Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name
Etisalat ( , literally,
Communications) is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. As of February 2011, Etisalat is the
16th largest Mobile network operatorA mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
in the world, with a total customer base of more than 135 million.
On 10 February 2011, Etisalat reported net revenue of USD $8.4 billion (AED 31.9 billion) and net profits of USD US$2.078bn (AED 7.631 billion).
Etisalat is one of the Internet hubs in the Middle East (
ASWithin the Internet, an Autonomous System is a collection of connected Internet Protocol routing prefixes under the control of one or more network operators that presents a common, clearly defined routing policy to the Internet....
8966), providing connectivity to other telecommunications operators in the region. It is also the largest carrier of international voice traffic in the Middle East and Africa and the 12th largest voice carrier in the world. As of October 2008, Etisalat has 510 roaming agreements covering 186 countries and enabling
BlackBerryBlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
,
3G3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
, GPRS and voice roaming. Etisalat operates
Points of Presence (PoP)A point of presence is an artificial demarcation point or interface point between communications entities. It may include a meet-me-room.In the US, this term became important during the court-ordered breakup of the Bell Telephone system...
in New York, London,
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Frankfurt, Paris and
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
On 4 June 2004, the Etisalat network was hacked into by an 18 year old Iranian student, Amir Mohammad Siahpolo, who was studying IT at the
University of WollongongThe University of Wollongong in Dubai also known as UOWD is a private university located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. University of Wollongong in Dubai is one of the UAE’s oldest and most prestigious universities...
in Dubai. He penetrated Etisalat's main server. Although no data was removed or changed, he was arrested by police 2 days later. At the time of his arrest, he said "I just wanted to reach the questions of my exam that were available on the website of my university." He volunteered to treat the network problem, and the offer was accepted.
History
Emirates Telecommunication Corporation – Etisalat was founded in 1976 as a joint-stock company between International Aeradio Limited, a British Company, and local partners. In 1983 the ownership structure changed – United Arab Emirates government held a 60% share in the company and the remaining 40% were publicly traded.
In 1991 the UAE central government issued Federal Law No. 1, which gave the corporation the right to provide the telecommunications wired and wireless services in the country and between UAE and other countries. It also gave the firm the right to issue licenses for owning, importing, manufacturing, using or operating telecommunication equipment. This practically gave Etisalat both regulatory and control powers, which completed the monopoly of the telecom giant in the UAE. In order to safeguard the country's economic development, the law made provisions for the development of the telecommunication sector in the country.
The increase of exchange lines from 36,000 in 1976 to more than 737,000 in 1998 was one of the important indicators of Etisalat network's growth and development.
An important milestone was Etisalat's commencement of international operations in January 2001, when under the brand name of
UfoneUfone GSM is a Pakistani GSM cellular service provider, It's one of five GSM Mobile companies in Pakistan, and is a subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company. After the privatization of PTCL, Ufone is now owned by Etisalat. Ufone has a subscriber base of 20.23 million as of September 2010.-...
it started operating out of
IslamabadIslamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
.
Today Etisalat stands 140th among the
Financial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
Top 500 Corporations in the world in terms of market capitalisation, and is ranked by The Middle East magazine as the 6th largest company in the Middle East in terms of capitalization and revenues. The Corporation is the largest contributor outside the oil sector to development programmes of the UAE Federal Government.
Etisalat has also won accolades from across the region for its nationalization programme.
Business units
In addition to its telecommunication services provider and carrier units, Etisalat incorporates a number of additional non-telecom business units under the umbrella of Etisalat Services Holding LLC. These units support the company's operations and even provide services to other operators and organizations, namely: training and consultancy services(Etisalat Academy), SIM/smart card manufacturing and payment solutions (Ebtikar), data clearing house services (EDCH), peering/voice and data transit (Emirates Internet Exchange – EMIX), call center (The Contact Centre),cable TV (eVision), facilities management (EFM), as well as submarine cable laying services (eMarine).
