UAE telecoms provider Etisalat has received accolades from the GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association charged with developing the GSM platform and the global wireless industry, for its deployment of cutting-edge technology and services across the region.
Etisalat, according to a recent GSMA case study, is pioneering mobile broadband services in the UAE, and was the first operator to launch 3G services in the Middle east. The company, referred to as the Middle East’s leading operator, is also a leader in upgrading its network to high-speed packet access (HSPA) in 2005. The study also chronicles other Etisalat achievements and initiatives to improve Internet access in the UAE.
Etisalat’s aims to double public download speeds to 14.4 Mbps from the existing speed up to 7.2 Mbps, its work in enhancing the content user-experience and its foray into mobile television were also singled out. The GSMA represents more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 217 territories and nations.
Etisalat’s content portal, Weyak, also warranted mention for its full track music downloads and range of mobile television channels. By end of 2007, the study said, more than 1.8 million people – more than 25% of the UAE’s population – have become regular users of Etisalat’s HSPA Mobile Broadband services
Network Coverage
Today, Etisalat’s UMTS network (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) - a 3G technology - provides coverage for more than 98 per cent of the Emirates’ 4.5 million inhabitants.
The company has also sold more than 80,000 PC cards, modem, and 3G routers to enhance wireless access and related functionality. That number is expected to continue rising, particularly for businesses once capacity restrictions are removed.
Content
For most Etisalat subscribers, content is king and the wealth of music, video, gaming and news content accessible through the company’s Weyak portal offers something for everyone. Etisalat, for instance, is the principal sponsor of the national football league, so the portal features exclusive videos, highlights and even live matches viewable on a pay-as-you-go-basis.
Etisalat’s mobile television service has drawn more than 280,000 subscribers in the UAE, the highest in the region and Middle East.
The company has also joined forces with Real Player to offer interactive, personalized radio channels streamed to both 3G handsets and personal computers, with the ability to download music. The library features hundreds of thousands of tracks from the world's leading record companies, including songs in Arabic and Hindi. Etisalat is hoping to extend the music partnership to its networks in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Etisalat is also moving steadily into video telephony territory. of the by providing a MobileCam, a wireless camera that can be accessed and controlled by a 3G phone. A tiny device with its own SIM slot, the camera can be used to view live video or record up to 18 hours of footage which can be reviewed on a PC.
The MobileCam is particularly useful as a remote monitoring device for families with children, as an ad-hoc security camera and to better serve special-needs individuals. Etisalat is working with the UAE Ministry of Social Affairs in the latter area. The company aims to sell 30,000 units in the first six months of service.
