Etisalat and du Sign an MoU on Resource Sharing during National Emergencies

Under the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s (TRA) supervision Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) signed a MoU on Resource Sharing during National Emergencies at the TRA’s headquarters in Dubai. This MoU is a part of the adjustment process with the National Emergency Plan for the Telecommunications Sector (NEP-T) which was delivered to the licensees (Etisalat and Du) on June 2011. The plan aims for the coordination on actions and procedures among licensees to guarantee the sharing of resources in case of emergencies.
The MoU was signed by H.E. Nasser Bin Obood Al Falasi, Acting Chief Executive Officer for Etisalat and H.E. Osman Sultan, CEO for du. The MoU was witnessed by H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General. The MoU falls under the UAE Government Strategy 2011-2013 that aims to protect the homeland and enhance readiness for emergencies. The strategy recognizes the role that the telecom sector is playing to meet the UAE’s interests and future prospects to establish a solid competitive economy and sustainable infrastructure, and guarantee the continuation of the telecom sector services during emergency cases.
H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said, “Upon the launch of the NEP-T in June last year, we have set up a timetable for Etisalat and du in order for each entity to take on an adjustment process which will enable them to adapt to the plan’s requirements. The plan includes a draft for the agreement between the two parties that requires them to address the articles as part of the adjustment process. The agreement’s main goal is to guarantee the ability to coordinate a response towards any emergency including their absorption capacity or transference of services among them, in addition to sharing resources to meet the requirements of the NEP-T under the supervision of the TRA.”
“This MoU is certainly a big step for the UAE towards achieving the continuation of the vital telecom sector during emergency cases. The agreement also helps to accelerate the completion of all preparation required in this regard; we are sure that such preparations will be completed in the foreseeable future,” Al Ghanim added.
Upon signing the agreement, H.E. Nasser Bin Obood Al Falasi, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat, stressed that “Etisalat has made a concerted effort over the past years to deploy world-class technologies for the development of the nation. Through its past achievements, Etisalat has become an integral component of the UAE society which impacts as well as gets impacted by the dynamic changes in society. The integration between Etisalat and the UAE society has resulted in commitments that Etisalat – as a leading national organization in ICT sector – strives to achieve. The commitments focus on fulfilling the UAE’s strategy that aims to propel development in the country by ensuring readiness of the telecommunication sector and maintaining efficiency even during emergencies. The ICT sector plays an active role and bears a huge impact on other sectors in the UAE. Therefore, Etisalat has entered into this agreement to employ its technological capabilities, to help serve the telecommunication sector in the UAE during emergencies”.
“Telecommunications services are an integral part of people’s lives, and its service continuity is vital to our community’s safety. With the announcement of the NEP-T, we have undertaken all the necessary measures to ensure the continuation of telecommunications and information technology services across the UAE, as per the mandate of the plan,” said Osman Sultan, CEO, du. “Some of our finest talent manage our dedicated Disaster Recovery and Business Process Continuity unit, the nerve centre responsible for compliance with the NEP-T, regardless of the nature or magnitude of the exigency. To ensure the success of this plan, we intend to work closely with the TRA and other operators in the UAE to achieve the best results for the country, its people, and businesses.”