Du to choose network vendor

21 April 2011

Mobile operator to upgrade services to support video streaming

UAE-based telecoms operator Du is still in the process of choosing a vendor to roll out its long-term evolution (LTE) network. The company shortlisted Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and China’s Huawei and ZTE in January 2011, to trial the high-speed mobile technology, but has yet to choose a particular vendor.

“The process is ongoing, we are still evaluating, but we should have something up and running by the third quarter,” says one source at the company.

The technology will be made available in hotspots in the UAE. Du will focus on expanding its video capabilities this year. The company is investing in network upgrades to support live video streaming, video on demand and internet protocol television (IPTV), which require higher connectivity speeds.

Video currently dominates all online traffic, making up about 60 per cent of traffic in the region and this is a trend that will continue.

Du’s network reaches about 100Kbps, which Samer Geissah, the company’s vice-president of core network technology, describes as “not that great”. With the network upgrades to LTE, Du hopes to provide 10Mbps to users.

“We are currently the fastest network in the UAE with speeds of 42Mbps and we will ensure to stay that way,” says Geissah.

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