Other BNR Regional Labs

Of course, the Edmonton facility was only one of several global satellite labs — including, for example, labs in Harlow in the UK and in Tokyo, Japan — that enhanced Northern Telecom’s status as a dominant leader in the global digital revolution.

Several of these regional labs were established in the 1990s, after the Edmonton experience; founding dates are as indicated. The complete list:

Canada

1. Toronto, (University Avenue), Ontario [1981]
2. Nun’s Island (Île des Sœurs) in Verdun, Quebec [1975]

United States

1. Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina: A major BNR campus dedicated to digital switching and PBX systems for the U.S. market. [1980]
2. Richardson, Texas (Telecom Corridor): A strategic lab focused on wireless technology and switching software. [1987]
3. Palo Alto, subsequently Mountain View, California: establishing an R&D presence in Silicon Valley. [1975 / 1980]
4. Ann Arbor, Michigan: A lab that evolved after acquisitions (Ann Arbor-based Sycor, Inc, & Minneapolos-based Data 100 Inc). concentrating on terminal devices and hardware. [1980]. This turned out to be a difficult assimilation. In 1989, Nortel announced closure of the Ann Arbor BNR facility and transferring roughly 200 staff to Richardson, TX; RTP and Ottawa. [1]
5. Norcross / Atlanta, Georgia and subsequently Alpharetta, Georgia (in the Windward corporate area): A joint lab created to address regional telephone carrier needs, notably BellSouth. [1990]

United Kingdom

1. Harlow, Essex: the focus of BNR’s European presence, resulting from Nortel’s acquisitions of Standard Telephones and Cables plc (STC). Responsible for technnology research supporting advanced optical transmission hardware, optical networks and optical componentry for telecommunications. [1991]
2. Maidenhead, Berkshire: established to support Northern Telecom in securing British Telecom as a key account. DMS-10 and DMS-100 digital central office switches were installed directly into the Maidenhead facilities, allowing modification, testing & demonstration of their capabilities — as well as compliance with European regulatory standards. [1982]

East Asia & Australia

1. Tokyo, Japan: BNR established an official regional lab in Tokyo to focus on localized product adaptations and advanced product development for the East Asian market. [mid-to-late 1980s.]
2. Wollongong, Australia: (A coastal city located in New South Wales, Australia, about 80km south of Sydney.) While geopolitically part of Oceania, the BNR lab in Wollongong served as an R&D hub supporting Nortel’s business across the broader Asia-Pacific region. [1993]

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