• Existing Broadband customers can enjoy reduced monthly subscriptions for first three months
• New Customers enjoy first month for free along with free installation  

Abu Dhabi, 30 August 2010: Celebrating the Holy month of Ramadan, Etisalat has announced an attractive offer for both existing and new customers of its eLife double play and triple play services giving them the opportunity to experience value added features and benefits on TV, Internet and landline.

Existing Etisalat’s broadband customers planning to migrate to Etisalat’s eLife double play or triple play services benefit with reduced monthly subscriptions for the first three months. New customers can enjoy the first month for free along with free installation when they sign up for any of the eLife service packages, saving as high as AED 719 on the maximum speed package (30MBps) and installation charges.

Etisalat’s eLife double play service offers fixed broadband Internet with high speeds up to 30 mbps and landline services in one bundled offer, while the triple play service bundles double play along with great entertainment through IPTV, all of which is delivered through a single access network.

“Keeping in mind the ever-changing lifestyles and needs of our customers, Etisalat has introduced the eLife service offers, thereby presenting them with the opportunity to experience and enhance their lives through super-fast internet speeds, voice calls and rich entertainment through HD IPTV,” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Etisalat.

“Etisalat has established a reputation of a telecom service provider that is continuously innovating and identifying new ways for enhancing customer experience. We have invested in the futuristic fiber technology to bring benefits of world class services to our customers. We assure them that the eLife services will give them a truly transformational experience in terms of their digital lifestyle and connectivity needs, all at a great value.”

Table: eLife Double Play and Triple Play promotion

eLife’s double play and triple play services not only provide enhanced savings to customers, but also gives them the convenience of maintaining a single account and delivering significant value through its integrated customer service, combined value-added services, one-time installation and single bill payment. The eLife service offers a set of Internet features such as email boxes, anti-virus protection and hotspot hours, based on customer needs and preferences, for a usage period of three months.

Both eLife double play and triple play customers also stand to benefit by receiving:
- Extra hours of Wi Fi hotspot high-speed Internet access away from home, of up to 16 hours every month,
- Free caller ID,
- Voicemail access and
- Free 20 minutes of IDD to any international destination or STD per month.

New customers subscribing to, or upgrading their existing single or eLife double play package to eLife triple play package (8 Mbps and above) can enjoy watching all matches of the Barclays Premier League on AD sports channel for the entire year without additional charges.

Customers can simply call 800-77-666 or visit any of Etisalat’s Business Centres and Outlets across the UAE to apply for the service.

For more information on eLife packages, customers can call 101 or visit www.etisalat.ae.

Total revenue $570.7m up 12.2% (2009: $508.7m)

Dubai – August 10, 2010 - Inmarsat plc (LSE: ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has reported consolidated financial results for the 6 months ended 30 June 2010.

Andrew Sukawaty, Inmarsat’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our first half performance continues to show the profitable growth in the markets we serve and we are well-positioned to deliver our growth objectives for the year. In June, we successfully launched our global handheld satellite phone as planned. The announcement today of our investment in the new Inmarsat-5 constellation positions us to expand our leadership in the global MSS industry. Both of these developments demonstrate our strategy of investing for growth in the markets we serve best.”

Rick Medlock, Chief Financial Officer, added. “The continued growth in both our cash flow and profitability strongly support the 10% increase in dividend announced today.  Taking into account our new capital investment plans and the anticipated performance of our existing business, we are confident that our dividend growth can be sustained at the current rate for the next three years.”

During the first half our maritime revenue growth was impacted by the challenging economic climate in shipping. However, new additions of Fleet and FleetBroadband terminals have remained strong throughout the period and provide a positive forward indicator of demand for our maritime services. In addition, during the second quarter, we saw some improving trends in our maritime data business and we remain optimistic for improved maritime performance in the second half of the year.

Our land mobile sector revenue growth was driven by demand for our BGAN service and was boosted by additional BGAN demand in response to the earthquake events in Haiti and Chile in the first quarter. During the second quarter, we experienced a slowdown in BGAN demand in connection with lower usage levels in Afghanistan. Usage of our BGAN service in Iraq and Afghanistan has historically been volatile and resulted in fluctuations in revenue growth from time to time. 

Strong aeronautical revenue growth was driven by particularly high levels of usage of our Swift 64 service. New additions of SwiftBroadband terminals remained strong throughout the first half and now far outstrip new additions of Swift 64 terminals, demonstrating market acceptance of this important service.  Our leasing business growth was driven by new leasing business across our business sectors.

