Etisalat showcases latest services at ITU Telecom Africa 2008

During the event, Mohammed Hassan Omran, Chairman of Etisalat, will participate in a special session exploring the challenges and opportunities in the African Market.

Etisalat's stand at the exhibition will demonstrate its latest services and technologies.

The conference, which is being held at the Cairo International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Egypt, from 12-15 May, features exhibitions and discussions aimed at helping the industry grow and expand across Africa and the broader region. It is also considered by industry professionals to be a key networking opportunity.

'ITU Africa 2008 is a very important event for the region's top ICT companies,' said Eng. Ahmed Bin Ali, Ahmed Bin Ali, Vice President Corporate Communications at Etisalat, said. 'This conference brings together the industry's leading companies, top management and government sector leaders which makes it a good opportunity to share visions and experiences that help in developing the industry'.

ITU Africa 2008 comes at a time where the ICT sector is undergoing a great boost in Africa, which is considered one of the most promising emerging markets in the region, one that requires massive telecommunication infrastructure development.

The event is an opportunity for organizations managers and regulators to develop a vision for the future of the industry in Africa.

'Etisalat was one of the first companies to enter this potential market, back in 2005,' said Bin Ali. 'Africa is home to around 963 million people, which represents 14% of the world's population. This presents extensive growth opportunities in the area of mobile, fixed telephone and the Internet subscription services, especially as the percentage of customers in telephone services does not exceed 7%, while the percentage of Internet spread does not exceed 5%, and broadband penetration is less than 1%'.

The ITU Africa 2008 website reveals that the number of mobile and fixed line customers in Africa is around 280 million, with 260 million mobile subscribers, or 85% of the total number of customers.