UAE Integrated Telco Ready to commission first project at Al Warqa’a

du – the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider announced that it has been chosen by the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment as the lead telecom provider to provide Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) based triple-play telecom services across all its prestigious housing projects. Al Warqa’a, the first housing project to benefit under the plan, is ready to be commissioned across all of its 544 villas.

It has been also agreed that du will also roll out Triple-play services for villas at Oud Al Mateena and Al Barsha. The residents of all three prestigious housing projects which are reserved for Emirati nationals – Al Warqa’a, Oud Al Mateena and Al Barsha - will be able to enjoy high speed internet, IPTV, fixed line telephone services and IP telephony.

To ensure maximum convenience for the UAE nationals who will be benefiting from the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment projects, du will dedicate a customer service agent in the establishment keys handover site office of Al Warqa’a (phase 1) project to assist UAE nationals with subscribing to du triple-play services easily and conveniently.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial division, du, said: “This announcement underscores du’s commitment to becoming the partner of choice across all industries in the UAE, verticals as well as telecom. As an integrated telecom company we offer a host of triple-play services through our resilient FTTH network across all the three housing projects to bring a world of convenience and superior connectivity to the residents.”

On his part, Eng. Abdul Rahman Seifaei, CEO's Assistant for Projects Issues, noted: "In the MRHE, we aspire to extend the best and highest level of services to the UAE Nationals and to present them with fully-serviced houses. This is why we have joined hands with Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company, du, to use the latest technologies and cutting-edge innovations to equip these houses with the best telephone services."

He also added that Mohammad bin Rashid Housing Establishment translates the directives of the prudent leadership in regard with the importance of providing all needed services and comforts in the houses that are offered to the Nationals.

du landline customers will enjoy benefits such as Pay by the Second billing on all calls, simplified tariffs, 24 hour off-peaks, reduction of monthly subscription charges and a permanent waiver of monthly subscription charges for Value Added Services such as conference calls and Caller ID.

du Broadband customers will enjoy enhanced broadband packages with the addition of five email addresses and augmented mail box sizes.

Broadband 512 kbps – 250MB per mailbox

Broadband 1 Mbps - 500MB per mailbox

Broadband 2 Mbps - 1GB per mailbox

du customers opting for the basic TV package do not need to pay any monthly charges while they pay a lower price for the decoder. They also get a new TV package and a reduction in minimum subscription period.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by Emirates Communications & Technology Company LLC and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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UAE telecom Du banned internet phone service Skype

Thousands of people can no longer make cheap calls to family and friends abroad after UAE telecom Du banned internet phone service Skype, the latest in a string of recent internet restrictions rolled out by the operator.

Residents living in Dubai's free zones and freehold developments owned by Emaar Properties and Nakheel first noticed disruption to their Skype service last week, complaining that although they could access the Skype website they could not make phone calls over the internet.

In a statement emailed to ArabianBusiness.com, Farid Faraidooni, Du commercial executive vice president, confirmed a partial ban was now in place.

“Du complies with all the guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) with regard to content filtering. Accordingly, as per the TRA's instructions, only PC to phone and phone to PC communications are blocked - voice over internet protocol (VoIP),” Faraidooni said.

Du's actions appear to contradict comments made by CEO Osman Sultan in an interview with ArabianBusiness.com in April, in which he said subscribers would not lose access to Skype under new internet restrictions.

Du in April joined rival telecom Etisalat and began filtering internet content through the UAE proxy server. Previously Du subscribers had unfettered access to the web.

The proxy server blocks websites that contain content pertaining to pornography, alcohol, gambling, hatred, child abuse or terrorism, according to the TRA.

At the time Sultan said only websites with "offensive" content would be blocked under the new filtering policy.

The TRA is currently finalising new regulations covering internet access in the UAE, with the 'Internet Penetration Policy' expected to be published before the end of this year.

On Monday Du issued a press release offering cheaper international calls to its customers. For each second of an international call, customers will receive one fil of free credit.

The Freetime offer began on Monday and applies to Du mobile customers.

