Milestones
April 18
Thuraya signs first Service Provider in Asia-Pacific region- APSI of South KoreaMarch 19
Thuraya releases the most advanced handset in the mobile satellite services industry- Thuraya SG-2520January17
Thuraya receives the CMMI Level-3 quality certification from the U.S.-based Software Engineering Institute.
October 18
Thuraya officially releases its second-generation handheld phones SO-2510
August. 22
Thuraya makes an high-speed Internet connection using a SO-2510 handheld satellite phoneFebruary
Thuraya tests live calls over the satellite using new Thuraya GEN2 phones
2005
January 16
Successful First Call Testing of Thuraya’s Generation 2 Handset
March 7
Thuraya Launches Services in Kuwait
March 14
Thuraya Launches Crew Calling Solution
April 2
Thuraya Launches Satellite Services in Algeria
April 12
Thuraya Launches High-Speed Satellite Data Service “ThurayaDSL”
September 25
Thuraya Introduces 2nd Generation Satellite Phones at GITEX 2005
November 23
Thuraya and UAE Air Force Sign MoU for Aeronautical Network
2004
February
Thuraya Introduces New Version Handsets- Hughes 7101
May 3
Thuraya Achieves Coverage Area Expansion Southward in Africa
November 28
Thuraya Launches Maritime Solution
2003
March 3
Thuraya and M2sat Launch a New Mobile Broadband Service…
March 31
Thuraya Reaches 100,000 Subscribers…
May 3
Thuraya Develops More Payphone Solutions With Intracom
June 11
Thuraya 2 Satellite Launched Successfully
October 13
Thuraya Announces Coverage Expansion
2002
January 5
Thuraya Extends its European Network To Service Andorra
January 19
Thuraya wins award at the Middle East IT Awards Ceremony
January 21
Thuraya Signs Final Acceptance With Boeing
February 4
Thuraya Forges Strategic Alliance
Heralding its Entry into Saudi Arabia
February 11
Thuraya Forms Strategic Alliance for Entry into Nepal Signing With Constellation PVT. LTD as its Service Provider
April
Thuraya Signs with Eurodis Enterprises LTD for its satellite services in Liberia
Thuraya Concludes SP Agreement with France Telecom Mobile Satellite for Germany
Comtech Communication Technologies Signs SP Agreement with Thuraya for Monaco
Bin Butti Group and SOCODI SARL Signed a Service Provider Agreement with Thuraya for Niger
May 7
Guinea Ecuatorial Communications, Sociedad Anonima Signs Up as a Service Provider in Equatorial Guinea
June 19
Thuraya To Launch Second Satellite in January 2003 and Contracts Boeing To Build Third Satellite
July 3
Thuraya Marks First Year Anniversary Of Launching Commercial Services
September
Thuraya Demonstrates Mobile Broadband Services in IBC 2002
October 13
Thuraya at GITEX 2002
October 14
Thuraya Launches Rural Telecommunications Solutions
October 16
Thuraya Introduces Prayer Service On Phones
October 21
Thuraya Marks Launch Anniversary…
November 30
Thuraya Introduces Vehicular Docking Adaptor
2001
February 18
Pan-Telecom signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Ukraine
February 28
TDCom signed as Thuraya’s service provider in France
March 18
Partners Company Ltd signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Yemen
March 19
Danisat Ltd. signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Nigeria
July 7
TM SAT signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Russia.
July 15
Thuraya signs license agreement with Egyptian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)
July 16
Oman Telecommunications Company (OmanTel) signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Oman
July 21
Satlink signed as as Thuraya’s service provider in Spain
August 5
Thuraya Signs up Danisat as its Service Provider in Gibraltar
August 13
Nationlink Somalia Becomes Thuraya’s Service Provider
August 22
Thuraya signs License Agreement in Jordan
August 25
Offshore Telecom PLC is Service Provider with Thuraya
September 8
Thuraya obtains License Agreement in Pakistan
November
Thuraya Signs Service Provider Agreement with Benin
December 5
Thuraya Signs up Service Provider in Chad
2000
January
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with SatCom Distribution Ltd. of United Kingdom.
February
Thuraya participates at “Saudi Communications 2000” in Saudi Arabia.
Thuraya to launch its satellite services in Syria with STE.
