The Etisalat Group's technology investment strategy is aimed at offering the highest quality and experience to the customers in the UAE and abroad, said its top official.

Etisalat Group’s senior vice president for Technology and Network Strategy, Khalifa Al Shamsi, made these remarks while addressing the audience at recent South Asia and Mena (Samena) Telecommunications Council summit in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at the Samena ‘Beyond Connectivity’ summit, Al Shamsi said the group is placing the customer experience at the forefront of its technology investment strategy while deploying modern, next-generation mobile and fixed-line infrastructure
across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Etisalat’s technology strategist went on to describe the investments that Etisalat has made across its regional footprint, including the deployment of over 2 million km of fiber optic cable in the UAE and the imminent launch of the UAE’s fastest mobile broadband service via LTE – the fourth generation mobile broadband technology.

According to him, the group is also investing in LTE in Saudi Arabia and has an existing 3G network based on HSPDA which allows speeds of up to 42Mbps in Egypt.

It plans to deploy 3G in Nigeria and Sri Lanka in 2011, whilst its terrestrial fiber networks can be found across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Etisalat’s smart hub located in the UAE is connected to the major intercontinental cable routes passing through the Gulf to Europe, Africa and Asia.

This provides robust, high speed international connectivity for both the Etisalat Group and other international operators, he noted.

“Technological advancement and innovative Internet services have empowered individuals, companies and governments to reach new heights in performance, said Al Shamsi.

"It is therefore our responsibility, and the responsibility of our ecosystem partners, to ensure that we work together to ensure that the Internet of the future continues to enable the innovation and entrepreneurism that has shaped the world we live in today," he added.-TradeArabia News Service