Last checked at 14 Oct 2009 08:00
Telecom Egypt Announces
The Launch of Its Fiber-To-The-Home Services in Cairo
First Customer Gets His Triple Play Services Through FTTH
in Cairo Suburb of Qatamiya
Cairo, 14 October, 2009: Telecom Egypt (TE) (Ticker: ETEL.CA; TEEG.LN) announces the launch of its first Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) implementation in Egypt in Cairo Suburb area of Qatamiya. This represents a major achievement which enables the company to provide new and integrated services that cater for current and future needs for residential and business customers through the fixed networks.
Mr. Tarek Tantawy, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Telecom Egypt commented that "Telecom Egypt is adopting a new strategy to roll out fiber access networks in areas with demand for high speed broadband access that reaches 70 Megabits/Sec. By connecting residential customers with a direct fiber connection we can offer Triple Play services through one single high speed connection. This represents a breakthrough in access networks in Egypt."
"We have started implementing FTTx access networks in the rising new suburbs around Cairo and Alexandria, and today we are celebrating our first Triple Play customer in Qatamiya area" comments Mr. Tantawy. He mentioned that the strategy of the company in the future is to continue rolling TE's fiber access networks to cater for the needs of high end and business customers.
Telecom Egypt's Chief Commercial Officer, Emad Elazhary added that optical access networks open a lot of opportunities to provide customers with integrated Telecom services targeting the "Smart Home" services that the company announced last year. These services include basic services like Voice, Data and IPTV in one bundle. These services are offered to customers in coordination with TE Data and utilizing existing content contracts such those with ART, the leading Arabic content provider. In addition customers can enjoy additional value added services that exist today over TE Live portal like Family Internet services, as well as online gaming.
Ahmed Ossama, TE Data's Managing Director added that "FTTx access networks is the ultimate in broadband access which avails additional services to customers in areas of e-education and e-health as well as the basic triple play services. Possibilities of new revenue streams include video conferencing services as well as security services. Additionally customers can control their home electrical appliances remotely making life easier and more secure."
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For further information:
Investor Relations Contacts
| Ahmed Fathallah | Mohamed Kamal |
| Director of Investment & IR | Internal Reporting & IR Manager |
| Tel: +202 3131 6699 | Tel: +202 3131 5219 |
| Fax: +202 3131 6115 | Fax: +202 3131 6115 |
E-mail: investor.relations@telecomegypt.com.eg
Notes to Editors:
Within this statement, we may make forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future performance of the Company. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. You should be aware that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the political, economic, social and legal environment in which Telecom Egypt operates. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the time of this release today. Accordingly, Telecom Egypt does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise other than as required by applicable laws, the Listing Rules or Prospectus Rules of the United Kingdom Listing Authority, the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority or the Egyptian Stock Exchange. The documents filed from time to time with these authorities may identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
About Telecom Egypt
Telecom Egypt (TE), Egypt's incumbent telecommunications operator, started its operations in 1854 with the first telegraph line in Egypt. Then it was corporatized in 1998 to replace the former Arab Republic of Egypt National Telecommunication Organization (ARENTO). The Company is the largest provider of fixed-line services in the Middle East and Africa with 9.8 million subscribers as at 30 June 2009.
TE provides retail telecommunication services including access, local, long distance and international voice, Internet and data, and other services. The company also provides wholesale services including bandwidth capacity leasing to ISPs, and national and international interconnection services. Telecom Egypt's services also include the provision of narrowband and broadband internet access through its subsidiary TE Data. TE Data has active operations in Egypt and Jordan.
TE currently participates in the mobile segment in Egypt by providing mobile interconnectivity through its current, increased 44.95% holding in Vodafone Egypt, one of the three existing Egyptian mobile operators. TE's shares and GDRs (Ticker: ETEL.CA; TEEG.LN) are traded on the Egyptian Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.