[June 19] Nortel Networks
said Monday that it will create 2,000 new high-technology jobs in
Europe before the end of the year.
Already employing 20,000 people in 33 European countries, Nortel Networks
is to build two new Wireless Centers of Excellence in Spain and Germany
and open two high performance Internet laboratories in Norway and Sweden.
In addition, the company says it will allocate $3.3 million in
university scholarships to train the next generation of Internet
leaders. The money will go to universities in the U.K., France, Germany,
Italy and Spain from September 2000.
Speaking about Nortel Networks’ decision to add more wireless
centers besides those already established in the U.K., France
and Italy, Clarence Chandran, president of the company’s Service
Provider and Carrier Group, said it was because the third generation
of wireless networks was beginning to be implemented.
“The third generation will see a coming together of terrestrial
and wireless networks with new service enabling capabilities.
These Centers of Excellence will provide a think tank environment
for Nortel Networks and its customers to redefine the speed,
reliability, quality and profitability of the Wireless Internet,” said
Chandran.
The new funding for scholarships will be provided via the Nortel
Networks Foundation, an institution founded to support existing
science, mathematics and technology education programs.
With European customers that include BT Spain, BT Cellnet, France
Telecom, Deutsche Telecom, and Global Crossing, Nortel Networks
is playing a key role in developing the Internet in Europe. It
recently announced its global Wireless Internet headquarters in
Paris and has plans to open two more Wireless Internet Centers
of Excellence in Spain and Germany.