Etisalat is a major investor in
ThurayaThuraya , the Arabic name of the Pleiades, is a regional satellite phone provider. Its coverage area is most of Europe, the Middle East, North, Central and East Africa, Asia and Australia....
(34.5%), a satellite geo-mobile communication systems provider.
In 2006 Etisalat started a major restructuring program that resulted in the de-merger of many of its non-core business units operating under the telecom's centralized and direct management; core services were consolidated and streamlined, reflecting the company's shift from a technology-driven telecom to a customer-focused services provider. As part of the program, Etisalat had launched a re-branding campaign, releasing a new corporate logo and identity in May 2006. The restructuring culminated in the incorporation of Etisalat Services Holding LLC, which as of 2008 oversees the operation of Etisalat's non-telecom business units with huge success stories .
Etisalat International Investments
Etisalat International Investments is the business unit of Etisalat that operates outside the UAE and manages the corporation's stakes in telecommunications carriers in
AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Benin,
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, the
Central African RepublicThe Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
, Gabon,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia,
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, the Ivory Coast, Egypt,
NigerNiger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, Nigeria,
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Sudan,
TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Togo,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The International Investments unit also manages Etisalat's minor stakes in other telecommunications services providers, such as Sudatel (a mobile, fixed and Internet services provider in
SudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
), and Qtel (
QatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
-based telecommunications services provider).
Free Libyana – Libya
The Emirati government, as part of its support to the
National Transitional CouncilThe National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
in the course of the
2011 Libyan civil warThe 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, requested that Etisalat assist the NTC restore mobile communications to the rebel-held areas of
LibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, which had been cut off by the government of
Muammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. Etisalat provided the equipment needed to restore the main mobile network of
LibyanaLibyana was a Libyan mobile phone company established in 2004. It was one of two mobile phone operators owned by the General Posts and Telecommunications Company .Muhammad Gaddafi, the eldest son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was the chairman...
, the primary carrier in the country, to full capacity, and obtained a Tripoli-based database of phone numbers gives them information necessary to patch existing Libyana customers and phone numbers into their new system—which has been dubbed "
Free LibyanaFree Libyana or Libyana Al Hura is a mobile telephone network in Eastern Libya. It was created during the 2011 Libyan civil war by disconnecting part of the Libyana mobile phone network from its central control in Tripoli and placing it under new control as an independent network.-External links:*...
." It includes a satellite feed through which the Free Libyana calls can be routed.
Mobily – Saudi Arabia
One of Etisalat's first international investments was the bid to become the second mobile services operator in Saudi Arabia. Etihad Etisalat, a consortium led by Etisalat, won the
2G2G is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991...
GSM license by offering US$ $3.25 billion. Currently operating under the brand name
MobilyMobily is the trade name of Saudi Arabia's second Telecommunications company, Etihad-Etisalat consortium . The company, as the winning bidder for Saudi Arabia's second GSM licence, provides mobile telecom services nationwide, breaking Saudi Telecom's monopoly in the wireless business...
, Etihad Etisalat offers
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
subscribers conventional and 3.5G mobile telephony services, and has floated shares on the Saudi stock market.
PTCL – Pakistan
Among the acquisitions of Etisalat in 2005 was a 26% management stake in
Pakistan TelecommunicationsPakistan Telecommunication Company Limited is the largest telecommunication company in Pakistan.The company provides telephony services nation-wide and is the backbone for country's telecommunication infrastructure despite arrival of a dozen other telecommunication comanies, including giants like...
(PTCL) that was put on sale by the
Government of PakistanThe Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
as part of a large privatization initiative. In order to outbid competitors (which included
Singapore TelecommunicationsSingapore Telecommunications Limited , commonly abbreviated as SingTel, is a Singaporean telecommunications company, with a combined mobile subscriber base of 416 million customers from its own operations and regional associates in 25 countries at end of June 2011 increased by 19 percent from a...
and
China MobileChina Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
), Etisalat offered USD $2.56 billion for the stake. According to some analysts, the telecom has overpaid, as the bid went far beyond the estimated USD $2 billion value of the package.
