New "Bell Lab" for green networks in VIC

Alcatel-Lucent's research arm, Bell Labs, has announced plans to build a $10 million centre for developing energy efficient telecommunications technology.

The Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications (CEET) will be launched in October, in partnership with the University of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government

Co-governed by Bell Labs and the University of Melbourne and located within the university's school of electrical engineering, the CEET is to be staffed by a team of 22 researchers and technologists by 2013.

Researchers will study telecommunications network infrastructure elements and how they could be made more efficient.

Stakeholders are currently negotiating an intellectual property (IP) agreement, which Alcatel-Lucent's CTO Ric Clark expects to involve either joint ownership with the university, or ownership that will be determined on project-by-project basis.

Research outcomes are also expected to further goals of the global, industry-wide GreenTouch consortium, of which both organisations are members.

Victorian State Treasurer John Lenders applauded the CEET for its green objectives and research opportunities for Australia.

"It will enable the Victorian State to position itself as a place for ICT research and a centre for green communications research, development and training," he said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Bell Labs spin-off Avaya laid off half the staff in its North Ryde, Sydney research and development facility.

Alcatel-Lucent told iTnews that although the facility that was traditionally referred to as the "Avaya Bell Labs", it was not governed by the telco or Bell Labs at the time.

There is currently no Bell Labs presence in Australia.