Star Satellite, Al Yah granted 10-year licences

Abu Dhabi: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has granted Al Yah Advanced Satellite Communications Services a 10-year satellite services licence, and Star Satellite Communications Company a 10-year satellite and broadcasting services licence, effective July 8.

While the Al Yah Advanced licence is limited to providing telecommunications services to the UAE Government, the Star licence allows the firm to provide a portfolio of telecommunications services to meet the demand for emerging applications in the satellite industry such as turn-key telecommunications solutions, broadband services and broadcasting services within the UAE.

The licences are granted according to Federal Law by Decree No 3 of 2003, as amended, the TRA said in a statement yesterday.

Al Yah Advanced and Star are both subsidiaries of Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, or Yahsat, which also holds a satellite services licence from the TRA.

Fair deal

The signing ceremony took place at the TRA headquarters in Abu Dhabi between Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem, TRA Director General, and Jasem Mohammad Al Za'abi, the CEO of Yahsat.

Through its continuous efforts to develop the telecommunications sector in the UAE, and to guarantee fair competition between the service providers within the UAE market, the TRA has approved the designated companies to provide the satellite services, aiming to supply the market with a new and extensive variety of satellite services.

Al Ganem said: "The TRA strategy aims to widen the services and the packages offered in the market through satellite providers.

"We fully believe that fair competition is a fundamental factor to drive the market forward and to ensure resourcefulness.

"The UAE telecom sector has witnessed massive changes within the last four years; we are aiming to position our country as a centre for integrated telecommunications services. Issuing the licences to Al Yah Advanced and Star will definitely add value to the telecom sector," Al Ganem said.

"We achieved a major milestone in February 2010, when Yahsat was awarded the satellite services licence to install, operate and manage our satellite and ground network in the UAE," Al Za'abi said.

"Today is another equally important milestone with the award of the licence to our subsidiary companies to offer satellite-based telecommunications services in our country. We have taken on the challenge to establish UAE as a premier telecommunications hub by offering world class satellite services."

The duration of the licences is 10 years and they can be renewed with the approval of the TRA.