Etisalat Egypt
In July 2006, a consortium led by Etisalat was granted the rights to develop Egypt's third mobile network, with a winning bid of 16.7 billion
Egyptian poundThe Egyptian Pound is the currency of Egypt. It is divided into 100 Qirsh , or 1,000 Milliemes ....
s (EUR €2.29 billion euro). The venture,
Etisalat EgyptEtisalat Egypt is a subsidiary of Etisalat U.A.E., the sole telecommunications services provider in the United Arab Emirates from 1976 until the arrival of Du in February 2007, and the first 3.5G network operator in Egypt. Etisalat Misr is one of 18 service providers managed by Etisalat in the...
, competes with existing service providers
VodafoneVodafone Egypt is Egypt's largest mobile network operator. It was launched in 1998 and was formerly known as Click GSM.-About Vodafone Egypt:Vodafone Egypt is a telecommunications service and product provider. It was established in 1998...
and
MobinilMobinil is one of Egypt's three mobile phone operators. Founded in 1998. The company is majority-owned and fully consolidated by France Télécom , which holds 71.25% of the shares in "Mobinil Telecom," the rest of the shares being held by Orascom Telecom...
. On 12 September 2006, it was announced that the network would be built by
EricssonEricsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
of
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and
HuaweiHuawei is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China...
of China, at a cost of approximately USD $1.2 billion.
In 2007, at the Comms MEA Awards ceremony Etisalat was presented with the ‘Best New Entrant’ award for its Egyptian operations. Award winners were selected by a panel of experts from KPMG, the Arab Advisors Group and Oliver Wyman, Dubai.
Canar – Sudan
Etisalat is one of the founding partner companies of Canar Telecom, a fixed-line telecom services operator. In September 2007 Etisalat has raised its stake in Canar from 37% to 82% at an estimated cost of AED 584.17 million (USD $159 million).
Canar was launched on 27 November 2005. The operator is reported to use NGN and
Wireless Local Loop (WLL)Wireless local loop , is a term for the use of a wireless communications link as the "last mile / first mile" connection for delivering plain old telephone service and/or broadband Internet to telecommunications customers....
technologies for its voice, data, internet and multimedia services. Canar is one of the first operators in Africa to use an NGN network core.
EMTS – Nigeria
Etisalat signed an agreement to acquire 40% of and manage Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services, Nigeria’s fifth GSM operator. It is now operating with about 5 million Subscribers, and recently signed an agreement with Main One cable company to launch one of the first major broadband service in Nigeria. It became a household name
Zantel – Tanzania
ETISALAT bought 65% of Zantel Tanzania's shares and are joint owners with The government of Zanzibar (18%) and Meeco International of Tanzania (17%). Zantel has grown rapidly are the take over by ETISALAT and as of June 2007 they were the fastest growing operator in the region. Zantel has its own international gateway and was the first to reduce rates on international calls by 60%. Zantel was the first to introduce wireless internet in Tanzania Zantel was the first to introduce per second billing in Tanzania Zantel offers Internet and High Speed Data Network in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar
Atlantique Telecom/Moov – West Africa
In Africa, Etisalat acquired 50% of Atlantique Telecom’s shares in April 2005. Based in the Ivory Coast, AT owns mobile operators in Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Central African Republic, Gabon and Ivory Coast. In 2007, Etisalat increased its shares in AT to 70% and again in May 2008, to 82%. AT group subscribers totaled 2.9 million at the end of 2007, which is a 107% increase from of Benin, honoured Etisalat chairman, Mohammad Hassan Omran during a ceremony to celebrate Etisalat’s efforts in developing and promoting the telecommunications sector in Benin.
