make the right connections - Connect-World

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST 2006
Universal
Broadband
Access -
A Basic Right If so, How and Why

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST 2006
Universal
Broadband
Access -
A Basic Right If so, How and Why

CONTENTS
Connections
First words from the
Editor-In-Chief’s desk
by Fredric J. Morris
Imprint
Subscription
Promotional Features
CBOSS
5 7 11 14
17 21 24 26
28 33 33 37
40 42 47 52
52
56
Advertisements
All articles are available as
downloads. Visit us online at
www.connect-world.com
Belgacom
Detecon
ITU Telecom World
Connect-World
INTEC
ITU WSIS
GSM 3G World Series (Africa)
Terrapin TelecomsWorld
Futurecomm
JDSU
GSM Middle East & Gulf
PTC
Terrapin Subnet
GSM World Congress (Asia)
Global FMC Forum
Terrapin Digital
Connect-World
Broadcasting & Media Congress
Pegasus Consultancy
Terrapin Cards
Ericsson
Cisco
2
2
60
9
IFC
3
4
10
15
19
22
29
30
32
35
38
43
44
49
50
53
54
57
59
IBC
OBC
National Development
Broadband in Egypt 5
by His Excellency, Dr Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communications and Information
Technology, Egypt
Universal broadband access - basic rights and aspirations 7
by Dr Hessa S. Al-Jaber, PhD, Secretary General, ictQATAR, the Supreme Council of
Information & Communication Technology, Qatar
Rural Development
ICT, broadband and rural development in Africa 11
by Robert B. Kozma, Ph.D., Emeritus Director and Principal Scientist, Centre for
Technology in Learning, SRI International, California, USA
Convergent Billing
Converged billing - enabling African mobile 14
by Birger Thorburn, CTO, Converged Billing Solutions Group, Comverse EMEA
Broadband Deployment
Closing the digital gap 17
by Ruediger Muehlhausen, VP, Group Messages and PR at Siemens Communications
Digital Divide
Bridging new digital divides 21
by Jean-Hervé Jenn, President, International, Convergys Corporation
3G Networks
3G in the Kingdom and the Middle East 24
by Saud Bin Majed Al-Daweesh, President, Saudi Telecom Company
Wireless Broadband
Wireless broadband - changing business in Africa and the
Middle East by Pertti Johansson, President, Qualcomm Middle East and Africa 26
Universal broadband - can it pay in Africa 28
by Michah Himmelman, Founder and President, MaxBill Ltd
Wireless
Wireless - building the Middle East and Africa 33
by Jose R. Figueroa, Corporate Vice President & Regional Manager (EMEA and
LAC), and Ali Amer, Senior Director of Sales (MENAPAK), Motorola Networks.
Digital Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility
Africa and the Middle East - broadband access for growth 37
by Paul Bell, Senior Vice President, Dell EMEA
Triple Play
Triple play in Africa - a pipe dream 40
by Desi Lopez Fafi é – Managing Director, African Operations, Oracle Corporation
Data Security
Mobile data security 42
by Massimo Migliuolo, Vice President for the Global Mobile Vertical at Cisco Systems
Metropolitan Wireless Broadband
The promise of metropolitan wireless broadband 47
by Makoto Ikari, General Manager, Wireless Broadband Division, Corporate
Communication Systems Equipment Group, Kyocera Corporation
Digital TV
Broadband and digital TV - new cultural dimensions 52
by Neil Gaydon, CEO & Mike Tometzki, New Business Development Manager,
Pace Micro Technology
Education
Education and universal broadband access 56
by Dr Mounir Hamdi, Director, Computer Engineering Programme, The Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology
All articles are available for download at www.connect-world.com
1

CONNECTIONS
Broadband has replaced basic telephony as the goal of many of
the world’s universalisation programmes. Not very long ago, basic
communication, basic telephony alone, was fundamental for full
participation in society and the economy. Today, however, with the
growth of the Internet and of the Information Society, telephony is
just the barest, minimal, communication service and broadband
is the benchmark for digital inclusion. Broadband makes distance
learning possible, brings social services, provides entertainment and
makes VoIP - almost costless calling - possible.
The theme for this issue of Connect-World Africa and the Middle
East is Universal Broadband Access - A Basic Right If so, How and
Why Leaders from throughout the region were asked to examine
what universal broadband access can mean to Africa and the Middle
East - both for business and to its citizens, and what can be done to
make available to all what is now coming to be considered a basic
right.
Connect-World Africa and the Middle East is an official media sponsor
of GSM ME Gulf and North Africa (11 to 12 September, Dubai),
Cards Africa (9 to 12 October, Johannesburg, South Africa), GSM
Africa (19 to 20 October, South Africa), Tunisia Telecom (1 to 4 November,
Tunisia), and Gitex (18 to 22 November, Dubai). In addition
to our usual mailings, copies of Connect-World will be distributed at
these shows.
In each of Connect-World’s editions
- Global, Africa and the Middle East,
Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, North
America, Latin America, and EMEA - global and regional leaders
look at the issues that drive the development of their home regions
or countries. Current discussions centre upon the changes wrought
in industry and society by the latest generation of information and
communications technology, especially Internet protocol digital communications,
broadband and personalised services - and how both
business and society are changing, need to change, as a result.
Connect-World sponsors many major industry events throughout the
world. Check our website, www.connect-world.com for a list of the
shows we will be at in the coming months. If you will be attending any
of these shows, send us a note. It would be a pleasure to meet you.
Fredric J. Morris,
Editor-in-Chief,
Connect-World
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means
electronical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
prior permission from the publishers. The content of this publication is
based on best knowledge and information available at the time of publication.
No responsibility for any injury, death, loss, damage or delay,
however caused, resulting from the use of the material can be accepted
by the publishers or others associated with its preparation. The publishers
neither accept responsibility for, nor necessarily agree with, the
views expressed by contributors.
Editor-in-Chief:
Fredric J. Morris
fredric.morris@connect-world.com
Publisher:
David Nunes
david.nunes@connect-world.com
Managing Director:
Valetta Brown
valetta.brown@connect-world.com
Proof Reader:
Diane Cross
Connect-World is published under Licence
by WORLD INFOCOMMS LTD
Executive Office:
• Global House, 12 Albert Road, London E16 2DW •
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 20 7540 0876 • Fax: +44 20 7474 0090
email: info@connect-world.com • URL: www.connect-world.com
Printers:
Express Printing Services LLC
ISSN 1741-122X
2 Issue 2006

