Special Features
Etisalat Launches 4G (LTE) Mobile Broadband Network In The UAE
Etisalat today launched its LTE-FDD mobile network in the UAE. It is one of the first telecommunications operators in the world to complete this technological achievement which enhances the country’s global position in terms of providing advanced telecommunication services.The announcement was made during a press conference attended by H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, TRA Deputy Director General, and Nasser Bin Obood, Acting CEO, Etisalat, as well as a number of senior officials from Etisalat and its strategic partners.
During the press conference, Etisalat’s Acting CEO announced the beginning of a new era in the history of Mobile broadband. 4G (LTE) has tremendous potential and capabilities in enhancing customer--experience.
The LTE network offers speeds exceeding 100 MB/s and is particularly effective when utilising large amounts of data, such as watching high definition movies, playing online multiplayer games, using social applications and utilising other bandwidth-intensive applications.
Bin Obood stated that the launch marks a new milestone for Etisalat and adds to its extensive record of technological achievements. He said that the Corporation has completed building the first 4G LTE-FDD network in the country and the widest in the Middle East. Etisalat’s strategy ensures that at launch, new technologies are made available to customers across all key areas of the UAE. This contributes in the ongoing development process of the UAE. For the LTE network, more than 700 base stations have been renovated and equipped to provide 4G services in the country. Etisalat is planning up to 1,000 fully operational base stations by the end of this year.
With this new technical achievement, the UAE is one of the first countries in the word to launch 4G, the result of years of work to develop the telecommunications sector and the Corporation’s significant investment in the country’s infrastructure. This investment has directly impacted and contributed to the country’s ICT capabilities, ranking the UAE on par or ahead of developed countries. Etisalat is renowned for being the pioneer in providing the latest and most technologically advanced services for its customers, and has established a name for itself in terms of the adaptation of new technologies and offering it to customers as soon as they become available in global markets.
This technology is integrated with the fibre optics network, one of the most technologically advanced networks on the globe, and follows Etisalat’s recent announcement about Abu Dhabi being the first capital city in the world that is entirely connected to the fiber optics. The ongoing work aims to continue to cover the entire UAE with this network, which offers tremendous potential in terms of fixed internet services, offering speeds of up to 100MB/s, advanced high definition TV services (IPTV2) and a fixed landline.
In terms of investment in the network, Bin Obood said that this infrastructure investment is long-term and it aims to enhance the country’s position globally, while supporting sustainable development.
“Advanced telecommunications are a key basis for a developed society, and this 4G network can contribute to developing various sectors including education, finance, healthcare as well as the economic and business sectors, the latter of which will be a direct beneficiary of 4G,” Bin Obood concluded.
Matthew Willsher, Chief Marketing Officer for Etisalat, highlighted the importance of this service and its contribution in enhancing mobile broadband services. “In recent times, there has been a tremendous surge in both, subscriber numbers and data usage. Smartphones are growing at almost 90 percent a year. A whole new computing platform for mobile broadband has emerged, creating a thriving market for mobile apps – and changing the way we interact with the Internet."
"LTE technology will deliver customers the dual benefits of super fast data speeds and much lower latency. It is a transformational force that will improve the digital lifestyles of our customers,” Willsher added.
During the press conference, Ali Al Ahmed, Etisalat’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer spoke of the rapid developments in the telecom sector, and stated that the telecommunications development in the last century cannot compare to what has been achieved in the last decade alone where 3G and 4G was developed. “We’ve witnessed the positive impact of the 3G network. LTE will now bring in new waves of innovation, transforming our customer’s digital lifestyles,” Al Ahmed said.
He also clarified that LTE-FDD technology is one of the latest telecommunications innovations in the world. It is an extension of previous generations of mobile technologies that started with the first generation technology. It was followed by 2G (GSM) during the early 1990’s and was the most widespread mobile technology. In 2003, Etisalat was the first to launch the next 3G technology that was developed to provide customers with speeds of up to 42 megabytes per second.
During the press conference, attendees experienced 4G technology and its speed in real time. Etisalat’s customers will be able to enjoy the service as soon as the LTE enabled bundles become available in the UAE.
New