United Arab Emirates - Key Statistics, Regulatory & Fixed-line Telecoms Overview

Synopsis

The UAE has long held the distinction of possessing a well-developed and technologically advanced telecommunications sector with high mobile, telephone and Internet penetration. However other countries in the region have been faster to liberalise their markets and are fast catching up in terms of penetration levels. Due to WTO requirements, the monopoly held by incumbent Etisalat has been cancelled and a second operator, du, launched their mobile and fixed network services in 2007. Motivated by the change in events, Etisalat has been rapidly expanding internationally and has reduced prices in the UAE for broadband and mobile services. This report provides a concise overview, backed by statistics, of the telecoms market, the regulatory background and the fixed-line market.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Key statistics
  
  • 2.1 Country overview
    
• 3. Telecommunications market
  
  • 3.1 Overview of UAE’s telecom market
    
  • 3.2 Market analysis – 2008
    
• 4. Regulatory environment
  
  • 4.1 Background
    
  • 4.2 Regulatory authority
    
  • 4.3 Liberalisation
    
    • 4.3.1 Interconnection and access
      
    • 4.3.2 Number Portability (NP)
      
  • 4.4 VoIP prohibited
    
• 5. Telecom operators in UAE
  
  • 5.1 Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat)
    
    • 5.1.1 Etisalat International
      
  • 5.2 Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company / du
    
  • 5.3 TECOM Investments / Dubai Holding / Emirates International Telecommunications (EIT)
    
  • 5.4 UAE investment companies owning telcos outside the UAE
    
    • 5.4.1 Abu Dhabi Group / Warid Telecom / Wateen Telcom
      
• 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
  
  • 6.1 National telecom networks
    
  • 6.2 Infrastructure developments
    
    • 6.2.1 Next Generation Networks (NGN)
      
  • 6.3 International infrastructure
    
    • 6.3.1 Submarine cable networks
      
    • 6.3.2 Satellite networks
      
• 7. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Country statistics – 2008
• Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2008
• Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2008
• Table 4 – Broadband statistics – 2008
• Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2008
• Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
• Table 7 – Etisalat group revenues and divisional representation - 2005 - 2009
• Table 8 – du revenue and profit / loss – 2006 - 2009
• Table 9 – Fixed lines in service, teledensity and subscribers by operator - 1995 - 2008