< Previousopening and starting your car, opening your smart lock on your smart home, collecting loyalty tokens, accessing your money, and acting as access cards for your work. The NFC technology was showcased on the first day of Gitex, and the cost is AED 607, but UAE students get a 50 per cent discount. Du focuses on AI healthcare UAE telco Du showcased AI technologies at Gitex that included a solution which will speed up the visa process for prospective UAE residents. Launched in partnership with Infervision, a Chinese technology company using deep learning and AI, the solution serves as an intelligent alterna- tive to conventional TB screening for new UAE residents. TB screening is part of the visa issue process in the UAE, and the new solution is designed to help reduce wait times, in- crease efficiency, and prioritise work-lists in case of an emergency overload. As part of its showcase at the technology event, Du is also demonstrating an AI-enabled diabetic retinopathy screening platform, which assists doctors with faster decision- making and detection. The AI system automatically analyses the eye images and Etisalat’s Renault EZ-ULTIMO, is a robo-vehicle capable of advanced autonomous driving. Etisalat also took its Lazareth Flying Motorcycle to Gitex. : Just when you thought you had seen it all, here is Etisalat’s Hexa aircra. returns the result in less than one minute. In partnership with medical AI start- up Infermedica, Du has also unveiled the AI Primary Care Symptom Tracker Chatbot which prevents unnecessary appointments being made. The healthcare solution has been created in line with the Ministry of Happiness’s mandate to make the UAE one of the happiest countries in the world. The AI-enablement of the platform will assist citizens’ access to healthcare by enabling them to undergo a comprehensive app-based health assess- ment prior to meeting a clinician, physi- cian, or specialist. 30CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com EVENTS GITEX REVIEWTHE GOVERNMENT OF THE FUTURE World’s first floating Smart Police Station launched at GITEX DEWA focuses on AI and disruptive technologies in utility sector Smart Dubai collaborates with 48 government, semi-government and private sector entities A new chef in town RTA uses GITEX as platform to launch Free Wi-Fi Service on public buses, showcase the hyper loop During Gitex 2019, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, inaugurated the world’s first floating police station. The Station will be opened in the sea off of Dubai’s World Islands next year and will help seafarers and World Island residents have access to police services, including the reporting of crimes, sea traffic inci- dents, and community services. DEWA's futuristic programmes include the Manarati Smart Pole Initiative, which features innovative applications including charging electric vehicles and smart environmental sensors. They also debuted the Smart Response service, which includes features such as early self-diagnosis of electricity and water interruptions, as well as Ram- mas, DEWA’s virtual employee that answers customer queries, both in Arabic and English. Smart Dubai’s pavilion showcased Dubai’s strategies, services and initiatives that expedite the shift towards a paperless government that will further establish Dubai as a world leader in the smart city sector. The pavilion operated under the theme ‘From Paper to Paperless’. The Dubai Paperless Strategy 2021, seeks to achieve 100 per cent digital transition by the end of 2021. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) presented Chez Mouza, the Emirati chef whipping up coffee and pancakes for GITEX’s revellers, but there’s a twist. Mouza is actually a pair of skilled robotic arms who uses utensils, raw ingredients and cooking tools to prepare the perfect dish every time. He can crack eggs, mix batter, flip pan- cakes and serve coffee, with no com- plaints whatsoever. During GITEX Technology Week 2019, Dubai’s RTA teamed up with du to provide free WiFi UAE on board public buses, marine transit modes and air- conditioned bus shelters. As part of the agreement, du is to provide Wi-Fi UAE services free of charge for riders of Dubai Bus, inter- city bus and Expo buses. Virgin’s Hyperloop One travels using an electromag- netic propulsion system, pushing itself at warp- speeds through the vacuum tubing it is housed in. The Hyperloop will cut down travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to just 12 minutes. The hyper loop pods will feature leather seats, air- conditioning and entertainment options. 31CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com EVENTS GITEX REVIEWFEATURE CONNECTIVITY 32CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com Credit: Photo by Markus Spiske on UnsplashFEATURE CONNECTIVITY Azz-Eddine Mansouri, general manager of sales at Ciena Middle East and Bogdan Burcea, technical marketing manager, InfiNet Wireless look at what connectivity of the future will bring to our world BUILDING A CONNECTED WORLD 5G the technology on everyone’s lips, has the potential to address connectivity challenges across the globe by providing 10x lower la- tency, 100x faster speeds, 100x more devices, and 1000x higher data volumes, according to Azz- Eddine Mansouri, general manager of sales at Ciena Middle East. “With these stellar capabilities, this technology promises to meet the growing number of consumer and industrial use case demands,” he stated. “The lower latency of 5G will enable near real-time com- munication which will lead to many new applications and use cases becoming a reality, including fixed broadband residential internet access, autonomous self-driving cars, improved user mobility, broadcast communications services, critical lifeline services and ultra-reliable communications.” 