Outlook

As a result of our business performance in the first half and the successful launch of our handheld global satellite phone service, we remain on track to deliver solid revenue growth in 2010. We are also announcing a target average annual revenue growth rate for our Inmarsat Global MSS revenues of 5-7% for the period 2010 – 2014 (using the revenue for 2009 as the base year).

• Targeting a $1.4bn incremental market opportunity
• Significant capacity pre-commitment from Boeing
• Global services to iPad-sized antennas

Global Xpress Logos

Dubai - August 9, 2010 – Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, today announced that it has agreed a contract with The Boeing Company (“Boeing”) (NYSE: BA) for the delivery of three state-of-the-art 702HP Ka-band satellites.  The Inmarsat-5 constellation will enable Inmarsat to provide a unique global high speed mobile broadband service offering. 

With operations expected to start in 2014, Inmarsat-5 will support a next generation global service, Global Xpress, which will target a $1.4bn incremental market opportunity in VSAT services.  Global Xpress will address the established, growing markets for VSAT services in the Maritime, Energy and Government sectors, with further growth potential in developing markets such as the Aeronautical sector.  Global Xpress will deliver seamless global coverage and unprecedented mobile broadband with speeds up to 50MB/s, to customer terminals from 20-60cm in size. 

Inmarsat will target $500m of annual Ka-band revenues 5 years after global service launch.  Under a separate arrangement, Boeing has agreed to become a distribution partner for both Inmarsat’s Ka- and L-band services and has pre-committed to capacity purchases representing more than 10% of Inmarsat’s target Ka-band revenues in the first five years after global service launch.

Inmarsat estimates that the total cost of Inmarsat-5 and Global Xpress will be $1.2bn over 4.5 years, incorporating the fixed cost of the satellites, as well as the cost of additional ground network infrastructure, product development, launch services and insurance.

Andrew Sukawaty, Chairman and CEO of Inmarsat, said: “This is a new investment for new growth.  With the Global Xpress network, we will be the first operator to offer global mobile broadband coverage, offering unparalleled speeds and bandwidth to customers in remote locations around the world.  Global Xpress will be faster and less expensive than current Ku-band market offerings, delivered to smaller and cheaper terminals and be the first offered on a seamless, global, end to end basis with high quality of service.  Picture 50MB/s services to a ship or aircraft and 10MB/s to an antenna the size of an iPad (20cm). 

Inmarsat-5 will also complement our existing global L-band services, allowing us to offer unique hybrid packages using both networks, giving users unprecedented levels of resilience and reliability in remote and harsh environments.”

Rick Medlock, Inmarsat’s Chief Financial Officer commented: “We expect the Inmarsat-5 programme to be largely funded from our internally generated cash flows and, with significant available liquidity today, we see no immediate financing needs.  In connection with the Boeing contract, we are seeking Export Credit Agency financing support from the US Ex-Im Bank, which could provide an attractive source of long-term debt.  Given the multi-year build phase and the strong free cash flow from our existing business, we believe the peak impact on our ratio of net debt to EBITDA will be less than 0.5.

Furthermore, as a result of our investment in Inmarsat-5, we will move to a more gradual replacement of our L-band network, resulting in a deferment of more than $500m of our previously planned replacement expenditure over the next 11 years.”

Shahla Abdul Razak and Mustafa Al Shareef inaugurating Etisalat Outlet at DSO

Dubai, August 9th , 2010 - Etisalat today announced the opening of its dedicated outlet at the Dubai Silicon Oasis, the region’s leading technology hub, to offer priority based services to its free zone customers. Operational from 09:00hrs to 17:00 hrs, Sunday to Thursday, the new Etisalat outlet will benefit all companies operating at the free zone employing more than 2,500 people.

The inauguration was held in the presence of Shahla Abdul Razak, Deputy CEO of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) and Mustafa Al Shareef, Senior Vice President Sales - Etisalat, as well as business partners and employees.

The launch of the Etisalat outlet is part of an agreement between Etisalat and DSOA aimed at delivering enhanced ICT services for tenants at the Freezone with direct access to Etisalat services on a priority basis.

Customers will have options to choose from, including a free Smartphone offer

Abu Dhabi, UAE – August 3, 2010: Etisalat today responded rapidly to the announcement of the TRA to suspend BlackBerry services on October 11 and unveiled valuable, alternative mobility packages for its existing BlackBerry customers who were subscribed to the service as of July 31, 2010. The new packages offer bundled services such as SMS and MMS as well as mobile Internet data services and offer value far in excess of the monthly fee.

