The Thuraya X5-Touch satellite phone.
Thuraya, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE’s Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), has announced that the company is providing always-on satellite connectivity to Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services through its partner, Cygnus Telecom.
As the UAE steps up its efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services is playing a critical role in the implementation of health measures introduced to protect the country’s residents. The UAE has deployed the latest technologies to help its health responders eradicate the threat of coronavirus within its borders.
Following the launch of Mobile Laboratory Units (MLUs) by Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services to provide free home-based testing for the elderly and ‘people of determination’, Cygnus Telecom, the Master Distributor of Thuraya’s voice solutions, has equipped 12 ambulances with the X5-Touch satellite phones so that paramedics remain connected while on duty in the remote areas of Dubai such as Hatta, or on marine ambulances at sea.
Thuraya and Cygnus Telecom have a rich legacy of supporting medical missions within the Middle East and Africa with satellite-powered telemedicine solutions, including teleconferencing kits and connected ambulances. The extensive knowledge and expertise gained from these collaborations are now being used to save lives in the UAE.
Khalifa Hassan Aldrai, Executive Director of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services welcomed the companies’ contribution, said the decision by Thuraya and Cygnus Telecom to fit these vehicles with satellite phones is both timely and commendable. The ongoing collaboration among the companies is a testament to the cooperation across organizations and individuals to support the government’s efforts to protect our people. Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services is committed to providing effective medical care anywhere within Dubai, and through such tie-ups, we are able to raise the standards of COVID-19 preparedness and response within the emirate.
Shawkat Ahmed, the CCO at Thuraya, added the company enables critical communications during emergencies. Therefore, it is imperative that the firm, as a homegrown provider of mobile satellite solutions, fulfill the UAE’s requirements for enhanced connectivity. Thuraya thanks Cygnus Telecom for their generous donation of the next generation Thuraya X5-Touch satellite phones to Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. These devices provide frontline responders seamless connectivity, security and maximum flexibility over our satellite network, helping them to be always available through their proprietary app and other platforms and thereby augment overall medical responsiveness.
Asim Khattak, the CCO at Cygnus Telecom, noted that the company believes it is essential to collaborate efforts in these unprecedented and challenging times to respond to the pandemic crisis effectively. Cygnus Telecom's humanitarian responsibility toward the UAE and this mission to help save lives aligns with the mission of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. The choice of Thuraya X5-Touch is based on the reliability factors ensuring uninterrupted communication-on-the-move, which will enable ambulances and paramedics to enhance their heroic efforts in fighting the Coronavirus. It is crucial that the frontline of defense against the contagion is equipped with a leading-edge means of communications, and Cygnus Telecom is honored to have been given this opportunity to serve our country and our people.
