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Etisalat and France Telecom today formalised an agreement to bring Digital Home technologies to the UAE and other emerging markets.

Etisalat and France Telecom will now collaborate on the rollout of various multiplatform services and devices which will bring new and exciting multimedia experiences to their customers.

The UAE will be amongst the first nations to benefit from this agreement, thanks to Etisalat’s investment in research and development and the deployment of high-bandwidth national and intercontinental cable networks.

Technology enhanced digital homes are now being developed across the UAE with many new developments, including the 300 buildings planned on the Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, being built fully equipped with the network infrastructure required for Digital Home services.

Mohammed Hassan Omran, Chairman of Etisalat said: “We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with France Telecom. Value-added, multiplatform services are a key component of the future of the telecommunications industry. Combining both Etisalat and France Telecom’s expertise in this area will significantly advance our ability to extend the reach of our customers across our markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This agreement also paves the way for Etisalat and France Telecom to cooperate on acquiring rich multimedia content such as pay per view television – films, sports or events, which will further enhance our service offering in the UAE and internationally.”

Didier Lombard, Chairman and CEO, France Telecom, adds: "We are extremely pleased to have Etisalat as a strategic partner. This cooperation expands again the vision for Convergence and Digital Home rolled out by France Telecom. I am convinced that telecommunications players have an increasingly important role in shaping multiple-play trends based on the needs of our customers. I am also happy to join forces with Etisalat in content as we both believe that this is the fuel of our networks.”

Etisalat will also acquire a stake in SoftAtHome, a joint venture launched by Thomson, Sagem and France Telecom to develop software solutions for triple-play services in the Digital Home. Etisalat plans to adopt SoftAtHome solutions for its future broadband deployments.

Etisalat and France Telecom shared some of the innovations that will be coming to the UAE and other markets at this year’s GITEX Week exhibition held in Dubai.

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