February 9th 2003
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Thuraya has experienced an unprecedented jump in its subscriber numbers this year, with January kicking off a virtual doubling of the service take up rate.
The increase in subscribers last month brought the total number of Thuraya subscribers to 85,000, an achievement in the satellite telecommunications industry that reinforces Thuraya's solid commercial standing and its potential market growth.
Thuraya's Chairman Mr. Mohammad Omran, said: "We are deeply encouraged by these figures. They indicate that Thuraya has indeed achieved a level of product and brand awareness that is causing the subscription multiplier effect. Our products are becoming more known mainly through word of mouth publicity as satisfied customers promote us to others in their social and business circles. That for us is the real test of customer satisfaction."
Mr. Omran attributed the substantial rise to a combination of the right factors coming together. "Thuraya is gaining great recognition as a value proposition- in terms of quality and affordability-in a sector that still experiences considerable fluctuation in quality, availability and price."
Thuraya has emerged as a reliable communications option in areas with a dire need for telephony, he said adding, "our handsets are being used everywhere in all sorts of applications that we hadn't originally anticipated."
Mr. Omran explained that Thuraya handsets are used as conventional mobile phones but are also being integrated into other technologies to power other applications such as fleet management and asset management systems.
An interesting example of this was the recent integration of the Thuraya handset into a vehicle intercom system that was used by a motorcyclist in a raleigh. The handset was combined with a "Globeconnect" partner solution to provide hands-free communications that enabled the cyclist to travel with the full confidence that he could obtain help at any time and, if necessary, provide exact location parameters through Thuraya's built in GPS.
Subscriber growth is also spurring the sale of Thuraya's accessories. Among them is the SATEL-an important docking accessory that extends satellite usage to indoor environments, as well as Thuraya's vehicular adaptor and solar charger.
Additionally, Thuraya has received great interest in its rural telephony solutions, which are expected to roll out this year across villages and hamlets in the coverage area. Satellite powered payphones were developed by Thuraya in order to cost effectively serve the large expanse of areas currently underserved by telecommunications.
Mr Omran said that the intensive marketing campaign Thuraya carried out since the launch of commercial services in July 2001 paid off handsomely, with positive results in the increase of awareness among various market segments.
"Our ultimate aim is to cater our services not only to areas lacking telecommunications infrastructure in rural and remote areas, but also to populated areas where communications may not be reliable enough," he said.
Thuraya complements existing telecommunications infrastructures by expanding the reach of telecommunications in the coverage area spanning North and Central Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Central and South Asia.
Partly to meet the substantial demand increase, Thuraya will launch a second satellite in the second quarter of 2003. The increased satellite capacity should serve to expand the coverage area while maximizing quality of service.
-Ends-
© Press Release 2005
