Qtel signs deal to improve internet services

Qatari and Indian telecom groups Qtel and Reliance Globalcom struck a deal on Tuesday aimed at improving internet and phone services in the Gulf, which have been severely disrupted in the last week.

The two companies have signed a strategic agreement, benefiting international and Qatar-based clients by providing telecom networks that can cope with a higher volume of voice, data and video applications.

“The new agreement has been designed to introduce greater redundancy in the network and increase the traffic capacity of voice and internet networks, to help reduce the impact of events like the recent breach of internet sub-cables, which caused regional disruption to internet and voice services,” Reliance said in a statement on Tuesday.

“By positioning Qatar as a hub on this cable system, customers in Qatar and neighbouring countries could be less exposed to the impact of cable breaks in the future,” the statement added.

The Gulf has been experiencing internet problems since the start of last week, after three undersea cables which link Europe and the Middle East were damaged in the Mediterranean off Italy.

Technicians are currently fixing the problem, which is expected to be resolved tomorrow.

Reliance Globalcom, a division of the Indian telecoms behemoth Reliance Communications, owns the world’s largest private undersea cable system, spanning 65,000 kilometres and connecting key markets in India, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the US, including its FLAG Europe-Asia cable.

Qtel, a fixed and mobile telecoms provider, operates in 17 countries and is looking to expand across the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia.

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