5G facilitates large-scale connectivity, featuring up to a million devices per square kilometre as com- pared to a maximum of 100,000 devices per square kilometre as is currently the case with 4G networks. “An important differentiator of 5G is that it aims to develop the concept of the Internet of Things [IoT] by providing connectivity beyond smartphones and tablets, to almost any type of device or equipment. With its increased speeds and very low latency it will be a boost for smart city projects that involve real-time traffic control mechanisms, it will drive innovation in the agriculture segments by ensur- ing seamless control to any machine and it will, of course, improve our perception, as end-users, of the quality of the voice and streaming services,” noted Bogdan Burcea, technical marketing manager, In- fiNet Wireless. According to Burcea, new features imply new tech- nologies and new network designs. InfiNet Wireless 33CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com34CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com FEATURE CONNECTIVITY Besides high capacity [hundreds of Megabits per second] and low latency [up to five ms], the BWA solutions must provide high availability [at least ‘five-nines’] and high durability [between five and ten years] regardless of the climate conditions.” Bogdan Burcea, technical marketing manager, InfiNet Wireless talks about massive-MIMO having around a hundred active antennas, and since millimetre-waves are considered to be used by 5G, small cells will also play a very important role in the 5G network. A changing world Connectivity is set to change the way we work, play and educate; the smart city con- nectivity and Internet of Things opportu- nities are unlimited. 5G will change how operators and customers see network per- formance, creating a path for an incredible amount of new services and applications to be developed. “Smart cities are a great example, as hundreds of thousands of sensors are added to the network every minute, mak- ing cities 'smart' by gathering, analysing, and acting upon vital collected sensor data,” said Mansouri. To achieve 5G connectivity goals, telecom operators must be able to meet the increase in bandwidth demand and dynamic traffic flows that a smart city will pose in order to handle, collect and analyse data from millions to billions of devices and homes, flag problems and take actions in near real-time. The decision to deploy various kinds of technologies that are categorised as smart city solutions must always be driven by the need to solve real problems for citizens and also, for the environment, according to InfiNet Wireless. “‘Smart’ means resource utilisation in a very efficient manner, and that cannot be realised without cutting-edge technol- ogy. But, this technology involves massive data processing and also transmission of information,” said Burcea. “That's why we cannot talk about a true smart city without talking about telecom solutions. And here, the Broadband Wireless solu- tions come into play because they are the preferred solutions in many situations due to their cost-effectiveness, and fast de- ployment compared with wired solutions. But at the same time, the requirements for BWA solutions, to be qualified as the right choice for smart city applications, can be only met by the industry-grade products. Besides high capacity [hundreds of Mega- bits per second] and low latency [up to five ms], the BWA solutions must provide high availability [at least ‘five-nines’] and high durability [between five and ten years] regardless of the climate conditions.” However, deploying the ‘network of the future’ is not without its challenges. According to Ciena, the increase in both capacity and connected devices leads to more complexity, which means that networks need to become more ‘adap- tive’ by leveraging the power of intelligent automation combined with intent-based policies and analytics. 5G is a great enabler and will bring significant business oppor- tunities for telecom companies, as it will support them in gaining revenue in the fixed broadband market and business-to- business (B2B) opportunities, including smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT). Burcea said that many current imple- mentations use frequencies below 6 GHz in a shared 4G/5G architecture. However, the sub 6 GHz spectrum is already crowd- ed, so interference is a true challenge. 