HE Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, announced today during the 2nd annual Crisis and Emergency Management Conference held in Abu Dhabi from Jan 11-13th, 2010, the Emergency Plan for the Telecom Sector in the UAE.

During the announcement, Al Ghanim said that "the plan comes in response to the directives of the Government of the UAE to develop a National Emergency Plan that covers all vital sectors in the country in case of crisis, adding that the telecommunications sectors is one of the most vital of sectors that becomes even more critical in times of crisis".

As such, al Ghanim added that the Authority has developed the National Emergency Plan for the Telecom Sector, in direct cooperation with the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and in consultation with key stakeholders, telecom operator, and service providers. Al Ghanim stressed out the importance of consultation with key stakeholders as "the participation of the key players of the telecom sector in the preparation of this plan is crucial as it comes to confirm their role in setting and developing the plan, as they will be entrusted with its implementation in times of need".
 

Al Ghanim said that the plan will provide the cornerstone for achieving effective and coordinated response to emergencies related to the sector as well as providing the necessary support to other vital sectors in the country in crisis times". The plan, he added, "is designed to protect the critical infrastructure of the telecommunications network, and clarifies the specific roles and responsibilities of TRA and the telecom operators in response measures during emergency situations and crisis times, and hence effectively dealing with the situation at hand." The Emergency Plan for the Telecom Sector is based on TRA’s role in regulating the vital telecom sector, which the country is dependent on when it comes to rapid and speedy information exchange, especially for classified government organizations in addition to its importance for individuals and corporations alike in providing effective communications networking and linkages. The plan is centered on the role of the telecommunications sector within a national integrated framework that is fully capable to respond to emergency and crisis situations.

It is worth mentioning that TRA, in developing the emergency plan, has mapped out the sectors processes to determine and analyze areas of strengths, weaknesses, improvements and opportunities, and as such, TRA and in coordination with the key stakeholders, managed to develop a solid framework consisting of the best indicators determining effective measures in dealing with emergency and risk mitigation in times of crisis. The plan includes the main thematic areas governing the process of dealing and responding to emergency situations including: prevention, preparedness, and responsiveness, and ultimately, recovery.
 

The plan presents an ideal model covering all aspects of areas related to security and protection of this vital sector on t he one hand, and provide a network of effective communication in the most difficult and scarce times on the other. TRA stressed its full commitment to the implementation of this plan to the fullest while keeping up with up-to-date and advanced technologies necessary to keep pace with rapid changes of this diverse era.

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