/ITP.net/

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Mobile customers receive 1 fils credit for every second of international calls

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, has announced the launch of its ground breaking Freetime offer. With Freetime du mobile users can receive free credit every time they make an international call to any destination.

For every one second of every international call, the customer gets one fils of free credit. So, for a one minute call they get 60 fils worth of credit.

This effectively means that a customer can save as much as 60% on international call rates depending on the country they are calling and the time they are calling.

The Freetime offer, which started on 2nd June 2008, will benefit all du mobile customers - Pay as you Go (prepaid) Monthly Plan (postpaid), Visitor Mobile Line and Business Mobile customers, during peak and off-peak times. The promotion does not include international calls made while roaming in other countries.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP of Commercial, du, said: “du is always keen to provide its customers with a unique communications experience that offers convenience and value-added services. The cost-saving offered by Freetime further underscores the value we place on each second used in communicating with loved ones, no matter how far away. Our customers now get the added benefit of actually building up their credit as they keep in touch with friends and family abroad.”

While the Pay as you Go and Visitor Mobile Line customers will be instantly credited after each call, Monthly Plan and Business Mobile Connect (Business postpaid) customers’ monthly bills will be offset with these credits.

All customers have to do to activate this service is call the toll-free Self-Care number 135 from their du mobile and choose option 6. Customers who activated Freetime last year will have the offer automatically activated this time. Mobile Connect (business postpaid) customers need to request for the activation of the Freetime offer through their company administrator.

Customers who are already enjoying discounted Me and Mine rates will also benefit from the Freetime credit.

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Double bonanza for UAE media professionals at MECOM 2008

Aligned with the government’s vision to support the development of media channels and in a first of its kind step, du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE announced today two exclusive initiatives for the media. The integrated telco unveiled an educational bilingual technology handbook, ‘voice of today… language of tomorrow’, for the visiting media at MECOM 2008. The handbook, which is set to be a reference for specialized media, includes over 500 telecom and technology English and Arabic terminologies alongside their explanations, benefits and features.

The publishing of the handbook coincided with the launch of an interactive online media-dedicated platform in the Middle East exclusively for members of the ‘du media club’. The ‘du media club’ website is exclusively dedicated to foster the development of media’s knowledge of the UAE’s telecommunication industry.

Launching the two initiatives, Osman Sultan, CEO du, said: “The new initiatives underscore du’s commitment to support His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s directions and vision of providing the journalists with the best working environment to enable them to deliver their work efficiently . It is also a thank you to the media who have partnered with us since day one of our operations. We hope that the media will find both the technology handbook and media club website informative and indispensible tools in their routine work.

“Our vision is to have the du media club website recognized as the most progressive platform for media professionals. Once again we seek the support of the media in providing us their valuable feedback and make these initiatives a success.”

The first initiative –‘Voice of today … Language of tomorrow‘ - is a concise advanced dictionary explaining telecom and technology English terminologies in both English and Arabic. The 380 page handbook, that will be updated annually, will be distributed to all journalists who visit MECOM and will be available upon request to any member of the media in the future.

The du media club website is the first initiative under Phase II of the development of the du media club that was launched end of 2007. It will support the knowledge growth of the UAE media reporting on the telecommunications industry. It is an interactive website that will be a source of varied information on the telecommunications industry to du media club members.

The website also has a blog, knowledge corner, a wealth of du press releases, photo gallery, monthly competitions and an opinion corner. The website can be accessed on www.du.ae under the media centre section by members of the du media club or directly log into http://www.du.ae/en/about/media-centre.html.

More about the du media club:

Launched in December 2007, the du media club is a dedicated online platform for media professionals in the UAE. Members of UAE media – that includes print, broadcast and web but within the editorial section are welcome to become registered members of the du media club. du Media Club members receive du news before anyone else on their du mobile line. In the near future, they will also receive local and international breaking news.

