Dubai: In line with its promise to showcase futuristic solutions at Gitex, etisalat yesterday announced plans to upgrade its national high-speed HSPA+ technology in collaboration with Huawei and Qualcomm, to deliver data super downlink speeds of up to 42.2 Mbps, during the last quarter of 2010.
"Customers want a mobile broadband experience that's easy and as good as their connection at home," said Khalifa Al Shamsi, senior vice-president of marketing for etisalat.
"Etisalat already has a nationwide 3G network, covering 99 per cent of the UAE's populated area and this year, we are upgrading our national HSPA+ network to support faster speeds and give customers a superior wireless data experience when they access their mobile social network, stream videos or share content. Etisalat's network is primed to deliver the speeds that today's data users crave."
The announcement comes within less than a year of etisalat's launch of 21Mbps speed mobile internet in January 2010.
Enhanced services
The enhancement to 42.2 Mbps speed confirms etisalat's leadership in the region to provide customers with the latest services on its nationwide mobile network.
To derive maximum benefit of the advanced HSPA+, customers can avail of technology-compatible devices such as etisalat's HSPA+ routers, 3G USB modems and smart device bundles. The number of HSPA+ subscribers is expected to reach one billion users by 2012.