XL Axiata – Indonesia
Indonesia-based mobile services operator PT XL Axiata (formerly
PT Excelcomindo Pratama)PT XL Axiata Tbk, Doing business as XL , is an Indonesia-based mobile telecommunications services operator. The operator's coverage includes Java, Bali, and Lombok as well as the principal cities in and around Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi...
is Etisalat’s first acquisition in the Far East. In December 2007 Etisalat took a 15.97% stake after paying USD $438 million (AED 1.6 billion). At the time of the acquisition XL had 15 million mobile subscribers. As of Q2 2011, Axiata's mobile subscribers are about 38.8m.
Etisalat – Afghanistan
Etisalat Afghanistan is a newly established GSM operator, 100% owned by Etisalat. It was established in May 2006 after the UAE telecom won the license to operate the fourth mobile services provider in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Etisalat's bid for the license was USD $1.2 billion (AED 4.4 billion) and services were launched in August 2007. Etisalat Afghanistan operates out of
KabulKabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and as of 3 March 2010, the company has achieved 24 per cent market share in 27 provinces of Afghanistan.
Etisalat – Iran (canceled)
In January 2009 Etisalat in consortium with Tamin Telecom (a subsidiary of the Iranian Social Security Organization (SSO)) won the bid for running the third mobile services operator in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The license included an exclusive two-year agreement for
3G3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
services provisioning, but in Sep 2009 the licence was revoked and given to its local partner, Tamin Telecom.
Etisalat had planned to invest over $5 billion (AED 18.39 billion) over a period of five years, but following the license suspension all plans for launching operation in Iran have been put on hold.
Etisalat – Sri Lanka
Etisalat acquired the
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Operation of
Millicom International CellularMillicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
(MIC), Tigo (Sri Lanka) on 16 October 2009. The acquisition was completed with a total enterprise value of 207 Million US$, out of which 155 Million US$ was in cash.
Tigo (Sri Lanka) under the then brand name CELLTEL started operations in June 1989 on a Motorola TACS system and was the first cellular operator in Sri Lanka as well as South Asia. In January 2007, Millicom replaced the local CELLTEL brand with Tigo, their international brand. In February 2010, Tigo was rebranded as Etisalat.
Etisalat Lanka operates a GSM/
EDGE- Aviation :* Leading edge, a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing's profile* Trailing edge, the rear edge of the wing* Zivko Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft- Mathematics, science and technology :...
supported network using 900 / 1800 MHz. The company on 5 May 2011 launched HSPA+ services over 2100 MHz, becoming the first
LTE3GPP Long Term Evolution, usually referred to as LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques...
ready mobile network in the country.
Etisalat – India
In 2009 Etisalat has announced that its Indian unit, erstwhile Swan Telecom (owned by
Dynamix Balwas RealtyDB Realty is one of India's largest real estate developer based in Mumbai, and is the flagship company of DB Group DB Realty Limited builds residential, commercial and gated community developments...
and Reliance Communications), headquartered in Mumbai, is renamed to Etisalat DB Telecom India Pvt. Ltd The business unit has been awarded Unified Services Access License in 15 circles – Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (including Chennai), Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. In April 2010 Etisalat began signal testing in Chennai [IND 922], Delhi & NCR [IND 913], Maharashtra & Goa [IND 919], Mumbai [IND 916] and Gujarat[IND 914]. In May 2010, Etisalat was in talks to buy 25% stake in
Reliance CommunicationsReliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
, but the deal was not finalised.
In 2010, following the $39 billion
2G spectrum scamThe 2G spectrum scandal involved officials in the government of India illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones...
, Etisalat DB, the Indian subsidiary of the company, was stopped from buying a stake in a Chennai-based company due to objections raised by the
Ministry of Home AffairsMinistry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...
(MHA). Etisalat DB was not allowed to buy back the 5.27 per cent stake held by Chennai-based Genex Exim Ventures since the home ministry raised objections based largely on security concerns. The MHA had pointed out four issues that needed to be resolved before allowing the company to come into Etisalat DB, a company that got scarce 2G spectrum at allegedly throwaway prices.