Members are given strict access to the du media club website, which provides rich content on telecommunications as an industry, du news and photo gallery. They also have an inopportunity to communicate with other fellow reporters in a specially designed blog that tackles important and hot telecom issues.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in

some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

www.du.ae

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Integrated telco currently building one of the largest FTTH networks in Dubai’s landmark new projects

du – the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider and the first company to roll-out a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) programme in the region is on its way to record continued success. The integrated teleco, who currently owns one of the largest FTTH networks in the world, is further expanding its network roll-out to cover unique and landmark developments such as Burj Dubai, Dubai Palm Islands, the World and Dubai waterfront projects. Future growths and expansion plans were discussed at one of the interactive sessions at the du stand during MECOM 2008.

du is the sole FTTH provider for most of the new real estate developments in New Dubai. Many Emaar, Nakheel and Dubai Holding mega projects are already enjoying du’s FTTH services in major developments since 2000.*

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “We were the first company in the MENA region to launch fully converged triple play services over FTTH in 2003 and also the first telco to launch IP based TV over FTTH network in the same year. I would also like to add that du was awarded the Cornerstone award for the ‘Best International Deployment of FTTH’ in 2006.”

During the course of the session at MECOM 2008, Mustafa Kaddoura, Vice President, Fixed Access Network Planning and Business Solutions, du, explained: “We have been at the regional fronts of offering fully managed services since 2000. Currently, we have 300,000 FTTH passed homes with more than 50,000 active customers using VoIP and IP TV in addition to high speed broadband using a fully converged network**. More than 30,000 IP phones have been deployed to 2000 du corporate customers during this period as well. Our managed multi-tenancy IP Telephony service is one of the largest deployments in the world.

All residential units within du’s “footprint” are currently served via FTTH. These are Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Jumeirah Islands, Dubai Marina, Emirates living, Discovery Gardens, International city, Arabian ranches, Burj Dubai and many other iconic projects.

What is FTTH?

Fiber to the home (FTTH), also called "fiber to the premises" (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses to provide unprecedented high-speed Internet access. FTTH dramatically increases the connection speeds available to computer users compared with technologies now used in most places. (Source: www.techtarget.com)

on 31 December 2005, du acquired the business and assets of Sama Communications Company, DIC Telecom (International Operations) and its technology division from TECOM Investments FZ LLC. Under this deal, du acquired a subscriber base of 19,100 containing both Enterprise customers and a consumer base. This gave the company a solid foundation to launch its strategic vision for integrated telecommunications services across the UAE.

**Passed homes are homes wired using Fiber Optics that easily connected to du’s network

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in

some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

www.du.ae

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du Centre a new innovative one-stop-shop

Further adding to the convenience and flexibility of enterprise customers, du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE announced today at MECOM 2008, a new business solution channel for enterprise customers called ‘du Centre’. The first two centres will open at Abu Dhabi and Dubai during the second half of 2008.

The innovative one-stop-shop offers current and new business customers face-to-face consultation by highly-skilled sales professional on how to improve their current telecommunications services and address business issues. The bank theme set-up ensures privacy and confidentiality of business customer’s information through one-on-one rooms in addition to a dedicated area to serve walk-in consumer customers.

Commenting on how the du Centre will further strengthen the partnership du has with its customers, Farid Faraidooni, Executive Vice President, Commercial, du said: “du Centre is an entirely new concept devised for our valued business customers. It will be the ideal platform for the company’s enterprise customers to see the latest telecom technology in action and get briefed on relevant upcoming developments.

“Our staff at du Center will be trained to listen and offer on-the-spot expert advice to our customers on the best mix of communications products and solutions to help them deliver business excellence and innovation.” he added

du Center is a down to the business expansion plan to address customer’s business issues as a compliment the telco’s current retail network of 17 du shops across the UAE in addition to over 1400 distribution points. Business customers will be offered a host of communication services to cater their needs, such as mobile products, fixed services such as TV, landline, Call Select services and broadband coupled with account management, new product updates and after-sales support.

Consumer services will include post and prepaid mobile products, SIM card replacement, sales of handsets, accessories, recharge cards in addition to service activation facility for added convenience.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007. www.du.ae

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du enriches Mobile TV with exciting new channels

du, the integrated telecom operator in the UAE, unveiled today a newly enriched Mobile TV service to subscribers across the country. The revamped offer provides new exciting channels including customised international, Asian and Bollywood music TV channels and extends flexibility of choice with multiple subscription options.

