Etisalat puts mobiles on faster track

The speed of the mobile internet in the UAE is set to double following the launch by Etisalat of the country's next-generation broadband network.

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Etisalat says its high-speed service - which allows for streaming videos and viewing high-definition YouTube clips over a smartphone - will help it cash in on increasing demand for the mobile internet.

It offers data speeds of more than 100 megabits per second - more than double the best connection offered by the existing 3G service.

Matthew Willsher, the chief marketing officer at Etisalat, said there was "exponential" growth in demand for mobile data.

"Mobile data is a huge opportunity for growing revenue," he said. "We're growing at approximately double a year. Our number of smartphones is increasing very fast as well."

The so-called 4G network - the fourth generation of mobile phone broadcast standards - covers most of the main urban areas of the UAE, with a wider service being launched next year. A small group of users will start testing the new network over the next couple of days.

"In about a month we'll be making the service available to all customers right throughout the country," said Mr Willsher.

Consumers will initially be able to access the 4G network by using a "dongle", which plugs into the USB port of a computer.

Retailers are also gearing up to stock 4G-compatible phones, which Etisalat forecasts will hit the market over the next six months.

Etisalat's mobile-internet network uses long-term evolution (LTE) technology, which is sometimes referred to as "4G" for marketing purposes.

Nasser bin Obood, the acting chief executive of Etisalat, said the company had invested Dh6 billion (US$1.63bn) in both its next-generation mobile and fibre-optic networks.

"We are proud today to launch the LTE network in all major cities," said Mr bin Obood.

It is believed the 4G network cost just a fraction of Etisalat's Dh6bn infrastructure investment. But analysts said it could provide one of the operator's most important revenue streams in the future.

"Data is the growth area really," said Matthew Reed, a senior analyst for the Middle East and Africa at Informa Telecoms & Media.

"In terms of people having SIM cards, the UAE mobile market is pretty saturated. So they really need to make as much in the way of finding growth in other areas, and data is one of the key ones," he said.

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, is among the first markets in the world to offer 4G services.

"It certainly shows that the UAE and Middle East is keeping pace with technologies in other parts of the world," said Dino Wilkinson, a partner at the law firm Norton Rose in the Middle East.

"That's a feature of telecoms in the more emerging markets. They have those sort of legacy systems. Sometimes you find that they do leapfrog in terms of technology," said Mr Wilkinson.

Earlier this month, three operators in Saudi Arabia claimed the crown for launching the region's first 4G network, as STC, Mobily and Zain Saudi all announced the "region's first" 4G networks within days of each other.

A representative of Etisalat said its network was the most comprehensive, designed for mobile use, and operating to a different standard than the Saudi Arabia networks.

"We're very excited to be certainly the first in the country with LTE, and the first in the region with mobile LTE," said Mr Willsher.

Etisalat's rival du said this year it was also gearing up to launch a 4G network, although not a nationwide service. The company did not comment yesterday.

bflanagan@thenational.ae

gvanzyl@thenational.ae

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
not be younger than 25 years old
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

On Women's Day

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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Match info:

Burnley 0

Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')

Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)

Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199

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T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures

Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman

Wednesday, October 30

Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia