To introduce mobile WiMax, IP Multimedia Subsystem
Bahrain, one of the first countries to deregulate its telecom sector, will also be the first country in the Middle East to be covered 100 per cent by the state of the art wireless network WiMax to be deployed in the Kingdom by the US giant Motorola for Mena Telecom.
Mena Telecom, a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House (KFH), signed a major agreement with Motorola Inc to plan, deploy and manage a nationwide 802.16e-based mobile WiMax and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network in the Bahrain.
Abdulhakeem Al Khayyat, chairman of Mena Telecom and general manager of KFH, who signed the agreement with Motorola's vice-president Middle East & Africa Networks and Enterprise Ali Amer, told a Press conference that the Kingdom's attractive telecom sector would help to elevate the standard of services and also to attract foreign investments.
Al Khayyat earlier told Bahrain Tribune that KFH would make heavy investments in the telecom sector in Bahrain including the $60 million WiMax Network. "There will be more investments in telecom sector of Bahrain as well as in other countries in the region." Present were Vice Chairman and Managing Director Mena Telecom Abdul Razak Jawahery and Eric Pradier, Vice President Networks & Enterprise Services EMEA & Latin America.
Mena Telecom expects the network to be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2007. In the first phase, a full range of services is expected to be available from Manama to the Seef Area beginning in January 2008. In the second phase, coverage will be extended to other areas in the Kingdom by March 2008.
Al Khayyat said that since the launch Mena Telecom has been a forefront company and WiMax would add a new dimension to its overall business model. "Motorola brings a wealth of experience which will help to enhance the level of services.
Al Khayyat said "Mena Telecom aims to make broadband services available to customers throughout the Kingdom of Bahrain at better value-for-money prices. Equally, using wireless technology, we aim to provide customers with the convenience that will come from nomadic service availability. We selected Motorola because it is a leading major vendor with assets in all of the critical product and service line areas and the necessary global span and market presence needed to deliver a practical, fully integrated end to end WiMAX solution. We will be a full service provider of voice and data, and Motorola's WiMAX and IMS solutions and services allow us to achieve our goal of affordable broadband for both business and individual consumers, without the complexity of building a wired network."
"We firmly support the future advancement of the Bahrain telecom sector with the latest state of the art technology. The investment environment favours competition and innovation, allowing an operator with leading-edge technology to enter the market and become a prime competitor. Mena Telecom has the unique opportunity of significantly contributing to the development of the Kingdom of Bahrain while at the same time creating a prosperous telecom business."
Ali Amer said: "We are excited to be working with Mena Telecom to bring WiMAX to the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Middle East region is demonstrating a strong appetite for innovative technologies and this announcement today demonstrates how a country like the Kingdom of Bahrain, a leader in the early adoption of technology, can leapfrog directly to innovative next-generation technology. Motorola leverages over a decade of investment to deliver its MOTOwi4 portfolio.
Motorola's end-to-end WiMAX solutions and services enable operators to quickly and efficiently realize the large revenue potential of corporate as well as residential users. Motorola will also be operating and managing the network which will enable Mena Telecom to focus on its core competencies and support its efforts to bring WiMAX services to Bahraini customers that deliver a personal broadband experience."
By Mahmood Rafique
© Bahrain Tribune 2007