Apart from the introduction of new channels, du’s enhanced Mobile TV service also introduces a new dimension to rich media entertainment on your mobile with the launch of “Pay per view” service on your mobile for the first time in the UAE. This revamped offer will allow subscribers to select and view from a selection of episodes and video clips. Additionally, du subscribers will have the exclusive privilege of watching popular Freej episodes from Season 1 and 2 directly on their mobile phones.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “The enhanced Mobile TV testifies to du’s commitment to combining communication services with flexibility and competitiveness. Our unique new Mobile TV service offers customers the freedom to access 21 TV channels, stream videos, music and the popular Freej episodes anytime on their 3G mobile phones.

“Customers now have more flexible tariff plan options, where they can either subscribe to all channels or just a single channel of choice. To top it up, we have also introduced new TV channels as part of the package, such as Al Arabiya, MBC, Dubai TV, Sama Dubai, Rotana, Kairali, Zee TV, ABS CBN Channel 3 amongst other customized channels to meet the demands of the Western, Asian and Arab subscribers.” Sultan added.

The customized channels range between various genres, from entertainment and news to business and drama. Customers can pay a fixed monthly fee of AED80 and have access to all 21 channels. With flexible tariff plan options, customers can choose to view one channel for a month or have access to all 21 channels for one day for AED10 only.

List of channels on Mobile TV: Al Arabiya, Dubai TV, Sama Dubai, MBC, du Asian Music, du Cartoons, du Music, Rotana Khaleejiah, Rotana Moussica, Mazzika, Spacetoon, Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English, BBC World, Zee News, Zee TV, Kairali, ARY, Geo TV, ABS CBN Channel 3, Channel i.

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Du announces BlackBerry service

Although Etisalat rules the UAE market, underdog du has just announced their new BlackBerry services. The launch lineup is pretty extensive, and includes the BlackBerry 8700, BlackBerry 8100, BlackBerry 8300 and BlackBerry 8800.

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du exceeds the 2million customer mark in 15 months

du, the integrated telecommunication operator in the UAE announced today that it has exceeded the 2million customer mark. This milestone is achieved within 15 months from the launch of mobile services.

Osman Sultan, CEO du said: "This is an important milestone for us, these figures are evidence that du played fully its role in bringing real competition to the UAE telecommunication market”.

“I would like to thank each and every one of our 2 million customers for their valuable trust; and our main focus in the future is to continue providing more innovative services to them, this milestone would have not been possible without the dedication of the du family; starting with the Chairman and members of the board of directors, and of course the 1900 employees” Sultan added.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du said: "This achievement has spurred us on to greater heights. Our customers, both enterprise and consumer, can look forward to more innovative products and services from du, which will increase their convenience and comfort. We will also be expanding our retail network across the UAE to be more accessible to our customers."

In line with its policy to pioneer best practices and bring greater transparency into the market starting from the first quarter of 2008, du has begun to announce the number of active subscribers, as defined by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Under the TRA’s definition, any mobile customer who has made a call, or sent an SMS or MMS, or received a call within the last 90 days is considered an “active subscriber”.

Osman Sultan clarified: "We are committed to reporting the number of active subscribers as we did in our Q1 2008 financial results release and we will continue to do on quarterly basis”.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

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UAE integrated Telco sponsors exhibition’s media center for second year in a row

In line with its go-to-market strategy, du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, announced today it will host daily in-stand interactive technology sessions and panels during MECOM 2008. The leading telecoms exhibition and conference for the Middle East, will be held between 26-28 May, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The daily sessions will address current telecom topics and trends in the UAE’s communication industry including, services convergence, Wi-Max, Fiber-to-the-home and broadband. The company will also sponsor the exhibition’s media center to bring convenience and flexibility to media delegates and journalists attending the three-day exhibition.

Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, du, said: “MECOM is a very important communication platform for du to closely network with its enterprise customers and partners, in addition to providing opportunities to demonstrate our latest product portfolio to key audiences.

“We have ensured that our stand design reflects our friendly and welcoming brand values to provide the ideal atmosphere for our trade visitors to conduct business, relax and network.”

du’s welcoming stand will showcase a mix of interactive digital content to visitors. The stand will also house knowledge-booths and products demo pods displaying animated product tutorials and digital product brochures.

