Volume 07, October, 2016 A SAMENA Telecommunications CouncilEDITORIAL NewsletterSAMENA TRENDS www.samenacouncil.org SAMENA TRENDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES TRA Hosts a Strategic Workshop on the Future of Mobile Markets... 05 Exclusive Interview Amr Eid Security: The Vital Element of The Internet Chief Executive Officer Of Things Gulf Bridge International 44 “Crossing thE CHAsm” - CONTINUOUS TRANSFORMATION OF THE BUSINESS IS THE BEST APPROacH FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH 1 SEPTEMBER 2016 VOLUME 07, OCTOBER, 2016 Contributing Editors Subscriptions Izhar Ahmad [email protected] Javaid Akhtar Malik SAMENA Advertising Contributing Members [email protected] TRENDS Cisco Systems Orange Business Services Legal Issues or Concerns Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Bocar A. BA Publisher SAMENA Telecommunications Council SAMENA TRENDS [email protected] Tel: +971.4.364.2700 CONTENTS 03 EDITORIAL 07 REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES Members News Regional News 30 SATELLITE UPDATES Satellite News 21. The SAMENA TRENDS newsletter is wholly owned and operated by The SAMENA 40 WHOLESALE UPDATES EXCLUSIVE Telecommunications Council (SAMENA Wholesale News Council). Information in the newsletter is not INTERVIEW intended as professional services advice, and Amr Eid SAMENA Council disclaims any liability for 46 TECHNOLOGY UPDATES Technology News Chief Executive Officer use of specific information or results thereof. Gulf Bridge International Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of SAMENA 53 REGULATORY & POLICY Telecommunications Council, (unless otherwise noted, described or stated) and UPDATES cannot be reproduced, copied or printed Regulatory News in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. A Snapshot of Regulatory Activities in the SAMENA Region The SAMENA Council does not necessarily endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify or agree with the content, comments, opin- Regulatory Activities Beyond ions or statements made in The SAMENA the SAMENA Region TRENDS by any entity or entities. Informa- tion, products and services offered, sold or placed in the newsletter by other than The SAMENA Council belong to the respective entity or entities and are not representative of ARTICLES The SAMENA Council. The SAMENA Council 38 Next Generation Mobile: 05. hereby expressly disclaims any and all war- ranties, expressed and implied, including but What can 5G do for the not limited to any warranties of accuracy, re- Enterprise? liability, merchantability or fitness for a par- SAMENA COUNCIL ticular purpose by any entity or entities offer- 44 Security: The Vital Element ing information, products and services in this ACTIVITY newsletter. The user agrees that The SAME- of The Internet Of Things TRA Hosts a Strategic Workshop NA Council is not responsible, and shall have on the Future of Mobile Markets in no liability to such user, with respect to any Collaboration with SAMENA Council information, product or service offered by any entity or entities in this newsletter. The SAMENA Council’s only liability in the event of errors shall be the correction or removal of the erroneous information after verification. CONTENTS© 2016 - All rights reserved. SAMENA TRENDS is a trademark of SAMENA Telecommunications Council. EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS Risk Assessment and New Growth Streams in Telecoms Our industry has much to look forward to. demand entertainment services, which are However, it faces many risks as well. For being consumed in place of traditional TV instance, further delay or failure to see evolving and will replace the latter. For the fixed-line roles in the evolving value-chain, not doing industry segment, fiber carries much potential enough promptly to realize organizational for content-driven opportunities, but the agility, insufficient understanding of what wireless industry has to push the boundaries customers see and demand, inability to and the value-proposition on the mobility and extract value from heavily-invested network ubiquity ends. assets, delaying strategizing over inorganic growth, not fostering innovation, to name Among the greatest steps that can be taken a few critical ones, are some of the biggest to conduct successful risk assessment and issues and risk factors that can impede new uncover new growth streams, is to challenge growth in telecoms. traditional business models and transform the business, centered on a core differentiating In a world where things continue to connect factor or a value-add. Everything has to be and where stakeholders are growing looked at from sustainability and relevance much more sensitive to the need to work points of view. Everything ranging from cloud- together and close communication gaps based computing, big data, IoT, M2M, emerging in our understanding of what impedes our IA and VR, and a host of other strategic and Bocar A. BA collective growth, and what accelerates it, risk operations business areas, carries potential Chief Executive Officer assessment and finding new growth streams for innovation and revenue for operators. SAMENA Telecommunications Council in the business have become imperative to achieving long-term success and shareholder As operators concentrate on converting value. Both of these needs are interconnected technology resources - that is network assets and have surfaced at times when operators and experience in providing services to large are investing into software-based network customer bases while managing customer functions and are moving away from legacy experience related challenges -- into revenue proprietary network equipment in order to generating services, operators must exercise achieve new efficiencies in the business. astuteness as well as courage to convert possibilities into realities. Some of the revenue Influence of macroeconomics will continue to streams to concentrate on, include high- prevail, and so will of market competition and quality content at affordable prices, high- other challenges to business continuity and definition voice service similar to existing OTT growth. In any case, despite the sheer size voice, M2M offerings, smart-home offerings, of the industry, some risk factors that remain etc. A total focus on customer experience almost totally in the control of operators management and addressing it at deep-down relate to its operations, internal processes, organizational levels could be considered and the security and protection of sensitive among the most important factors that can data, systems, and network platforms. while help operators mitigate market, operations, unexpected problems always arise across the and regulatory risks, while opening new network, revamping service delivery processes windows for revenue opportunities. and strengthening intra-organizational focus on customer experience management, In the emerging world of IoT, and the while taking initiatives to invite, foster, and possibilities associated with it, risk enable innovation across the business would assessment, the ability and the willingness help improve intra-organizational focus on to take new risks, and the wisdom to balance sustainable growth. revenue growth needs with far-reaching and more pronounced roles within the industry, are Operators are operating in times when fiber has something every telecom operator must invest overtaken DSL technologies around the globe in. in terms of access quality, bandwidth, and predictability. For limited usage, 4G wireless technologies are also providing excellent and cost-effective broadband services. Both fiber and wireless technologies are enabling high- 3 SEPTEMBER 2016 SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY Sh.Nasser Al Khalifa, Deputy General Director, TRA TRA Hosts a Strategic Workshop on the Future of Mobile Markets in Collaboration with SAMENA Council The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) held a one-day workshop for its staff members at its headquarters in Seef area on the mobile market competition, in collaboration with SAMENA Telecommunication Council, a regional telecoms industry association. “TRA is very involved at the international level and collaborates with industry experts on discussions regarding the market’s future needs. Sharing perspectives with industry groups such as SAMENA Council is key to bridging the gap between regulatory and operator viewpoints, as SAMENA represents the voice of operators not only in Bahrain but also across the whole region” said TRA’s Deputy General Director, Sh. Nasser bin Mohamed Al Khalifa. He continued, “The workshop aimed to discuss what has been accomplished regionally and internationally. We have also discussed matters related to aspects the of future of mobile market competition, technologies and services 5 SEPTEMBER 2016 SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS from an operator standpoint and how the each other’s complementary strengths and capabilities. The workshop between industry regionally and internationally TRA Bahrain and SAMENA Council has set a new example of synergy created is dealing with digital services, big data, through constructive collaboration of both sectors. SAMENA Council shall remain future technologies such as 5G and the use closely attentive to the TRA’s strategic needs and priorities, to further help bring of mobile radio spectrum.” private-sector perspectives to the regulatory sight, and shall continue to serve TRA Bahrain as a reliable sector development partner. We extend our thank-you