The basic package includes 1,000 local and international SMS and MMS messages and mobile data packages. Customers further have the choice to receive either voice calls of up to 550 minutes per month, or to sign a 12-month contract and receive a new Smartphone for free with no up-front payment.

“Since the moment we received notification from the TRA to suspend BlackBerry services, our teams have been working tirelessly to produce a range of packages which offer comparative or better value to our existing BlackBerry customers,” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Etisalat.

“Our first priority was to develop a package which will ensure a seamless migration for existing BlackBerry customers to the new Etisalat alternative packages on October 11, 2010. We then designed them so that they maintain similar or improved functionality ensuring continuity of service. We also offer our customers a choice of different package options which should suit various needs.”

Etisalat’s basic package which will be offered to all existing BlackBerry customers, will provide a bundle of data and telecommunications services to replace those previously offered. For example, a subscriber to Etisalat’s Unlimited Global service who used to pay Dhs 295 per month, will now pay only Dhs 260 per month and receive 1000 local & Intl. SMS and MMS messages, unlimited local data downloads and 10MB of roaming data. These services have an equivalent monetary value of up to Dhs 2,500 per month.  

On top of this, all current BlackBerry subscribers are eligible to receive a free Smartphone from leading manufacturers with no upfront charges, with a 12-month contract. This means that they can avail of a completely new and modern device at no upfront cost, at a similar or lower monthly fee. As an alternative customers can choose to take voice calls under a different package with a value of up to 550 minutes. 

Ahmed bin Ali, Group Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications said: “These packages have been developed with the BlackBerry customer in mind. We have looked at the services which they use most often, and have replaced them with comparable services from our wide portfolio. We have also ensured that the volume and value of the services on offer are greater than the expected usage to ensure our customers enjoy a similar experience. Our aim is to create a seamless migration to the new alternatives.”

The new packages are powered Etisalat’s latest mobile broadband technologies – 3.5G Using the Etisalat packages, customers will now be able to download data at up to 21Mbps depending on the customer’s handset.

For further information, please visit www.etisalat.ae/blackberry.

Abdulla Hashim

Offers the ultimate mobile IP solution for businesses, accessible from ANY mobile device, to make ‘Anytime Anywhere Business’ a reality

Provides significant savings through initial 3 Months rental waiver on 100 MB, 1 GB, 5GB and 10GB Mobile Business Data Package

Dubai, July 27th 2010: In its commitment to make mobility a reliable, simple and affordable choice for all businesses in the UAE, Etisalat today announced significant savings on its mobile business data package. Beginning July 26th till August 25th businesses subscribing to Etisalat’s 100MB, 1GB, 5GB and 10GB Mobile Business Data packages, can benefit from an initial three months rental waiver, getting consolidated savings of up to AED 1185, per connection.

Etisalat’s Mobile Business Data Service is a flexible mobile IP service that enables businesses to operate anytime, anywhere, on the move. The Mobile Business Data service allows a corporate user to access the Internet and the corporate intranet, through any mobile device (which is enabled by GPRS, EDGE, 3G or 3.5 G), providing a secure, efficient and cost effective solution. Built on Etisalat’s 3.5G network, the service provides wireless IP communication speeds of up to 7.2Mbps to effectively access a variety of critical business centric applications.

The service allows businesses to function through a secure and dedicated mobile IP network to access their corporate information, such as corporate email, Lotus Notes, and Intranet. The service also provides access to a variety of industry specific business applications such as:
• ATMs / Kiosks / Vending Machines
• SCADA System
• Automated Meter Reading
• Fleet Management & Vehicle Tracking
• Intranet and Internet Access (through Wireless Routers, PC Cards, USB, PCMCIA)
• Point of Sale Solutions
• Security, Alarms & Surveillance Systems
• Parking Terminals
Commenting on the service, Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat said:  “In today’s dynamic environment, accessing information on the move is a critical competitive differentiator for businesses. Etisalat’s latest offer for Mobile Business Data package will not only empower businesses with instant access to information but also provide a secure IP communication channel through a world class mobile broadband service. Etisalat’s Mobile Business Data service is a secure, highly scalable and a cost efficient solution for businesses looking for anytime, anywhere, business connectivity. ”

Etisalat’s Mobile Business Data promotion is valid for ‘Per SIM’ package, for businesses subscribing to the service for one year. Per SIM package provides businesses with the option to link any number of SIM cards to the corporate account, where each SIM card has its own dedicated data access capacity and billing.

For more details, customers can call 8005800 or contact their respective account managers.

