Etisalat , the Abu Dhabi-based telecommunications provider, announced the launch of nine data centres across the UAE in order to boost its services to consumers.
The centres aim to provide back-up and additional infrastructure in case of natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires.
During a Gulf News visit to a data centre in Khalifa City, Abdullah Al Ahmad, etisalat’s vice-president of Business Services, said that the company has seen a global need to boost data security.
“There are about 15 billion devices globally connected to the internet, with data worth 13 trillion gigabytes in 2015 and around 500 million transactions done on a daily basis. The number of mobile phones has also doubled over the past four years, replacing desktops and other portable devices,” Al Ahmad said.
He added that such an abundance of data has shed light on the importance of telecommunication providers raising security in order to offer backup in case of emergencies.
“The data centre in Khalifa City offers servers, additional storage of data, cooling systems, and a wider network to distribute energy. This means that we have more infrastructure to service more individuals, companies, government organizations, and banks,” Al Ahmad said.
He noted that etisalat has laid out an investment plan worth Dh25 million between 2010 and 2015 to raise its coverage.
The company’s nine data centres are located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, and Fujairah, and can store over 400 gigabytes of data across the centres’ total area of 16,000 square metres.
“It has become clear that there is an urgent need to handle data, especially with the Internet of Things, and Big Data. The data centre in Khalifa City currently services the education, banking, and aviation sectors primarily,” Al Ahmad said.