Landing station to provide alternative connection to the outside world for Qatar
Doha Qatar - Sunday, March 20th 2011 [ME NewsWire]
Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East’s first privately-owned submarine cable operator, along with its partner, Vodafone Qatar, announced the landing of its new cable at Vodafone’s international cable landing station just north of Doha.
Launching later this year, the GBI cable system is a high-capacity, fiber optic cable that will connect all the countries of the Gulf region to each other and provide onward connectivity to Europe, Africa and Asia. The system will provide an alternative connection from Qatar to the outside world, and significantly increase Qatar’s international call and data capacity. The cable landing near Doha is one of ten planned cable landings around the Gulf region, through which GBI will offer the most comprehensive geographic reach of any subsea network in the region.
Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Ahmed Mekky, Board Member and CEO of GBI said“GBI is pleased to be working with Vodafone to establish an additional landing station in Qatar. This cable landing is the first of two we will have in Qatar and keeps us well on track to launch our services later this year”, Mr. Mekky continued, “Qatar is currently experiencing incredible economic growth and this is driving a significant increase in international traffic. This new connection will be able to support forecast future growth and provide greater diversity.”
Over the coming months, the cable ship, “Responder”, will continue to install the GBI cable system, which is configured as a self-healing ring within the Gulf. The GBI cable system deploys several state-of-the-art technologies, such as new dual-stage repeaters and wavelength monitoring units.
Vodafone Qatar’s Acting CEO, John Tombleson, welcomed the event as marking a milestone for both Vodafone and for Qatar.
“The arrival of the GBI system in Qatar today marks an exciting new stage of national economic growth and growth in competition in the Qatar telecommunications market” said Mr. Tombleson. “The country has already had a taste of competition with the arrival of Vodafone’s mobile services in 2009 and now, using GBI to connect to the world, Vodafone is getting ready to bring competition to fixed services, helping us make a world of difference for all the people of Qatar.”
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About Gulf Bridge International
Gulf Bridge International (GBI) is a private company dedicated to connecting all the nations of the Gulf region to one another and to the rest of the world, using the latest fiber optic technologies. The GBI cable will be developed and owned by GCC investors who are building this strategic infrastructure to serve the entire region. GBI intends to be the carrier’s carrier of choice for traffic to and from the Gulf.
About Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C. Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C. ("Vodafone Qatar") is the holder of the Second Public Mobile Telecommunications Networks and Services license and the Second Public Fixed Networks and Services Licensein the State of Qatar.
Vodafone Qatar’s purpose is to “Make a World of Difference for All People in Qatar” by aiming to become “the most admired brand in Qatar.”
Please visit www.vodafone.com.qa for more details.
Contacts
Krikor Khatchikian
Telephone: + 974 5576 3965
Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations, Doha, Qatar
Email: Krikor.Khatchikian@cohnwolfeqatar.com
Media@GBIinc.Com
Lana Khachan
Media Manager
Vodafone Qatar
E-mail: lana.khachan@vodafone.com
Hesham Najiya
Account Manager
Cohn and Wolfe
+974 7774 6772
Email: Hesham.najiya@cohnwolfeqatar.com
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