The "last mile" that delivers video-on-demand, high definition TV and high-speed internet will soon blanket the whole of the UAE, thanks to a massive network rollout set to make the country one of the world's few fibre-optic wired nations, XPRESS has learnt.
There are only 20 countries that have fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) penetration rates of more than one per cent at the end of 2009, according to the non-profit FTTH Council.
Under etisalat's plan, the entire UAE will reach 100 per cent e-Lite (FTTH service) connectivity by mid-2011, surpassing most European countries, a senior etisalat official said.
"We're on track in deploying this technology. The ultimate aim is to deliver superior speeds and rich services to customers in the last mile - inside their homes and businesses - using a single fibre," said Ali Al Ahmad, Group Chief Strategy Officer of etisalat.
Etisalat's current FTTH rollout record, having reached more than one million subscribers, puts it ahead of other operators in the world in replacing the current copper-based network with fibre optical technology.
Al Ahmad said Abu Dhabi has become the world's first fully connected capital with its e-Lite service, which carries telephone, internet, television and video on the same hair-thin strand of fibre-optic wire. "This small pipe delivers rich content, which now fully covers Abu Dhabi city and nearly all of Dubai and Sharjah," said Al Ahmad.
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