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Dubai: Nedaa, a government-run wireless communications service provider, on Tuesday launched its operation after it gained last month the approval from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to serve private companies in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Nedaa chief executive Saeed Obaid Bin Abed Al Muhairi said that in five years, they will expand their operations to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as they aim to become a world-class provider of radio communications services to the public and private sectors.
Using radio waves, the company's service allows its subscribers to make conference or individual calls at low costs. People can also send text messages through the system, while companies like taxi operators can avail themselves of a tracking system. The service is coded and the subscriber can block other users to ensure confidentiality.
Al Muhairi said their service will enhance internal communication of an organisation and is ideal for companies in oil and gas, courier, restaurants delivery, taxis, factories, real estate sites, government departments, airports, free zones and tourism agencies.
Overlapping
Although some of the services are similar to the ones offered by mobile phone operators, Al Muhairi said they will not compete with or eat into the markets of etisalat and du.
"Our service is totally different. We have radio communications [system]. Our primary role is to provide group calls to enhance internal communication, whereas etisalat only has individual or person-to-person call service. And this is useful during natural disasters or emergencies, as it will enable departments or people involved to coordinate and communicate among themselves," Al Muhairi told Gulf News.
The company has been providing service to government organisations in Dubai since 2002, but it was only in June when it got the TRA's go-signal to serve the private sector.
"Many people had sought our service earlier, but we couldn't do it. We used to give service only to the government. Private sector companies, especially those who are into safety and security, can now subscribe to our service. If they're really private, we have to get approval from the TRA," Al Muhairi said.
The government organisations that have signed up for the network include Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Ports Authority, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, Ajman Civil Defence and Sharjah Police.
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