Airtel, UAE telco to expand network infrastructure

Abu Dhabi, March 2 (IANS/WAM) Leading UAE telecom operator Etisalat and India's Airtel, with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, Sunday announced they have entered into a partnership to set up a multi-service regional network infrastructure node in Etisalat's SmartHub facility in the region.

The all new multi-service regional network infrastructure node includes Airtel's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) services supported by its world class global network.

This will allow Airtel to provide advanced data and wholesale services to its customers in the Middle East and Africa and enhance regional connectivity through Etisalat's extensive regional network.

It will also provide a platform to Etisalat to reach out to key global business hubs such as Africa and India.

"We are proud that Bharti Airtel, a long-time Etisalat partner, has chosen SmartHub," said Ali Amiri, executive vice president of carrier and wholesale in Etisalat.

"The facility will offer Airtel an array of regional connectivity options both in and out of the region. This partnership will also enable direct routing of traffic between the Middle East and Africa, Asia and Europe. We look forward to many more years of cooperation with Bharti Airtel and are delighted to be working closely with them to enhance the customer experience."

Etisalat's Smarthub is the region's largest capacity, content, internet and data hub in the Middle East. Smarthub provides regional access for global service providers and global access to the region.

"The collaboration with Etisalat will further help us to cater to the growing bandwidth demands of our enterprise and carrier customers in the region," said Ajay Chitkara, Bharti Airtel CEO for global business.

--IANS/WAM

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