CabSat, Broadcast & Telecoms 2002 to be held at DWTC in March

This coupled with the launch of Global Packet Radio Service (GPRS), new satellites, digital compression and continued competition among pay TV and free-to-air channels will support a wealth of new business opportunities in the region. The Middle East International Cable Satellite, Broadcast & Telecommunications Exhibition (CabSat, Broadcast & Telecoms 2002), to be held March 5-7, 2002 at the Dubai World Trade Centre will enable professionals across all these sectors to network effectively and capitalise on new developments in this broad realm.

"Past participants of CABSAT claim that this event represents a unique networking opportunity to touch base with trade professionals and forge new links with organisations that can help further the corporate goals of suppliers who specialise in cable, satellite, telecommunications and broadcast equipment and services. Attracting more than 4,500 trade professionals in 2001, this year we are anticipating an even stronger response and are eager to surpass our previous exhibitor participation figures which stood at 168 in 2001," said Vijay Menon, International Project Manager for the CABSAT exhibition.

Menon says the UK Pavilion is expected to be larger than ever before in 2002 and interest from Korea, Taiwan and Germany is also expected to be strong.

Motorola, one of the world's leading mobile phone providers, with more than 12,000 million units sole in the first quarter of 2001, will be present at the UK Pavilion at CABSAT 2002. It recently launched its Global Packet Radio Service-enabled mobile handsets in the Middle East and North Africa, signalling a new era for the region's telecommunications sector.

Telecom service providers will soon offer commercial GPRS service which some say, will serve as a stepping stone to third generation (3G) technology. Benefits of GPRS include uplink and downlink speeds that are ten times faster than the current 28-32 kbps capacity of GSM technology. The ability to send sound and pictures via GRPS handsets, and Multimedia Message Services (MMS) features will enable users to send graphics, audio and even short video clips is expected to fuel interest and uptake throughout the Middle East region.