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Q.NBN and Barwa Real Estate Company enter a Framework Agreement Further Paving Way towards High-Speed Internet Connectivity in Qatar

Agreement set to benefit Barwa tenants across the country

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Broadband Company (Q.NBN) and Barwa Real Estate Company (Barwa) have signed a framework agreement furthering the Qatari government's ambitious drive to build a nationwide high-speed fiber broadband network.

The joint commitment will see Q.NBN provide Fiber-to-Home (FTTH) network to a multitude of Barwa projects spread across the country, allowing thousands of residential and commercial tenants of Barwa to utilize the next generation of connectivity.

A fully-independent company, Q.NBN has been mandated by the Qatari government to realize its goal of bringing very high-speed broadband services to 95% of households and 100% of government and businesses in Qatar by 2015.

Barwa is a leader in real-estate sector in Qatar and has a number of projects currently either completed or taking shape at various sites across the country. For context, the company's mega project, Barwa City Phase I, alone will be home to 25,000 residents once completed.

According to the terms of the agreement, Q.NBN will ensure the installation of FTTH - through a network of underground telecom ducts - at Barwa projects, and subsequently lease it to operators to offer retail telecom services. The Q.NBN will also provide access to the FTTH infrastructure of Barwa for non-telecom services.

The agreement was signed by Q.NBN chief executive officer, Mohamed Al-Mannai as Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz Turki Al-Subaie, the Barwa Group chief executive officer, represented Barwa.

"As we embark on taking the country to the next level of connectivity, bringing major stakeholders on board this national initiative is of paramount importance to us. Barwa's commitment to work with Q.NBN is a sure sign of the company's vision of approaching all their projects in a sustainable manner while enriching lives of its tenants," said Mohamed Al-Mannai, Q.NBN's CEO.

"Q.NBN is committed to building a shareable fiber optic network and providing access to it on an open, equal and non-discriminatory basis to licenses telecommunications operators in order to provide telecommunications services to end users," added Al-Mannai.

"In line with our mission of contribution to the sustainable growth of our nation, and specifically by investing in services, Barwa assures the continuous drive and determination to be in accord with Qatar's overarching development plan" stated Abdulla Al-Subaie, Barwa Group CEO. "The framework agreement with Q.NBN provides an edge in technology employed in our real estate projects that paves the way to achieving state of the art equipped property" added Al Subaie.

Q.NBN's FTTH network is expected to create a new wave of effective use of multimedia and communications applications spurring economic development and growth of knowledge in Qatar. Q.NBN will focus solely on the deployment of a passive network infrastructure, efficiently leveraging existing and new infrastructure in Qatar. Q.NBN operates within the existing laws and under license conditions issued by Supreme Council of Information & Communication Technology (ictQATAR).

-Ends-

ABOUT Q.NBN
Qatar National Broadband Network Company (Q.NBN) is a fully independent company with the government mandate to accelerate the rollout of a nationwide, open, and accessible high-speed broadband Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network. Q.NBN will provide fiber access to citizens and businesses across Qatar, achieving coverage targets in excess of 95 percent by 2015. Q.NBN will focus solely on the deployment of a passive network infrastructure, efficiently leveraging existing and new infrastructure in Qatar. Q.NBN operates within the existing laws and under license conditions issued by ictQATAR.

www.qnbn.qa

About Barwa Group
BARWA is one of Qatar's leading real estate and investment companies, established in 2005 with the mission of contributing to the sustainable growth of Qatar by investing in businesses, services and expertise. With business interests in real-estate, infrastructure, business services and financial services, BARWA's drive and determination comes from working in tandem with the Qatari Government's overarching development plan, the Qatar Vision 2030, which stresses human, social, economic and environmental development.

BARWA aims to be one of the most successful real estate and investment companies in the world, with a home in Qatar and a business operating around the globe.

BARWA's flagship projects include: Barwa Financial District, Barwa Commercial Avenue, Barwa Al Sadd, Barwa Village, Barwa Al Khor, Masaken Al Sailiyah and Musaimeer. Supporting these projects are specialized centers of excellence providing project management, development management and asset management services.

www.barwa.com.qa

CONTACT
Communications Manager
Fathy Kassem
T: +974 44528178
F: +974 44528181
M + 974 55395730
email: fkassem@qnbn.qa

© Press Release 2011