E-Vision reaches 300,000 homes

Emirates Cable Television and Multimedia (E-Vision) will complete its network in all emirates by 2006, said a senior official.

"Currently, we have reached about 300,000 houses in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Al Ain, and are continuously expanding our network to cover other areas as well," said Humaid Al Rashid Sahoo, Chief Executive Officer of E-Vision.

He said E-Vision viewership has exceeded the 500,000 mark and is continuously increasing because of new services and attractive packages.

E-Vision yesterday tied up with Thomson, a leading global entertainment technology provider, to offer superior quality viewing through its cable network system.

The partnership will allow E-Vision to employ Thomson's technology to deliver over its cable network High Definition Television (HDTV) content, which is as close to life-like as television can be.

"E-Vision is the first entertainment provider in the Middle East to use this technology.

"It is also the only operator in the region whose cable network is able to receive and transmit HDTV content over its cable network," said Sahoo.

He said the service would be operational in a year or two because none of the television channels available in the region provide HDTV software.

"We are negotiating with various television channels for HDTV software and hope it will be available soon," he said.

HDTV is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil.

Ten satellite television channels are providing HDTV software from the United States and only one in Europe, but there is none in the Gulf. However, officials said there would be some available by the end of this year or early next year.

Sahoo said E-Vision would introduce Ethernet To The Home next year. It is a package including television, telephone and internet through a cable network. "We are already providing television and internet service with the same E-Vision cable network," he said.

"We are committed to deliver the very best entertainment to our customers and will use the latest technology available," he said.