DIRECTV and Alcatel-Lucent provide condo communities with the best in advanced video entertainment and telecommunications services

San Bruno, Calif. multi-unit complex is industry's first installation of combined Alcatel-Lucent VDSL2 and DIRECTV IPAdvantage technology delivering DIRECTV's compelling video services to condo residents over existing, in-building phone wires

El Segundo, Calif., and Paris, - DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that through the combination of DIRECTV's IPAdvantage satellite-based IP platform and Alcatel-Lucent's VDSL2 technology and multimedia professional services, multi-dwelling unit residents will have access to a whole new world of advanced video entertainment services, blazing high-speed Internet access and voice over IP (VoIP) services.

Residents of the 1,296-unit condo community of Shelter Creek in San Bruno, Calif., are the first in the United States to benefit from the combination of these technologies that provide access to advanced video and telecommunications service bundles that were typically available only to residents in single family homes.

The Shelter Creek project is the largest installation using DIRECTV's IPAdvantage technology and provides a model for offering DIRECTV's services portfolio to large, older properties where rewiring poor-quality coaxial cable is not cost-effective or feasible. Using the existing, in-building telephone wiring is significantly less expensive and extends the investment in that infrastructure. It also minimizes the aesthetic impact on the community as well as inconvenience to residents.

The Shelter Creek project is a great example of how DIRECTV's services offering can be extended to properties of any age and any size on a nationwide basis "in a simple and cost-effective way," said Dan Terheggen, CEO Consolidated Smart Systems, DIRECTV's Gardena, Calif.-based MDU service operator that spearheaded the project. "The Shelter Creek residents tell us they are thrilled to now have more choice in services and be able to enjoy the same DIRECTV experience as those living in single-family homes. And we're getting rave reviews from the property managers who now have a terrific amenity to enhance the property's value and appeal, helping to increase occupancy in a competitive market."

"DIRECTV's IPAdvantage technology has exponentially expanded the business opportunities for DIRECTV in the multi-dwelling unit market and we will continue to aggressively roll out this innovative technology in 2010 with 300 installations already planned," said Mike Olson, vice president, MDU Sales for DIRECTV. "Living in a large apartment or condo complex no longer means consumers have to settle for only one provider for their video entertainment and telecommunications services. DIRECTV believes in supporting choice for MDU residents and building owners, and Shelter Creek is an excellent example of how we can use IPAdvantage technology to provide that competitive choice."

DIRECTV IPAdvantage, not to be confused with IPTV, converts DIRECTV video signals into IP video packets to IP-enabled receivers over a single home-run wire, delivering satellite TV and other services from a private "on property" head-end to each customer's unit. The IP distribution platform, in addition to supporting advanced video services like HD and HDDVR receivers, also supports voice, internet and interactive services now enabling dealers to deliver IP-based dual or triple-play bundles. For more information visit: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/mdu/owners/installation

"Essentially, Alcatel-Lucent's VDSL2 technology and multimedia integration services - including design, implementation, testing and 24 x 7 technical support - enable DIRECTV to target a new customer base, leveraging the existing copper infrastructure to provide residents in large, multi-dwelling developments with a wide range of exciting, bandwidth consuming services," said Charles Marsh, vice president of Sales for Alcatel-Lucent North America Strategic Accounts.

"Alcatel-Lucent's VDSL2 solution is all about delivering high speeds at low cost, in the shortest possible timeframe. Through our continuous innovations in the DSL space, we significantly extend the life of the existing copper infrastructure. As such, we are enabling DIRECTV to address the condo market, positively impacting the "digital life" experience of thousands of U.S. citizens," he added.