The functional media center is designed to accommodate over 65 journalists and will be split into a news room and a chill out area for media to hold their interviews and network with the event’s participants.

du’s fully-equipped media center will comprise workstations, laptops, and desktops in addition to landline and fax services, internet connectivity, multi-function printers, photocopiers and scanners. On-site IT support will ensure smooth work flows for the journalists.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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du Rocks Musical Community with Bon Jovi Live in Abu Dhabi

In-line with the series of musical and entertainment concerts which have seen international, regional and Asian artists perform for the first time in the Middle East, du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE is once again entertaining music fans with rock legend Bon Jovi, who will be performing live on 20 May at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Lucky du customers will have the chance to win 50 standard tickets to the concert by simply using their mobile line in an exciting text message competition.

Commenting on the eagerly awaited show, Hala Badri, Vice President, Corporate Communications, du, said: “Our customer base is a diverse one and we want to provide everyone with entertainment that will appeal to them directly. We are also pleased to be adding to the rich entertainment sector of the UAE by bringing rock legend Bon Jovi to perform live in Abu Dhabi for the first time. ”

Fronted by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s. Over the past 25 years, Bon Jovi has sold over 120 million albums worldwide, including 34 million in the United States alone. du has recently presented stage concerts for international, local and regional artists AR Rahman, Justin Timberlake, Elton John and Amr Diab, as well as the ‘Salaam India’ concert with well-known Indian playback and classical singers Asha Bhonsle, Dr. K.J Yesudas and S.P Balasubramaniam.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

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du announces financing facility

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) today announced committed financing arrangements to drive increased network investments.
The company today announced an AED3bn medium term syndicated loan facility to finance its network expansion over the coming years.

Osman Sultan, the CEO of du, said “We are pleased to have secured our medium term funding requirements through working closely with Mashreq whom we have appointed to lead the transaction on our behalf. The faster acquisition of subscribers, and consequently increased revenue, over and above that included in our initial business plan has led us to pull forward certain capital expenditure. This financing facility will enable us to roll out our network infrastructure faster so that we have the increased capability and capacity required to deliver our services to more customers across the Emirates”

Omar Bouhadiba, Head of Corporate & Investment Banking Group in Mashreq said, “We are delighted to be working with du; in underwriting this facility we have shown our commitment to the second telecom operator of the UAE. We are very pleased to lead the transaction for one of the foremost listed companies in the country, which carries behind it the ownership strength of the UAE Government. In a very short period of time, since its inception, du has surpassed all expectations and built up an envious franchise. Having led a number of high profile transactions in recent months, Mashreq will employ its vast experience and network to secure a successful syndication for du”.

It is expected that the facility will be syndicated to local and international financial institutions over the coming 3 months.

About du

du, the new telecommunications company in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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du Announces Winner of 'Let Your Dream Mobile Application Out' Competition

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE and Microsoft, have announced the results of the 'Let your dream mobile application out' Competition that was organized for students of Colleges and Universities in the UAE in Feb 2008. The competition comes as part of du’s corporate social responsibility strategy to encourage creativity in UAE youth. The five teams who made it to the final round were Ajman University; American University of Sharjah; Dubai Women’s College and BITS Pilani University.

BITS Pilani University was presented with this year’s award in the category of Social Networking, for their winning project, a GPS Enabled Advanced Social Planner. The planner allows all information about an event to be sent along with a map to the person invited, with the option of sending an RSVP as well. The application facilitates organizing and managing events and was developed for individuals and businesses. The students are also working on integrating the application with events happening on Facebook.

du was also awarded a commemorative trophy by software giant Microsoft for its efforts and support to the Imagine Cup.

Receiving the trophy on behalf of du, Hala Badri, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications at du said: “At du we believe in the importance of the role that CSR plays in society. Our CSR strategy is committed towards the UAE youth and we are helping them unleash their creativity through the 'Let your dream mobile application out' Competition, with an aim to create a new generation of mobile applications developers.”

