Noxegon, Emirates have a completely different model than EI for IFEC.
For instance EK carry a much larger proportion of high net worth premium passengers, than most/all European or US airlines. These pax want to buy high value duty fee on board. Even the odd Rolex apparently.
The cabin communications facility allows EK crews use of credit card authorisation facilities in flight, to reduce fraudulent use of credit cards on board, which otherwise permit the pax to exit the aircraft with the goods in hand, but without actually having paid.
EK also want to offer the industry leading IFEC capability, this impacts their pricing policy for cabin comms offered to pax too.