Ericsson in Exclusive Broadband Deal for Flagship Saudi Tech City
Ericsson is to supply, build, integrate operate and manage multiplay communications infrastructure for Saudi Arabia's high-tech flagship, King Abdullah Economic City. The five-year sole-supplier partnership agreement with Emaar, developer of the smart-city project, is the first for an end-to-end fixed network in Saudi Arabia.
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KAEC Financial Island, a computer-generated picture
This turnkey agreement award breaks new ground in Saudi Arabia as Ericsson's first GPON- enabled IPTV contract, the first fiber optic contract and the first fixed-network IMS contract where Ericsson provides systems integration and network rollout services. The contract brings together products from Ericsson's major acquisitions - Entrisphere, Marconi, Redback and TANDBERG Television - and the company's telecom services portfolio.
The network will provide innovative services - using latest GPON fiber-to-the home technology, enabling advanced multimedia services for TV, PC and telephones. Services such as IP telephony, movies-on-demand, personalized TV, Super fast Internet and data services are being provided at competitive prices for King Abdullah Economic City's 2 million residents.
Fahd Al-Rasheed, CEO of Emaar the Economic City, says: "This partnership sets the foundation for King Abdullah Economic City to be the world's first truly smart city."
With a total development area of 173 km² (66.8 sq mi), the city is located along the coast of the Red Sea, around 100 km north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of the kingdom, and the total cost of the city is $26.6 billion.
Posted to the site on 28th August 2008