CONNECTIONS
Broadband has replaced basic telephony as the goal of many of
the world’s universalisation programmes. Not very long ago, basic
communication, basic telephony alone, was fundamental for full
participation in society and the economy. Today, however, with the
growth of the Internet and of the Information Society, telephony is
just the barest, minimal, communication service and broadband
is the benchmark for digital inclusion. Broadband makes distance
learning possible, brings social services, provides entertainment and
makes VoIP - almost costless calling - possible.
The theme for this issue of Connect-World Africa and the Middle
East is Universal Broadband Access - A Basic Right If so, How and
Why Leaders from throughout the region were asked to examine
what universal broadband access can mean to Africa and the Middle
East - both for business and to its citizens, and what can be done to
make available to all what is now coming to be considered a basic
right.
Connect-World Africa and the Middle East is an official media sponsor
of GSM ME Gulf and North Africa (11 to 12 September, Dubai),
Cards Africa (9 to 12 October, Johannesburg, South Africa), GSM
Africa (19 to 20 October, South Africa), Tunisia Telecom (1 to 4 November,
Tunisia), and Gitex (18 to 22 November, Dubai). In addition
to our usual mailings, copies of Connect-World will be distributed at
these shows.
In each of Connect-World’s editions
- Global, Africa and the Middle East,
Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, North
America, Latin America, and EMEA - global and regional leaders
look at the issues that drive the development of their home regions
or countries. Current discussions centre upon the changes wrought
in industry and society by the latest generation of information and
communications technology, especially Internet protocol digital communications,
broadband and personalised services - and how both
business and society are changing, need to change, as a result.
Connect-World sponsors many major industry events throughout the
world. Check our website, www.connect-world.com for a list of the
shows we will be at in the coming months. If you will be attending any
of these shows, send us a note. It would be a pleasure to meet you.
Fredric J. Morris,
Editor-in-Chief,
Connect-World
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means
electronical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
prior permission from the publishers. The content of this publication is
based on best knowledge and information available at the time of publication.
No responsibility for any injury, death, loss, damage or delay,
however caused, resulting from the use of the material can be accepted
by the publishers or others associated with its preparation. The publishers
neither accept responsibility for, nor necessarily agree with, the
views expressed by contributors.
Editor-in-Chief:
Fredric J. Morris
fredric.morris@connect-world.com
Publisher:
David Nunes
david.nunes@connect-world.com
Managing Director:
Valetta Brown
valetta.brown@connect-world.com
Proof Reader:
Diane Cross
Connect-World is published under Licence
by WORLD INFOCOMMS LTD
Executive Office:
• Global House, 12 Albert Road, London E16 2DW •
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 20 7540 0876 • Fax: +44 20 7474 0090
email: info@connect-world.com • URL: www.connect-world.com
Printers:
Express Printing Services LLC
ISSN 1741-122X
2 Issue 2006

MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 provides a unique global ICT networking platform
where great minds, companies and new technologies connect. Join the
leaders of business, government, regulators, innovators and visionaries to
explore, negotiate and decide the future of the ICT industry. Organized by the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Visit www.itu.int /world2006

