An ITP Media Group Publication www.commsmea.com Critical analysis for telecommunications executive NOVEMBER 2019 Download the free CommsMEA app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. AWARDS: COMMS MEA Awards 2019 are fast approaching GITEX REVIEW: Sci-fi movies predicted Gitex 2019 FEATURE Building a connected world - linking everyone together COUNTRY REPORT Oman’s telecoms sector looks to the future Charles Yang, Huawei Middle East president discusses digital inclusion AAnAn AnAnAnAnAnAnAAAAAAAnAnAnnnAn AnAnAnAAnAnAAAAnAAnAnnAnAAnAn AnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAAAnAn An AnAnnAnAnAnAAAAAAAn AAnnAAAAAnAnAnAnAAnAnAAAAAAAAAAAAnAAAAnAAnAnAAAnAnAnAnAAAAnAAnnnAAAn AAAAnnAAAnAnAAnAAnnAnAnnnAAAAAnAAAAAnnnnAAAAAAAnAnAnAAAAnAnAAAAAAAAnnnAAAnAnnAAAAnAnAnnnAAnAAAnnAAAnAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnAAAAnAAAAn TTTPIITIITITITIITTITTTITITIITITIIITIITIITITITITITIITTTITIIITTTITTIIITTIITTIITITTTITTTITTIIIT Media Group Publication www.commsmea.com Critical analysis for telecommuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Download the free CommsMEA app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. GITEX REVIEW: COUNTRY REPORTThe Bunker is a TIER III Uptime, military-grade, 4,300m2, disaster proof data center situated 12m underground. The facility is the in the MENA&GCC and one of very few worldwide. It gives organizations the opportunity to host IT infrastructure, disaster recovery and enhance ICT business processes. For more information, please contact us at +(962) 791001234 or visit https://zain.jo/theBunker HOST YOUR DATA Natural DisastersFiresMissiles Resistant to:3www.commsmea.com CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2019 CommsMEA November 2019 For more stories and analysis, visit commsmea.com. Twitter: @COMMSMEA 1822242628 Interview: Is technology, big data Saudi Arabia’s new oil? We look at the coun- try’s telecoms sector and where it is at. Interview: Navigating the 5G spec- trum, and its challenges is key to launching 5G across the globe. We talk to GSMA. Case study: Doraleh Container Ter- minal (DCT) improves operational efficiency & security with InfiNet Wireless Case study: Zain KSA opens up 5G to 20 cities in Saudi, with more planned for a country-wide roll-out of 5G services. Events: Gitex Review: Sci-fi movies predicted Gitex 2019, we look at flying cars, and im- planted NFC chips. Update: Etisalat Group reports a 2.1 per cent increase in consolidated Net Profit for the first nine months of 2019. Opinion: AI & Machine Learn- ing thwarts threat to enterprise messaging ecosystems, notes Comviva. Opinion: 5G brings its challenges as well as benefits, it’s time we looked at both with Ciena’s Virginie Hollebecque. Cover story: Digital inclusion means leaving no-one behind, writes Charles Yang, Huawei ME president Interview: The secret to 5G secu- rity? Turn the network into a sensor: Henrique Vale, MEA leader at Nokia Software. 0510121420 27 28 22 32 18 Table of contents: November 2019 edition About the author Georgina Ford is editor at large Got a comment? E-mail at: commsMEA@itp.com 5G, will provide data transfer rates that are many times faster than a blink of an eye, very high bandwidth and greater opportuni- ties for connectivity and reliability. Early in 2017, Ericsson, working with startup NeuroDigital Technologies and doc- tors at King’s College London, demonstrated how a surgeon could use a VR headset and special glove to control a robot arm that would perform an actual operation in an- other location. The glove was fitted with haptic feedback motors that buzzed when the doctor touched the dummy’s organ, giving them the sensa- tion that they were actually touching the dummy organ. In January 2019, China completed the world’s first 5G remote surgery, and at GI- TEX 2019, we saw the AI robot Mouza cook- ing a pancake and making coffee. I think we would all like one of those in our kitchen. UAE telco du, in partnership with the RTA announced thatthey are launching free wi-fi on the RTA’s public transport. The telco also launched a solution which assists radiologists in making in- formative diagnostic decisions about the presence of tuberculosis (TB) in prospec- tive UAE residents. What is next for the world? I definitely vote for teleportation. Last but not least, I am excited to welcome Chris Kelly on board as the new COMMS MEA editor from January. Having seen the futuristic de- vices, applications, and devel- opments at Gitex 2019, I am starting to wonder; are tech scientists trying to create the future as it was predicted in sci-fi movies, or are flying cars, and hyper-looping be- tween Dubai and Abu-Dhabi in 12 minutes, just a natural progression for humanity’s development? Imagine what the traffic would be like over Dubai if flying vehicles were added to the mix. Even if they are autonomous, it would certainly make the commute more interesting. The NFC communications chip From remote surgery powered by 5G, to Mouza, the AI robot at GITEX, the world is turning the movies into reality It’s all about 5G and sci-fi devices By: Georgina Ford launched by Etisalat is another technology seemingly taken straight out of RoboCop. As well as being used to customer loy- alty points, starting your car, or opening your house, I wonder if these type of im- plants will soon replace the bulky GPS watches parents put on their children to track their movements. 