The telecommunications operator du has doubled the speed of its broadband internet services, and is offering the fastest internet in the Middle East.
Last September, du was the first in the region to offer internet with download speeds of up to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). At the time, it was three times quicker than the fastest internet available in the UAE.
Yesterday, the company doubled its highest speed to 24 Mbps, 50 per cent faster than the best connection on offer from its competitor, Etisalat. It also announced that its customers would have their download speeds doubled at no extra cost.
Farid Faraidooni, the vice president for commercial affairs at du, said the new services were "a result of our continuous efforts to bring the very best available in broadband internet".
Only a small proportion of internet users will be able to take advantage of du's new offering. The UAE internet market remains split into local monopolies, with customers unable to switch between providers.
Users in the "new" areas of Dubai, such as Dubai Marina, Media City and Jumeirah Beach Residence, are served by du, with the rest of the country served by Etisalat.
Both companies say technical and logistical work needs to be done before they can support customers wishing to switch.
Osman Sultan, the chief executive of du, has said that it would announce a number of major new broadband initiatives for fixed-line and mobile users by the end of the year.
Etisalat is rolling out a national high-speed broadband network based on fibre-optic technology, which transmits information as beams of light.
The technology is capable of speeds of 100 Mbps and above, with almost no theoretical speed limit. But customers already served by the system can get a maximum download speed of 16 Mbps, 50 per cent slower than du's new service.
Ahmed Darwish, the head of Tamdeed, the Etisalat subsidiary rolling out the network, has said that internet speeds were partly restricted by the availability of international bandwidth.
Etisalat and du are investing in new submarine cables linking the country to Europe and Asia, boosting the UAE's capacity for international communications.
tgara@thenational.ae
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
