Middle East's first HDTV service goes live in UAE (page 2 of 2)

'Du will have to respond to Etisalat on this. I believe Du's last announcement was that they will be launching HD in 2010, if not 2009. I suspect off the back of this they will be launching HD in 2009,' he said.

'Du has tried to position themselves as the 'content telco' as it were, so this will be a time for them to show that they can do good stuff as well. I am sure that Du will respond quickly to this because there are not that many barriers for them coming to market with HD as well.'

The impact of E-Vision's rollout is likely to be felt across the Gulf and not just in the UAE. 'Regionally, the effect is that other GCC telcos will be looking to be hot on the heels of the UAE and be the first to move in on their home market,' Grande said.

'A lot of the broadcasters have come out and said they will be launching their own satellite HD service but I think it will be interesting to see when that will happen and how the audience will be attracted to it in terms of acquiring the set top boxes needed to receive those broadcasts. That is the key to all of this.'

Grande says E-Vision's new service clearly poses a direct challenge to the region's satellite broadcasters.

'This is only the beginning, but I think it is a very important step in proving the capabilities of IPTV (internet protocol television) and upgrading the experience that people have in their home. If that capability isn't met by satellite broadcasters then over time it will have a tectonic effect on the way people perceive television in the Middle East,' he said.