Volume 08, July, 2017 A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter www.samenacouncil.org SAMENA TRENDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES The Emerging Role of Telcos in an Increasingly Digitalised World 31 How Telecom Operators can Thrive in the Age of Drones 42 Exclusive Interview Eng. Tarig Hamza Zain Alabdeen Chief Executive Officer Sudatel Telecom Group ROLE OF DATA REGULATION IN BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS TELCO AND FINANCIAL SECTORS track your fleet to keep your business on the right path VIVA Fleet Management is a highly effective fleet tracking system. Without the need to buy any expensive hardware, you can track your vehicles in real time, track their movement history, track specific areas, measure driver rest periods and much more. For enquiries, please call us on 34128128 or email us at [email protected] viva.com.bh/business | call 34128128 Business VOLUME 08, JULY, 2017 Contributing Editors Izhar Ahmad Advertising Javaid Akhtar Malik [email protected] SAMENA Contributing Members Legal Issues or Concerns du [email protected] TRENDS Strategy& Sudatel SAMENA TRENDS Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Bocar A. BA Publisher Tel: +971.4.364.2700 SAMENA Telecommunications Council Subscriptions [email protected] CONTENTS 04 EDITORIAL 08 REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES Members News Regional News 45 SATELLITE UPDATES Satellite News 57 WHOLESALE UPDATES The SAMENA TRENDS newsletter is Wholesale News 05 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW wholly owned and operated by The SAMENA Telecommunications Council Eng. Tarig Hamza Zain 61 TECHNOLOGY UPDATES (SAMENA Council). Information in the Technology News Alabdeen newsletter is not intended as professional Chief Executive Officer services advice, and SAMENA Council Sudatel Telecom Group disclaims any liability for use of specific 69 REGULATORY & POLICY information or results thereof. Articles UPDATES and information contained in this Regulatory News publication are the copyright of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, (unless otherwise noted, described or stated) and A Snapshot of Regulatory cannot be reproduced, copied or printed Activities in the SAMENA in any form without the express written Region permission of the publisher. The SAMENA Council does not necessari- Regulatory Activities Beyond ly endorse, support, sanction, encourage, the SAMENA Region verify or agree with the content, com- ments, opinions or statements made in The SAMENA TRENDS by any entity or ARTICLES entities. Information, products and ser- vices offered, sold or placed in the news- 31 The Emerging Role of Telcos 55 Telcos’ Key Role in Elevating letter by other than The SAMENA Council in an Increasingly Digitalised the Quality of Life of Internally belong to the respective entity or entities and are not representative of The SAME- World Displaced People NA Council. The SAMENA Council hereby 42 How Telecom Operators can expressly disclaims any and all warranties, expressed and implied, including but not Thrive in the Age of Drones limited to any warranties of accuracy, re- liability, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose by any entity or en- tities offering information, products and services in this newsletter. The user agrees that The SAMENA Council is not responsi- ble, and shall have no liability to such user, with respect to any information, product or service offered by any entity or entities in this newsletter. The SAMENA Coun- cil’s only liability in the event of errors shall be the correction or removal of the erroneous information after verification. CONTENTS© 2017 - All rights reserved. SAMENA TRENDS is a trademark of SAMENA Telecommunications Council. EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS Role of Data Regulation in Business Sustain- ability across Telco and Financial Sectors In today’s global economy, consumers, that all regulatory frameworks, including regulators, and businesses all benefit from those meant to regulate data, ensure an and create data flows — happening to fulfill even and level playing field for all digital a multitude of purposes such as reaching communication service providers as well as new customers in vast new markets, creating adjacent sector players, such as financial new digital offerings, enhancing enterprise institutions. In the presence of persisting efficiency, cost reduction, protecting digital national legacy regulatory frameworks that users, and fostering economic activities— do not apply in an over-the-top environment, that are important to the growth of the the uneven playing field runs the risk of global digital economy. This is happening being exacerbated in the 5G environment as a result of the growth in digital platforms that will further the convergence of OTT and services, many of which directly depend players, network operators, and financial on the availability of digital infrastructure service providers. It is therefore essential Bocar A. BA and regulatory environments in which that that policies and regulations consider the Chief Executive Officer infrastructure is used. increasing convergence between these key SAMENA Telecommunications players in the digital services realm. Council The physical enablers Both business transactions and always- for the purpose of taking the of the digital society are on access to communication services are, discussion forward. Security of telecom operators, and it is in many ways, resulting in communication networks, information systems, important that all regulatory intensity, which, in turn, will give rise to and consumers of digital further innovations within the industry as services is essential for keeping frameworks, including those well as the society. This is causing more data the SAMENA region’s developing meant to regulate data, flows and thus a need for how that data will online economy running ensure an even and level be (or needs to be) regulated keeping, among smoothly and efficiently, as the other things, cyber-security requirements in region treads the challenging playing field for all digital check. path to digital transformation. communication service providers as well as adjacent As governments prepare to implement Ultimately, investments need rules relating to the flow and exchange of to be made sustainable along sector players, such as data, data protection reforms are taking with fulfilling privacy and data financial institutions. a foremost consideration, and notions of protection goals in both digital consumer consent, right to privacy, right communication and financial Among various principles of the modern to be forgotten, for example, are receiving sectors. Through improved digital regulatory frameworks, including attention and support. The implications of stakeholder consultative and those for regulating data, technology the new data regulation rules are simple: collaborative efforts, only the neutrality stands out. It is a concept we all are operators, digital service providers, and most practical data regulation striving to implement as it has been widely the digital communications industry as a schemes could be devised, recognized as a key principle for Internet whole, needs to remodel certain workflows, ensuring benefit for all. policies around the region. It is also important business models, and procedures to cater in terms of data protection regulations that to the new changes of the developing digital regulatory authorities around the region are society, which every single stakeholder is considering in cooperation with the private busy enabling. sector. This is so because regulations should not be drafted in technological silos and In the new data regulation context, consumer because, ultimately, our collective goal is to protection against spam and other cyber enable a digital society. threats is of much importance. Thus cyber-security has become a hot subject The physical enablers of the digital society of discussion, and various regulators have are telecom operators, and it is important communicated this to SAMENA Council 4 JULY 2017 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SAMENA TRENDS Eng. Tarig Hamza Zain Alabdeen Chief Executive Officer Sudatel Telecom Group (STG) 5 JULY 2017 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SAMENA TRENDS Q. What is Sudatel’s strategy to combined direct and indirect impact of and the availability of resources such as maximally capture the value of digital and 5.26% of GDP. spectrum, new incentives, and reduced to enrich the digital customer’s overall industry fees and taxation? communication experience? Having that said, there is no way for the national economic policy to be effective A. Policies, regulations and taxation A. Our mission is to better people’s lives but to adopt ICT as major enabling system must adapt to accommodate through digital innovation. In order to pillar. It is more of causation relation the new era of digital economy. For sure achieve that, we have to keep in mind between economic growth and ICT not over regulation and taxation effect the the nature, needs and readiness of our just a correlation between the economic adoption and penetration of services markets. We work to achieve the digital policy and the ICT vision as separate where Sudan relies in the top 10 countries evolution by focusing on providing streams. Thus, the national ICT vision worldwide of highest tax as a proportion relevant and simple answers to fulfil our must consider the economic growth as of the total cost of mobile ownership – communities’ needs through leveraging a major objective or success criteria and TCMO-. on digital transformation