Fibre to the home

Qtel has begun to implement FTTH (Fibre to the Home), to connect homes in Qatar with high-speed fibre connections over the next three years.

The FTTH programme was announced in March 2010 and Qtel is on track to hit its ambitious target, working with Huawei as its technology partner.

The programme is the largest infrastructure project of its kind ever carried out by Qtel.

A team of specialists from Huawei is expected in Qatar to begin the survey process for the massive deployment. The team will work with experts from Qtel to execute the programme for FTTH. As part of the FTTH programme, existing copper connections will be replaced by high-speed fibre connections, and homes and businesses will get direct connections to ensure that everyone can benefit.

Qtel is also set to support a nationwide communication programme, which will help keep neighbourhoods and communities fully informed about when and how the connection process will happen.

Dr Nasser Marafih, CEO, Qtel, said: “This is an important strategic project for Qatar and for Qtel, which will make a major contribution to the knowledge-based economy and open a new era of opportunity for people and businesses. Homes and companies will have access to some of the fastest Broadband Internet in the region and the increased capacity of the fibre solution will enable the introduction of a huge range of new services that will change the way that education, entertainment and applications are delivered in Qatar.”

For customers, FTTH will deliver an exciting range of new services. The state-of-the-art network will offer speeds of up to 100Mbps, changing the way people experience online education and entertainment. Qtel will also be able to offer new services, such as High Definition (HD) digital television and unmatched on-line gaming and Video On Demand (VOD).

With Qtel’s support, Qatar is looking to take a lead in the region in terms of the extent of FTTH penetration and availability. The project supports the wider Vision 2030 for Qatar, which aims to transform Qatar into an advanced country capable of sustaining its own development and providing a high standard of living for all its people and generations to come.