Fujairah invests in Sudan internet

Fujairah Media Group is investing 25 million euros building a wireless internet system in Southern Sudan. Part of plan to launch TV and radio stations there.

The Government of Fujairah is investing €25 million (Dh132.6m) to launch internet and data services in part of South Sudan, which in July will become an independent republic.

The Fujairah Media Group (FMG), which is part-owned by the Government, will install a communications hub in the South Sudan state of Central Equatoria, under a partnership with the authorities there.

Services will include a data "cloud" that will allow businesses to connect to the internet wirelessly.

Fujairah Investment, the investment arm of the Government, is funding the venture. The total cost of the project will be about €25 million, said Mekki Abdulla, the chief executive of FMG.

"We'll be putting in a transmission system for wireless data services," said Mr Abdulla. "The funding is coming from Fujairah Investments, which is a shareholder in FMG. It's all being channelled through Fujairah Media Group."

Total investment "will probably be in the region of €25 million … That's all coming from Fujairah," he said.

The hub will create "a wireless cloud over the state", said Mr Abdulla. He added that the service would initially be geared to business customers and "hopefully later on to consumers".

South Sudan voted to separate from the north of the country in a referendum this year after decades of civil war. The Republic of South Sudan will comprise Central Equatoria among other states.

FMG is also investing an additional €3.5m to launch TV and radio stations in Central Equatoria, Mr Abdulla said. The company has plans to roll out other broadcast channels in other states of South Sudan.

"We're commissioning [the Central Equatoria radio and TV stations] at the moment, and hope to put them on air in July, when the independence commences," he said. "We're looking to launch many more for the other states."

East Communications, a joint venture between FMG and the government of Central Equatoria, will be behind the South Sudan projects.

Under the partnership between FMG and the Central Equatoria government, a trade office will also be opened in Fujairah.

"We're working very much as a marketing arm for that particular area," said Mr Abdulla. "We're opening a trade office for the government of Central Equatoria … There's a lot of support required in this period."

FMG has also signed an agreement to develop a technology "free zone" in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, said Mr Abdulla.