National Development
Broadband in Egypt
by His Excellency, Dr Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communications
and Information Technology, Egypt
To develop Egyptʼs economy and improve its citizensʼ standard of living, Egypt is working to educate its citizens
and provide affordable Internet access. Initially, the Egyptian Educational Initiative, a joint effort with
the World Economic Forum and nine of the worldʼs leading ICT companies, will provide ICT training for
820,000 students in more than 2,000 schools and universities. The government is encouraging the development
of local content in Arabic and, together with ISPs, has worked to cut broadband access prices.
Dr Tarek Mohamed Kamel is Egyptʼs Minister of Communications and Information Technology. He is also the Chairman of the National
Telecom Regulatory Authority, and Chairman of the Information Technology Industry Development. As a Senior Advisor to the Minister
of Communications and Information Technology for five years before himself being appointed Minister, Dr Kamel spearheaded a number
of national initiatives to spread the use of ICT tools amongst the segments of Egyptian society. Previously, Dr Kamel served as the manager
of the Communications and Networking Department, the Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC/RITSEC), as the
Secretary of the Egyptian Internet Society, as Professor of Computer Networks at the Electronics Research Institute, and as a VP and,
later, a Trustee of the Internet Society (ISOC), Virginia. Dr Kamel was also a member of the Board of Telecom Egypt. The Minister began
his career as a networks support engineer for the Academy of Technology and Scientific Research, and swiftly moved on to becoming an
assistant researcher at the ERI, winning a fellowship for his PhD studies from the German Academic Exchange (DAAD).
Egypt is embarking on a new technology-driven
campaign to support its socio-economic development
strategy. This strategy is addressing
a vision to create a vibrant ICT industry and
information-literate society; and the Government
of Egypt collectively with the business
sector is joining forces to materialize it.
Widespread and affordable broadband access
is fundamental in realizing the potential and
development of our Information Society. A
nationwide secure broadband infrastructure
is essential for the development and delivery
of services and applications that complement
and contribute to the advance of sectors that
the Government of Egypt is focusing upon,
including education and learning, medical and
healthcare, government and public services,
industry development, trade and exports.
Egypt just launched its national educational
initiative on 20th May, in an attempt to reform
the educational sector by heavily injecting
ICTs in the academic experience. This
initiative increasingly utilizes broadband and
high-speed accessibility. It embraces projects
such as ʻSmart Schoolsʼ, high-speed Internet
for middle schools (7,000 schools), illiteracy
eradication as well as life-long learning and
professional training programmes via unique
e-learning schemes in a variety of sectors. Initiatives
such as these make broadband crucial
to growth and quality of life for the generations
ahead.
The Egyptian Educational Initiative is a joint
effort in collaboration with the World Economic
Forum and nine leading information
and communication technology companies,
namely: CISCO, Computer Associates, HP,
IBM, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, Oracle, and
Siemens. The initiativeʼs core activities include
ICT training in schools and the development
of suitable curricula in an online format
designed to improve radically the quality of
the educational process and enhance efficiency
of the system. More than 820,000 students in
2,000 preparatory schools and over 300 faculties
in 15 universities will be beneficiaries of
the first phase of the EEI.
The government is working concurrently to
create a reliable high-speed network to connect
the countryʼs research and development
institutes to the Internet. This will enable efficient
interaction between Egyptian students
and their peers globally, thus creating opportunities
for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Internet use in Egypt has enormous growth
potential according to current statistics. The
Egyptian Broadband Initiative, launched in
2004 as part of Egyptʼs Information Society
Initiative e-access programme, added a new
dimension to the successful ʻhome-grownʼ
free-Internet model, which had been launched
back in 2002. This new broadband model was
“The government is working concurrently to create a reliable
high speed network to connect the country’s research and
development institutes to the Internet”
structured, at first, to attract small businesses,
but the demand then spread to individuals, to
residential users. The model basically called
for the unbundling of the last mile local loops
for the provision of broadband wire-line and
cleared the spectrum needed for wireless broadband
services. The initiative was launched
on the first day of Telecom Africa, the ITUʼs
regional event. It brought Egyptʼs citizens a
much needed alternative to the dial-up connection.
The new service was accompanied by
a promotional campaign to highlight the direct
benefits for the user, such as the ʻalways onʼ
feature, the linking of multiple computers, and
the ability to use simultaneously the telephone
line and the Internet.
This month, taking the Egypt Information Society
Initiative a step further, broadband prices
were reduced even more and special packages
for higher speeds were introduced. Built upon
a strong partnership between the government
and the private sector, this major restructuring
of the broadband initiative is aimed not only at
widening the user base, but also at attracting
new segments of the society and providing the
users with a high-speed access platform that
can support converged and next generation
data services. Today, at a cost of only US$16
per month, citizens can subscribe to 256 kb/s
Issue 2006 5

National Development
broadband services. As a result, there are now
more than five million dial-up Internet users
and one million broadband Internet users serviced
by the countryʼs seven Internet service
providers, ISPs. The number of users
is expected to increase by 150
per cent by the end of 2007.
Broadband will fundamentally
change the way Egyptians use the
Internet. Availability of content, and
new communications platforms for
delivery, will play a key role in the
future of the new wave of broadband
in Egypt; this will pave the way for
the growth of services in the region
as well. Egyptʼs increasingly mature
infrastructure will soon be ready
to introduce a new set of services
aimed at addressing the growing
needs of users. The new services
will include applications that facilitate
conducting business online, and
other services will enhance participation
in academic learning experiences,
or simply provide entertainment via
electronic means.
The encouraging progress of the sector has
given the government the conditions needed to
work on the next phase of broadband in Egypt.
The government, through its National Telecom
Regulatory Authority, NTRA, in cooperation
with the ISPs, came up with a next-generation
model based upon private sector investments
and competition to drive increased bandwidth,
quality, innovation and the nationwide spread
of the service. The availability of Internet access
and broadband is helping Egypt achieve
its objective of decentralization by establishing
affordable and reliable channels for free
interaction between stakeholders.
The growth of broadband access is also very
much coupled to the availability of suitable
content. Operators or ISPs tend increasingly to
“Egypt’s population is a
young one, with a developing
economy, and the next phase
of broadband development
will look into mechanisms
that are more aggressive and
offer attractive new packages
to users.”
invest in broadband infrastructure in response
to the emergence of new cultural and business
content delivery models. It is worth noting
that introducing innovative local applications
and services to the market has encouraged usage,
and many content service providers are
now devoting serious resources to developing
content in Arabic to encourage new segments
of society to get online. Accordingly, Egypt
launched its E-Content Initiative in 2005
aimed at boosting Arabic content on the Web
and, more specifically, to address the needs of
the local and regional markets.
Broadband will fundamentally change
the way Egyptians use the Internet. Availability
of content, and new communications
platforms for delivery, will play a
key role in the future of the new wave of
broadband in Egypt;
Egyptʼs population is a young one, with a
developing economy, and the next phase of
broadband development will look into mechanisms
that are more aggressive and offer attractive
new packages to users. Furthermore,
Egypt, already a telecommunication infrastructure
and connectivity leader in the region
and a hub for traditional and digital cultural
content, is currently considering a new framework
for delivery of audio-visual services.
The rapid development of Internet usage has
encouraged the establishment of new means
for interaction between the government and its
citizens. Services have been introduced, such
as online publishing of high-schools grades,
and there has been increased awareness in
universities about the ability of the Internet to
provide information throughout the many segments
of the community. Accessing the website
of the Ministry of Education to view the
results of the high school certificate before it is
published in newspapers or on school bulletin
boards has become a routine for many anxious
parents. The unique benefit provided by the Internet,
which by nature is a toll for public communications,
is to affordably connect people
across the globe. Extending Internet access to
all citizens will further the understanding between
peoples and cultures. Making the Internet
reliable, secure and affordable for all, however,
will require international collaboration.
To encourage greater international connectivity
with the world, during 2006 and 2007 Egypt
will put into practice a programme to deregulate
international services. The introduction
of an alternative infrastructure in 2007/2008
will give customers a choice and encourage
the development of the local content needed
to attract Egyptians to get online and help non-
Egyptians to understand the countryʼs culture
and civilization.
The NTRA, which oversees the utilization of
the basic telecom facilities and services nationwide,
has created a Universal
Service Fund dedicated
to building an information
society for all by encouraging
the growth of broadband
access. Moreover, a Consumer
Rights Committee,
formed by the NTRA, keeps
an eye on the quality of
telecom services offered to
Egyptʼs citizens and creates
public awareness about topics
of interest and concern to
the population.
Connect-World is
celebrating its 10th year
anniversary
Through the years, Connect-
World’s authors told of the rise
of mobile, of fibre, of wireless
and of broadband; they told of
the dot.com meltdown, of
digital inclusion and convergence,
of standards and breakthroughs,
the rise of IP and
the fall of switching and of the
regulatory turnaround.
In every issue of Connect-World
heads of state, ministers and
regulators, heads of
international institutions and
leaders of industry speak of
what the ICT revolution, as it
happens, means to the people
in their regions of the world.
www.connect-world.com
6 Issue 2006

