Analysis: What Is Alcatel Getting From Lucent?

What will Alcatel get in the way of technology for the $13.4 billion it is spending to acquire Lucent Technlogies?

In spite of Lucent's decaying reputation in recent years, one longtime communications specialist, Joe Nordgaard, managing director of Spectral Advantage, believes Lucent has several important assets that will be attractive to the French acquirer.

"I think Lucent's strength in wireless is the most prominent and valuable piece of Lucent," said Nordgaard in an interview this week. He said Lucent's strength in CDMA2000 and UMTS – key technologies in the still-emerging 3G universe – will be useful to Alcatel.

Nordgaard noted that Lucent is well positioned in both China and India, too, to take advantage of those 3G technologies as they come in market in future years.

"But Lucent will be valuable in the U.S., too," he said citing the upcoming 2100 MHz auctions that are slated to take place in the U.S. "Lucent can be the hometown supplier here; France's Alcatel can't."