menatelecom, an investment subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), and the first company in the Middle East to launch a nationwide WiMAX 802.16e end-to-end network, has installed the first WiMAX base station in Bahrain which is camouflaged as a palm tree. "The Mono Palm" WiMAX mast and base station is shaped like a palm tree with a trunk and palms fronds at the top. The Mono Palm stands at 30 meters (~100 feet) and is located at Durrat Al Bahrain, enabling residents to enjoy the wireless experience of telephony and internet at the fastest speeds in the Kingdom.
The new tower now complements menatelecom's nationwide wireless WiMAX network which provides the fastest internet & voice packages available on the island, with speeds of up to 15 Megabits/second.
Mr. Abdul Razak Jawahery, Executive Manager Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain (KFH), representing KFH as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of menatelecom said, "menatelecom is pleased to have erected the first palm tree WiMAX tower in Bahrain which will not only provide enhanced coverage to customers in Durrat Al Bahrain but it also blends perfectly with the island's natural habitat and preserves the aesthetic beauty of Bahrain's landscape." He was full of praise for the members of the menatelecom network and operations teams and Durrat Al Bahrain management and technical teams who worked diligently to set up the tower and have it activated.
"We are very proud of this investment, which is located high above a new and expanding residential area in the south of the Kingdom. This technologically advanced WiMAX tower, plus its tremendous height makes it ideal for providing the expanded coverage that will be needed in Durrat Al Bahrain," he added.
menatelecom has recently extended its coverage to the Banyan Tree resort with an additional Palm Tree tower that is similar to the one at Durrat Al Bahrain, thus starting a trend of using aesthetically and environmentally friendly technology to support its state-of-the-art network.
Mr. Jawahery concluded "The methods used in camouflaging base station antenna and towers are constantly evolving with advances in technology and thus offer increasing benefits to the environment. The "Palms" are produced from non-toxic environmentally friendly materials, are all fully recyclable and are specially made for resorts like Durrat Al Bahrain and Banyan Tree."
Jassim Al Jowder, CEO of Durrat Al Bahrain, added, "Our partnership with menatelecom means that our residents will not only experience the benefits of living and working in a fully wireless environment but they will also be able to enjoy the land and seascapes that Durrat Al Bahrain offers, with menatelecom's towers having been designed to blend into their island environment. menatelecom's network of WiMAX palm tree masts embodies the spirit of what we are creating at Durrat Al Bahrain - a modern island based city that is being designed around its natural environment."
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© Press Release 2009
