Etisalat Internet subscribers can now access broadband Internet in the skies
Etisalat and Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), today announced their intention to jointly deliver high-speed in-flight WiFi connectivity to Etisalat customers. Etisalat, through its Internet services and ICT unit eCompany, will be the first in the Middle East to offer high-speed wireless Internet connectivity on all aircraft equipped with the Connexion by Boeing high-speed in-flight Internet service. The service will be available to customers beginning in January 2006.
Dial-up and Al Shamil broadband Internet customers of eCompany will be able to access the Internet on flight through their WiFi-enabled laptops. They simply enter their current user name and password on the Connexion by Boeing in-flight portal to access the service in flight. Both Dial Up Internet and Al Shamil users can pay for their Internet surfing by receiving the Internet access charges in their monthly bill.
According to eCompany Senior Manager Abdulla Hashim, "We are very excited at the prospect of partnering with Boeing to provide high speed Internet access to our valued customers wherever they are flying, in any corner of the globe."
He added: "We understand our customers prefer to remain connected wherever they are. In addition to the wireless broadband Internet service - iZone WiFi Hotspots - which customers enjoy, we can now enable our customers to surf the Internet even in the skies. Users now can maximize their productivity in flight by accessing e-mail, chat and accessing their corporate network while relaxing in flight. Business executives, in particular, will find this service to be of great help. This service marks a new phase in the way Etisalat seeks to deliver convenience to its customers."
Connexion by Boeing Regional Sales Director Mike Woodward underscored the emerging importance of in-flight connectivity. "This agreement with Etisalat means that, for the first time passengers on Connexion-equipped aircraft traveling to and from the Middle East will have high-speed Internet access to the things that are important to them and will have the ability to pay for service using their existing Etisalat account. While business travelers may choose to access email or work, leisure travelers who regularly use the Internet as a form of entertainment will have additional choices for how to spend their time while traveling."
About Etisalat
Emirates Telecommunications Company, better known as Etisalat, is a highly successful provider of advanced telecommunication solutions, offering multimedia and value-added services in fixed line and mobile telephone service (GSM), internet services and e-commerce solutions as well as home entertainment. Its divisions and subsidiaries include a Internet and ICT services arm, Smart card manufacturing facility, a data clearing house, Contact Centre, several international submarine cable links as well as cable laying and maintenance ships, an international internet exchange, Academy, and cable television provider. One of the largest companies in the UAE with 11,000 employees, Etisalat is proud to serve more than 3. 7 million GSM subscribers, 1.2 million land line subscribers, and just over one million internet subscribers. The company has recently expanded its international telecoms operations with partnerships in Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
About Connexion by Boeing
Connexion by Boeing is, for the third year running, the recipient of the World Travel Award for World's Leading High-Speed In-flight Internet Services Provider. IDC wireless services analysts recently named Connexion by Boeing as one of the wireless companies to watch in 2005. Connexion by Boeing also is the recipient of Network Magazine's Innovation Awards 2005 honor for "Product Breakthrough." Through a broadband connection to an equipped airplane, high-speed Internet, data and entertainment connectivity is delivered directly to travelers in flight. The Connexion by Boeing service is available today on flights offered by Lufthansa, SAS, Japan Airlines, ANA, Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and El Al Israel Airlines. In addition, Etihad Airways and Austrian Airlines will install the Connexion by Boeing system on their long-haul aircraft in the near future. Connexion by Boeing also offers a high-speed connectivity solution for the business aviation market and has announced Teekay Shipping as its launch customer for the maritime market. For more information, please visit http://www.connexionbyboeing.com
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