Etisalat awarded Best Overall Telecom Operator in MEA region

Etisalat won the Best Overall Operator and Best Customer Care awards.

Etisalat received the awards in a gala dinner ceremony, held in Dubai on Monday, 11th September, and was attended by senior executives of the telecoms sector from across the region, in addition to representatives from regional telecom operators and members of the media.

Etisalat has achieved unprecedented figures of growth with regards to mobile penetration both regionally and internationally. The latest figures show that in the UAE alone, Etisalat has exceeded a penetration rate of 125 per cent, with more than 5.1 million mobile subscribers.

These achievements can be ascribed to some factors like Etisalat's commitment to launch most state of the art solutions and services as well as bundle innovative offers and packages. Etisalat's unique technologies, services and solutions, such as the Smart Home, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), the BlackBerry solution, Push to Talk, Tahaddath, fixed line SMS, along with Al Shamil and Ahlan packages, are testimony to the Corporation commitment to develop the telecom sector through technology and services.

This year has also seen Etisalat entering some strategic and important markets, such as Afghanistan and Egypt, to provide mobile services. This comes in line with the Corporation's plans to expand operations and investments by targeting promising markets. Etisalat has started talks to enter more than 15 markets. This will increase Etisalat's operations and investments, which is already present in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. This also drives the Corporation's strategy of being among the top 10 telecom operators in the world by 2010.

Being selected by its peers and a panel of experts as the operator with the Best Customer Care practices is a direct result of initiatives extended by Etisalat to its customers, aimed at meeting their needs and requirements by introducing services and technologies that add value and positively affect their way of life.

Etisalat is now more accessible than ever before, with 43 business centres located throughout the UAE. The operating hours at these centres have been extended - they are currently open from 8am to 8pm - to ensure that customers can reach the Corporation at the most convenient time. In addition, Etisalat has a network of 116 Cash Payment Machines at convenient high-traffic locations including shopping malls and other community spaces, so that customers do not have to visit Etisalat branches. In the last year, the Corporation has also enabled e-payment via its website. There are also more than 400 sales stalls, and 8000 recharge outlets. Some products, like mobile and prepaid services cards, can be found in most shopping outlets and even grocery stores.

Support centres, helpdesks and phone enquiry services have also been upgraded, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Etisalat has embarked on a programme of pro-active service enhancements, including offering better value for money and value-added services at no extra charge. Within the last year, for instance, Etisalat provided free upgrades (including 100 percent bandwidth upgrades) on our ADSL service to all customers. Other initiatives have included discounts on international telephone calls made on public and religious holidays.

During the recent war in Lebanon, Etisalat instituted a discounted-call package for all calls to Lebanon to express their solidarity with the Lebanese community in the UAE and their families in Lebanon.

Etisalat is committed to the communities within which it operates, and the communities that its customers live in. The Corporation is the primary sponsor of the UAE national football league, and a range of government and general development programmes and initiatives. Etisalat connects people everywhere within the UAE, reaching out to remote areas to provide a coverage rate of 100 percent of the populated areas and more than 99% of the nation as a whole.

Etisalat strives to offer as many life-enhancing solutions as current technology permits and to match our technology with efficient service delivery.