Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company

Leading telecom operators and recruitment specialists tell CommsMEA about the challenges they face recruiting people with the right skills, and how they go about hiring the best talent.

Accused of spying on its BlackBerry subscribers’ emails, Etisalat is facing a rising chorus of disapproval from its customers.

Second operator gains 156,000 subscribers as Etisalat’s subscriber base falls

UAE telecom operator seen making AED50m profit, compared to Q2 loss in 2008.

Customers of UAE telecom firm can now transfer up to AED200 a time free of charge to friends, family.

Launches broadband speeds of up to 24 Mbps for residential customers at AED 749 per month

UAE operator set to offer "one of the fastest" broadband services in the Middle East following network upgrade

Regulator’s figures suggest almost two Sim cards per person

UPDATE 1: Chairman hails performance, adds company 'well positioned' to prosper in 2009/10.

UAE’s second network to focus on broadband as mobile growth begins to slow

Al Mal Capital predicts population fall will hit demand for phones, no impact on web users.

Flickr.com fans left high and dry as du joins Etisalat in blocking access to the website

Improves coverage in western region of country up to border of Saudi Arabia

UAE telecom company's chief says he did not expect to be profitable until end of 2009.

UAE’s second operator beats analysts’ expectations to make its first full year profit.

EFG-Hermes research note says fourth quarter earnings for Etisalat, du likely to be flat.

Three operators in Gulf region offer cheap calls from Qatar, UAE to Gaza Strip.

Single tarif for incoming calls and local calls while in GCC for du subscribers

Dubai telecom says Soud Ba'alawy, executive chairman of Dubai Group, has resigned.

Dubai telco to ramp up spending in 2009 as it seeks to capture market share, CEO Osman Sultan says.

MyFamily monthly plan will offer a 50% discount on calls between family members

November sees the return of the Middle East & Africa instalment of the IPTV World Forum to Dubai. Digital Broadcast profiles some of the expected highlights of this year's event.

UAE telecoms giant du and handset manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) launched the BlackBerry Bold smartphone on the first day of GITEX Technology Week.

Hosted services are fast gaining traction in the region, especially ones connected to bandwidth management. Sean Robson investigates what vendors offer enterprises.

Deal to allow UAE telecom to boost network capacity to 4mn subscribers.

New senior VPs for IT and operations appointed

Best known as a telecommunication services provider, UAE operator du is fast developing a reputation as an infrastructure and broadcast transmission support specialist via its du Broadcast Services division. Digital Broadcast speaks to senior director Mohamed Al-Shahi, about the organisation's ambition to put Dubai on the map as the region's top broadcast production and transmission centre.

As digital content is made available across a variety of delivery platforms, pirates are presented with new opportunities to access and distribute unencrypted material. John Parnell spoke to the industry’s top conditional access (CA) vendors about the challenges they face and how they are working to ensure their clients remain one step ahead of the hackers.

Will mobile TV in the Gulf threaten cultural and religious norms as it moves towards prime time?

Free Iftar meals and a Ramadan SMS challenge are planned under the theme – little things matter

Packages available to both du mobile and home services for a one time fee of just AED 10.

Arabian Business poll results call for access to more websites to be unblocked by Gulf governments.

It will be at least four years before competitors joins Etisalat and du in UAE market.

Second largest telecom company in UAE due to announce deal on Sunday.

Company reports revenues of $247mn for second quarter, up 200% on same period 2007.

Content sharing network StumbleUpon is the latest casualty of the UAE's web blocking lottery.

A glut of Middle Eastern ICT events recently is leading to conference fatigue among the region's telecom professionals.

Operators and content providers need to learn to co-exist in convergent world, say panelists at Arab Advisors' conference

Subscribers to UAE telecom Du will now be able to watch television programs on their mobile phones as part of the company’s new mobile TV service which was launched on Tuesday.

UAE telecoms provider to invest in network infrastructure.

The key challenges facing the implementation of next-generation mobile content delivery platforms in the Middle East were hot topics of discussion at SAMENA's recent ‘Beyond Connectivity' industry event in Dubai.

UAE operator invests $50 million in expanding capacity

UAE telecom posts Q1 loss of $16.8m as revenues rise 18% and firm's subscriber base reaches 1.76 million

Du uses Postilion's payment system to handle customer financial transactions

UAE account holders able to access others' personal information using Etisalat service.

Du blocks websites deemed offensive to 'moral, social and cultural values' of Emirates.

TECOM Investments sign deal with du to offer WiFi in Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Knowledge Village

Du Broadcast Services, formerly called Samacom, has tied with Italian company, SBP to bring a HD OB van to Dubai. With the partnership, the two companies hope to provide a one-stop production and broadcast service to broadcasters and other customers in the Middle East. The partnership was announced at CABSAT and visitors were given a tour of the vehicle.

Applications for pricing changes rejected owing to potential breaches of price control policy

Competition for UAE students to encourage new ideas for mobile applications

Emirati telecoms say damaged cable off UAE coast not causing further disruption.

UAE telecom says it has been informed damaged undersea cable could take up to two weeks to repair.

Mark Sutton takes a look forward into 2008 to see how the pace of change in the information and communications technology will pick up, and how it will affect businesses, and consumers, across the region.

Introducing a second telco to the UAE market was never going to be easy, but du CEO Osman Sultan reassures Andrew White that the company is ahead of target.

The UAE's second network operator has come a long way since its launch last year. And with plans to move du beyond second-player status, CEO Osman Sultan discusses his ambitions for the company.

Just a few years ago, power lines were touted as a potential means of delivering information fast and at little cost. But despite significant barriers stalling progress and competition from rival technologies, the concept maintains a staunch following with tests ongoing.