March
Thuraya’s Chairman speaks at Arabcom in Beirut, Lebanon.
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with TWC for Italy.
April
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with Bhutan Telecom of Bhutan
May
Thuraya to launch its services with Tunisie Telecom for Tunisia.
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with The Ministry of Post and Transportation (MPT), Algeria’s national telecom operator.
June
Thuraya to launch its services with Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) for Iran
July
Thuraya to launch its service in Sri Lanka with MTN Networks of Sri Lanka
September
Global Communications Services Romania S.A signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Romania.
October
Danimex Communication Ltd was signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Denmark.
Scancom Limited as Thuraya’s Service Provider in Ghana.
Spacetel Guinee as Thuraya’s Service Provider in Guinea.
October 21
Thuraya launched its first satellite successfully on 21st October 2000, from the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
November 5
GloCall BV signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Netherlands.
November 5
GloCall BV signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Belgium.
November 5
GloCall BV signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Luxembourg.
November 1
Telecom Industry Corporation (TIC) signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Cameroon.
November 11
Orbita-Plus signed as Thuraya’s service provider in Kazakhstan.
December 10
Matel signed as Thuraya’s service provider Mauritania.
1999
July
Thuraya successfully raises US $600 million through a consortium of four banks.
October
Thuraya participates at Telecom 99 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Thuraya hosts First Operators Review Meeting.
Alcatel awarded contract to supply Intelligent Networks (I) platform and add value added services
Thuraya chooses Sea Launch to deploy its regional satellite system
November
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with Alkan of Egypt.
Thuraya hosts “The GMPCS Regional Workshop” on “Licensing and Commercial Issues” for Arab Countries.
December
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with Kuwait.
1998
February
Thuraya and Hughes Space and Communications International Inc. hold the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) to review the design of the Thuraya mobile satellite system.
March/April
Thuraya takes part in the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC ‘98) in Malta.
April
Thuraya approves the selection by Hughes Space and Communications International Inc. of Hughes Network Systems (HNS) and Ascom Corporation of Switzerland for the manufacture and development of the Thuraya handheld terminals.
Thuraya holds its first forum for potential service providers, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
June
Thuraya participates in the first meeting between Arab states and the Conference of Europe’s Post and Telecommunications (CEPT) in preparation for the 2000 World Radiocommunications conference.
July
Thuraya and Hughes Network Systems and ASCOM of Switzerland, finalise the design of Thuraya’s user terminals.
Thuraya hosts its Debt Financing Forum for the underwriting of US $ 600 million. It was attended by 31 local and international banks, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Thuraya and Hughes Space and Communications (HSC) hold the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) to review progress on the implementation of the project. USA
August
Thuraya participates in the Emirates Expo-Baku Exhibition in Azerbaijan.
Thuraya breaks ground on the construction of its Primary Gateway in Sharjah, UAE.
The General Telecommunications Organisation of the Sultanate of Oman (GTO) joined the Thuraya consortium with a stake of 1 percent, the equivalent of US $5 million.
September
Etisalat becomes Thuraya’s first service provider, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
November
Thuraya signs service provider agreement with Qatar Telecom (Q-Tel) in Qatar.
Thuraya and Inmarsat, the global mobile satellite communications operator sign a Memorandum of Understanding to explore matters of mutual benefit.
Thuraya becomes member of the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) aimed at boosting its industrial and regulatory relations with other operators.
Sudan Telecommunications Company (Sudatel) joins Thuraya’s regional consortium with an equity stake worth 0.2 percent or US 1 million.
Thuraya participates in the International Telecommunications Union Rapparateurs meeting to discuss country codes, portability and other issues, in Helsinki, Finland.
Thuraya completes the Critical Design Review (CDR), which gave the approval for Hughes to go forward with the design of the satellite system.
1997
April 15
The incorporation of Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company for an initial capital of US $ 25 million.
August
Total capital is raised to US 500 million as eight new shareholders join the company.
September
Thuraya signs a turnkey contract with Hughes Space and Communications International Inc. to build and supply the Thuraya satellite and all related components, for a total cost of US $ 1 billion.
December
Thuraya hosts the 2nd Regions 1 & 3 Multilateral L-Band MSS/ GSO Intersystem Coordination Meeting, and signed the MoU between ITU Regions 1 & 3 L-Band operators.