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Etisalat Bolsters Mobile Broadband

ABU DHABI - Etisalat has successfully completed a key stage in its roadmap to bring next generation mobile broadband connectivity to the Middle East. In

trials in the UAE, the telecom operator recorded average download speeds of 20.37Mbps, which is 41 per cent faster than the quickest download it now supports, 14.4Mbps.

Etisalat plans to offer mobile broadband connectivity using High Speed Packet Access solutions (HSPA+) which enable download speeds of up to 28.8Mbps and uploads of up to 18.0Mbps in the second half of 2009. Today, Etisalat’s network supports download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5.7 Mbps.

The results of the trial were announced on Monday at the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa Telecommunications Council meeting in Beirut, according to a statement.

Etisalat’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Nasser bin Obood, represented the UAE-headquartered telecommunications group, where he also presented Etisalat’s vision for the future of mobile broadband and its efforts at proliferating the technology in the Middle 
East region.

“Mobile broadband has an important role to play in the Middle East region and we will see a significant growth in uptake in services,” said Obood.

“This is why we have put in place a technology roadmap, including HSPA+, to ensure our customers across the Middle East will have access to the latest services first.”

At the recent GSM World Congress in Barcelona, the GSM Association predicted there will be 1bn HSPA subscribers worldwide by 2012. Informa Telecoms and Media predict there will be approximately 48.3mn mobile broadband subscribers in the Middle East by 2012, of which 42.4mn will be using HSPA.

Discussing the technical merits of Etisalat’s infrastructure solution, Saeed Al Zarouni, Senior Vice-President, Mobile Engineering for Etisalat UAE said: “The HSPA+ solution we selected ... supports a gradual introduction of equipment in a smooth and cost-effective manner.

“With HSPA+ Etisalat is capable of launching more attractive mobile broadband value-added services which will reinforce its leading position in the Middle East and North Africa region,” Al Zarouni said.

business@khaleejtimes.com