(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, also known as etisalat, is planning to invest Dh3.5-4 billion this year on its infrastructure, fibre optic and 4G networks as well as to upgrade the present 2G and 3G networks across the country.
The Abu Dhabi-based telecoms giant also plans to embark on infrastructure works at the World Expo 2020 site to meet the expected pressure on its network during the exposition.
"Etisalat will be able to handle all pressure on its network during Expo 2020," Etisalat Group's Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Julfar said.
Talking to media on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday, Ahmad Julfar and etisalat's CEO Saleh Al Abdouli said etisalat will be the world's first telecom firm to launch the 5G network before the mega event in 2020. The etisalat's top executives said a 4.5G network will be unleashed in the UAE by 2016 before its official launch across the world by 2019.
During a meeting attended by the Consul General of the UAE to Spain Salem Rashid Al Owais, Ahmed Julfar said the phone calls and broadband mobile data being offered to customers [individuals] in the UAE is the cheapest as compared to other GCC countries.
"The next two years shall be witnessing further reduction in etisalat's rates for corporate circles," Julfar said, adding that there is no need to introduce third mobile phone operator in the UAE.
Regarding crisis being faced by Saudi Telecommunications Company (Mobily) in which etisalat has significant stakes, Julfar said what the company [Mobily] is experiencing is just like a summer cloud, which shall vanish and the company will regain its profitability over the coming period.
He noted that etisalat's profitability was affected by Dh400 million last year due to the losses incurred by Saudi's Mobily.
Al Abdouli said etisalat's new 5G network shall boost the download speed 100 times than its present speed.
"We now invest in e-Life and broadband services to cover up the company's revenue shortfall from its SMS, which were reduced by 70 per cent since a large number of clients had gone for using free smart messaging apps like Whatsapp and Viber, among others," he said.
He said that etisalat has set aside Dh3.5-4 billion for this year to resume the installation of fibre optic network in the country. This will place the UAE amongst the world's first countries who are using the fibre optics service.
"The fibre optic now covers 90 per cent of the UAE. Besides this, we have upgraded our 2G and 3G networks," Al Abdouli said.
Regarding the dissatisfaction of etisalat customers with its tariff, he said the prices of phone calls and mobile data is the cheapest in the Gulf.
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