(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The way most people use Internet, experience media and even do business will change dramatically over the next three years with Qtels Fibre to the Home (FTTH) programme connecting buildings in Qatar with advanced broadband services.
Qtel yesterday completed an agreement with Chinese company Huawei to realise the FTTH programme.
The agreement was signed by Qtel CEO Dr Nasser Marafih and Zha Jun, President, Network Products, Huawei, in a ceremony witnessed by the Chinese Ambassador to Qatar, Yue Xiaoyong.
Marafih said the agreement was an important strategic alliance that would make an important contribution to the growth and development of the knowledge-based economy in Qatar. We want to ensure that Qatar is one of the best-connected countries not just in the region, but in the world, and the advanced fibre network will play a key role in helping us achieve that goal, he said.
Zha Jun said the FTTH programme aimed to deliver a world-class broadband experience to the people of Qatar that would provide the foundation for the next generation of technology services and give an important stimulus to companies, schools, colleges and government departments.
The FTTH programme will be rolled out in different areas in Qatar in the coming months, with survey teams visiting different areas and liaising with residents to install the new connections. Work on the new network began this summer following the announcement of the programme last March.
A trial of the FTTH network was done last year with Qtel and Huawei jointly testing a new GPON FTTH network, which provided ultra high-speed connectivity to houses in Mesaieed and West Bay Lagoon. As a result, customers living in these areas are already enjoying a number of benefits, including high-speed Internet and high definition television.
FTTH will deliver Internet speeds of up to 100Mbps, changing the way people experience online education and entertainment.
The agreement will be supported by a joint innovation centre in Qatar.
The centre will conduct original research in the field of enhanced communication services, aimed at making a distinct contribution to the community in Qatar.
As the largest infrastructure project of its kind carried out by Qtel, the programme is a key strand of Qatars Broadband Nation strategy, which aims to drive the development of the knowledge-based economy through the deployment of some of the worlds most advanced network technologies.
Based on a terabit access platform, the new solution will provide unified access to voice and data solutions, and support such advanced applications such as high definition television, ultra high-speed Internet services, video conferencing and entertainment on demand.
Qtels new fibre network will fuel an important range of business benefits for companies across Qatar. Advanced bandwidth capacity will support new business applications and advanced enterprise software seamlessly, enabling companies to continue to upgrade to more advanced software easily. Small businesses in particular will benefit from some of the fastest Internet speeds in the region.
By Chris V Panganiban
