Etisalat and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Operations Limited., a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited., yesterday announced an agreement whereby China Unicom Hong Kong will join Etisalat's SmartHub to expand its regional reach.
China Unicom Hong Kong will expand its advanced data network capabilities through Etisalat's Smarthub, to provide advanced high speed data services, including IPLC/IEPL, MPLS-VPN, IP Transit, and one-stop connectivity solutions for carriers and enterprise customers in the Middle East and Africa.
Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President, Carrier and Wholesale Services, Etisalat, said, "Smarthub has been a strategic initiative by Etisalat. More operators and content providers appreciate the one stop shop for connectivity to the region that the SmartHub offers to them. We are of course delighted that China Unicom has joined SmartHub. We look forward to many more years of cooperation to enhance the customer experience."
Yuerai Ma, Executive Vice President, China Unicom Hong Kong, said: "China Unicom Hong Kong is delighted to take the long-term collaboration with Etisalat for premier regional connectivity and services to the next level. Smarthub has the capabilities to provide our company with the advanced communication services for our customers in the Middle East and Africa, especially the Chinese business communities. The rising significance of UAE's strategic position as the communication network hub for the Middle East and Africa region underpins the importance of this partnership in our expansion plan."
Etisalat's Smarthub is the region's largest capacity, content, internet and data hub in the Middle East. Smarthub provides regional access for global service providers and global access to the region. Smarthub includes the Middle East's first IPX for mobile operators and includes the region's largest portfolio of internet content. Smarthub IX (Internet Exchange) will extend the reach of Smarthub content services to the region. Connectivity to Smarthub is provided through a robust and diverse infrastructure of both regional and intercontinental cable systems.