5G is, therefore, shifting its attention to the millimetre-wave frequencies of 26-28 GHz, which are less crowded and support increased capacities, allowing more users. Higher frequencies imply smaller antenna elements, so massive MIMO with a very large number of antenna elements can be implemented. This technology implies the simultaneous connectivity of a larger number of devices, with support for high speeds. Beamforming takes the role of overcoming the interferences and increasing the quality of the transmission. “Since higher frequencies are used, another challenge is that the range of communication is short, and buildings, vegetation, or rain absorb the radio waves. This is where small cells come in to play, 35CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com FEATURE CONNECTIVITY The lower latency of 5G will enable near real-time communication which will lead to many new applications and use cases becoming a reality, including fixed broadband residential internet access, autonomous self-driving cars, improved user mobility, broadcast communications services, critical lifeline services and ultra- reliable communications.” Azz-Eddine Mansouri, general manager of sales at Ciena Middle East by covering smaller areas and providing a denser network design. The good news is that lower power consumption is required by higher frequency operating equipment. When it comes to network equipment, we are moving towards the design of general- purpose hardware, that can take over many different functionalities and achieve network virtualisation,” noted Burcea. A challenge for the core network rede- sign is to bring the content closer to the end-user, in order to lower the access time. In the case of streaming services, a copy of the popular content can be stored in the local servers, so that the latency is then far-reduced. Security Developing smart cities and ever-more connected devices creates far more end- points that can be used as diverse cyber- attack vectors. Such a giant network of connected devices must be carefully secured to ensure we don’t have a modern day version of Ste- phen King’s Maximum Overdrive. Bogdan Burcea, Technical Marketing Manager, InfiNet Wireless Security said that it is vital to ensure safe smart cities, and data protection. Now that we are exponentially increasing both active and passive device connections with 5G, how is that data going to be secured, and what are the challenges for telcos in terms of data and connection security? “In the case of a smart city, data secu- rity must be assured at different levels, concurrently, from national regulations down to the security mechanisms - such as encryption, authentication, and authorisa- tion, digital signatures and certificates, etc. - offered by each technical solution implemented in the project,” he stated. “Regarding the security provided by dif- ferent telecom solutions, and especially Broadband Wireless solutions, the propri- etary based systems are preferred against the standards-based systems. We at InfiNet Wireless have more than 500,000 deployments around the globe, and not a single security violation has been reported in more than 15 years. Let's take a case of a Point-to-Point Broadband Wireless link - if the air protocol is proprietary, and the packets are encrypted, using both hardware and software techniques, and the link authentication is MAC address- based, then we can talk about a very robust and reliable wireless system from the data security point of view.” OMAN’S TELECOMS SECTOR LOOKS TO THE FUTURE Oman’s progressive telecoms sector is already 5G tested, and is has set a strategy to have all homes and businesses connected to broadband by 2040 36CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com COUNTRY REPORT OMANOman Broadband Company (OBC), the government’s telecoms overseer, hopes to have all businesses and homes connected to broadband by 2040, as part of its National Broadband Strategy. Estimated fixed line penetration is currently at 81 per cent and fixed broadband penetration is currently at 57 per cent. Oman has already conducted its 5G testing, allocated spectrum, and is cur- rently upgrading its network for 5G roll-out. Omantel, the sultanate’s longest-established telco announced that it was 5G ready back in early 2019, followed by Ooredoo, although 5G is not expected to go live much before 2020. There has also been a push towards improv- ing fixed broadband infrastructure for Oman, especially fibre-based networks. However, while infrastructure and develop- ments are increasing rapidly, the consumer segment is facing challenges. According to Oman - Telecoms, Mobile And Broadband Statistics And Analysis by Research and Markets, mobile subscriptions in Oman have shrunk during 2019 due to a changing expat population, even though they are still in the growth stage. According to Omantel’s 2019 financial re- port, growth in the overall Oman telecom sec- tor remains healthy, with penetration rates in Oman for fixed line and broadband services showing steady growth. Oman’s national statistics show mobile penetration is 149.7 per cent and mobile broadband penetration has reached 93.8 per cent. Oman is located between Asia, Africa and Europe, positioning it as a telecoms hub, and it also has access to several submarine cable systems. In July 2018, giant global data centre operator, Equinix, partnered with Omantel to build a new data centre in Oman. Adding a third MNO Oman’s telecoms network is one of the more competitive markets in the Middle East