Dubai - International Telecoms Union (ITU) has marked May 17 as World Telecom Day. This year, the theme has been finalised as 'Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for sustainable development', and this theme will run throughout the year.
Nasser Bin Obood, deputy chief executive officer, Etisalat, said: "This is a time for us at Etisalat to take stock of the year past and the developments we had outlined. We are pleased with the results of our efforts, and we are sure that the coming year will be one of renewed enthusiasm and hard work."
In the year since the last World Telecom Day, Etisalat has seen some major developments like the winning of licences in Saudi Arabia and Sudan, the setting up of a new business unit, Etisalat International, to oversee the international activity of the corporation. Zanzibar Telecom (ZanTel), in which Etisalat owns a share, expanded to offer services to all of Tanzania. Etisalat International also negotiated the purchase of 55 per cent of Africa's Atlantique Telecom.
Technology-wise, the corporation has been making developments in leaps and bounds, and the increasing subscriber base stands testimony to this. Etisalat now has over 3.9 million subscribers to its mobile phone network, 1.3 million fixed line subscribers and 1.8 million Internet users in the country.
Operators across the world mark this occasion. The telecommunications industry is usually a reliable source of insight into an economy.
© Khaleej Times 2005
