PARIS -(Dow Jones)- Franco-U.S. telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA (ALU.FR) Thursday announced four major contract wins in the U.S. and China worth several billion dollars. Alcatel-Lucent said it was awarded a four-year wireless contract with U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless expected to be worth around $4 billion. Alcatel will expand Verizon Wireless's third-generation mobile network, as well as develop the company's fourth-generation long-term-evolution, or LTE, network. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD). Separately, Alcatel said it will sign three contracts with Chinese telecom operators worth a total of EUR1.18 billion. The contracts--with China Telecom Corp Ltd. (CHA), China Mobile Ltd. (CHL) and China Unicom Ltd. (CHU)--will be signed on Nov. 5 during the visit to France of China president Hu Jintao, Alcatel said. -By Ruth Bender, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 1740; ruth.bender@dowjones.com