- The vice chairman, Shahid Balwa
Shahid Usman Balwa is an entrepreneur based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He is one of the Promoters of Mumbai-based DB Group which runs DB Realty India's 3rd largest realtor, DB Hospitality and Swan Telecom .-Early life:...
should not be involved in the operations of the company in any capacity, because of his connections with underworld don Dawood IbrahimDawood Ibrahim , also known as Dawood Ebrahim, and Sheikh Dawood Hassan, is the head of the organized crime syndicate [[D-Company]] in Mumbai. He is currently on the wanted list of Interpol for organised crime and counterfeiting. He was No. 4 on the Forbes' World's Top 10 most dreaded criminals...
,.
- The MHA raised objections about the commercial relationship between the Dubai-based Etisalat Group and China's Huawei
Huawei is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China...
. The MHA suspects, Huawei has links with China's People's Liberation Army – the country's military organisation of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces – and has the capacity to manipulate equipment supply.
- It raised objections about Etisalat's presence in Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and it's connection with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISIThe Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
. Etisalat owns a 26% stake in Pakistan TelecommunicationsPakistan Telecommunication Company Limited is the largest telecommunication company in Pakistan.The company provides telephony services nation-wide and is the backbone for country's telecommunication infrastructure despite arrival of a dozen other telecommunication comanies, including giants like...
and has a subscriber base of 3 million in Afghanistan.
- The MHA has also expressed concerns about the telecom surveillance software Etisalat had used in a Blackberry service it had introduced in the UAE and recommended that the company should not be allowed to offer Blackberry services in India.
Etisalat UAE
Etisalat UAE is headquartered in
Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
and includes three regional offices –
Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
,
DubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, and Northern Emirates.
Abu Dhabi Region
Key positions:
- Etisalat Chairman : Mohamed Hassan Omran
- Etisalat A/CEO: Nasser Bin Abood
- Senior Vice President Marketing : Khalifa Al Forah Al Shamsi
- Group Senior Vice President – corporate Communications : Ahmed Bin Ali
In the UAE, Etisalat operates where mobile penetration is already among the highest in the world "200%",
Etisalat became known for its efforts to roll out its Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) network in the UAE. By the end of 2009 Etisalat had completed the FTTH roll-out for 85% of households in Abu Dhabi, positioning the UAE’s capital as
the first in the world to be covered by fibre.
The advanced infrastructure allows the utilization of the most advanced technology applications to the UAE market. Its high-speed broadband internet enables users to enjoy multiple high bandwidth applications such as IPTV and online gaming in an integrated single interface for landline, internet and television-based services, providing a truly converged digital home experience to its customers.
The
Northern Emirates regional center is based in Sharjah and covers the telecom's operations in the emirates of
AjmanAjman , also spelt Ujman, is one of the seven emirates constituting the United Arab Emirates . With an area of just 260 square kilometres , Ajman is the smallest emirate by area...
, Umm Al Quwain,
FujairahFujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...
and Ras Al Khaimah.
Internet services
The number of Etisalat's Internet subscribers reportedly stands at 1.02 million.
Some of the Internet services for home users that Etisalat offers include:
- 3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
Mobile Internet access
- Broadband Internet
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
services (Al Shamil and eLife)
- Prepaid and post-paid dialup Internet access
Etisalat also operates iZone, a system of
Wi-FI hotspotsA hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
in central locations, such as shopping malls, restaurants, and
sheeshaA hookah A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) (Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा (Devanagari, (Nastaleeq) huqqah) also known as a waterpipe or narghile, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to...
cafes. iZone can be accessed by either purchasing prepaid cards (AED 15/hour, USD $4.5/hour), or if using an existing account with the operator (AED 3/hour for dial-up account holders, or AED 10/hour for broadband users).