region, and in 2017 it announced a third tel- ecoms operator licence. The Sultanate opened the bid process for the licence in early 2017, before cancelling it, and announcing that a local consortium, Oman Future Telecoms (OFT), would be awarded the licence. In May 2019, it was announced that Vodafone would be the strategic partner for the consortium. Times of Oman published a statement from the TRA as saying that Vodafone has agreed to become a ‘strate- gic partner’ in OFT, which will become the Sultanate’s third mobile network operator (MNO) after Omantel and Ooredoo. It was announced in September 2019 that the development of the Vodafone-backed network would begin immediately, with the network’s commercial launch set for the second half of 2020. The OFT consortium includes pension funds, government investment funds and investors from the private sector, reported Times of Oman. “I am delighted to start this strategic partnership with OFT, and I look forward to developing this new network operator and Oman’s digital economy,” noted Vodafone Partner Markets CEO Diego Massidda in September 2019. “I am confident that this will build into a strong, lasting relationship that will benefit customers of both companies.” Challenges overcome Oman’s domestic and macro-economic telecom challenges were apparent 2018 into 2019, according to the Omantel annual report 2018-2019. “As telecom penetration reaches beyond saturation in most of the markets, opera- tors are caught up in a dilemma managing to maintain balance between defending their profitability from regulation, competition and VoIP explosion, while keeping pace with enormous technological advancements that are fuelling demand for advanced networks and new services. Voice and data connectivity pricing continues to decline at the cost of op- erators’ earnings amid stringent regulatory settings and competition in both retail and wholesale markets,” the report read. However, with the telecoms sector in Oman seeking to diversify, and the rapid increase of consumer connected devices, the future for the country’s telecoms sector lies in the advancements in the Internet of Things segment. Consumer oriented devices driving IoT growth include wearables, smartphones, con- nected cars and smart homes. 37CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com COUNTRY REPORT OMANOmantel reports profits in a challenging market and outlines what is ahead Omantel released its H1 2019 financial results earlier in 2019, posting group revenue of OMR1.26 billion ($3.3 bil- lion) for H1 2019, compared to OMR 914.2 million a year earlier. This is mainly due to the consolidation of Zain’s revenue. However, turnover from domestic operations fell seven per cent year-on-year to OMR 259.8 million and domestic profit fell nine per cent year-on-year. According to Omantel, this is due to the changing Oman expat population, increase in VOIP, and falling mobile pre-paid revenues, although there was a surge in data consumption. Group EBITDA rose by 72 per cent to OMR 539.5 million in the first six months of 2019, while net profit grew 25 per cent from OMR 101.0 million in H1 2018 to OMR 126.5 million in H1 2019, thanks to strong performance in key markets of Zain Group, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq “We are delighted with these results which clearly reflect the importance and success of our strategic investment in Zain Group that serves around 50 million customers in the region,” said Omantel CEO Talal Said Al Mamari, “Zain Group performance has enabled us not only to offset the decline witnessed in the domestic Oman Telecommunications Com- pany (Omantel) was the first MNO operating in Oman, and remains the primary provider of internet services in the Sultante. The gov- ernment of Oman owns a 51 per cent share in Omantel. operations but rather to grow our revenues and net profits to new record levels.” In June 2019, Omantel announced its acquisition of a 40 per cent stake in local MVNO group Majan Telecom- munication (Renna Mobile) for $12.98 million. The MVNO, which serves around 350,000 customers under the Renna brand, launched a second brand, Red Bull Mobile Oman, in April this year. In a statement, Omantel wrote: “The transaction is underpinned by a vision of both the parties to chart a course of robust growth for both entities who have a long history of mutually beneficial growth and collaboration … This transaction is expected to take this collaboration to newer heights and long-term value creation to their share- holders and subscribers.” Getting behind 5G In June 2019 Omantel announced that its network is 5G ready, although consumers will have to wait a while until 5G handsets are available, and the wider 5G network is up and running. In November 2017 Omantel and Er- icsson conducted a live 5G showcase in a real-world environment, including tests on speed, mobility and latency. The 5G showcase, which used advanced 5G features such as beamforming and beam tracking, was the first in a series of trials that Omantel and Ericsson agreed to conduct to prepare the network for the oncoming 5G evolution. Mohammed Al Kindi, vice president of Oman Telecom Regulatory Authority said: “5G use-cases are moving from the realms of the imagination to the realms of reality. We are certain that innovative companies of the future are going to be built on 5G technology. Today’s event is in alignment with TRA commitment of creating the right regulatory environment that is aimed to foster technology innovation.” Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel), is also a major international connectivity hub, with currently ten sub- marine cables landing in Oman. These cables are: TWA, EIG, PLAG, Fal- con, EPEG, SMW-3, Mena, POI, OMRAN, GBI and BBG. Omantel is 5G ready, and its customers will be able to access the ultra-fast network as soon as 2020 OMANTEL EVOLVES 38CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com COUNTRY REPORT OMANKey Developments • The mobile sector in Oman has become more and more competitive in recent years, due to both the market becoming saturated as well as the rise of MVNOs. • There two mobile network operators (MNO) were awarded 15 year licenses in 2019. • VoIP subscriptions are on the rise in Oman. OOREDOO BOOSTS ITS MOBILE COVERAGE, GETS 5G READY Oman’s second MNO has increased its country-wide coverage to reach 96 per cent of Oman, while getting 5G ready During 2019, Oman’s second larg- est MNO, Ooredoo, boosted its coverage, launched a number of consumer applications and improvements, and also revealed its own 5G showcase. Oman’s second largest telco by subscrib- ers, expanded its Super Fibre broadband service to Al Ansab and Shabeyat Bousher. Ooredoo customers in these areas can now access maximum download speeds of 1Gbps on the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Other locations will be connect- ed by the end of the 2019. The telco’s coverage of its 4G Supernet network now reaches 96 per cent of the Sultanate’s population, and its LTE service has been extended to a further 25 new areas, including Wadi Al Namar, Khazinah, Jidya, Hammah, Miqaah and Najd. “The availability of 4G services in rural areas is a big achievement along our journey,” said Ahmed Al Abri, Ooredoo’s chief technology and information officer. “It allows customers to stay connected with friends and families for longer to share, stream, chat, message and more. We remain committed to enriching the digital lives of people in Oman and providing them with a fantastic data experience.” Ooredoo developed a number of part- nerships during 2019, including one with FRiENDi mobile Oman, part of the Vir- gin Mobile Middle East & Africa (VM- MEA) group. FRiENDi entered into a new long-term agreement with Ooredoo Oman, which will see the MVNO switch from the Omantel network, which it has used since its launch ten years ago. The agree- ment is valid for seven years. Customer migration began in May 2019. The partnership makes FRiENDi Oore- doo’s largest wholesale business customer in Oman and will increase the cellco’s overall customer base by 21 per cent. “After having operated in the Omani market for exactly ten years this month, we are extremely excited to now partner with Ooredoo to bring our business to new heights,” Salma Al Maawali, CEO at FRiENDi mobile, said in June. 5G is here Ooredoo Oman has upgraded a total of 51 sites across Oman with Mas- sive MIMO technology in prepara- tion for the deployment of 5G. Mas- sive MIMO technology increases data transmission speeds and improves the network’s capacity to connect more customers. In December 2018, the firm enhanced its LTE home broadband service with Massive MIMO at its 14 sites in Mus- cat, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Sharqiya, Dahira and Dakhliah. “The success of 5G development in Oman is a shared initiative between all government authorities linked to licenses, spectrum and building the infrastructure of this technology. The construction of 5G networks requires hundreds or even thou- sands of telecom towers and the connec- tion of these needs fibre optic cables to be laid, or the installation of microwave con- nections [wireless devices]. This cannot be achieved without the collaboration of all of the different parties involved,” Yousef Al Bulushi, vice president for Spectrum Unit at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said. In mid-2019, Ooredoo opened a 5G experience zone in its Muscat Grand Mall store. The demonstrations incorporate ultra-high-speed internet access, where customers are able to check speeds using the latest technology; 5G mobile devices and CPE devices (routers). The next gen- eration of wireless technology promises speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G, with download speeds of up to 1.2Gb per sec- ond. Through the combination of speed, responsiveness and reach, it will also pave the way for other new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, virtual real- ity, and the Internet of Things. Ooredoo reported gross consolidated revenue in 2018, of OMR 283.6 million, slightly higher than its 2017 reported gross consolidated revenue of OMR 273.6 million. The 2018 consolidated revenue yielded net profit, after tax, of OMR 41.9 million (2017: OMR 31.0 million). The company achieved an- nual revenue growth of 3.7 per cent. Ooredoo has increased its network coverage to now reach 96 per cent of Oman’s population. 39CommsMEA November 2019www.commsmea.com COUNTRY REPORT OMANNext >