Middle East's telecommunications operator Etisalat has selected Alcatel-Lucent to extend its LTE coverage in the United Arab Emirates. The new network will address the challenge of increasing demand for high-speed mobile broadband fueled by video, gaming and other high-bandwidth applications.

Alcatel-Lucent has signed an agreement with Etisalat to extend its’s LTE coverage across its footprint including a new partnership in Sri Lanka. Company also announced that Alcatel-Lucent and Regional Telecom, a communications service provider in Northern Iraq, are to launch the 4G LTE network in Iraq.

Alcatel-Lucent and UAE operator Etisalat have completed a technology trial with Alcatel-Lucent's lightRadio portfolio over a working 4G LTE network. During the trial, Alcatel-Lucent showcased the capabilities of its new 9768 lightRadio Metro Radio Outdoor (MRO) at Etisalat’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, over Etisalat’s commercial 4G LTE network.

Etisalat has launched LTE-FDD mobile network in the UAE. The announcement was made during a press conference attended by H.E.

Etisalat and Huawei have announced the signing of a commercial LTE contract to commence deployment of the LTE network in the UAE. Mr.

Etisalat has inked an agreement with Alcatel-Lucent for a planned deployment of the LTE network in the UAE.

Alcatel-Lucent has announced a multi-million dollar contract with Etisalat Lanka to increase its GSM/EDGE network capacity and coverage and build 3G HPSA+ all-IP broadband network.

LTE penetration rate of Middle East LTE pioneers Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE is expected to reach 11.8 percent, more than the projected Western European average of 7.7 percent by 2014, according

Etisalat is set to launch the LTE in the Middle East by end of 2010 .