• Signs one year strategic partnership, launches new season during the Holy Month of Ramadan

Abu Dhabi, 26 July 2010: Etisalat today announced its official sponsorship of Shaabiyat Al Cartoon, an animated Arabic cartoon series which will premiere its fifth season on Sama Dubai TV in the Holy month of Ramadan. The announcement was made at a signing ceremony between Etisalat and Fanar Production, the company responsible for producing the series. The announcement marks Etisalat’s one-year strategic partnership with Shaabiyat Al Cartoon.

A new season of Shaabiyat Al Cartoon is launched on Sama Dubai TV each Ramadan, with a new 15-minute episode aired every day after iftar. ““Etisalat has always supported initiatives that highlight the best of Emirati culture and continues to encourage such creative platforms reaching out to the youth of this nation. Shaabiyat Al Cartoon is a wonderful showcase of our social lives  and cultural values ; and we hope audiences enjoy the opportunity to connect with their favourite characters in a new season once again this year, starting in the Holy month of Ramadan,” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Etisalat.
 
Through this sponsorship, we are also delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan and help spread awareness about Emirati culture, traditions and lifestyle across the multi-cultural population living in the UAE,” he added.

According to Haidar Mohamed, Co-Founder and General Manager, Fanar Production, “We are very happy to announce this partnership with Etisalat. Etisalat has been supporting us over the years and this relationship has now become stronger with the sponsorship of Shaabiyat Al Cartoon for the entire year. We look forward to reaching a bigger audience and satisfying our loyal fans with the active support of Etisalat.”

Etisalat adds to the excitement by giving fans the chance to download Shaabiyat Al Cartoon anytime, now available on Etisalat’s Greetune service at www.etisalat.ae/portal/Greetune. Customers can subscribe to receive Shaabiyat Al Cartoon videos, ringtones and wallpapers by sending SMS ‘SHA3BIA’ to 1110, subscription charged at AED 5 per week.

In addition, Etisalat will introduce a specially developed micro-site under ‘Etisalat Mobile Portal’ that is dedicated to Shaabiyat Al Cartoon. The portal will allow customers to enjoy various ringtones and wallpapers of the cartoon. Customers can simply visit http://mobile.weyak.ae from their mobile devices to download any content.

Shaabiyat Al Cartoon is based on a group of Middle Eastern families and individuals living in Dubai and portrays their lives and traditions in a very humorous and engaging way. Comprising of 24 unique characters from local and Middle Eastern origin, each with their own unique accent and habits, the cartoon has attracted an increasingly loyal fan following across the Middle East.

The most popular characters are Shambee, Afari, Atooga and Bo Mhayeer who can be seen in each episode. Conceived by Haider Mohammed, the series has also gained international recognition and there are plans to put the animation in English subtitles for a global audience to enjoy Middle Eastern and Emirati culture while gaining a better understanding of the same.

Customers upgrading or subscribing to eLife triple play packages of 8Mbps or above can watch all the live action at no additional cost

Abu Dhabi, 25 July 2010: Etisalat today announced the launch of its Abu Dhabi Sports Package on eLife and E-Vision. Football fans can catch the live broadcasts of all 380 matches played in the upcoming Barclays Premier League  in full high-definition (HD). The excitement of the Barclays Premier League is scheduled to begin on August 14.

Starting today, the Abu Dhabi Sports Package will be available at no additional cost, to any new customer subscribing to, or upgrading their existing single or eLife double play package to eLife triple play (Internet, fixed-line and TV service) for Master (8Mbps), Premier (16Mbps) or Max (30Mbps) packages. All other eLife triple play as well as E-Vision customers can enjoy watching the Barclays Premier League for only AED 29 per month for a 12 months subscription.

The Barclays Premier League will be available for customers to watch with both English and Arabic commentary, programming and analysis of the matches. Customers can watch their preferred match on any of the six channels that will broadcast all 380 games, live in HD. These include two Arabic channels - AD Sports 3 and AD Sports 4; and two English channels – AD Sports 5 and AD Sports 6. Two additional channels, AD Sports 7 and AD Sports 8, will relay matches in English or Arabic when more than four or five matches are being played at the same time.

Commenting on the new package, Khalifa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Etisalat said, “Etisalat is committed to bring the best possible services and entertainment to our customers, especially when it comes to enhancing their overall home entertainment experience with the broadcast of exciting global sports events. To add to this, we’re staying ahead of the curve by making sure that they get to enjoy them in high definition. HD technology introduced through Etisalat’s eLife triple play and E-Vision packages has already been met with great customer enthusiasm and we are confident that football fans in the UAE will enjoy an equally thrilling experience of watching the Barclays Premier League in HD with the Abu Dhabi Sports Package.”

