Telecoms company Alcatel-Lucent says it’s talking to technology investment business China Huaxin about the sale of its Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise division.

The deal values Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise at €268 million (£223 million) on a cash-free, debt-free enterprise value basis.

Communications infrastructure business Alcatel-Lucent has revealed plans to cut around 10,000 jobs by the end of 2015. It’s part of a company-wide commitment to save €1 billion in the same period.

These actions, which form part of ‘The Shift Plan’ announced in June by new CEO Michel Combes, are designed to reposition Alcatel-Lucent as a ‘next generation’ technology specialist and return it to profit.

Alcatel-Lucent and Qualcomm Technologies are going to work together on ‘small cell’ base stations that improve 3G, 4G and WiFi connectivity.

The new base stations could be used to boost wireless network reception in places with a high number of people, including urban areas and shopping malls.

Mobile phone coverage in the Channel Tunnel is now available for Eurostar and Le Shuttle customers travelling between France and England. Coverage in the opposite direction - from England to France - is due to be launched by UK network operators later this year.

The northbound service has been introduced by Eurotunnel and French mobile network operators Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR. It uses a GSM-P optical fibre system for 2G and 3G connectivity with equipment developed by Alcatel-Lucent.

Around 2.5 million femtocells were shipped worldwide this year according to ABI Research, substantially less than the three to four million previously expected.

An increase in femtocell commercial operator contracts - a total of 88 in 2011 - had led to expectations of increased shipments.