UAE's leading telecom operator Etisalat has announced the launch of its 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-FDD mobile network across the emirates.

Announcing this on Sunday, acting CEO Nasser Bin Obood said with this launch, Etisalat has become one of the first telecommunications operators in the world to complete this technological achievement which enhances the country’s global position in terms of providing advanced telecommunication services.

Speaking at a press conference, Bin Obood said the 4G (LTE) had tremendous potential and capabilities in enhancing customer-experience.

'The LTE network offers speeds exceeding 100 MB/s and is particularly effective when utilising large amounts of data, such as watching high definition movies, playing online multiplayer games, using social applications and utilising other bandwidth-intensive applications,' he stated.

The launch is a new milestone for Etisalat and adds to its extensive record of technological achievements, said Obood in the presence of Majed Al Mesmar, TRA deputy director general and a number of officials from Etisalat and its strategic partners.

He pointed out that the corporation had completed building the first 4G LTE-FDD network in the country and the widest in the Middle East.

Etisalat’s strategy ensures that at launch, new technologies are made available to customers across all key areas of the UAE.

This contributes in the ongoing development process of the UAE. For the LTE network, more than 700 base stations have been renovated and equipped to provide 4G services in the country, said Obood.

Etisalat is planning up to 1,000 fully operational base stations by the end of this year, the official added.

With this new technical achievement, the UAE is one of the first countries in the word to launch 4G, the result of years of work to develop the telecommunications sector and the Corporation’s significant investment in the country’s infrastructure, said a statement from Etisalat.

The technology is integrated with the fibre optics network, one of the most technologically advanced networks on the globe, and follows Etisalat's recent announcement about Abu Dhabi being the first capital city in the world that is entirely connected to the fiber optics, it stated.

The ongoing work aims to continue to cover the entire UAE with this network, which offers tremendous potential in terms of fixed internet services, offering speeds of up to 100MB/s, advanced high definition TV services (IPTV2) and a fixed landline.

Matthew Willsher, chief marketing officer for Etisalat, said, 'In recent times, there has been a tremendous surge in both, subscriber numbers and data usage.'

'Smartphones are growing at almost 90 per cent a year. A whole new computing platform for mobile broadband has emerged, creating a thriving market for mobile apps – and changing the way we interact with the Internet,' he added.

Ali Al Ahmed, Etisalat’s chief corporate communications officer said, “We’ve witnessed the positive impact of the 3G network. LTE will now bring in new waves of innovation, transforming our customer’s digital lifestyles.”-TradeArabia News Service