National Development
Universal broadband access - basic rights
and aspirations
by Dr Hessa S. Al-Jaber, PhD, Secretary General, ictQATAR,
the Supreme Council of Information & Communication Technology, Qatar
Technology is forcing a re-evaluation of what a citizenʼs basics rights within his society are.
Technology is changing the accessibility - not only of the elite, but also of people from every
level of society - to previously inaccessible services. World-level educational or health services,
for example, will become increasingly accessible via broadband enabled mobile phones.
This forces governments not only to re-assess what basic civic rights should be, but also to
take into account the heretofore submerged aspirations of the population.
Dr Hessa Al-Jaber is the Secretary General of ictQATAR, the policymaking and regulatory body for information and communication
technology in Qatar. She brings to her role a wealth of business and academic experience in ICT development. Prior to becoming Secretary
General, Dr Al-Jaber was a member of the Strategic ICT Committee, responsible for shaping Qatarʼs national ICT strategy. Dr
Al-Jaber served previously as the IT adviser for Qtel, Qatarʼs telecommunications provider, and was Chair of the Computer Science
Department of Qatar University. She has also worked with other leading Qatar institutions, including Hamad General Hospital. Dr Al
Jaber currently sits on the Board of Regents of Qatar University and the Board of Governors of the American School of Doha. She is also
a board member of the newly established Qatar Financial Markets Authority.
A co-author of several publications and academic papers, Dr Al-Jaber has presented her research at conferences and symposia in the
Middle East, the United States and Korea. Most recently, Dr Hessa Al-Jaber was the Chairperson of the World Telecommunication Development
Conference 2006 held in Doha, Qatar. Dr Al-Jaber studied at Kuwait University before completing her Masterʼs Degree and
Doctorate in Computer Science at George Washington University, Washington D.C.
In the not so distant future, everyone will need
to, and will, access information from myriad
sources at the click of a button. To do this, they
will use diverse devices such as a phone, computer,
PDA, TV receiver, and even a universal
smart card that will store all of a personʼs information
and serve as a credit card for use in
multiple systems.
In this future, everyone will have to contend
with what some futurists have called ʻfilocityʼ
- the ability to re-create oneself - to come up
to speed and accommodate oneself to different
forms of communications, new situations and
unfamiliar cultures. Everyone will be doing
most of their personal and professional activities
in and through a digitized environment in
their cars, homes, offices and schools, at airports,
in airplanes, shopping malls and all the
other familiar places they visit.
In this future, people will rightly aspire to more;
they will demand the means to better themselves
and to break down their own knowledge
barriers. Members of our society will enter a
zone where they can aspire “to know, to go, to
do, to be” (Taylor et al., 1997).
The single most important enabler of this progressive
society is the concept of communication
in general, and ʻbroadband for allʼ in
specific. Think of it as a 24/7, ubiquitous and
unrestricted facilitator - an element that serves
as a connecting thread as we go about living
our lives.
So asking, in 2006, whether universal broadband
access is a basic right or not is, I submit,
a rhetorical question. Nevertheless, policy
makers must address it fully so that no ambiguities
remain, and all those concerned can go
about their business to make the ʻbroadband
for allʼ vision happen.
As proven over many decades of research,
technology is central to our ability to innovate
and advance, and it works in tandem with our
social and economic evolution - said differently
ʻto know, to go, to do, to beʼ. Technology,
however, can only deliver sustainable empowerment
and results if, and only if, it is adequately
related to a broader set of objectives
and strategies derived from a nationʼs longterm
vision and socio-economic development
targets. So, technology in general, and ʻbroadband
for allʼ in specific, is not a solution for
government inertia. Technology must serve, it
must relate, and the drive to use it must stem
from a more profound desire at a national level
to move forward. I would like to think that this
drive, reflecting a universal aspiration, is more
intense in the Arab world.
Why universal broadband should be a basic
right
In this discussion, broadband must be viewed
as a primary mode of communication as opposed
to just another technology. When we refer
to broadband, we should be mindful of the
plethora of applications and services attached
to it. Information, entertainment, education,
exploration and research are only a short
sample of the infinite possibilities broadband
brings. All these possibilities, however, can be
summed up into two basic elements: access
and content.
So the basic right must be manifested first by
providing access, through any technological
means possible and using any viable arrangement.
The key success factors are sustainability
and scalability. Put differently, the access
provided today should be based on a solid
technological, operational and economic foundation
- as failure is not an option. The access
solution should allow for rapid evolution as
demand increases, requirements escalate, and
new technologies for solutions rapidly enter
the market. I do not wish to open a debate as to
whether this universal access is to be provided
by the public or private sector. My view is that
each environment is different, and if we are to
deliver rapid results then we must be willing to
take some risks - and innovate.
Issue 2006 7

