Etisalat plans to connect all households in the United Arab Emirates to its FTTH network next year and has earmarked $ 15 billion for investment in their global networks worldwide in the next five years, company directors told delegates at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit yesterday.
Julfa Ahmed, chief operating officer of Etisalat, said the UAE could become the first country in the world to have all households covered by a network of fiber to the home in 2012. He added that Etisalat has nearly completed deployment of its FTTH network in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Omran, CEO of Etisalat, Etisalat said it intends to invest about $ 15 billion in their networks in the UAE and abroad, over the next five years.
Omran said Etisalat also focus on the content, including the deployment of IPTV services next year.
“With the saturation of markets in the GCC countries and the proliferation of advanced broadband technologies, both fixed and mobile telecommunications service providers have [taken] the role of broadcasters in the wide range of content customers. In addition, content services provide a solid platform for service differentiation in this new era of liberalization of the telecommunications market, “he said.
Omran said the research indicates that in 2015 the total number of connected devices will reach 7 billion worldwide, while “focusing on information technology” devices will reach $ 50 million.
“In this new era of broadband and mobile devices, consumer trends care data more bandwidth and advanced technologies to support the volume of massive traffic data.
“It is relevant to telecommunications service providers today, to invest in broadband futuristic, next generation infrastructure, as Etisalat in the fiber optic network and LTE fourth generation wireless network across the UAE together, “he said.
Operatos Omran said he also would have to work more closely with media companies and hardware providers to create a successful business model for content.
“In order to provide quality content anytime, anywhere on any device connected to the client requires a successful business model requires strong partnerships forged between the telcos, media companies and providers of hardware,” he said.