New prepaid card gives users choice of 20% extra credit

du products to be available in post offices for greater customer convenience.

Christina Corbett catches up with Etisalat CEO Mohammad Al Qamzi, and asks how the company plans to stay ahead of the competition.

UAE telco operator to offer exclusive MBC content on mobile phones during Ramadan.

The Emirates' second telecoms provider can now provide fixed-line services to whole of the UAE.

Mohamed Al Ghanim, head of the UAE telecomms regulator, is tasked with ensuring competition works effectively. GBS Times speaks to the regulatory chief about the authority's strategy and forthcoming plans.

The UAE's second telco operator, du, plans to increase its visibility and showcase its growing portfolio of ICT services at its second GULFCOMMS exhibition.

du, the Emirates' second telecomms operator, has been helping Dubai Media City with its recent trial of mobile television using DVB-H technology.

A look at the alarming rise in online harassment via the virtual lifelines most popularly used for keeping in touch.

This year's GITEX will be the first featuring two fully-fledged telecom operators from the UAE, Etisalat and du.

Development work on du's 055 number booking portal takes gold.

UAE watchdog establishes committee to monitor sharing of mobile network sites by the two operators.

Major regional operators such as Etisalat and du will be out in force at GULFCOMMS 2007 as the event once again plays host to key telecommunications players from across the region.

UAE operator du plans to launch broadband and pay TV services nationwide in the near future, its chief executive said today.

The region's telecoms market belongs to a handful of key players, each of which is hungry and hunting the next big prize.

The telecom provider missed a July 12 launch of its fixed-line service over unresolved technical issues.

UAE's second telco operator has sent its internet customers free McAfee software.

Dima Boulos, head of development of CNN's mobile business in the region, talks about new mobile TV plans.

An 'innovative' competition strategy could see the telco's share price rise 22%.

Authorities are working to phase in the introduction of internet telephone services.

The setting up of Dubai's first credit checking bureau means people can no longer escape their bad credit history in the UAE.

Nokia Siemens Networks, the joint venture between communication vendors Nokia and Siemens, is entering the market with the high goal of providing true broadband to more customers in the region.

Local telcoms regulator aims to improve coverage by evaluating both Etisalat and du.

Nokia Siemens Networks is looking to begin implementing WiMax in the region within the next couple of years, the company announced last week.

Abu Dhabi's MECOM telecoms and networking exhibition is gearing up for its inaugural show this month, and is aiming to establish itself as the premier comms-related event in the Middle East.

There's no doubt that voice over IP (VoIP) is the future of telephony. What started as a rather cumbersome way for budget-conscious enthusiasts to talk to each other using their computers has now developed into something of much greater significance - IP telephony, a new way of delivering fully-featured phone services that promises big cost savings and opens the way for a whole new range of multimedia communication services.

'Emiratisation' drive sees the UAE telecoms operator receive a record number of job applications.

The UAE's second telco du is already on track to meet its targets, says CEO Osman Sultan.

Emirate's second operator announces all-too familiar tariffs.

UAE operator du is planning to offer outsourcing services to other telecom service providers, it said this week.

The UAE's new telecoms operator has chosen 10 distribution partners to jump-start its presence.

The UAE's recently launched second telecoms operator, du, has unveiled its audited 2006 fourth quarter and full year 2006 financial results.

The UAE's second telco, du, will launch in time to meet its regulatory deadline, but many customers will have to wait several weeks before they can use its services.

The new telecoms operator announces products and says it will meet the February deadline to launch.

Du customers will be able to order their SIM cards from February 11, according to du CEO Osman Sultan

... or is it half empty, given that the telecom operator's call costs will be the same as Etisalat's?

VoIP telephone services such as Skype are to be blocked in Dubai free zones from the end of this month.

The UAE's second telecom service provider du will have a mobile market share of 33% and a fixed line share of 15% by the end of 2010, EFG-Hermes has predicted.

The UAE's new telecoms operator, du, expects to launch in February. But is are its market share targets realistic?

As I write this I’ve just received an email informing me there are allegedly only two days to go to register your mobile number with second telecoms ‘operator’ du before the deal expires.

James Bennett on how '07 is set to be a big year for Qatar and its ambitious finance centre.

Du may not launch services in the UAE until March this year, months after it had originally planned to, and could face heavy fines by regulators for the further delays the emirates’ second telecoms operator has announced.

du, the new national telecom operator in the UAE, has moved a step closer to launching its services after putting pen to paper on an interconnection agreement with incumbent operator Etisalat.

du, the second UAE telecoms provider, hopes that its latest business intelligence software investment will help it to boost customer service levels.

Du may not launch services in the UAE until March next year, months after it had originally planned to, and could face being fined by regulators for the delay

Liberalisation of the telecoms sector across the region is set to have a huge impact on the market in the coming years as more operators bring increased competition

Lebanon-based mobile services specialist MobiKick has launched a special service to help users in the UAE change their mobile phone contacts to comply with the new TRA ruling.

UAE’s second telco cutting it close on launch date

...

When the UAE's second integrated operator was licensed in February this year, it was aiming to enter the mobile services market with a splash during the second half of 2006. With the year drawing to a close Christopher Reynolds talks to CEO Osman Sultan about du's current position and future plans.

Launching a new telecoms company against a well-established rival is a daunting task, where marketing is key. We asked two new players to discuss their strategy

...

Alexandra Dubsky

...

Dubai Outsourcing Zone is targeting the banking & finance sector in a big way. With its opening just a few weeks away, its executive director offers a glimpse into how it will help financial institutions save money