National Development
Content, fortunately, has more development
traction in any society - it is embedded in our
communication DNA. Some have argued that
content in the Arab world has lagged behind,
and this has hindered the connectivity of our
societies. I say maybe, maybe not. What I do
know is that content is now growing exponentially
and we are now more challenged by the
need to filter and focus in an abundant environment
than to search and find amidst severe
scarcity.
Arab governments are also becoming increasingly
aware of the advantages of providing
e-services and information by using new electronic
technologies. These technologies economically
and efficiently provide widespread
and speedy distribution of information and
can, as well, provide citizens with interactive
services. When governments consider they
have the duty to provide content and services
to citizens then it can safely be assumed that
access to such content is a right. I am an optimist,
and believe that we already have a lot of
content to start with. What we observe is that
content is coming from all sources, private and
public. We have finally re-accepted the adage
that the more we share the better we become,
we think of this as the start of a knowledge
renaissance in the Arab world. On balance,
we have passed the point of just considering
a citizenʼs rights; now we entertain concerns
about the citizenʼs many aspirations.
Can universal broadband access be a basic
right
As we move from aspirations, we need to
evolve to perceptions and realities, and we
come to realize that although we, collectively,
still have a long way to go to realistically
achieve universal broadband access, we are on
the right path. The good news is that the model
for progressing on this vector has been tested
successfully time and again, and it is within
our reach. It boils down, in fact, to three basic
factors: environment, readiness and usage.
This is where policy makers can make an impact
and pave the runway for their societies to
embark on a progressive journey.
of readiness is a matter of building
awareness and reducing the barriers
to broadband usage by citizens,
businesses and government agencies.
On this continuum, usage seeks to
increase broadband take-up among
citizens, businesses and government
agencies through targeted policies,
and ideas that can encourage and
support the sustainable development
of compelling content.
Talking about a runway naturally
implies that all these factors must be
addressed in parallel, and any emphasis
on one factor at the expense of
another could be detrimental. In particular,
these factors should mitigate
the sometime entrenched barriers to
broadband development commonly
encountered. In the Arab world, the
supply related barriers cover infrastructure,
regulation, applications,
tariffs, security issues and general
technophobia. Demand related constraints
included lack of education, inadequate knowledge
and computer literacy, to name just a
few.
To overcome these constraints, Arab government
and policy makers need to develop a series
of critical enablers, or initiatives, to help
ensure that the rapid adoption and high impact
of broadband in the Arab region takes place
“In the Arab world, the supply related barriers cover infrastructure,
regulation, applications, tariffs, security issues
and general technophobia. Demand related constraints included
lack of education, inadequate knowledge and computer
literacy, to name just a few.”
as hoped. The regionʼs governments should,
through good regulation, encourage wider
coverage, encourage affordable broadband
through competition and increase the availability
of e-services and of Arabic language
content and applications. In the meanwhile,
the policy makers in the Arab region should
carefully guide the progress of liberalisation
and competition in order not to disturb the efforts
to extend the broadband networks to the
rural areas. Arab countries should not, perhaps
cannot, duplicate the regulatory frameworks
of developed countries; government involvement
and incentives for commercial operators
will be essential in order to deploy networks
where reasonable commercial potential and
sound business models do not exist.
Universal broadband access should be a basic right
and must be viewed as a primary mode of communication
as opposed to just another technology.
At the environment level, we are developing
regulations to encourage a 50 per cent penetration
of broadband services by 2008. The
framework covers, among other things, the elements
of competition, quality of service, price
regulations, and even financial incentives;
At the readiness level, we are working
with world-class institutions to scale-up the
computer literacy of our society across all layers
and classes. The e-education programme,
to illustrate, seeks to instil a working familiarity
with technology at an early age by making
appropriate ICT content, the means of delivery
and communications an integral element
of the educational process. E-learning programmes
are also in preparation to reach the
adult population. Overall, we are ever-mindful
of the danger of digital divide and are doing
our utmost to eliminate it;
At the usage level, we are working with
a number of private and public institutions to
digitize their services and create new opportunities
for their customers to interface with
them; cases in point are the e-health and e-procurement
programmes underway.
The work of ictQATAR, so far, is only a small
step in a long and always surprising march towards
progress, constantly punctuated by surprising
new cyber-technology and discoveries.
Technologies such as broadband have created
positive discontinuities and it is our duty to
harness them. We are excited by the journey,
motivated by the destination, and confident of
the result.
On this runway, the concern with the environment
is a question of developing the market
conditions, the infrastructure and the supporting
legal and regulatory frameworks needed
for broadband development. The dimension
We are mindful of the challenges that the State
of Qatar faces. We have, accordingly, put a
work plan in place that aims to address the expected
problems early on. Our plan was developed,
objectively, to achieve the following:
8 Issue 2006

