Middle East & North Africa Telecommunications

Etisalat, and Bahrain’s Batelco have announced the signing of an agreement during GULFCOMMS 2006 in Dubai.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two Gulf telcos will provide a range of data communication services to their customers and enhance the geographical reach of their operations. This partnership deal covers a range of data services for global connectivity targeted at multi national companies, which will enable these companies to use IP-VPN technology to transfer voice and data between geographically remote locations just as if they were in the same building. ‘Meeting customers’ requirements through strategic partnerships with leading international providers is aligned with our overall strategy to deliver better value and enhanced customer experience,’ said Mr. Adel Daylami, Director of International operations, Batelco. “Providing this new data communication service is entirely aimed at giving our customers what they want and moreover exceeding their expectations. The interconnection will also empower our future joint venture operations in the Gulf region to provide more competitive services to our customers’, he said. Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said: ‘Etisalat is committed to making a difference in the workplace, and this partnership for regional seamless IP-VPN connectivity will address these needs of regional businesses in the most effective way. With this service, our business customers can increase their productivity and efficiency by removing the limitations of distance. This service, due to its major positive impact on the business, brings excellent returns on investment, freeing up resources for core business activities.’ A solution such as the IP-VPN service is a smart investment for a business, with returns seen in a short time.’ The service, which will be implemented over a regional MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) network, will provide customers with superior quality services to meet different networking requirements like voice & video conferencing, high-bandwidth data transfers, real-time applications and other services. The Batelco-Etisalat agreement interconnects their regional network with that of other global service providers to ensure that customers receive the best quality of service and global coverage.