Dial-up and ISDN Internet access services are billed by the hour, whereas the domestic and residential cable and DSL connections have a fixed monthly rate depending on speed. Other Internet links, aimed at business users, have traffic utilization plans and relatively high rates when exceeding the allocated bandwidth quota. This has caused bad publicity for Etisalat and is a major source of criticism.
Internet censorship
Etisalat operates an Internet content filtering system that blocks access to web resources. The web resources are claimed to be controversial or offensive (i.e. sexually explicit content, certain political and religious websites, anonymizers and proxies) or harmful (i.e. numeric IP addresses, known
phishingPhishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
or malicious websites,
botnetA botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
command servers). The use of content filtering is mandated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
.
The type of content that is restricted by Etisalat includes:
- Pornography
Internet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
, nudityNudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
and sexually explicit content.
- The entire Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
country code top-level domainA country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....
(.il.il is the Internet country code top-level domain of Israel. It is administered by the Israel Internet Association.The .il top-level domain is one of the earliest registered ccTLDs...
)
- Certain media-sharing websites
- Anti-Islamic
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
websites.
- Websites criticizing the United Arab Emirates (such as UAEprison and Arab Times
Arab Times is the largest Arab-American newspaper, published in the US since 1986 .- Background :The Arab Times newspaper was founded by Dr. Osama Fawzi in Houston, Texas and first published in print form in 1986...
)
- Anonymous proxy
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
sites (such as vtunnel, pzeg, etc.)
- Gay and Lesbian Rights
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
websites (such as GaydarGaydar is a worldwide, profile-based dating website for gay and bisexual men, women and couples over the age of 18. Although many of the individual profiles are publicly accessible on the Internet, to gain more functionality and interact with other users, a registration is required and a guest...
, Mogenic etc.)
- Numerical IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
links (for example, http://10.11.1.1/)
- Voice over IP services providers' websites (such as Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, VonageVonage is a publicly held commercial voice over IP network and SIP company that provides telephone service via a broadband connection. The company's name is a play on their motto "Voice-Over-Net-AGE"....
)
There are claims that Etisalat breaks the rules of net neutrality by throttling
peer-to-peerPeer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
, gaming and other types of network traffic in order to reduce the load on its oversubscribed international links. The effect of this interference is most noticeable during weekends or periods of high network use.
The overall efficiency of the country-wide content filtering is unclear, as many of the technologically savvy users have discovered tools and methods to bypass the content filter, such as using
TorTor is a system intended to enable online anonymity. Tor client software routes Internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer network of servers in order to conceal a user's location or usage from someone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis...
.
BlackBerry controversy
In July 2009, Etisalat pushed an update to
BlackBerryBlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
devices operating on the telecom's national network, citing performance improvements. However, it was later discovered that the update contained eavesdropping software, developed by the US-based software development company SS8, which specializes in electronic surveillance. It is reported that the software enabled the company to monitor and forward communications on BlackBerry devices to their servers.
Research in Motion, BlackBerry's developer, acknowledged that the patch was a form of spyware, and issued a removal patch on 20 July.
On 27 December 2009, both Etisalat and
Du (telco)The Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company is a telecommunications company in the United Arab Emirates. Although Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company is its legal name, it was commercially rebranded as du in February 2006...
have been mandated by the UAE telecom regulator to start filtering BlackBerry users' web access and block illegal content.
Due to concerns with the security and the provisioning of legal interception for Blackberry non-voice services, on 1 Aug 2010, the Telecommunication Regularity Authority of the UAE instructed Etisalat that all Blackberry e-mail, internet and messenger functions must be suspended on 1 Oct 2010. However, an agreement between Blackberry's developer
Research In MotionResearch In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
and UAE's telecom regulator has been reached, and the announced BlackBerry services suspension has been canceled.
