Leading telecom company Etisalat said four of its international operations - Etisalat Afghanistan, Etisalat Egypt, Etisalat Nigeria and Etisalat Sri Lanka - have joined the SmartHub Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) in the UAE.

The IPX is a GSMA standard-based global hub for mobile operators to enhance the quality and depth of international services, such as voice, signaling and data exchange through a single connection, said a statement from the Emirati firm.

Etisalat Carrier & Wholesale Services (C&WS) operates the first and only IPX hub in the Middle East.

Ali Amiri, the executive VP (Carrier & Wholesale Services) Etisalat said: "We are delighted to have our group companies as key members of our growing SmartHub IPX community of mobile operators. IPX is an important strategic initiative which will provide the foundation for virtually all future advanced international mobile services, including faster access to mobile internet content."

The SmartHub IPX, he stated, will enable these operators to quickly connect and exchange content specific to their mobile requirements. "The joining of these OpCos will make UAE the regional center for mobile internet content, the fastest growth area globally," he added.

According to Amiri, the most recent win and setting yet another benchmark for SmartHub IPX is the partnership with Epsilon to provide the Middle East’s first network exchange point.

"This is a major addition to the ‘SmartHub’ portfolio in 2013 creating for the first time a common network exchange platform in the Middle East," he noted.

Etisalat companies can access the SmartHub over the GroupNet MPLS network, deployed to serve a variety of high speed applications, he added.-TradeArabia News Service