Huawei has been chosen by Etisalat, the integrated service provider in the Middle East, to build a large-scale commercial Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network in the United Arab Emirates.

The planned GPON FTTH network by Etisalat would provide ultra high speed connectivity for families and businesses through the use of optical line terminal (OLT) and optical network terminals (ONT). These terminals can accommodate various application scenarios such as commercial buildings, residential apartments and villas. By the end of 2008, Etisalat expects its customer base with direct access to FTTH to be in the hundreds of thousands.

Etisalat has crafted an All IP strategy to drive business and network transformation, rolling out last-mile connectivity using FTTH to replace the current network with fiber optical technology. With Huawei’s cutting edge GPON FTTH solution, Etisalat can fully meet the current and future demand for ultra-high bandwidth access while delivering a better service experience for its customers.

Huawei will carry out an All-IP evolution strategy for Etisalat and develop reports and recommendations for all of Etisalat’s subsidiaries. Huawei will also present a technical and services roadmap based on revised All IP evolution Strategy and operational data.

Huawei also announced that its total number of HSPA/WCDMA contracts has exceeded 100 to date. In Q1 2008, Huawei won a number of large HSPA/WCDMA deals with carriers in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific and its GSM unit shipments increased by 20%.