UAE has Highest Penetration of FTTH and smartphones in the world
Etisalat Group, the leading telecoms operator in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, highlighted the strengths of Dubai's bid in terms of its advanced Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure to host World Expo 2020 during a major symposium at Madinat Jumeirah.
Nasser bin Obood, Chief Government Relations & Communications Officer for the Etisalat Group, spoke of the group's support at the Dubai Expo 2020 Theme Symposium, 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future: Partnerships for Global Innovation and Sustainable Development'.
Obood said: "Since 2004 Etisalat and other ICT providers in the UAE have worked in partnership with the government to deploy millions of kilometres of cable across the country and to ensure seamless high-speed internet for mobile devices.
"Today we offer the world's fastest broadband to the home, and have demonstrated last year the world's fastest mobile connectivity. Combined with our extensive submarine capacity, the UAE's ICT infrastructure is uniquely positioned to help bring the Expo to the World."
"Dubai is already the major convention and meeting hub for the Middle East, Africa and Asia. This is partially because of our great shipping and aviation companies, hotels and conference venues.
"But it is also due to the confidence the global community has in our ICT infrastructure and the ability of multinational corporations to collaborate effectively with colleagues and peers outside the country when they are here. This has taken the country over 7 years to develop with the public and private sector working together to ensure that today, more than 70% of all homes are connected by fiber optic cables and the entire country can enjoy broadband access through their mobile devices."
Today three million kilometers of fiber optic cable are installed across the UAE - enough to reach the moon seven times and to wrap the world 75 times.
Because of these advances, the FTTH Council has named the UAE the country with the highest penetration of Fibre to the Home in consecutive years since 2012.
Recent research from Google has also spotlighted the UAE as being the country with the highest penetration of advanced smartphones.
Etisalat is one of the official bid partners of Expo 2020 and is helping raise awareness across its footprint in fifteen countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
© Emirates 24|7 2013