Commenting on their success, the winning BITS Pilani students said: “We were keen from the start to present something that is unique and can easily be used and spread around. We exerted all our efforts in this application and we are truly thrilled with the success we have achieved and are very grateful to du for organizing this competition that really does unleash our creativity. The prize money will also help us in further developing the application and moving forward with creating new ones.”

The winning students are Mohammed Sajjad, Mukundh Vasudevan, Vignesh Sundaresan and S. Sivagurunathan.

du presented each member of the winning team with a gift voucher from Plug-ins worth 3500 Dirhams. Second place winners received vouchers worth 3000 Dirhams and third place winners got 2500 Dirhams vouchers. Fourth and fifth place received each 2000 Dirhams vouchers for each member of the team.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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UAE Telco part of consortium of 16 international telecom operators bringing diverse submarine capacity into the region

du, the integrated telecom operator in the UAE announced that it has signed a construction and maintenance agreement (C&MA) to build the first direct, high-bandwidth optical-fiber submarine cable system from the United Kingdom to India. The Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable system, which will cost more than US$700 million, will significantly enhance capacity and diversity between the countries of these regions. It brings in considerable diversity and bandwidth into the Middle East while providing global access to operators in the region.

The agreement forms a key part of du’s international strategy to position itself as a hub for regional telecommunication services. EIG also gives du the ability to provide its triple play customers with added diversity and resilience for voice, data and video services.

Explaining the need for such a strategic investment, Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “The project will bring resilience and diversity to du’s network and position the UAE as a regional business destination with broadband capacity feeding into the country through diverse entry and exit points. The cable will be accessed through a new landing station in Fujairah and will offer an additional cable landing station into the UAE adding diversity to the existing facilities from telecoms operators in the country.”

Commenting on the benefits of the international partnership, Andrew Grenville, EVP International & wholesale, said: “This next generation fiber-optic cable agreement underscores our commitment to becoming the telecom partner of choice. There is a world-wide growing demand for international capacity and EIG will meet the high bandwidth requirement and provide diversity for our traffic to Europe and the Indian subcontinent which are key destinations for our voice and data traffic."

The EIG cable system, targeted to be operational in second quarter of 2010, is a 15,000 kilometer (9,000 mile) system that will connect 13 countries and three continents. Landings are planned in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Gibraltar, Morocco, Monaco, France, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman, United Arab Emirates and India.

In addition to serving these regions, the EIG cable system will also provide seamless interconnection with other major cable systems connecting Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The system will utilize state-of-art next-generation technology that is designed to provide up to 3.84 terabits per second (Tbps) using dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to provide upgradeable transmission facilities that support Internet, e-commerce, video, data and voice services.

The EIG cable system will also complement existing high-bandwidth cable systems in the region, providing much-needed diversity for broadband traffic currently relying largely on traditional routes from Europe to India. This is important from a disaster recovery point of view. The EIG cable system, with its large bandwidth and high-quality transmission technology, will help meet the present and future growth in telecommunications traffic between the targeted regions.

Other global operators that are part of the consortium are AT&T; Bharti Airtel; BT; C&W; Djibouti Telecom; Gibtelecom; IAM; Libyan Post, Telecom, and Information Technology Company; Mauritius Telecom; MTN Group Ltd; Omantel; PT Comunicações, S.A.; Saudi Telecom Company; Telecom Egypt; Telkom SA Ltd and Verizon Business.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

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du Announces its First Quarter Results

Revenues of AED756.5 for the First Quarter of 2008
Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) today announced its first quarter’s financial results for 31 March 2008.

Financial highlights:

The company reported revenues for the quarter ended 31 March 2008 of AED756.5m an increase of 18% from the previous quarter (AED 639.7m) and 313% from the comparable quarter in 2007.