Na-
CBOSS
IP-telephony:
As simple as that
By Andrey Morozov, President & CEO, CBOSS
CBOSS - the acronym stands for
Convergent Business Operation
Support System - is one of the largest
software vendors in the world
and a leading provider of IT solutions
for telecom. The company has more
than 1,200 installations globally;
its products are in use by over 150
customers in 31 countries across
five continents. It has built partnership
alliances with global IT industry
leaders such as Hewlett-Packard,
Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Cantata
Technology, Hitachi Data Systems,
Intel, Microsoft and Xerox.
Since VoIP is not yet a commonplace
phenomenon on the continent
- it was just recently legalized in
South Africa - many carriers are now
seeking an edge to leverage this innovative
technology. Considering
Internet providers’ specific needs,
CBOSS developed a fully-functional
IP-based solution, which enables
contact registration, payment receipt
and registration, service provisioning
control, service charging according to flexibly adjustable
schemes and billing.
The solution lets operators offer local, long-distance and international
communications and supports service provisioning to both
individual and corporate clients. The Internet platform, a part of
the solution, features a vast number of options to customize the
interactive voice menus, scenarios and rules for subscriber authorization
and charging schemes. This functionality lets the system
account for the transit of VoIP-traffic even on networks with
highly sophisticated configurations.
This solution is already operated successfully by many carriers
the world over, including one of the largest regional mobile
operators in Russia with approximately one million subscribers.
The telco started looking for new business opportunities to keep
pace with the development of mobile communications technology
and the emergence - in regional markets - of competition
from national operators. Assessing the market potential for Internet
services in rural areas, the telco
has opted for CBOSS’ IP-solution.
The company had already installed
16 CBOSS products featuring high
performance, scalability and compatibility;
these successful experiences
influenced the telco’s decision to utilize
the CBOSS billing system for its
IP-based services.
As a result, CBOSS’ IP deployment
enabled the telco to:
Provide dialup and LAN Internet
services to residential and business
customers;
Dramatically increase the number
of IP service subscribers;
Expand the variety of services provided
to more than 200; and
Improve their ability to compete by
building up a subscriber base equivalent
to those of the national operators
in the region and boost data service
revenues by 20 per cent.
CBOSS’ VoIP integrated with CBOSS’ Service Telephone Card
System creates a fully functional prepaid solution. Moreover,
when using scratch cards of a particular Internet service provider,
the subscriber can take advantage of the system’s convergent
billing management. Integration with CBOSS’ Internet Customer
Service System facilitates customer self-care and account status
monitoring, while decreasing the load on the subscriber service.
The converged, modular and highly scalable solution efficiently
functions within a network with several remote access-nodes and
a single authorization and accountancy centre. CBOSS’ integrated
VoIP-solution is designed to help telcos decrease the average
cost of the call’s transfer via transit partners, improve communications
quality, increase subscribers’ satisfaction and loyalty,
shorten the connection time, increase equipment efficiency, and
ramp up business profitability.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Connect-World is celebrating its 10th anniversary. One decade ago, Connect-World told the story as
the public phone monopolies were privatised and competition began to drive telecommunications
growth.
Through the years, Connect-World’s authors told of the rise of mobile, of fibre, of wireless and of
broadband; they told of the dot.com meltdown, of digital inclusion and convergence, of standards
and breakthroughs, the rise of IP and the fall of switching and of the regulatory turnaround.
Connect-World told the story behind the story of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
revolution. In every issue of Connect-World heads of state, ministers and regulators, heads of internaa
tional institutions and leaders of industry speak of what the ICT revolution, as it happens, means to
the people in their regions of the world.
Among our authors
• Yoshio Utsumi
• Pekka Tarjanne
• Ricardo Maduro
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• Renato Ruggiero
• Alan Bryden
• José María Figueres Olsen
• Carlos Alfredo Magarinos
• Maria Livanos Cattaui
• Wu Jichuan
• Leonid Reiman
• Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo
• César Alierta Izuel
• Jaime Chico Pardo
• Mukesh Ambiani
• Jean Philippe Courtois
• Thomas Ganswindt
Executive Office:
Global House
12 Albert Road
London E16 2DW
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7540 0876
Fax: +44 20 7474 0090
email: info@connect-world.com

