Network access solutions provider Zhone Technologies has announced that Du, an integrated telecoms service provider in the UAE, has selected its Multiple Access Line Concentrator (MALC) Multi-service Access Node (MSAN) to deliver a range of IP access services to its fixed line customer base. Du selected the vendor’s solution to provide voice, Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM), ADSL2+ and ISDN BRI over IP to its residential and business customers as part of its IP network initiative. The solution enables Du to rapidly migrate to new IP services without stranding end-customers or network assets. ‘Our vision is to deliver both our existing and new customers all services over IP while ensuring their investment protection,’ said Tariq Al Bahri, Du’s vice-president of fixed access networks, adding, ‘Zhone’s multi-service platform allows us to offer a wide breadth of services from a single box.’
Du was formed in December 2005 as a public joint-stock company with a capitalisation of AED4 billion (USD1.1 billion). The company is 80% owned by its founder shareholders; the Ministry of Finance owns 40%, with the Abu Dhabi Mubadala Development Company and Tecom Investment (a government investment body) owning 20% each. The remaining 20% was purchased by private Emirati investors following an IPO in April 2006.