With this declaration, the UAE has become the first country in the Middle East that offers its residential customers the possibility to subscribe to broadband and fixed voice services offerings from the operator of their choice.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Monday confirmed that Etisalat and du are ready to open broadband and fixed-voice services to residential customers across the whole country.

Both the telecom operators have been holding negotiations for the last six years to open up their fixed line networks.

Previously, telecom services providers were restricted to certain areas of the country and consumers didn't have choice.

The announcement was made at a news conference on the second day of Gitex Technology Week in the presence of top officials of telecom watchdog and the operators.

"Competition is crucial in driving performance and innovation," Etisalat CEO Saleh Al Abdooli told reporters.

Initially, the service is open to residents for phone and does not include television packages. Businesses will get the service in the next 12 months, according to officials.

"Businesses need a bit more to access bit stream. Bit stream might work for small and medium businesses but bigger businesses might need more [time]," du chief executive officer Osman Sultan said.

Al Abdooli said: "Having played our part in furthering the bitstream agreement under the TRA's supervision, we look forward to its positive impact on the UAE's telecom landscape."

TRA said: "With this declaration, the UAE has become the first country in Middle-east that offers its residential customers the possibility to subscribe to broadband and Fixed voice services offerings from the operator of their choice, using fiber- to- the -home across the UAE."

Sultan said: "Collaboration and competition go hand in hand to spur innovation and we believe that fixed line competition is a vital track of growth for our country's vibrant economy. We believe that offering residential customers the option of choosing their telecom operator for voice and broadband will further drive network excellence throughout the UAE, thus escalating our stature as a smart nation."

He added: "Our goal has always been to provide the best telecommunications solutions for valued customers. The public can get a glimpse at our capabilities as we present the region's fastest and only 10 Gbps live 5G demo at Gitex Technology Week 2015."