Thuraya Launches Service in Ethiopia with a Grand Roadshow
21 June 2005
Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa– As part of a steady effort to work with the under-served telecoms sectors in Africa, Thuraya, the UAE-based regional satellite operator, is making major strides in the continent with its latest commercial launch in Ethiopia. Tying up with a satellite telecom distributor Afrospace as a service provider, Thuraya’s entry into this highly populous market promises to be a good example of complementing terrestrial networks through satellite offerings.
An agreement was signed earlier by Thuraya and Afrospace, by which the latter was appointed as the SP for Thuraya services in Ethiopia. Afrospace is a private company established in UAE with an office in Sudan, focusing on telecom activities.
The main objective of Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation’s (ETC’s) contract agreement with Thuraya is to meet the cellular telephone service needs of those mushrooming investors, entrepreneurs, miners and others situated at places inaccessible to the existing GPRS mobile services. Such a contact agreement is the second of its type next to ETC’s similar agreement it already made with another satellite operator to reach a large number of people in need of the service.
Announcing this new partnership and launch of commercial service in Ethiopia, the two companies have held a major roadshow today at the Hilton Hotel in the capital Addis Ababa, attended by local telecom sector officials, businessmen, public and private sectors’ representatives, NGOs personnel and the media. The inauguration program included a demonstration of Thuraya’s products and services to a selected group of prospective government and private sector customers as well as NGOs’ representatives. A press conference was organised later for the media to introduce the new commercial partnership and the role Thuraya services can play in supporting the country’s vital economical and social activities.
A dinner gathering was also hosted at the Hilton Hotel for a large number of government officials, businessmen and potential customers from various segments. Thuraya’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Yousuf Al Sayed, Managing Director of Afrospace Mr. Gamal El Din Eltayeb, and Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation Mr. Tesfaye Birru, participated in the event and addressed delegates and invited guests. Currently connecting the world’s largest base of mobile satellite subscribers, Thuraya will complement the domestic telecom network by extending its satellite based service bouquet to all urban outskirts and villages in Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia is a major country with a large population and has always constituted a priority for us in the African region,” said Mr. Al Sayed. ETC, African’s prominent telecom operator with the history of engagement in telecommunication sector for the last 111 years, has so far benefited over 350,000 mobile subscribers in the country and is striving to reach more and more in the recent future.
The partnership with Thuraya for Global Mobile Solution for satellite communication together with another satellite operator, will enable ETC to meet a mobile service needs of a tremendous size of people in Ethiopia through satellite communication solution.