argentina, Carlos Ramírez, and the President of Alcatel Spain, Portugal and Latin America, Alfredo Redondo. Ramírez announced the new ADSL modem integration line is to deliver the first 10,000 units soon, and has orders to execute to March 2005. Likewise, he thanked Telefonica, "that ordered the first 80,000 ADSL modems", and Thomson Multimedia, "that is with us in the modem project".
The President of Alcatel explained "centers opened today serve, besides Argentina, most of the Latin American countries, for microwave, fiber-optics transmission, and new generation networks, engineering activities, third level maintenanc -the highest in the value chain-, software development, gear repairs in our labs and training". The executive pointed Alcatel Argentina is to export US$ 21 million in services in 2004.