Etisalat has signed up Eurostar, a leader in the digital satellite receiver industry, and Pace, developer of technologies and products for managed subscription TV and broadband services, to enable delivery of its digital TV services to the customers.

Eurostar and Pace said the contract win comes after the duo showcased their new solutions, alongside other product platforms, at CABSAT 2011, the annual cable and satellite product exhibition held in Dubai this month.

To enable the rollout of Etisalat’s eLife triple play (TV, Internet and phone) services through the fiber-optic network, Pace has developed high definition personal video recorder (HD PVR) set-top boxes and Advanced Residential Gateway solutions.

Etisalat’s eLife triple play services give customers the opportunity to experience exciting and value added features and benefits on TV, Internet and landline.

The triple play service bundles double play along with great entertainment through Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), all of which is delivered through a single access network.

“Etisalat’s new generation fiber-optic network is set to give a huge boost to HDTV in the UAE, along with fast-speed Internet and enhanced phone services,” said Raju T. Jethwani, chairman of Eurostar Group.

“Backed by our extensive expertise and our long association with Pace UK, (world’s leading technology developer for Global Pay TV market), we are poised to play a major role in accelerating the HDTV revolution in the region,” he noted.

Mathias Hautefort, president, Pace Europe, said: “Etisalat has a strong presence in the Middle East and so the opportunity to help the corporation take digital services in the region to the next level is very exciting.

"Pace has a reputation for putting our customers and the end user experience at the heart of everything we do. The new solutions are a great example of how we can enable operators to offer new and expanded services, increasing their revenue potential while also offering consumers a fantastic and user-friendly experience," he added.

The Pace HD PVR will support delivery of these services by providing state of the art digital TV features, including VOD, PVR and Interactive services, while Pace’s Advanced Residential Gateway enables delivery of a variety of wireless digital services into the home through a single device.

Together, these will allow Etisalat to offer its customers a range of options for their digital entertainment and services experience, said Jethwani.-TradeArabia News Service