Finland's Wireless Fast Track Thanks in large measure to mobile handset pacesetter Nokia, this small nation, about the size of Montana with a population of some 5 million people, is where the rest of the world looks for wireless guidance. But so far no one is willing to put it together. Printer friendly version.
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Alcatel, the French telecommunications equipment giant, reported a profit slump on Thursday, slashed growth forecasts for telecom sales and announced a restructuring of its mobile phone division. President Serge Tchuruk said that European production of mobile telephones would be concentrated on one site and would be sub-contracted to U.S. group Flextronics without the loss of any jobs. Tchuruk also said that Alcatel had made an offer to buy the fiber optic business from its U.S. competitor Lucent. Although first-quarter sales rose by 20.9 percent from the equivalent figure last year, in line with forecasts by the board and by analysts, the company said that it now expected sales this year to rise by only 5.0 to 10.0 percent. Earlier Alcatel had forecast that sales of telecommunications equipment, which account for most of the company's turnover, would grow by between 20.0 and 25.0 percent.