Rural Development
ICT, broadband and rural development in Africa
by Robert B. Kozma, Ph.D., Emeritus Director and Principal Scientist, Centre
for Technology in Learning, SRI International, California, USA
In Africa, agriculture provides a livelihood for most of the population yet per-person food production
has declined in the past two decades. The Green Revolution has not reached Africa.
Practical information about crops, markets, and such could make the difference. Technology
can get information to the right people in the right form. Rural telecentres, together with other
forms of spreading information - radios, cell phones, the Internet, even bicycles - are needed
to spread critical information and improve the lives of villagers.
Dr Robert B. Kozma is an Emeritus Director, Principal Scientist and Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Centre for Technology in Learning
at SRI International in Menlo Park, California. For 20 years prior to this, Dr Kozma was a professor and a research scientist at
the University of Michigan. Dr Kozmaʼs expertise includes ICT policy that links education reform to economic and social development,
international educational technology research, the evaluation of large-scale technology-based education reform, the design of advanced
interactive multimedia systems, and the use of technology to improve learning, particularly the learning of science. He has directed or
co-directed over 25 projects and authored or co-authored more than 75 articles, chapters and books. He has consulted with Ministries
of Education in Egypt, Singapore, Thailand, Norway and Chile, as well as Intel Corporation, the World Bank, OECD, UNESCO and the
Ford Foundation on the use of technology to improve educational systems and connect to development goals. Most recently, he provided
pro-bono consulting for the Millennium Villages Project, a UN-sanctioned project at Columbia University, on the role that ICT can play
in supporting poverty reduction and development in Africa.
Rural development in Africa
As Africa increases its use of information and
communications technologies, it is likely that
the continentʼs urban centres will benefit first
from these developments. The infusion of
ICT resources and high-speed Internet connections
will support the creation of media
production houses in Cairo, business incubators
in Dakar, call centres in Nairobi and
technology parks in Johannesburg. But what
of the rural areas, where the agricultural sector
provides a livelihood for 70-85 per cent
of the labour force of most African countries
and where most of Africaʼs poverty exists
Will ICT and broadband connections unlock
development in the rural areas
In the face of ICT policies that support technology
development in urban areas, Nobel
laureate Norman Borlaug reminds us that no
nation has been able to bring about economic
development and substantially reduce poverty
without first sharply increasing productivity
in its agricultural sector. The dramatic
increases in economic development we are
witnessing today in China and India were
built on the success of the Green Revolution
that took place in these countries between
1970 and 1995. This revolution has yet to materialize
in Africa, where there has actually
been a decline in per-person food production
over the past two decades.
ICT and rural development
Can ICT contribute to the Green Revolution
and rural development in Africa To explore
this possibility, I visited seven rural community
telecentres in East Africa and interviewed
“ICT policies must support
information access in rural
areas. For the lack of an undersea
cable to East Africa,
Internet access will likely require
rural subsidies for satellite
links, extended by WiMAX
networks.”
The agricultural sector provides a livelihood for 70-85 per cent of the labour
force of most African countries and is where most of Africaʼs poverty exists.
Will ICT and broadband connections unlock development in the rural areas
managers, staff members and users. These are
among the stories that farmers in these rural
communities told me of how information
contributed directly to their economic and social
improvement:
A Ugandan farmer near the northern shore
of Lake Victoria previously produced ten 100
kg sacks of maize per acre on his farm. When
he learned how to use manure as fertilizer, he
increased the productivity of his farm to 20
sacks per acre.
Another Ugandan maize farmer used to
broadcast his seeds in the spring planting.
Issue 2006 11

Rural Development
The informational needs of these communities
are often related to farm practice
and productivity: information on
seeds, planting, fertilizing, weeding and
harvesting, as well as animal breeding,
feeding, and treatment of diseases.
When he learned to plant in straight lines and
space his seeds, his productivity went from
two bags per acre to ten bags or more.
In a rural market in northern Tanzania, a
buyer offered a maize farmer TSh 2,800 per
100kg sack. Because he knew the going market
price, the farmer refused the offer and was
able to get TSh 3,200 per sack. With the 14
per cent difference, he was able to purchase
sheet metal for a roof on his house.
Another Tanzanian farmer, offered TSh
2,500 per 20kg basket of her chickpeas, was
able to negotiate TSh 4,000 per basket because
she knew the market price. With the 60
per cent difference, she was able to pay her
daughtersʼ high school fees.
Each of these villagers was a user of a community
telecentre. Computers were available
in all these centres, but bicycles, books, cell
phones, radios, video tapes and the Internet
were among the technologies that villagers
used to acquire information and improve their
lives.
Information, communication and technology
each play a unique role in development.
These distinct roles are often lost when the
terms are rolled up into the common acronym
ʻICTʼ. ICT is often thought of only as technology,
and too often narrowly conceived as
computers; the roles of information and communication
are overlooked. Yet information
and its communication are critical to ending
poverty and launching the Green Revolution
in Africa. Information is the raw intellectual
material that supports development. Communication
is the social, interpersonal process by
which information is transferred, exchanged,
and disseminated. Technology is the means
to extend human capability and support these
processes.
“Before needed information
can make a difference in the
lives of rural Africans it must
first get to the people who
need it in a form that makes
it useful. However, most of
the world’s information is
not available to Africans, and
when it is available, it is often
in the wrong language or
requires literacy skills that
people do not have. The most
common form of information
exchange in rural African villages
is word of mouth.”
ʻInformation is powerʼ, reads the slogan of
the Family Alliance for Development and
Cooperation, a telecentre in Tanzania. Most
of the centres I visited were very responsive
to the informational needs of their communities.
For example, the Nakaseke Community
Telecentre in Uganda did a formal survey of
community informational needs. Staff members
of the Nabweru Community Telecentre,
also in Uganda, regularly attend community
meetings and they have a users committee
that helps them assess the communityʼs informational
needs. The Cromabu Telecentre in
Tanzania has user support groups that regularly
assess the needs of a particular clientele
- women, out-of-school youth, farmers,
and others. The informational needs of these
communities are often related to farm practice
and productivity: information on seeds,
planting, fertilizing, weeding and harvesting,
as well as animal breeding, feeding and
treatment of diseases. Current information on
market prices was also highly valued. There
were needs beyond farming, as well, related
to water harvesting, energy efficiency, health,
nutrition, culture, local news, and even national
sports.
Before needed information can make a difference
in the lives of rural Africans it must
first get to the people who need it in a form
that makes it useful. However, most of the
worldʼs information is not available to Africans,
and when it is available it is often in the
wrong language or requires literacy skills that
people do not have. The most common form
of information exchange in rural African
villages is word of mouth. However, farmers
in Uganda reported difficulties related to
word-of-mouth communication, among them
the unreliability of oral information, due to
informational drift as it passes through the
community, misunderstanding of the original
message, or intentional misinformation
in service of competitive advantage. The
community telecentre in the communities I
visited served as an information conduit and
as the communication hub of the community
by collecting, organizing, storing, retrieving,
and disseminating needed information, often
transforming it into the local language.
Technology can be the key to getting the right
information to the right people in the right
form, but technologies vary in their capabilities
and their costs. Some of the telecentres
I visited had fairly sophisticated technology
that included copy machines, video cameras
and tape decks, computers, and even Internet
access. However, in some cases, communication
was accomplished with very simple technology.
Because capital is so scarce in Africa,
technologies must be selected for the greatest
information and communication value per
cost. For example, the Cromabu Telecentre
used community volunteers and a small
fleet of bicycles to gather price information
on various crops from neighbouring markets.
The centre then collated this information and
distributed it to farmers in the community,
again using bicycles. Three of the telecentres
on my itinerary had community radio sta-
12 Issue 2006