5G is certainly one of the only technolo- gies being talked about in the telecoms sphere this year, and our magazine this month is a reflection of that. From Zain KSA’s roll-out of 5G across the Kingdom, to the frequency allocation challenges in Europe, this issue looks at 5G from every possible angle. “Imagine what the traffic would be like over Dubai if flying vehicles were added to the mix.” AI is being advanced in the medical field, with virtual operations becoming a reality. 4www.commsmea.com COMMENT EDITOR CommsMEA November 2019Etisalat Group reports a 2.1 per cent increase in consolidated Net Profit for the first nine months of 2019 to AED 6.7 billion For more stories, check out commsmea.com. Follow CommsMEA on Twitter: @COMMSMEA Telco reports growth in subscribers, increasing profits across operations FINANCIALS Etisalat Group has reported nine-month consolidated revenues of AED 38.8 billion, while the consolidated net profit after Fed- eral Royalty for the nine months amounted to AED 6.7 billion, an increase of 2.1 per cent compared to same period last year. The company released its consolidated finan- cial statement for the nine months ending 30 September 2019. The UAE telco also reported nine month consolidated EBITDA of AED 20.1 billion, representing an increase of two per cent year over year and resulting in EBIT- DA margin of 52 per cent. According to Etisalat, its aggregate sub- scriber base reached 148 million; represent- ing Year over Year increase of five per cent. Etisalat partnered with a number of global companies this year to further im- prove its offerings in the UAE. The company has signed a binding agreement to acquire Help AG, one of the regional leaders in Cy- ber Security solutions in the UAE and KSA. Etisalat Digital also partnered with Micro- soft to deliver intelligent cloud solutions for its enterprise customers. The telecoms giant made several impor- tant announcements in the nine months ending September 30, launching MENA’s first 5G roaming agreement, making 5G connectivity available in the world’s tallest and iconic tower Burj Khalifa, and creating the GCC’s first accredited Service Automa- tion Framework (SAF) Training Centre, Etisalat Academy. Saleh Abdullah Al Abdooli, CEO, Etis- alat Group said: “Etisalat’s performance in the third quarter demonstrates our agil- ity in adapting to the rapid changes in the telecom industry; we have channelled our efforts towards leading the digital trans- formation with the successful roll out of 5G networks while equipping our operations with the next generation of technologies like AI and robotics…” In the UAE, the telco’s subscriber base reached to 12.4 million subscrib- ers, while Etisalat Group aggregate sub- scribers reached 148 million subscribers representing a year on year increase of five per cent. Etisalat Group’s consolidated revenue for the third quarter of 2019 amounted to AED 13 billion, while consolidated net prof- it after Federal Royalty amounted to AED 2.3 billion resulting in a net profit margin of 18 per cent. Consolidated EBITDA totaled AED 6.8 billion, representing an increase of three per cent year over year and resulting in EBITDA margin of 52 per cent. Saleh Abdullah Al Abdooli, CEO, Etisalat Group. 5www.commsmea.com UPDATE OPERATIONS CommsMEA November 2019 For more stories, check out commsmea.com. Follow CommsMEA on Twitter: @COMMSMEA The GCC can reap benefits from the proliferation of data if governments, compa- nies, and individuals alike understand the value of data The GCC can benefit vastly if it recognises the value of data – Strategy& and INSEAD Report DATA Data economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is estimated to be worth $4.7 billion - representing 0.3 per cent of regional GDP in 2018, notably lower than 1.9 per cent in the European Union three years earlier - according to a joint study by the Ideation Center, the leading think tank for Strategy&, part of the PwC network and INSEAD, the Business School for the World. Although data economy is still in its early stages, there is an opportunity for GCC gov- ernments to develop the sector by creating favourable conditions through a variety of different approaches. “A move toward data-driven technolo- gies as artificial Intelligence [AI], will fur- ther increase the economic value of data. However, despite the GCC countries pro- ducing increasing amounts of data, the economic return remains small. We esti- mate that the GCC data economy is worth $4.7 billion (around 0.3 per cent of regional GDP), a smaller