He further added, “The Barclays Premier League is one of the most popular sports events, and we hope that the availability of Premier League matches via the Abu Dhabi Sports package will be an added incentive for TV viewers to enjoy HD quality entertainment.”

“This is in line with our efforts to support and partner with the sport locally and globally by giving our customers the privileged opportunity to watch the Premier League, not only on TV with eLife and E-Vision packages, but also the possibility of winning and watching it live from the stadium through our partnership with Manchester City Football Club (MCFC)”, added Al Shamsi.

Customers and Man City fans stand a chance to win by simply subscribing for MCFC news alerts through SMS ‘MC’ to 1110.

Humaid Sahoo Al Suwaidi, CEO of E-Vision said, “By offering Abu Dhabi Sports package through E-Vision, Etisalat is now offering the entire bouquet of options to football fans in the UAE, especially fans of the European leagues who can now subscribe and enjoy our services.”

New customers to E-Vision will get FREE installation, Decoder, Maintenance and access to all 300 channels for two weeks

summeroffersmall-PR Image

Dubai, 24th July 2010: E-Vision, part of Etisalat and the leading cable TV provider in the region, today announced an attractive summer promotion for new customers subscribing to E-Vision packages will get FREE installation, decoder, and maintenance. The promotion starts today and continues till September 15, 2010.

New customers to the E-Vision will also have the chance to access to all of E-Vision’s 300 TV channels from all the premium channels providers namely OSN (Orbit Showtime Network), ART, e-Pehla, e-Firstnet, TFC and Pinoy for two weeks. Customers can call 101 or 800101 to subscribe to the promotion.

Existing customers can also enjoy the two weeks unlimited access to all channels offer provided they upgrade to a higher package or add a second premium package to their current subscription.

“E-Vision is constantly looking at ways to offer a more affordable cable TV experience and offers like these are a great opportunity for customers to enjoy their favourite channels,” said Humaid Rashid Sahoo, CEO, E-Vision.  This latest promotion provides great value to our customers who can now look forward to an unmatched cable TV experience with the best programming across the industry backed by our commitment to the highest standards in customer service and quality.”  
  
E-Vision is the leading regional source to offer over 300 TV channels, in 21 different languages, ranging from sports to movies, from documentaries to music and kid’s channels. E-Vision’s product line-up includes more than 15 premium packages from all the major TV providers like OSN, ART, Pehla, Firstnet, TFC, Pinoy Plus and many more, in addition to the E-Vision Basic package.

VP-Mktng Comm receives Superbrands Award

Dubai, 21 July 2010: Etisalat was awarded ‘Superbrand’ status in the UAE, at the Superbrands’ tribute event that was held yesterday (Tuesday) at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City to honour the UAE’s strongest brands. The award demonstrates Etisalat’s distinct set of brand values characterized by a strong focus on innovation, reliability, value, customer-centricity and the firm commitment to breaking new ground in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Commenting on the award, Haitham Al Kharusi, Vice President of Marketing Communications said, “Superbrands awards the UAE’s top brands and we are glad to receive this honour in recognition of Etisalat’s core brand values and achievements in the UAE for over three decades, as a reliable and trusted partner to consumers and business, offering benefits of convenience, coverage and value till date.”

Al Kharusi added, “Etisalat has been a fabric of society since the 1970’s. It is a brand that listens to and communicates with its customers in a clear, direct way with utmost importance to honesty, fairness and transparency, while also welcoming their valuable feedback and suggestions every step of the way.”

As  a brand to reckon with, the company  has made the UAE one of the most connected nations, with 7.8 million mobile customers on its network, 1.28 million subscribers to the fixed line network and 1.39 million Internet users. The penetration of mobile phones service in the UAE has now exceeded the 200 percent mark, the highest in the region, and comparable to the highest in the world.

Etisalat has invested over AED 5 billion to build the first revolutionary fiber-optic network in the UAE, enabling a whole new entertainment and communication experience for its consumers through its eLife services and offers.

The company’s mobile users enjoy the region’s fastest broadband speeds over its extensive 3G network and a range of services and applications such as GPRS, HSPA+, Blackberry and others. It is also the first UAE operator to launch both, the revolutionary iPhone 3G and 3GS in 2009, as it did for BlackBerry services in 2006. The Internet and broadband reach in the UAE is yet another significant achievement compared to the regional and international averages.

Etisalat has also created strong global associations through a prudent investment  strategy and acquisitions in emerging markets such as Sri lanka, India, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Ranked among the Fortune Global 500, Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, servicing over 107 million customers out of a total population of approximately 2 billion people.