ABU DHABI -- Etisalat Group signed a Network Infrastructure Sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with seven of the largest mobile network groups operating in the Middle East and Africa. The MoU will facilitate an initiative to proactively explore greater cooperation with respect to infrastructure sharing.

As part of the MoU, Etisalat Group will actively explore commercially negotiated agreements on passive infrastructure sharing, and where feasible from both technical and regulatory perspectives, active infrastructure sharing with Bharti Airtel, MTN Group, Ooredoo Group, STC Group, Orange, Vodafone Group and Zain Group. The MoU is intended to form a platform for other initiatives with operators outside this initial group.

The multi-operator cooperation is an outcome of discussions finalised during the recent GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It recognises the need for telecom operators to further optimise capital and operational expenditures as well as increase the penetration of mobile voice and data services to a wider spectrum of customers. Through this understanding, Etisalat Group aims to reduce its expenditure and environmental impact while improving its network coverage in Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Etisalat