FTTH Council MENA Appoints Juan C. Colina, Regional Director, Middle East, Corning Optical Communications as its New President

The FTTH Council MENA, founded in 2011, is an industry organization that works to accelerate fibre to the home (FTTH) adoption. It promotes the benefits of fibre as an enabling technology for services that enhance quality of life, contribute to a better environment and boost competitiveness for consumers and businesses. As president of the FTTH Council MENA, Colina will play an important role in driving the body’s initiatives to improve understanding and deployment of FTTH across the region through education, training, and events.

The MENA region is already one of the global leaders in FTTH deployment, with the United Arab Emirates maintaining the top position worldwide at nearly 100 percent coverage. According to the FTTH Council MENA’s annual panorama study published at the conference, the region is expected to maintain this position thanks to several initiatives including its national broadband networks, housing programs and mobile backhauling. As of September 2017, the region as a whole boasted a 46 percent FTTH penetration rate. Further information on the national broadband policies in MENA is available on the FTTH Council MENA website: www.ftthcouncilmena.org.

“Fibre-to-the-home plays a critical role in transforming economies through enhanced digital infrastructure. I am delighted to support the FTTH Council MENA in its important work to raise awareness and accelerate the availability of fibre-based, ultra-high-speed access networks,” Colina said. “I am honoured to have been chosen for this position and look forward to what the next two years will bring.”

The FTTH Council MENA Board of Directors now consists of the following six members, who will all serve a two-year mandate:

· Juan C. Colina – President (Corning)

· Jan Schindler – Treasurer (Prysmian Group)

· Dr Suleiman Al-Hedaithy (MEFC)

· Abdeslem Benami (OFS)

· Fatima Saleh (Etisalat)

· Badar Al-Zeidi (Oman Broadband)

Colina joined Corning Optical Communications as a FTTH application engineer in 2007 and played a leading role the following year in the positioning and promotion of the Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) System designed for FTTH networks. In 2011, he moved to lead the FTTH program for a large global operator, and in 2013 became responsible for strategic initiatives before assuming his current role. He has been based in Dubai since 2015.