Marking a milestone

Business conference calls in the region are set to become clearer, crisper and easier to deliver and decipher when a new high definition service becomes available in Bahrain.

VIVA Bahrain has revealed the progress it is making in building a Global Internet Protocol Exchange (GIPX) hub in the kingdom in partnership with British-based multi-national telecoms giant, BT.

The exchange will be an interoperability (the ability of making systems and organisations work together) service that enables fixed, mobile, legacy and next-generation networks to interconnect.

Further details about the plans were unveiled during the recent GITEX Technology Week at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

According to both companies, the hub, which is set to be launched in the first quarter of 2015, will attract global operators and provide end-users in the Middle-East and North Africa region with more choice, better services and higher quality communication.

Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, VIVA Bahrain chief executive officer, said: “GITEX gave us the capabilities to showcase our partnership between BT and VIVA Bahrain as well as its plans to develop and build the fourth Global Internet Protocol (IP) Exchange.
 
“We are developing a new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem for the region to provide Global IP connectivity between all GCC operators and other international markets. This will unlock business potential for all regional operators, attract global players to introduce new ICT services and also assist in growing their value-added services.

“This is a big milestone from an industry standard point of view. It puts Bahrain at the forefront of providing a backbone for the region and connecting it to the rest of the world. There are three other Global IP Exchanges located in Miami, London and Singapore and now in Bahrain.

“We are proud of this partnership and the support that we have received from the Government of Bahrain and the TRA.”

VIVA Bahrain, a fully-owned subsidiary of Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC), is targeting more than 100 operators in the MENA region and is confident that it will offer value as well as eventually having an impressive impact on consumers.

Wael El Kabbany, BT Global Services vice president, Middle East and North Africa, said: “What we are doing together is putting a platform that would help every operator across the region to reach out and serve their clients better.

“One service that consumers will pick up on is HD voice. Today, consumers understand what HD TV is, but haven’t heard of HD voice. What does it mean to have better quality phone conversations? Before in a conference call, for example, if two people are talking at the same time it’s not very clear. However, now both will be heard clearer than before. This is one of the services offered from the Global IPX.”

According to Mr Al Wetaid, the feedback from telecom operators at GITEX was positive.