Technology

State-owned Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) may sell up to US$1 billion in bonds early next year to finance the Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ) in Abu Dhabi, according to its chief financial officer. ADPC has appointed the National Bank of Abu Dhabi as a financial advisor to draw up a long-term financial strategy. Arrangers for the bond have yet to be appointed.

Swiss structured cabling specialist, Reichle & De-Massari (R&M), has predicted increased deployment of Fibre to the Home (FTTH) networks in the Middle East. The compant believes this will be fuelled by the region?s growing trend towards intelligent cities and requirements for faster bandwidth speeds and transmission technology to enable triple play (voice, video, and data) services.

Jordans Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has announced that it did not receive any applications for 2.5 GHZ band licences by the 27^th June deadline. The TRC encouraged the countrys mobile operators to submit applications for the licence, which allows for providing LTE services, in May. Director of the TRC radio spectrum management department Mohammad Alwathiq Shaqrah told the Jordan Times that the TRCs council of commissioners are set to look into the issue.

Abu Dhabis Etisalat has confirmed it is looking to buy a stake in an Indian mobile operator following reports that it is in talks with Indias second-biggest mobile operator, Reliance Communications, over a US$3.8 billion deal. The stake would give Etisalat a vital presence in the worlds fastest-growing mobile market, where it currently owns a stake in a start-up telecoms firm.