Telecom Luxembourg partners with 2Connect to open new routes to the Middle East

Luxembourg, June 22nd 2011 – Telecom Luxembourg is pleased to announce that it is to partner with 2Connect to provide Telecom Luxembourg customers with seamless data connectivity and an extension of services to the Middle East.

Both Telecom Luxembourg and 2Connect are the leading alternate operators in the countries where they operate.  Both companies boast an extensive next generation, fibre-based network, for a faster, more reliable service, which is fully able to support the advanced solutions expected in today’s global business environment.
Rick Hillson, Senior Vice President – International Networks at 2Connect, explains the major aspects of this partnership, “the physical interconnection of Telecom Luxembourg and 2Connect networks allows seamless delivery of voice and data traffic across both company’s networks as if they were only one large network.  A One-Stop-Shop agreement has also been signed between our two companies in order to provide our respective customers the possibility to order services over both networks by only dealing with one company”, and he adds, “for the customer this means that the lead-time for the delivery of international voice and data services from the time of order is dramatically reduced to a matter of days rather than weeks”.
2Connect is a telecom service provider headquartered in Bahrain, with its own fibre access networks deployed throughout the main Bahrain business districts.  2Connect has recently expanded its presence to include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates via its new terrestrial GCCIA regional fibre cable system.
 
“We have had a large amount of requests form our customers to expand and get connected to the Middle East and the surrounding countries. This area of the world has often been recognised for being an expensive destination for telecom services and data connectivity. Thanks to our partnership with 2Connect, our customers will now be able to get lower prices and more services and access the Middle East. We believe it is an important step forward that will allow better business to be done”, says Vincent Nicolay, Telecom Luxembourg Chief Operating Officer.
Another Important fact is that Luxembourg has become a domicile of choice for Islamic finance in Europe, which enjoys the support of the Luxembourg Government. The Central Bank of Luxembourg is a member of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and a number of Luxembourg companies and cross-functional working groups are active in this area.

About 2Connect
Founded in 2004, 2Connect is a telecom service provider headquartered in Bahrain.  The company’s focus and expertise revolves around international data networks optimised for the corporate and enterprise market.  2Connect owns its own fibre infrastructure in Bahrain and utilises dark fibre on its terrestrial GCCIA regional fibre cable system to extend our network throughout the Arabian Gulf countries.
2Connect’s mission is to provide customer-friendly, high-value connectivity to/from the Middle East region.  We accomplish this by partnering with other strong Tier II carriers in their home markets to deliver innovative and flexible connectivity solutions to customers.  For more information, please visit our website www.2connectintl.com

About Telecom Luxembourg
Telecom Luxembourg S.A. is a private Luxembourgish operator. The company proposes a large range of services including access to datacenters, high-speed connectivity networks operating on a fibre-optic infrastructure, as well as numerous other managed services oriented towards professional customers and international telecom operators. For more information, please visit our website www.telecomluxembourg.com.