proportion than in the Eu- ropean Union, where it is estimated at 1.9 per cent of GDP. GCC countries have lagged behind because stakeholders lack aware- ness of the value of their data, and do not sufficiently understand their data’s com- mercial potential,” said Jad Hajj, partner with Strategy& Middle East. According to the latest report, govern- ments can offer incentives to private-sector companies, such as infrastructure or solu- tion providers, or data traders that might consider setting up a business in the local markets. Furthermore, regional govern- ments could invest in startups that support data democratisation such as encryption Strategy& looks to the future Data consumption in Saudi Arabia forecast to grow by 28% Deployment of 5G is accelerating growth of data UAE smart homes market to grow by 14.8% Source : Strategy& Data could be the new future doe the Middle East. credit: Photo by f abio on Unsplash solution providers; distributed ledger tech- nologies such as blockchain; data market- places; cryptocurrencies; and data analysis and classification solution providers. Data create two-fold value and it’s im- perative that organisations grasp the value it represents. Companies can use data to improve internal operations and produc- tivity, along with products and services and customer experience. Secondly, organisa- tions can sell the data they produce, either in raw or analysed form. This will provide a boost to regional GDP and help the GCC fully realise the value data can deliver. 6www.commsmea.com UPDATE OPERATIONS CommsMEA November 2019The $6 million deal will be implemented over the next 10 years BBS inks deal with Tanzania’s TTCL to improve Burundi’s broadband connectivity PARTNERSHIP Tanzania Telecommunications Corpo- ration (TTCL) has signed an agreement with Burundi Backbone Systems (BBS) – a consortium of Burundian telecommuni- cations operators that have joined forces to build a national fibre-optic network in the country – aimed at providing complete broadband internet connectivity to the east African nation, Xinhua news agency reported in October. The $6 million deal will be imple- mented over the next decade, according to TTCL chief executive Waziri Kindamba, stating that the partnership will also allow his company to broaden its business port- folio in both east Africa and in the South- ern African Development Community (SADC) region. “TTCL will provide first class broad- band internet services in Burundi through our stations in Kabanga and Manyovu in For more stories, check out commsmea.com. Follow CommsMEA on Twitter: @COMMSMEA the border region of Kigoma,” said Kin- damba in a press release.. He added that as a result of the agree- ment, landlocked Burundi will now be connected across the world and that ac- cess to new internet services will ‘ease and improve business’ between the neighbour- ing countries – both of which are member states of the East African Community (EAC) along with Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Credit: Photo by Ommy Jay on Unsplash Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. 7www.commsmea.com UPDATE OPERATIONS CommsMEA November 2019Got a personnel change you want the world to know about? Email andrew. cover@itp.com to get in touch! For more stories, check out commsmea.com. Follow CommsMEA on Twitter: @COMMSMEA Company is investing into its mobile network in partnership with Huawei Seychelles’ Intelvision moving into mobile market with planned 2020 ‘4.5G/5G’ rollout INVESTMENT Seychelles fixed broadband and pay-TV provider Intelvision, will enter the mobile market with a network rollout beginning in 2020 in partnership with Chinese ven- dor Huawei, the Seychelles Nation has re- ported. Intelvision founder Mukesh Valabhji told the newspaper that the cable/fibre operator has been working on the mobile entry plan for around a year, with a target rollout date of June 2020, initially focus- ing on ‘4.5G’ services but also deploying 5G technology. Valabhji added that as 5G devices be- come more accessible, Intelvision will roll out a 5G network across the inner is- lands in partnership with Huawei. Intel- vision plans to have full network redun- dancy, and expects to invest $25 million in the mobile network alongside a similar amount for deployment of its own subma- rine fibre cable. Bel Ombre, Seychelles. CREDIT: Photo by S téphane Juban on Unsplash 8www.commsmea.com UPDATE OPERATIONS CommsMEA November 2019Octopus SDR Platform Latest Technological Advances Easy to Configure and Operate Visit our website www.infinetwireless.com for more information Quanta 70 Brand New Solution For Multiservice Networks Of Telecom Operators Quanta 70 is an innovative solution from Infinet Wireless, introducing a brand new approach in the 71-76 GHz frequency band. The system is designed to deliver the performance of up to 480 Mbps in 125 MHz band, with an impressive processing power of up to 870,000 pps. 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