PARIS -- Following a MoU signed on 2 July 2008, Etisalat and France Telecom signed a cooperation agreement covering Digital Home services, content, international networks and Enterprise solutions.

Etisalat will acquire a 16.6% stake of SoftAtHome, a joint venture launched by Thomson, Sagem and France Telecom to develop software solutions for triple-play services in the Digital Home. Etisalat will adopt SoftAtHome solutions for its future broadband deployments. Both groups will collaborate on the roll out of multiple-play solutions from the technical and marketing points of view.

According to Mohammed Hassan Omran, Chairman, Etisalat: “We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with France Telecom. Value-added, multiplatform services are a key component of the future of the telecommunications industry. Combining both Etisalat and France Telecom’s expertise in this area will significantly advance Etisalat’s ambition to delight our customers across our footprint. This agreement also paves the way for Etisalat and France Telecom to cooperate on acquiring rich multimedia content such as pay per view television – films, sports or events - which will further enhance our service offering in the UAE and internationally.”

Didier Lombard, Chairman and CEO, France Telecom, adds: "We are extremely pleased to have Etisalat as a strategic partner. This cooperation expands again the vision of convergence and Digital Home rolled out by France Telecom. I am convinced that telecommunication players have an increasingly important role in shaping multiple-play trends based on the needs of our customers. I am also happy to join forces with Etisalat in content as we both believe that this is the fuel of our networks”.

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