UAE telecoms operator Etisalat by e& to send Dh20m of equipment to Turkey

Equipment will reactivate damaged mobile phone networks and restore services

More than 4,000 radio and digital units will be used to reactivate damaged mobile phone networks. Wam

UAE telecoms operator Etisalat by e& is sending equipment worth Dh20 million ($5.45 million) to Turkey to help reconstruct its telecommunication infrastructure in earthquake-affected areas.

It will include more than 4,000 radio and digital units to reactivate damaged mobile phone networks and restore disrupted services.

The latest delivery is part of Operation Gallant Knight 2, the UAE's humanitarian mission to help the quake-hit countries, which has delivered 5,848 tonnes of aid to Turkey and Syria on 209 relief flights.

It is also an extension of the "Bridges of Giving" campaign to support relief efforts, which was organised by the Emirates Red Crescent and IS supported by several other charitable organisations, such as Dubai Cares and Sharjah International Charity, Etisalat by e& said.

"Through this initiative, we seek to contribute to repairing and supporting the telecommunications infrastructure in those areas," said e&’s chairman Jassem Alzaabi.

He said Etisalat by e& offered free calls for a week last month from its UAE network to Syria and Turkey as part of its humanitarian support to people affected by the earthquake.

The death toll in areas affected by the earthquakes and numerous aftershocks has surpassed 50,000 with more than 45,000 killed in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in Syria.