Briefs

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Power-sharing of a different kind

A UNIFIED Arab electricity grid is an essential step towards establishing an Arab common economic market, said guest speakers at an assembly held last week at the Arab League to announce the inauguration of the three-day Arab Electricity Grid Exhibition taking place on 12 April.

"An Arab electricity grid will mean steadier electricity and cost savings because it will enable Arab countries to trade power during peak hours of consumption, thus making electricity cheaper for consumers," said Hassan Younis, minister of electricity and energy.

The grid started in 1988 with plans to include five nations -- Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, and Iraq, while Lebanon and Libya later signed in. The Syria-Lebanon link will be tested for commercial operation later this year, which would extend the Arab electricity grid from Syria to Morocco, where it links up with Spain and the rest of Europe.

At the same time, the Gulf Cooperation Council has started creating a parallel regional electricity grid which is to include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, and Oman. The Saudi grid will eventually be linked up with Jordan, or else Kuwait will be connected with Iraq then Turkey. Further extensions planned over the long term will incorporate Sudan, Ethiopia, and other African countries to eventually link the Middle East with countries throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Younis listed other advantages of the electricity grid such as the more efficient use of energy resources and a consequent reduction in pollution. Moreover, it would decrease costs necessary for providing standby power. The grid will also be beneficial in cases of accidents or emergencies such as network pressure or power blackouts. "If power fails in one country, it will be very easy to instantly send power to the state in difficulty," Younis explained.

New mobile satellite services

THE NATIONAL Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has recently granted satellite operator Inmarsat a licence that enables the company to market and sell Inmarsat's mobile voice and data satellite communications solutions. The licence was signed in conjunction with the company's successful launch of its first Inmarsat-4 (1-4) satellite which will deliver unprecedented data speeds for mobile communications services.

With this licence, Regional Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), an IP and circuit- switched service, will provide Egypt with voice telephony and high-bandwidth services. In addition, it will expand the availability of high-speed data communications to rural and remote Egypt and improve the level of connectivity as people travel out of the country.

The size of a London double-decker bus and weighing about six tonnes, the 1-4 satellite will deliver a 3G-compatible broad- band data service to mobile users. Inmarsat will also launch a second 1-4 satellite in the third quarter of the current year to provide service for the Americas. Thus, the two 1-4 satellites will cover 85 per cent of the world's landmass.