Don't forget that Etisalat is now the majority shareholder and pretty much runs PTCL, the incumbent/largest telephone and telecom company in Pakistan, either... PTCL is to Pakistan as Verizon, Frontier or Centurylink are to various regions of the US. It's the ILEC.
Etisalat is not your friend. Etisalat has great marketing and is building GSM-based (LTE, etc) networks in many developing nations but it is no friend of an open internet or democratic institutions.
Etisalat is the reason why in some places in the world if you try to run a VoIP to Phone system gateway, armed men with carbines will show up and ransack your offices and home. They will use their influence with whatever local government exists to "deal with" threats to their revenue and/or tax base. This has happened in Pakistan and the UAE.
> armed men with carbines will show up and ransack your offices and home
This is a solid reminder that in the end, your ability to use defensive technology does not actually decide who calls the shots. Power is still ultimately controlled by violence.
Etisalat is not your friend. Etisalat has great marketing and is building GSM-based (LTE, etc) networks in many developing nations but it is no friend of an open internet or democratic institutions.
Etisalat is the reason why in some places in the world if you try to run a VoIP to Phone system gateway, armed men with carbines will show up and ransack your offices and home. They will use their influence with whatever local government exists to "deal with" threats to their revenue and/or tax base. This has happened in Pakistan and the UAE.