Ericsson & Etisalat contract to deliver first ADSL network in the Middle East

Ericsson and Etisalat contract to deliver first ADSL network in the Middle East Ericsson will deliver the first commercially available ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) network in the Middle East region to operator Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) in the United Arab Emirates. Included in deliveries is a backbone network based on Ericsson's scaleable AXD 301 ATM switch. United Arab Emirates and the local operator Etisalat are actually driving telecom development in the Middle East. An expanding market of Internet users in the region now demands more bandwidth and new services. ADSL allows broadband access to deliver high-speed Internet service over the existing copper infrastructure. In a first phase, Ericsson will implement an xDSL system for more than 5,000 subscribers in major cities in the UAE. The system will enable new broadband services such as high-speed Internet, multimedia, multi-player gaming, corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and video on demand. Ericsson deliveries include a powerful backbone network based on the carrier class AXD 301 ATM switch. The ATM backbone network is scaleable to accommodate a high growth rate of new ADSL subscribers. The new network, ready for service in 35 locations by the end of the year, will enable a majority of the population to access new services. "This new contract is of strategic importance for Ericsson as it strengthens our position as a datacom and access supplier in UAE and the Middle East market," says Bo Nilsson, General Manager, Ericsson Technical Office (UAE). "We are delighted to once again have won the respect and faith from Etisalat, and have the opportunity to improve our already good relationship. Etisalat is a great driver of new development in the area." Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Antoinette Torell, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +1 917 679 3635, +46 70 519 3699 E-mail: antoinette.torell@lme.ericsson.se Anders Friberg, Marketing Manager, Ericsson Technical Office UAE Phone: +971 2 696 8600 Ove Anebygd, Vice President Wireline Access, Ericsson Wireline Systems Phone: +46 8 719 5798 Company information Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (Etisalat) is a leading network operator providing a wide range of advanced telecommunication services to subscribers in UAE and the region. Within a short span of just two decades, Etisalat has succeeded in transforming the UAE into one of the most advanced countries in the world in the field of telecommunications by providing advanced, efficient and reliable services.