Yemen’s Public Telecommunications Corp. (PTC) has embarked on an “ambitious” project to install one million fixed telephone lines throughout the country, reported the official Yemeni news agency, Saba.
It termed the move as a turning point for the telecommunications sector in Yemen.
The corporation has set up various work groups to study the project and outline the needed funds.
PTC is also preparing to sign contracts with foreign companies to deploy the land network and the expand capacity of the already-installed phone switches, using the most advanced digital, fiber optics and microwave techniques, according to the firm.
The fiber optic technique is used for the transmission of the high quality data, sound, and images throughout the country, whereas the microwave technique is being used to connect the rural areas with other parts of the republic.
"President Ali Abdullah Saleh is interested in boosting the telecommunications in Yemen, primarily by means of installing more phone lines to democratize the contacting technology," PTC's Sanaa branch director Ismael Al-Awami told reporters.
"The president has made his directives to deploy one million new fixed phone lines across the republic, which would be the most important projects to be considered by the government," he added.
He said that more than 22,500 phone lines had been installed through the capital's seven switches, indicating that more 42,000 lines would be deployed during the first half of 2001 – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
