Fergie's Tech Blog

U.S. Lawmaker Outlines 'Grave Concerns' Over Alcatel-Lucent Deal

Jeffrey Silva writes on RCR Wireless News:

Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. have been forced to defend their proposed transatlantic merger after a key lawmaker raised security concerns about the deal in a letter to President Bush.

“I have several grave concerns about the potential merger of French-owned Alcatel and American-owned Lucent Technologies,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) in a letter Friday to Bush.

“These concerns arise in large part because Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs, a critical component of the parent company Lucent Technologies, conduct a significant amount of highly classified work for the United States government, including the Department of Defense. I am skeptical whether the current CFIUS [Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States] process could provide adequate, verifiable assurances that such sensitive work will be protected.”

Lucent and Alcatel swiftly responded.

posted by Fergie @ 5/02/2006 12:00:00 PM