Etisalat said its carrier and wholesale services has won the ‘Best Middle East Wholesale Operator’ at the Global Capacity Conference ceremony in Amsterdam for the fifth consecutive year.  

Considered as the telecom industry’s most prestigious award, Capacity Awards 2012 recognizes leaders in carrier and wholesale service for technology innovation and service standards.

The winning nomination is judged on a strict bench mark criteria, by a panel of 12 leading industry experts, said a company statement.

The honour was in recognition for the Etisalat's continued execution of Smarthub strategy, now distributing Microsoft, yahoo!, Akamai and the world’s most popular websites from the UAE, across the region, said a senior official.

Ali Amiri, the executive VP (Carrier & Wholesale) at Etisalat, said, "Etisalat's core international network capabilities, reach, and commitment to quality are well known in our industry and it is nice to be recognized by our peers.”

The rapid evolution of Etisalat’s Smart Hub, the region’s largest hub for content, mobile operators, ISP and global carriers is remarkable, he stated.

“As proof the Smart Hub evolution, we will soon be adding the region’s first neutral Peering Point for regional mobile Internet and messaging content, Smarthub IPX”, he added.

Alex Hawkes, the editor of Capacity magazine said, “I would like to congratulate Etisalat for winning the Capacity award for Best Middle Eastern wholesale carrier. This is the fifth year in a row the company has won this award, which is an amazing achievement that highlights etisalat's vital position in the region."-TradeArabia News Service