Alcatel and Lucent complete merger

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) Network equipment companies Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. said on Thursday they had completed their merger, creating one of the world's biggest suppliers of network equipment for mobile phones and high-speed Internet communications.

The combined company will begin operations under its new name, Alcatel-Lucent, from Dec. 1, it said.

The merger, approved by President George W Bush earlier this month, is expected to help both companies boost their competitive clout. Their combined annual revenue is estimated at around billion.

REUTERS SBA BST0329