Etisalat participates in capacity MENA Congress 2008

Among other topics, Al Amiri discussed Etisalat's wholesale division abilities and opportunities, during the panel session titled "successfully exploiting the emerging wholesale opportunities in MENA: investment potential, capacity demand and deregulation". The two-day congress commenced yesterday and is held at Crown Plaza, Dubai.

"Etisalat Carrier and Wholesale was launched in November 2007 to provide a comprehensive portfolio of wholesale telecommunications services to regional ISPs, mobile operators and full-service operators," Ali Amiri said. "We have been very successful in providing services to Etisalat's family of subsidiaries, and we are also now servicing a number of the region's ISPs through the Emirates Internet Exchange (EMIX)."

The panel discussed trends in the regional and global telecommunications sectors.

"Mobility is the fastest growing sector in telecommunications - customers want to access any application, anywhere at any time. This will increase the demand on network infrastructure and this is why we at Etisalat have invested in the build out of our mobile network bringing 3.5G connectivity to 97% of the country, and enabling access at speeds up to 7.2Mbps,"

Amiri continued.

Etisalat Carrier & Wholesale Services operates within Etisalat's existing business structure, offering a comprehensive portfolio of international services and broadband capacity to telecommunications companies and mobile operators across the Middle East and around the world. These services include voice, Internet and a complete portfolio of mobile and value added services.

A topical discussion point was the recent cable cut in which many Arab and Asian countries faced slow Internet and reduced services. "Etisalat is investing heavily in a robust infrastructure. This is a strategy that we have followed for many years and today we have great diversity in the number of routes as well as significant redundancy within our network. This is why the UAE was the least affected country in the region, and why we were able to offer our assistance to other operators - which also highlights our commitment to the industry and our solidarity to help drive the telecommunications sector in the region," Mr Amir said.

The Capacity MENA 2008 congress focuses on the business of wholesale telecommunications, providing extensive networking opportunities, enabling participants to meet the decision makers from local, regional and international carriers and service providers. High quality, intensively researched programmes ensure that attendees have access to compelling content that will benefit businesses.

"Our voice transit and services portfolio is second to none in the region. Etisalat today is the largest carrier of voice traffic in the Middle East, terminating calls at over 600 destinations, with 118 direct connections and Points of Presence in the UAE, London, New York, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Singapore. This gives us great experience and resilience in managing any related crisis," Ali Al Amiri concluded.