Etisalat & Tata Communications Introduce Advanced Communication Services in UAE

Mumbai, India (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Leading Service Providers Jointly Provide Cutting-Edge Ethernet
and MPLS VPN Services to UAE and Globally

- Higher Bandwidth, Scalability and Easy Provisioning Key
Benefits of Ethernet Service

Etisalat, and Tata Communications, a leading provider of the new
world of communications and a part of the $62.5 billion Tata Group,
today jointly announced the launch of enterprise network services,
enabling to offer a range of dedicated Ethernet services to the
customers seeking connectivity in the UAE and globally. The
partnership enables Etisalat to extend its reach by offering Layer-2
Global Ethernet services into and out of the UAE, while Tata
Communications can now extend its global network coverage into the
UAE.

Tata Communications is the global leader in Ethernet services
portfolio. Etisalat can now leverage Tata Communications' Ethernet
portfolio to offer advanced network services to its customers who are
expanding globally into new and emerging markets, looking for a
service provider who provides the best connectivity options.

Tata Communications' MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum) certified range
of Ethernet services span across five continents and features Layer-2
Ethernet over SONET/SDH, Ethernet over MPLS and a range of
configurations to keep pace with the growth in customer requirements.
Ethernet today is an ideal choice for enterprises with growing
bandwidth and technology requirements, as it is cost-effective,
scalable, and a flexible solution for enterprises of all sizes.

Abdulla Hashim, Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat
said, "Etisalat's alliance with Tata Communications is a significant
accomplishment, in line with our strategy of partnering with leading
service providers to extend Etisalat's global footprint. Through this
partnership, Etisalat will offer benefits of dedicated end-to-end
bandwidth through a superior variety of global Ethernet solutions in
addition to offering value added services like Managed Disaster
Recovery, Managed Data centre services etc. to our customers."

Etisalat also plans to extend its global footprint by either
setting up its own nodes or by partnering with the best telecom
operators across the globe. Etisalat currently has partnerships with
15 major telecom providers worldwide since 2005 and has been
offering international connectivity solutions to major customers. By
partnering with Tata Communications, Etisalat has completed the loop
of reaching every corner of the world.

Tata Communications will now be able to extend connectivity into
the UAE for its Ethernet and global MPLS customers. Tata
Communications considers the UAE as a highly strategic market
experiencing rapid growth in international trade and business. Tata
Communications, with one of the largest submarine cable networks in
the world and a sophisticated array of managed services, would
further enhance the UAE nodes into a hub for its enterprise network
solutions in the Gulf region.

Both partners intend to build and offer a host of value-added
services including Telepresence, managed security services, CDN
(content delivery networks), Hosting and Managed Contact Centers into
the region. Tata Communications now has a new office in Dubai, in
addition to its existing office in Abu Dhabi.

Commenting on this partnership Vinod Kumar, Chief Operating
Officer of Tata Communications, "Expansion into the UAE in
partnership with Etisalat achieves a key milestone in our strategy of
building connectivity into emerging markets and being the provider of
choice, delivering seamless solutions to meet the varied and wide
spread network needs of our global customers."

Both providers will effectively collaborate to work on various
marketing and sales support activities in the UAE and globally to
develop and deliver innovative solutions. These solutions would be
targeted for key enterprise segments such as airlines, media, real
estate, logistics, banking & finance and other companies.

"We stand to realize long and lasting benefits from joining hands
with an acclaimed telecommunications provider like Etisalat. Their
expertise, experience in the UAE and their vast array of services
will be of high advantage to our customers expanding operations in
this region." commented Radwan Moussalli, Managing Director of the
Middle East and North Africa regions for Tata Communications.

For more details about Tata Communications visit
(http://www.tatacommunications.com)

About Tata Communications

Tata Communications, a member of the $62.5 billion Tata Group, is
a leading global provider of a new world of communications. The
emerging markets communications leader leverages its advanced
solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and
pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national and
Indian enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

Tata Communications' range of services include transmission, IP,
converged voice, mobility, managed network connectivity, hosting and
storage, managed security, managed collaboration and business
transformation for global enterprises and service providers, as well
as Internet, retail broadband and content services for Indian
consumers. The Tata Global Network encompasses one of the most
advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network,
with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 300 Pops, and
more than 1 million square feet of data center and co-location
facilities.

Tata Communications' unique emerging market depth and breadth of
reach includes a national fiber backbone network and access to
network in over 60 cities and 125 Pops in India, strategic
investments in South African converged services operator, Neotel, Sri
Lanka and Nepal and, subject to fulfillment of conditions precedent,
a 50% ownership in China Enterprise Communications (CEC) providing
full country VPN coverage in China.

Servicing customers from its offices in over 80 cities in 40
countries, Tata Communications is the number one global international
wholesale voice operator and number one provider of international
long distance, enterprise data and Internet services in India, the
Company was named "Best Wholesale Carrier" at the World
Communications Awards in 2006, "Best Pan-Asian Wholesale Provider" at
the 2006 and 2007 Capacity Magazine Global Wholesale
Telecommunications Awards and was awarded "Best Progress in Emerging
Markets" at the 2008 Mobile Communication Awards.

Tata Communications Limited along with its global subsidiaries,
(Tata Communications), is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the
National Stock Exchange of India and its ADRs are listed on the New
York Stock Exchange. (NYSE: TCL)

About Etisalat

Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the
United Arab Emirates since 1976. Since then, it has built up
state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure and taken a leadership
position of innovation and reliability among regional and
international operators.

Etisalat is one of the largest telecommunications companies in
the world and the largest operator in the Arab world headquartered in
the UAE (as per FT500 March 31, 2008).

Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East
and Africa, servicing over 80m customers. It also has Points of
Presence (PoP) in New York, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and
Singapore providing a truly global reach.

In addition to being the UAE's telecom provider, Etisalat has now
expanded to manage and operate telecom companies in Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger,
Togo, Republic of Central Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria , Indonesia
and Afghanistan. With shares in Sudan's 'Sudatel', Inida, Qatar's
Q-Tel and Thuraya, the satellite telephone service provider, Etisalat
is a key regional player that lends its expertise and resources
towards the betterment of information and communication technology.

Visit Etisalat at http://www.etisalat.ae.

Etisalat Contact:
Mohammad Okour
Mobile: +971-50-8815000
Tata Communications contact :
Harpreet Jabbara
harpreet.jabbara@tatacommunications.com

ots Originaltext: TATA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Etisalat Contact: Mohammad Okour, Mobile: +971-50-8815000. Tata
Communications contact : Harpreet Jabbara,
harpreet.jabbara@tatacommunications.com