Thuraya and Alkan Telecom launch the smart phone in Egypt

With its population of about eighty million people and a thriving telecom market, Egypt is seen as a key market for Thuraya's satellite services. Accordingly Ashraf Gameel, General Manager Service Provider Business Unit, Alkan Telecom is committed to providing its customers with the best products and services, combined with superior customer services. 

Thuraya and Alkan Telecom held a Corporate Day in the Marriott Hotel Zamalek on June 22th, 2007.  The event focused on the new Thuraya phones and products.

The Corporate Day was attended by more than 200 participants consisting of corporate and government customers, oil & gas professionals, business and media.

During the event, loyal customers were rewarded, and local distributors acknowledged, namely Radio Shack, Appliance, and Mobile Shop.

Technical Specifications

Muiz A. Saad, Markeing & Sales Manager- Africa said Thuraya plans to sell some 70,000 units of the second-generation handset in the first year.

The satellite-only SO-2510 launched last year was a runaway success with the company recording sales of more than 60,000 units in just four months.

At 170 grams, the SG-2520 is the only satellite-GSM tri-band phone that provides connectivity across the world, in Thuraya's satellite coverage area as well as throughout GSM networks globally.

It is loaded with features such as GPS, GmPRS or mobile satellite Internet using IP technology, a high-resolution colour screen, enhanced memory and polyphonic ringtones.

Data can be downloaded at speeds of up to 60Kbps and uploaded at 15Kbps. The GmPRS service, first of its kind in the MSS industry, will be available to customers at an additional fee.

The phone is also capable of sending multimedia messaging and emails allowing the satellite users for the first time to instantly share pictures as well as video clips with others even while in remote areas. The embedded email client and built-in 1.3-Megapixel camera are significant enhancements not available in any other satellite phone.

The SG-2520 is enriched with GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz capabilities, runs on Windows-based operating system and supports Java. The phone is capable of running applications developed for the mobile handsets using its Java capabilities and its operating system. It also supports 12 languages.

The quality and the competitive features of the new phone as well as the extremely positive market reaction reflect Thuraya's continued dynamism in the MSS industry.