Volume 07 _ Issue 05 _ May 2016 SAMENA TRENDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter Articles Viable areas of investment and stakeholder partnership Page 63 Dealing with the great ISDN switch off Page 69 Necessities of the evolving market and relevant... Page 69 Adapt to survive: the evolution of telecom... Page 69 Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program (MBRSLP) & ITU agreement signing during SAMENA Council’s Leaders’ Summit 2016 Page 04 Stakeholder Cooperation in Digital Development www.samenacouncil.org SAMENA CONTENTS VOLUME 07, ISSUE 05, may 2016 TRENDS The SAMENA TRENDS newsletter is wholly owned and operated by The SAMENA REGIONAL & MEMBERS Telecommunications Council FZ, LLC UPDATES (SAMENA Council). Information in the 22. Members News newsletter is not intended as professional services advice, and SAMENA Council 32. Regional News disclaims any liability for use of specific information or results thereof. Articles and information contained in this REGULATORY & POLICY publication are the copyright of SAMENA UPDATES Telecommunications Council, (unless 43. Necessities of the Evolving Market and otherwise noted, described or stated) Relevant Legislation and Regulation- A and cannot be reproduced, copied or printed in any form without the express Regulatory Perspective . written permission of the publisher. 45. Regulatory News The SAMENA Council does not necessar- ily endorse, support, sanction, encour- 52. Viable Areas of Investment and age, verify or agree with the content, Stakeholder Partnership comments, opinions or statements made in The SAMENA TRENDS by any entity A Snapshot of Regulatory Activities in or entities. Information, products and 54. services offered, sold or placed in the SAMENA Region newsletter by other than The SAMENA Council belong to the respective entity EDITORIAL 66. Regulatory Activities Beyond the or entities and are not representative 03. SAMENA Region of The SAMENA Council. The SAMENA Council hereby expressly disclaims any and all warranties, expressed and im- WHOLESALE UPDATES plied, including but not limited to any TECHNOLOGY 84. Wholesale News warranties of accuracy, reliability, mer- UPDATES chantability or fitness for a particular SATELLITE UPDATES purpose by any entity or entities offer- 89. Satellite News ing information, products and services in 11. Kastr Set to Reinvent Live this newsletter. The user agrees that The Broadcast Mobile Experience SAMENA Council is not responsible, and shall have no liability to such user, with 12. Dealing with the Great ISDN respect to any information, product or Switch Off service offered by any entity or entities in this newsletter. The SAMENA Coun- cil’s only liability in the event of errors 14. Technology News shall be the correction or removal of the erroneous information after verification. 18. Adapt to Survive: the Evolution of Telecom... 20. How Can Telecoms Heavyweights Editor-in-Chief Avoid a Knockout? Bocar A. BA Contributing Editors Izhar Ahmad Javaid Akhtar Malik Contributing Members Orange Business Services SLA Digital Publisher SAMENA Telecommunications Council Subscriptions [email protected] Advertising [email protected] 04. 06. Legal Issues or Concerns [email protected] Smart Learning Telecom Leaders’ SAMENA TRENDS Signing [email protected] Summit 2016 Tel: +971.4.364.2700 Program Initiatives © 2016 - All rights reserved. SAMENA TRENDS is a trademark of SAMENA Telecommunications Council. EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS _ MAY 2016 Stakeholder Cooperation in Digital Development In order to transform the notion of building willingness and recognition of the need among a better connected world into reality, as was the industry stakeholders to do much more than discussed from various perspectives during our before in order to ensure sustainability and growth Leaders’ Summit 2016 just recently, we need to of the industry over the next decade and beyond. emphasize on creating an understanding among The role of all stakeholders, ultimately, is to all the stakeholders that our industry has essential ensure that digital development takes place in the requirements for moving forward in a progressive most effective and sustainable manner humanly and a sustainable manner. possible. Governments have a leading role in developing policies and roadmaps for accelerated It is time to act. We must exercise our roles broadband deployment. Thus governments need to pinpoint where we are lacking and, at the to put appropriate policy, legislative and regulatory same time, express appreciation of the fact that frameworks in place, to enable smooth execution connectivity and communications demands of of processes within the set time and provide today also demand better communication across incentives and support for investments. Regulators all stakeholders in the industry as well as the value have a key role in setting the licensing frameworks, chain. In our collective pursuit for innovation, we ensuring level playing field in services, spectrum are now amidst a realizing that without ensuring allocation, and taxation. Operators, carriers stakeholder inclusion, whereby all those directly and service providers have a critical role in the related to the buisness of digital development rolling out of broadband networks and services. as well as those driving value from it or those They need to provide better technology for the complementing it should equally participate and provision of quality services and build the capacity contribute efforts toward the sustainability of the of human resources to adopt the new broadband business, we will not move forward effectively and skills. Equipment manufacturers and vendors quickly enough. have a role in ensuring adherence to approved standards in the creation of end-user terminals as Telecom operators, which have an ever important well as network devices and equipment. role as the key enablers of digital world, have tremendous business opportunities ahead. The These roles have to be integrated and aligned age of collaborated regulation is dawning upon toward the common cause. Limitless possibilities the industry, and is being championed by the ITU. can be created through this approach. Representation of the private-sector, including of the telco sector, is rising within the ITU as well, It is generally accepted that an inclusive dialogue driven by global platfroms like the CRO Meeting, among the key stakeholders on creating a policy which SAMENA Council has the privilege to lead. environment that would cause sustainable development to materialize, is the single most In order to realize the level of co-operation important step toward creating a new, viable and collaboration required, we need to future for all. With the initiatives SAMENA calibrate our collaborative efforts on three Council is undertaking under the leadership of core areas of stakeholder engagement and its stakeholders, the largest regional telecom industry development: broadband, innovation, operators, a bright future for stakeholder and co-operation. Doing so will facilitate an cooperation rests before our eyes. improved understanding of the current situation within the industry in support of broadband infrastructure development needs from both end-user connectivity and operators’ investment perspectives; defining industry-wide cooperation with a new perspective and to set new priorities for collaborated action; and to underpin an affirmed Yours truly, Bocar A. BA Chief Executive Officer SAMENA Telecommunications Council page_3 SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS _ MAY 2016 HOST SPONSOR Smart Learning Signing Program Initiatives Education is not just good for students, it is great for This strategic agreement is aimed to coordinate the entities’ nations. We truly believe that education is the single- joint efforts in assisting and providing consultation to most important driver of economic empowerment for countries who have expressed interest in formulating individuals and countries alike. No one understands national policies within the framework of ‘smart’ learning. this better than the UAE’ leadership who have and According to the terms of the agreement, the UAE will continue to invest heavily in their citizens, especially become the ‘smart’ learning hub for the region and the the youth, to encourage greater growth and social world. But what does it all really mean and where do we go well-being for the future. The UAE is working towards from here? establishing a sustainable future with knowledge, science, technology and innovation at its centre as As per the agreement, the parties will organise four stipulated in the Technology and Innovation Higher workshops either online or onsite during 2016-2017, with the Policy adopted just last year. It is no surprise then that aim to spread awareness and build the capacity to formulate 2016 was also declared as the Year of Reading to boost national policies with regards to the implementation of the UAE’S position as global capital for knowledge and special smart learning strategies. In addition, they will culture. encourage and recommend the best practices in the field of ‘smart’ learning based on the principles of Mohammed Bin Earlier this month, the Telecommunication Regulatory Rashid Smart Learning Program. But this is just the tip of Authority (TRA) signed a cooperative agreement with the ice-berg and the ‘smart learning’ Middle East engine is the International Telecommunication Union