Etisalat signs deal to offer 'smart' home internet services

Etisalat, the UAE's largest phone company, said on Wednesday it is partnering with South Korea's KT Corporation to offer its UAE customers a smart home solutions package.

KT Corporation, South Korea's largest telecoms provider, manages around 90 percent of the country’s fixed-line customers and nearly 45 per cent of broadband users.

“We are joining forces together to offer certain smart home solutions in the UAE,” Mohammed Omran, chairman of Etisalat, said on the sidelines of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Media Summit.

“This will enable us to expand our area to work together in several areas where new solutions are needed in the country,” he added.

Etisalat is considering acquisitions in six countries, including Algeria.

The UAE-based operator, which expects foreign operations to account for 20 percent of revenue in three years compared with less than 10 percent now, is also studying a deal with Korek in Iraq ’s Kurdish region.