Qatar Telecom (Qtel) and  Saudi  Arabia's  A.A.  Turki  Corporate  Trading  and  Construction  (Atco) have teamed up to launch wi-tribe, a new international wireless broadband provider in the region.

The wi-tribe  aims  to  deliver instant  wireless  broadband  connectivity  from  North  Africa  across  the  Middle  East  and  up  to Asia region.

With its regional corporate office in Bahrain, the wi-tribe has the license to launch services in  both  Jordan  and  Pakistan  thus creating the  opportunity  for  thousands  of  individuals  and  businesses  to join the World Wide Web, said a company official.

wi-tribe  was  conceived  to  bring  people  from  all  walks  of  life  together  and  create  a  new  interactive online community  that lives and breathes internet.

Utilising the  latest  WiMAX  technology, wi-tribe will provide  broadband  internet  access  through  a  portable  wireless  modem  that  simply  plugs  into  the customer's computer without the  need  for  a fixed  telephone line.

WiMAX  represents  the very latest  in hassle-free   internet   service   provider   technology   taking  away   the   dependency   of  the  traditional telephone line.

Commenting on the launch of wi-tribe, Sheikh Fahd Al Thani, chairman of wi-tribe and chief operating officer of Qtel, said, 'This is a very proud day for everyone involved with wi-tribe. Historically Qtel is defined  by its  commitment  to its  customers  and  to bringing  innovation to
telecommunications.'

'Consumer broadband is an important pillar of growth for Qtel to achieve its 20:20 vision of becoming one of the top 20 operators in the world by 2020,' he quipped.

Al Thani said the main passion of wi-tribe was the care of its customers, 'who we call wi-tribers.'

'Qtel's customer care strategy is to provide the best service available and tend to their needs. Welcome to wi-tribe: welcome to your tribe.'

Dr  Sami  Hinedi, wi-tribe's group chief executive officer,  said, 'Wi-tribe  is ready  to truly  revolutionise communications  through  our core brand  values:  independence, freedom,  individuality, innovation and an obsession with customer  satisfaction. Regionally we are  currently looking at new opportunities and will announce expansion plans later on.'

'wi-tribe is focused to develop a new and exciting way to work, play, exchange and share on-line. With numerous potential subscribers across a culturally dynamic section of the globe, wi-tribe will constantly develop  the  best  solutions  in  the  market  to  meet  the  individual needs  of  the  consumer,'  added  Dr Sami.

'We  aim  to  set  a  new  benchmark  in  customer  care.  Amongst  the  international workforce  behind  wi-tribe  the  ethos  is  to  always  treat  others  as  they  would  wish  to  be  treated  as  consumers,  with transparency and a strong sense of ethics,' Dr Sami added.

Ziad  Al  Turki of Atco said wi-tribe benefits from  successful  online systems and solutions  to  ensure  the  highest  quality  of  product  is<