Etisalat Academy, a single-source provider of training and development solutions in the Middle East, has introduced the first certified Long Term Evolution (LTE) program, in partnership with Huawei, one of the principle telecom vendors worldwide.
 
The aim is for Etisalat Academy to develop a community of highly skilled and certified professionals who have a comprehensive understanding of LTE pertaining to commercialisation, operation and maintenance, planning and optimization, the company said in a statement.

It provides Etisalat, Etisalat Group and other operators in the region with the business, strategic and technical understanding of the challenges faced in the technical and product areas of LTE.

The certification program helps translate to a faster learning curve for staff, and a quicker deployment and launch of LTE networks, the statement said.

The program is based on the Huawei platform and the practical aspects will include hands-on training of Huawei equipment. For those who will be exposed to other vendors’ platforms the program will cover the key technological aspects and provide a solid grounding on the subject.

The information will be presented in a way that can quickly be translated to operational and maintenance activities across diverse platforms.

David Brennan, general manager, Etisalat Academy, said: “Globally, Etisalat is an early adopter of technology and is one of a handful of operators internationally to deploy LTE. Following this, Etisalat Academy has agreed to partner with Huawei, one of the leading global telecoms equipment vendors, to develop a leading-edge LTE certification program. This will ensure industry professionals have access to the right knowledge and skills to embrace and leverage the LTE technology.”

Fu Shiguang, Huawei Learning Services president, Huawei Headquarters, Shenzhen, China said: “We are glad to have Etisalat Academy as our chosen partner to impart LTE Certification training to the Middle East region. Our elearning platform and online lab access for relevant modules is one of the highlights of this training.”

The Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) confirms that 174 firm commercial LTE network deployments are in progress or planned in 64 countries, including 28 networks that have commercially launched.  A further 63 operators in 21 additional countries are engaged in LTE technology trials, tests or studies.

The Etisalat Group has announced the launch of the two most recent commercial networks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and many other countries across Africa, Middle East and Asia are planning to introduce 4G mobile broadband technology in 2012 and beyond.

Participants would be able to log on to the online lab of Huawei for the concerned modules. For practical sessions, Huawei will offer their DBS 3900 LTE RAN equipment consisting of the RU and BB, which is a great plus for the LTE Professional-OAM certification.

Those who complete the program successfully will be issued certificates by Huawei. The training sessions will be delivered in English at Etisalat Academy, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service