YahClick, a unit of Al Yah Satellite Communication Company (Yahsat), has launched satellite broadband services in the United Arab Emirates, giving consumers an alternative service provider to the incumbents Etisalat and Du. The National reports that the satellite firm, owned by Mubadala Development Company, has partnered with SkyStream and Safa Telecom, which will distribute and market the services in the country. YahClick is aimed at business and corporate customers, as well as users in remote areas that do not have access to fixed broadband services. Packages for business customers range in price from AED600 (USD163) to AED2,500 per month, while consumer plans cost between AED220 and AED700. Maximum connection speeds of up 15Mbps downstream and 2Mbps upstream are on offer.
‘The main objective is to address the gap we have seen in many countries [where] terrestrial infrastructure is not available everywhere,’ said Shawkat Ahmed, the chief commercial officer at Yahsat and chairman of YahClick, adding: ‘Our focus is mainly on business users, but we also offer services to home users who may not have access to reliable, cost effective broadband.’ The satellite has coverage of 28 countries across the Middle East, Africa and central and southwest Asia, covering one billion people. At present, YahClick is live in eleven countries, including Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and South Africa.