UAE telecommunications market to experience choice in fixed lines services

In order to introduce nation-wide competition in fixed-line telecommunications services, the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), has announced today that "Etisalat" and "du" are working together to bring choice for consumers and businesses in their selection of fixed telecommunications service providers.

Business and residential customers in the UAE will soon have the ability to choose between operators for their fixed line voice and broadband services. This becomes possible through the use of technology known as "Bitstream access" which allows network sharing between the operators.

As of 14 July 2011, Etisalat and du commenced a soft-launch of the service to a select group of customers by invitation only. The arrangements for the soft launch were agreed between Etisalat and du and endorsed by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). 

The soft launch is regarded as a final stage of testing designed to assess all aspects of the service including the customer interface systems, the inter-operator systems, the order and provisioning process and the technical capabilities. Above all else, the soft-launch is focussed on assessing the customer experience.

Mohamed Al Ghanim, Director General of the TRA commented- "this is a major milestone on the road to competition in fixed-line services. Etisalat and Du have been working on this for some time and many people wondered if it would ever happen. This is very positive news and comes as a result of the resources that Etisalat, du and the TRA have dedicated to the project. Etisalat and du compete strongly in mobile services and we can all see the benefits that competition in mobile services has brought to the UAE. We will soon enter a phase of strong competition in fixed services and we expect similar benefits to flow as a result. We hope that this final stage of testing and implementation is successful so that we can see a commercial launch before the end of the year".

"Bitstream Access" in the UAE will lead to cost efficiencies and will further enable telecom operators to focus on creating a unique customer experience. As the region's pioneer in offering advanced high quality fixed-line services, we are fully prepared for a more competitive landscape in the UAE."

The soft launch is, in the first instance, to focus on the provision of high-speed Internet, business VPN (Virtual Private Network) and fixed-line voice services. The operators plan to extend the bitstream agreement to include IPTV services at a later stage, when a number of commercial and technical requirements are aligned. Customers invited to participate in the soft launch will be asked to provide their feedback to the operators and the TRA to assess their overall experience on all aspects of the service. This will enable Etisalat and du to evaluate and resolve any system issues before the commercial launch. Subject to results and feedback from the soft launch, the commercial launch of the service across the United Arab Emirates is scheduled for December 2011.

 

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