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Du gains access to Etisalats network

David George-Cosh

Last Updated: July 01. 2010 9:58PM UAE / July 1. 2010 5:58PM GMT

 

 

From The National

 

The telecommunications operator du is set to gain access to the network of its rival Etisalat within weeks, ushering in a fresh wave of competition in the phone, internet and television market.

If the move goes ahead as expected, UAE residents will finally have a choice of telecoms providers regardless of where they live.

Etisalat has a monopoly on traditional telephones, internet service and cable TV throughout most of the country, while du services a small area of Dubai that includes newer neighbourhoods such as Dubai Marina and Media City.

“Welcome to competition,” Farid Faraidooni, the chief commercial officer for du, said this week. 

The development will be a boon to du, which has been able to offer UAE consumers only mobile and landline services because of regulatory and technical issues.

“This is going to open up the whole country for us,” Mr Faraidooni said. “This is a big opportunity. We are very confident we can acquire a significant market share in the fixed-line business once this becomes sufficiently available to us.”

Mr Faraidooni did not provide a specific date when the network-sharing agreement would begin but it is understood talks between du, Etisalat and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) have been finalised.