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Huawei Technologies, a global provider of telecoms infrastructure, announced that it helped Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) to have successfully launched UMTS services in UAE on Dec. 24, 2003, reinforcing the latter's position as a technology leader while enabling Etisalat to become the first organization in the Middle East and the Arab World to introduce third generation network.

On the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Communication of UAE, Mr. Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, became the first user of the network, when he conducted a video telephony call in Dubai with Etisalat's President & CEO Mr. Ali Salem Al Owais in Abu Dhabi, using a third generation mobile phone.

UMTS is one of the mainstream systems for the next generation mobile communications, featuring large capacity voice, multimedia applications and high-speed mobile data services. According to Mr. Ali Salem Al Owais, the launch followed the satisfactory completion of all necessary tests, which had been on-going since July 2002. " It will create significant added value for our customers by providing mobile access to Internet-based, multimedia services, video conferencing and streaming," he said.

Announcing the latest development, UAE Communications Minister Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer said Etisalat had selected Huawei Technologies to update its existing network for the multimedia-enabled 3G wireless services. "This is another important milestone in Etisalat's continuing efforts to provide customers in the UAE with the most advanced telecommunications services. Personal and business communication is entering a genuine era of connectivity, content and convergence and Etisalat is leading the way,"he said. Undoubtedly, with this launch of UMTS services, Huawei Technologies will help Etisalat generate new revenue and maintain its leadership in the Arabic telecom world.

"We are honored to be chosen by Etisalat for their UMTS deployment as they continue to evolve their network and offer high quality services to their growing customer base. With expertise and years of experience on deploying mobile total solutions worldwide, Huawei can deliver the UMTS end-to-end solution to the highest standards. In addition, Huawei understands our customers' needs and is willing to tailor our solutions for them. We are looking forward to a long-term and strategic partnership with Etisalat," said Ding Shaohua, Vice President of Huawei Technologies and President of Huawei Middle East and North Africa Region.