Qtel on course for nationwide fibre network in Qatar

Qtel is confident the 18 month migration of customers from its copper network to a new HD enabling fibre optic network will begin by mid-2011, having now installed over 510 kilometres of fibre across Qatar.
“Once the fibre network is fully launched in Qatar, the internet experience will be transformed, with faster-than-ever internets speeds and the capacity to download huge volumes of data in a matter of moments,” said a company spokesman. “Qatar will have some of the fastest internet in the region, and the potential to add new and visionary services such as movies-on-demand and high definition television.”
The Persian Gulf state’s fibre-to-the-home project was announced in March 2010. Qtel, working in collaboration with ictQatar, has earmarked 600 million Qatari Riyals for the first phase of the project, to bring up to 100Mps connectivity to users via the replacement of the existing copper cable. Implementation of this commenced in September 2010, with China’s Huawei chosen as Qtel’s technology provider.
With the help of local young people, Qtel is currently researching and developing new satellite and on-demand entertainment services delivered over fibre with ultra-broadband speeds.
By March 2010, Qtel had achieved 60{e1f18614b95d3cd6e4b3128e1cd15d99b042a60a5a19c19b7a8e07e7495efa10} household penetration for its existing triple play broadband services, comprising the Mozaic TV platform, home ADSL and mobile broadband.