Blackberry Services currently do not work over WIFI and have been blocked by Etisalat. There is no clarification from the provider on this. Web Services using the browser function but blackberry messenger and email does not connect to blackberry servers over WIFI connections
Acquisition of PTCL and Parliamentary Inquiry
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on IT and Telecom criticized PTCL’s administration over its inability to fulfil obligations made to the government. On 20 December 2010, the committee met under the chairmanship of
Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees TahirCh. Muhammad Barjees Tahir is a prominent national politician and a parliamentarian from Pakistan Muslim League...
, at the parliament house to probe into the privatization of PTCL. After hearing the officials of both the ministries, the committee declared that despite having outstanding financial portfolio, PTCL was privatized to an entity which did not fulfill contractual obligations despite the grant of concessions by the government.
On 01 Jan 2011, The Federal Minister for Privatisation Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan Wednesday revealed before the National Assembly that the privatization deal of PTCL with
EtisalatEmirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa...
was not transparent and made in violation of rules and procedures.
“The part of the privatisation of PTCL was not transparent. It was made in violation of the rules and procedures, said the minister replied to a question, and later, the House referred the matter to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatisation for sin.
It was told to the House that the SPA is completed and the transaction was made without the privatization of the Commission Council in confidence, adding that
EtisalatEmirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa...
800 million U.S. dollars has kept the sport of land issue be transferred to the UAE-based company. Also, it was found out that around 3,500 properties were to be transferred to Etisalat which also comprise lands not even owned by federal or any provincial government rather either those are private properties are under litigation.
In June 2005,
EtisalatEmirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa...
$2.6 billion bid beat those of Singapore Telecom and China mobile for the purchase of a 26 per cent stake in PTCL, Pakistan’s telecom operator. Etisalat has management control with 26 per cent shares of PTCL, which was in 2006 for US$2.6 billion and is withholding $ 799,000,000 worth of initial payments to the Pakistani Government, part of the company’s 2006 properties with the acquisition in PTCL registered in name.
The Performance under control to
EtisalatEmirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa...
, PtCl wealth declined. For four years, before privatization, profit after tax increased from approximately 18 billion to more than 27 billion rupees, which is the rate corresponding to 11 percent annually.
The committee expressed its reservations over the entire privatization process and said, “it seems as if the previous government wanted to get rid of PTCL which was a profit earning entity at the time of its privatisation.”
The committee also expressed reservations over the exclusion of Telephone Industries of Pakistan from the privatization process, which was a subsidiary of PTCL.
Matter is still under investigation by the committee under his chairmanship and house is waiting for the committee's report.
External links
- http://www.etisalat.ae (Official portal of Etisalat UAE)
- http://www.ptcl.com.pk (Official portal of Pakistan Telecom Company)
- http://www.evision.ae/ (Etisalat Cable and Multimedia)
- http://www.emarine.ae (eMarine – Submarine Cable Laying Unit)
- http://www.ebtikar.ae (Ebtikar Card Systems)
- http://www.technologiaworld.com/ (Software Arm of Etisalat UAE)
- http://www.ea.ae (Etisalat Academy)
- http://www.etisalat.com.eg/ (Etisalat Egypt)
- http://www.mobily.com.sa/ (Mobily – Etisalat in KSA)
- http://www.etisalat.af/ (Etisalat Afghanistan)
- http://www.canar.sd/ (Canar – Etisalat in Sudan)
- http://www.weyak.ae/ (Etisalat’s entertainment portal)
- http://www.moov.com/ (Atlantique Telecom's brand in West Africa)
- http://www.etisalat.com.ng/ (Etisalat Nigeria)
- http://www.ece.ac.ae/index.html (Etisalat University College)
- http://www.atlantiquetelecom.com/ (Atlantique Telecom)
- http://www.etisalat.lk/ (etisalat Sri Lanka)
- http://www.cheersmobile.in/index.html (etisalat India)
- http://telecomtalk.info/etisalat-to-launch-gsm-mobile-services-under-the-brand-name-cheers/23471/