TRA establishes first Federal Electronic Network

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has divulged information about the progress made in establishing the first ever Electronic Federal Network (FedNET) in the United Arab Emirates. FedNET will provide high speed connectivity and integration between the various e-Government systems of U.A.E. government departments. The network will connect all federal institutions in a way that raises efficiency and reduces costs. It will also help achieve a faster transition to smart government. Upon official completion of the implementation process, FedNET will provide information technology services within a collaborative and secure environment in order to efficiently meet the needs of the public. "This project falls in line with the wider U.A.E. m-Government Initiative and seeks to create the necessary national infrastructure to enable the provision of all government services via mobile platforms. The project embodies the directives of our wise leadership, which has instructed all U.A.E. government entities to collaborate and enhance levels of service delivery. These efforts are also focused at making the best use of modern technological advancements to serve U.A.E. citizens, residents and visitors," said Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, m-Government Director. "FedNET will provide a shared database and a secure electronic hosting service. Both are required to complete the full integration of the various entities that form the U.A.E. government through one central mobile network and integrated website," he added. "The giant leap from e-Government to Smart Government confirms the U.A.E.'s growing stature and showcases the sincere efforts being made by its leadership to ensure sustainable progress," commented Saeed Belhoul, Director, e-Government Operations. "This electronic connectivity project further establishes the concept of unified access and will allow all customers to access their personal accounts at various government entities using the same user name and password," according to Belhoul. The project is divided into two main phases. Firstly, building the network's technical centre and secondly, rolling out the pilot exercise measuring connectivity. The TRA said, "Both these phases are expected to be accomplished during the last week of October this year, and, we look forward to finalising the entire project of connecting the 42 federal entities by the end of July next year." FedNET is one of the initiatives falling under the m-Government transformation roadmap which focuses on establishing shared resources across various U.A.E. Government entities. In addition to FedNET, the project includes additional services including interconnectivity, digital identity, payment channels, cloud services, Trusted Service Manager and Mobile Innovation Centre.