Mobile revenue for the quarter has increased on the back of the successful subscriber acquisitions made in quarter 4 2007; this increase in our customer base has resulted in a 20% quarter on quarter revenue growth. Fixed line revenues also continue to show significant growth posting a 19% quarter on quarter increase reflecting the continued expansion of the company’s fixed line network

Ahmed Bin Byat, Chairman of du said: “du continues to achieve its declared targets and has once again demonstrated a successful operational performance in the first three months of 2008. We are confident this performance will continue to improve and add value to du’s clients as well as its shareholders.”

du’s total number of mobile customers at 31 March 2008 reached over 1,757,000 mobile customers. However, according to its policy to pioneer best practices and in order to bring greater clarity into the market, du will starting from this quarter, releasing the active subscribers’ number. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has published a definition of mobile subscribers in line with world wide standards. Under the TRA’s definition, any mobile customer who has made a call, or sent an SMS or MMS, or received a call within the last 90 days is considered an “active subscriber”. du is pleased to announce that its active subscribers reached 1,403,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du said: “We are on track to achieve our target market share of 30% earlier than the declared three years, as can be seen by the excellent growth of our customer base and the performance of our company”

Gross margin in the quarter was reported at AED464.4m (61.4%), an increase of 25% from the previous quarter (AED370.2m and 57.9%). Gross margin improvements have been assisted by the international inbound roaming which the company has been able to and continues to attract onto its network

Whilst driving the expansion of the company through revenue growth the management has remained focused on ensuring that this is not achieved at the expense of efficiency; this has been demonstrated in limiting quarter on quarter growth in overheads to 3.4% whilst growing revenues by over 18%.

For capital intensive industries, where depreciation and amortisation can be significant, it is common practice to reference the performance of a company to its Earnings Before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA). In this respect the company reported an EBITDA of AED1.6m for the quarter, compared to a negative AED79.2m in quarter 4. This is a significant milestone in the company’s history which has been achieved earlier than analyst’s expectations.

The overall results of the company for the quarter was a loss of AED61.7m compared with a loss of AED146.6m incurred in Quarter 4 2007.

The Company continued its capital expenditure programme covering both the fixed and mobile networks and invested AED490.7m in the quarter.

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du receives 3,800 CVs at Careers UAE 2008

du, the new telecommunications operator in the UAE, announced that a record 3,800 CVs were received from visitors to the du stand over three days, at the recently conducted 8th Annual Careers UAE 2008. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, visited the du stand.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, du said: “Our participation in Careers UAE 2008 & the previous career fairs is an important means of getting in touch with National talent, enabling us to qualitatively increase the Emiratization percentage in the company.”

“Our participation provides us with new insights which will assist us in constantly updating our Emiratization programme, as we remain committed to supporting His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's vision of providing attractive opportunities for Emirati jobseekers,” he added. "A dedicated team from du’s National Recruitment & Development department will process the CVs and contact the candidates to brief them on the available opportunities."

The CVs will be assessed and channelled through two avenues at du: Direct recruitment for those that have the necessary qualification to fill vacancies available, and through 'Masar' the Training Programme and Development Plan for fresh graduates.

Located in Zabeel Hall at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the du stand was designed to allow young UAE nationals the opportunity to evaluate their professional competencies and gain insights into du as the employer of choice.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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du is Exclusive ICT Provider at Global Travel and Tourism Summit

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, has been selected as the exclusive communication technology provider at the first ever Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Dubai. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the event will run from April 20-22 at Madinat Conference Hall, Madinat Jumeirah Resort.

du will provide full telecommunications services, including wired and wireless internet (WiFi), IP Telephony and mobile telephony. Furthermore, du will host the summit’s Business Lounge, a place for delegates to work comfortably or simply relax. The business lounge will be open to all trade visitors, speakers and delegates attending the three day event. The integrated telecom operator will also host and broadcast the summit’s webcast, and audio and video recordings of the session’s highlights and conclusions.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “This is an ideal platform for du to showcase our quad-play capabilities, since tourism and communication have something in common – they bring people together and bridge divides. We are very proud to be part of such a high-level gathering which will bring world leaders from the industry to Dubai, the most exciting travel destination in the Middle East.”

The Global Travel & Tourism Summit is organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council and is considered the highest level gathering of Travel & Tourism leaders in the world. The Global Travel & Tourism Summit has been held previously in Portugal, USA, India and Qatar. (PR)

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du to showcase Emiratization efforts at Career Fair 2008

Announcing its participation at Careers UAE 2008 for the third consecutive year, du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, is continuing its focus on recruiting UAE nationals, in line with the UAE Governments' efforts in this direction. The Telco will also be announcing strategic partnerships during the course of the Career Fair. The 8th Annual Careers UAE 2008 will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 15-17 April, 2008.

