The Emirates’ telecommunication service provider, Etisalat signed a multi-million Euro deal with Alcatel-Lucent to enhance the deployment of its nationwide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network nationwide.
Etisalat will utilize Alcatel-Lucent’s gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology to connect 50.000 households and business customers. The end-users will be able to simultaneous access several high-definition (HD) TV channels and a Video on Demand (VOD) library, while surfing the Internet up to 16 times faster.
“This contract is a key milestone for Alcatel-Lucent as it further strengthens our prominent position in the global – and UAE – FTTH market”, said Amr El Leithy, the newly appointed President of Alcatel-Lucent’s business in the Middle East and Africa.
Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer for Etisalat UAE, said that the FTTH network, known as eLife, will position Abu Dhabi as “the first capital city in the world with 100% fiber deployment by the end of this year” and the United Arab Emirates as among first countries in the world to benefit from full fiber optics coverage by next year.
Alcatel-Lucent will deploy its 7342 Intelligent Services Access Manager Fiber-to-the-User (ISAM FTTU) GPON-based platform, and the related Alcatel-Lucent 5520 Access Management System. In addition, the company is supplying a range of optical network terminals (ONTs) to be installed and will provide Etisalat with its professional services expertise, including project management, installation, commissioning and training.
Alcatel-Lucent is a major global supplier in the fixed broadband access market, supporting the largest mass deployments of video, voice and data services. One out of three fixed broadband subscribers around the world is served through an access network provided by Alcatel-Lucent. The company is currently involved in over 95 FTTH projects worldwide, over 80 of which are with GPON.
Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, Etisalat, has operations and investments in 18 markets across Asia and Africa, aiming of being among the top 10 telecom operators in the world by 2010.
