Volume 08, October, 2017 A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter www.samenacouncil.org SAMENA TRENDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES Nokia’s 5G FIRST Solution 40 Delivering Value Where it Works 52 Exclusive Interview Ihab Hinnawi Group CEO Batelco THIS MONTH FAIR TAXATION NETS FOR OTTS AND TELECOM OPERATORS Convergence 4th December, 2017 Creating New Advantages THE for Industry SAVE Stakeholders DATE! Convergence to Kuwait 2017 will corroborate the need to engage stakeholders and delineate the roles that now need to be played by regulators and policy makers as an incentive for carrying out digital development investments, and for realizing new unique advantages that Chief Patron each stakeholder group should work toward achieving. In this highly competitive industry, it is important to take the lead and collaborate to allow the industry to continually push innovation to the next stage. It is crucial also to ensure that all spheres of the industry are analyzed, explored and tapped to identify a road map for progression. Telephone: +971.4.364.2700, Fax: +971.4.369.7513 Email: [email protected], www.samenacouncil.org VOLUME 08, OCTOBER, 2017 Contributing Editors Subscriptions Izhar Ahmad [email protected] SAMENA Javaid Akhtar Malik Advertising TRENDS Contributing Members [email protected] Huawei Editor-in-Chief Nokia SAMENA TRENDS Bocar A. BA [email protected] Publisher Tel: +971.4.364.2700 SAMENA Telecommunications Council CONTENTS 04 EDITORIAL 06 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Ihab Hinnawi 13 REGIONAL & MEMBERS Group CEO UPDATES Batelco Members News Regional News 54 SATELLITE UPDATES Satellite News 64 WHOLESALE UPDATES The SAMENA TRENDS newsletter is Wholesale News wholly owned and operated by The SAMENA Telecommunications Council 68 (SAMENA Council). Information in the TECHNOLOGY UPDATES 10 SAMENA COUNCIL newsletter is not intended as professional Technology News ACTIVITY services advice, and SAMENA Council disclaims any liability for use of specific 75 REGULATORY & POLICY information or results thereof. Articles and information contained in this UPDATES publication are the copyright of SAMENA Regulatory News 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 permission of the publisher. Region 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 entities. Information, products and ser- ARTICLES vices offered, sold or placed in the news- letter by other than The SAMENA Council 40 Nokia’s 5G FIRST Solution belong to the respective entity or entities and are not representative of The SAME- NA Council. The SAMENA Council hereby 52 Delivering Value Where it expressly disclaims any and all warranties, Works expressed and implied, including but not 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 Fair Taxation Nets for OTTs and Telecom Operators In defense of collaboration, innovation, across the world. Knowing that taxes, fees and the industry’s need for progress and charges can create imbalances in efforts and sustainability, SAMENA Council to balance aforementioned interests of has communicated through industry those concerned and named above, it has consultations and at global fora that Over- become crucial in this new world of digital the-Top Providers (or OTTs) have inarguably communications to open-mindedly see that brought and are continue to bring significant taxation should attempt to be neutral (as benefits to the digital ecosystem and to the much as possible) and equitable across all economies across regions. There is sufficient market players and sectors of the economy, socio-economic evidence that supports this. and should apply fairly to all providing “same However, quite candidly stated, and to openly services”. In no way, however, it is hereby support telecom operators’ views, OTTs have implied that it is easy to achieve this. In fact, also given space to important questions it requires assessment and re-assessment Bocar A. BA in relation to their compatibility with of a multitude of priorities and needs of all Chief Executive Officer current national regulatory and economic contributors and beneficiaries within in the SAMENA Telecommunications frameworks. Such frameworks include taxation nets. It is, however, important that Council taxation schemes and their application (or we start from somewhere. imposition) on telecom operators to the advantage of OTTs. Certainly, this imbalance In efforts to see the impact of taxation on the in how OTTs have been receiving taxation evolving digital economy, SAMENA Council related treatment at the cost of telecom will be conducting a taxation impact study, operators’ revenues has created certain starting with the Sultanate of Oman. This market distortions and an uneven playing- planned initiative is founded on the need to field. understand various asymmetries that have emerged within the telecommunications It is time to re-think all this in the interest industry, and to help visualize how they can of market fairness, shared responsibilities impact overall public policy objectives and and obligations, and work together wherever vision for the economy as well as fulfillment similarities exist, and to objectively exchange of internationally-agreed sustainable views where differences exist. development agenda. Trade-offs may need to be made between the governments’ Taxation is about managing balances in short-term revenue generation needs and interests: interests of governments, of the the potential negative impact of imbalanced industry, end-users, and for securing the taxation approaches on region-wide digital future of the nation. Given the criticality development efforts. of the matter, it is essential to understand various implications and ramifications of addressing those interests through taxation. Given that the telecom industry is among the greatest contributors of tax-related payments to governments, it is natural for the private-sector to raise voice and make requests to public-section decision-makers to revisit this area in view of changing market dynamics, evolving business models, and transforming socio-economic situation 4 OCTOBER 2017 BATELCO GULF NETWORK (BGN) The most dependable solution to your growing capacity demands. Spanning over 1400KM of fiber optic cables, BGN is a protected terrestrial network connecting the GCC to the Middle East and the world through a single seamless network. The network is built to accommodate the growing telecom capacity needs and requirements while maintaining the highest quality of service for all managed global solutions served by Batelco. For more details, contact us on [email protected] BGN NETWORK batelco.com EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SAMENA TRENDS Ihab Hinnawi Group CEO Batelco 6 OCTOBER 2017 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SAMENA TRENDS Q. What is unique about Batelco Group respond to market demands and introduce Batelco Group is focused and its approach, which sets you relevant services. One size does not fit apart from other market players with a all, so we embrace the differences and on digitisation and competitive advantage? leverage on the strengths that are integral delivering an unmatched to each operation. Accordingly, across customer experience. A. We differentiate ourselves from our the group, we respond to market needs competitors in a number of ways. We offer by investing in and launching the relevant Digitisation is crucial a leading network and invest in superior services for each location. to the communications telecommunications networks so that we sector today. We are can sustain high levels of cash generation As we are a customer centric business, and reinvest in our business based on everything we do is with customers experiencing firsthand the the Group’s new Digital Solutions and first and foremost in our minds so from development of the digital future operating model. We are agile and the development stage upwards we are era where solutions are lean and continuously adapt to the fast analyzing market needs and listening to moving, ever changing communications feedback from our customers. In this way, hosted in the cloud and landscape. we are making huge advancements by the rise of the Internet implementing the type of services each of things, with the As we are both a multinational and a region requires. Amongst the current multicultural company with operations most important technological initiatives integration of everything across 14 geographies, our diverse are Digital Solutions, Cloud Services, technological, is evolving workforce helps us better understand Fibre