The du stand (Z-G1) at the Zabeel Hall, has been specially designed to allow maximum comfort to participants, so they can apply for jobs and submit their CVs conveniently & efficiently. Members of du's UAE National Recruitment and Development Department will be present to provide candidates with advice and assistance. The ergonomically designed stand will have several other interactive facilities providing glimpses of the du work environment.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Executive Vice President, Human Resources said: “du has always worked towards being the employer of choice, by ensuring nationals get the best opportunities with regard to their career development. We have even created a dedicated Emiratization department for this purpose. Our participation at this year’s Careers UAE is a key step in our mission to increase the local talent base at du. UAE nationals represent the largest segment among du employees and we will continue with this trend.”

Al Hassawi added that du is extremely particular about the overall career development of the Emiratis it employs, and places a lot of importance on training and specific learning tools essential for professional advancement. du is establishing itself as the best place for nationals to not only begin their careers, but also to broaden their professional horizons. He emphasized that du is a young company which is dynamic and provides employees with room to grow, by offering them training & skills development programmes. This has resulted in du attracting high calibre professionals.

Locals comprise over 22% of the employees at du, with 40% of the Executive management consisting of locals.

du received over 4,400 applications from candidates at Careers UAE 2007. The company anticipates a bigger response this year, with a greater number of qualified graduates entering the job market. The 2007 Careers UAE attracted over 17,000 visitors over three days. (PR)

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du testing in-Flight services with Swiss provider OnAir

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, has begun the testing phase of its in flight connectivity services with OnAir, a pioneering provider of mobile phone services to airlines. The international roaming agreement is in line with du’s commitment to offer innovative and convenient communication services to its users, wherever they are.

Switzerland based OnAir offers passengers in-flight access to their du mobile phones and PDAs. Designed to enable mobile phones to operate at minimum power level, the system has no impact on any of the aircraft systems or subsystems. OnAir currently has agreements in place with Air France, bmi, TAP, Royal Jordanian, Kingfisher Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines Air Asia and Air Asia X.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “OnAir's commitment to offering customers the freedom to stay in touch anywhere echoes du's promise to provide maximum comfort and convenience to our customers, wherever they are. We are very excited about this new channel of communication for our customers and look forward to successfully building up this service in tandem with OnAir."

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said: “OnAir is the leading inflight passenger communications provider, with the service being based on Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband satellite communications solution. In the Middle East, we have announced a deal with Royal Jordanian Airlines and we expect to announce more customers in the coming weeks. And this roaming agreement with du means we now have roaming agreements with over 50% of the mobile phone operators in the region as well.”

OnAir enables customers to use their handsets the same way they do when travelling abroad. Passengers can instantly make and receive calls in addition to sending and receiving text messages, from the moment they switch on their mobile phones. They can also send and receive emails using their PDAs, as well as download attachments.

Mobile phones must be international roaming enabled. The service requires no additional subscription. Regular roaming rates will apply to call and text messages charges.

du’s OnAir services will be launched as soon as the testing phase is successfully completed.

du completed the soft launch of their in-flight services on Qantas and Emirates Airlines through their international roaming agreement with UK based AeroMobile, earlier this year. The agreement between du and AeroMobile was signed in January 2007. Testing was completed in May 2007, with the first SMS from a du Prepaid Line sent via AeroMobile in February 2008.(PR)

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du introduces off-peak rates on Saturdays

du on Wednesday announced plans to slash rates for Saturdays.

"In a move to create convenience for the large expat community in the UAE, du, the UAE's new telecom operator has announced the introduction of all-day off-peak rates on Saturdays," the company said.

This offer will come into effect from March 22 and will be valid for a limited period only.

"This is in addition to the current off-peak international rates on Fridays and during specific hours on weekdays," du said.

"du mobile customers save upto 53 per cent on international call charges during off-peak times. Saturdays are weekends in most parts of the world and du customers can now stay in touch with their loved ones and friends over their weekend, when it is more convenient for them to receive calls," it said. Source

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