The World Teleport Association (WTA) has reported that Etisalat has achieved Tier 4 full certification of their Tawi Al Saman (Sharjah, UAE) Teleport under WTA’s Teleport Certification Program.
Etisalat becomes the first in MENA region to achieve WTA Tier 4 Full Certification and brings the number of Tier 4 fully certified teleports around the world to 12.
Since its introduction at IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) 2015, the certification program has quickly grown in popularity. Starting with one certified facility in 2015, the program has added more than 40 in 3 years, and currently has 10 teleports engaged in the quality evaluation process. The industry has quickly adopted the transparent, independently verified standards as a means for teleports to differentiate themselves and for customers to choose the price-performance level suitable for their applications.
To achieve Full Certification under WTA’s program, an auditor is dispatched to visit the teleport, provide independent validation of the data submitted in the questionnaire, and identify additional factors that may positively or negatively affect the score. Full Certification is issued at a Tier number from 1 through 4, of which 4 represents the highest degree of excellence, and remains in effect for three years.
Full Certification under the WTA program is the result of a comprehensive data-collection and inspection process. A teleport operator completes a +170-item questionnaire and submits it to WTA. The association analyses the data based on standards established by its certification committee and issues the Provisional Certification based on the self-reported information. The teleport has six months to achieve Full Certification.
Certifications have been issued to teleports operated by Eutelsat, du, COMSAT, Signalhorn, Optus, Globecomm, Horizon, Media Broadcast Satellite, Elara Comunicaciones, GlobalSat, Talia, Telenor, Vivacom, Cyta, STN, SingTel, CETel, Etisalat, Hawaii Pacific Teleport, Intelsat, Speedcast, Telespazio, Telstra, AXESAT and Arqiva.
WTA’s Teleport Certification Program serves both teleport operators and their customers by creating an objective, transparent, and internationally accepted method for teleport operators to document the quality of their operations for customers and strategic partners. It also provides a means for customers to select teleport vendors delivering the price-performance level that is appropriate for their applications. Click here for a list of certified teleports.
Ali Amiri, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, Etisalat, said the firm is delighted to be awarded the Tier 4 WTA Full Certification for the company's teleport, an important indicator to prospective and existing customers demonstrating the crucial importance of quality and security in all daily operations. At Etisalat, great pride is taken in this facility and the high quality level of services provided to respected clients from all around the world.
WTA Executive director Robert Bell congratulated Etisalat on meeting the standards for Tier 4 Certification,. The WTA's evaluation has proved challenging for even the best designed and operated facilities, as the organization detailed in a recent report, High Performance: Service Continuity. Certification at this level gives customers confidence in the technical and operational quality of their service provider.
