EDCH holds the first GSM roaming advisory board

ABU DHABI, Mar 11, 2006 - Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH), a business unit of Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) organised its inaugural Advisory Board meeting yesterday at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

This board, the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, comprises of international GSM roaming experts representing 35 countries, according to a report in Khaleej Times.

Ahmed Al Mehyas, Manager of EDCH, said: "We are excited about the formation of this Advisory Board, and look forward to laying down the strategy for international GSM roaming for this region. The additional value that we can bring to our clients will be immense, and the GSM roaming business in the region itself will be expanded and enhanced. Through the two annual meetings, we want to show how the regional GSM industry can benefit from the coming together of its key players. For the first time, operators have gathered for the simple objective of improving the roaming service for their customers." The attendees of this exceptional event are GSM Roaming Directors and experts from GSM operators from around the world.

Some of the major group operators that are attending include MTC, Wataniya Vodacom, Celtel, Warid, and Etisalat and all its international companies.

These groups of operators represent more than 80 per cent of the GSM industry in the Middle East. Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH) was established in 1994 to provide a single point of contact for the roaming facility by GSM network operators.

EDCH provides simplified GSM roaming, better utilisation of available resources and improved operator profitability for clients all over the world.

Its specialized services include data and financial clearing and settlement, management reporting with fraud control and negotiating GSM roaming agreements on behalf of its clients.

EDCH is one of only five companies worldwide that provides GSM network companies with electronic data transfer and financial services.

EDCH now services over 45 operators in more than 35 countries with a network that is expanding to meet the worldwide popularity of mobile usage.