Rural Development
tions: Nakaseke, Nabweru and Sengerema.
These were low-cost, low-power transmitters
that nonetheless had enough range to service
a large number of people within 10-15km
from the telecentre. Twelve to 18 hours of
programming each day was created by local
volunteers, who often used computers,
CD-ROM libraries and Internet searchers
as information sources. Their programming,
ranging from topics on agricultural practices
and market prices to health, education and
womenʼs concerns, was delivered in the local
language. Thus, through the use of radio,
Internet-based information was disseminated
at very low cost to a much larger audience
than would otherwise not have access to the
Internet.
Conclusions and policy implications
Prior to the Green Revolution in Asia, half
of the population did not get enough to eat;
today this percentage has fallen to onefifth.
In 1975, six out of ten Asians lived
in poverty; by 1993, it was only two out of
ten East Asians and four out of ten South
Asians. There are many reasons why the
Green Revolution has not taken root in Africa.
These include the lack of paved roads,
under developed commodity markets, the
absence of credit systems and under-investment
in agricultural technologies specific to
the African context. Nonetheless, the farmers
I interviewed in East Africa were beginning
to experience the benefits of increased farm
productivity and improved market information
because of their use of ICTs.
Increased investments in Afro-centred agricultural
technologies, extension services,
and rural highways are essential to launch the
Green Revolution in Africa, but ICT and the
Internet can also be an important part of the
rural development package, under the right
policy conditions. First, the priority must be
on information over technology. Information
important to rural communities must be generated
in digital form and in local languages -
The priority must be on information over technology. Any sophisticated
technologies deployed in rural areas must produce a matching
level of information
“...the priority must be on information
over technology. Information
important to rural
communities must be generated
in digital form and in local
languages - information on
improved crop inputs, weeding,
and harvesting, animal breeding,
feeding, and treatment of
diseases, as well as information
on water harvesting, energy efficiency,
health, and nutrition. ”
information on improved crop inputs, weeding
and harvesting, animal breeding, feeding,
and treatment of diseases, as well as information
on water harvesting, energy efficiency
health, and nutrition.
ICT policies must support information access
in rural areas. For the lack of an undersea
cable to East Africa, Internet access
will likely require rural subsidies for satellite
links, extended by WiMAX networks. Radio
frequency licence fees should be reduced or
eliminated for community stations.
ICT policies are also needed that support
the development community telecentres.
This requires not only funds for facilities
and equipment, but for knowledgeable staff
who can both mediate between information
available on the World Wide Web and local
information needs and can teach local users
ICT skills.
Finally, there is a great need for human capital
investment in rural areas. Illiteracy rates are
high in rural communities and adult education
programmes must be increased if information
services are to contribute to improved
farm practices and productivity. Investments
are also needed in rural primary and secondary
education. Beyond universal attendance,
the quality of educational services must be
improved so that students
leave school
with the skills they
need to contribute to
social and economic
development.
and when people have the knowledge to
apply this information. All of these factors
are essential. Information, communication,
technology and education must be viewed
as a system in which the components work
together to support development.
Connect-World is
celebrating its 10th year
anniversary
Through the years, Connect-
World’s authors told of the rise
of mobile, of fibre, of wireless
and of broadband; they told of
the dot.com meltdown, of
digital inclusion and convergence,
of standards and breakthroughs,
the rise of IP and
the fall of switching and of the
regulatory turnaround.
In every issue of Connect-World
heads of state, ministers and
regulators, heads of
international institutions and
leaders of industry speak of
what the ICT revolution, as it
happens, means to the people
in their regions of the world.
www.connect-world.com
Technology alone will
not change conditions
in Africa, nor will information
by itself.
Change will come in
Africa when information
is communicated
in a usable form to
the people that need
it, at a time and in a
form that is needed,
Issue 2006 13

Convergent Billing
Converged billing - enabling African mobile
by Birger Thorburn, CTO, Converged Billing Solutions Group,
Comverse EMEA
Mobile communications are economically connecting regions of the world, which until recently,
were both practically and financially impossible to serve. Cheaper phones and less expensive
wireless networks are crucial, but billing systems that let operators charge for, control
usage and earn a profit are equally important. Convergent billing systems, which combine the
control of prepaid billing with the flexibility and range of services of post-paid, will contribute
greatly to the growth of telephony, and of the local economy, in Africa.
Birger Thorburn is the Chief Technology Officer for Comverseʼs Converged Billing Solutions Group in the EMEA - Europe Middle East &
Africa – region. Mr Birger joined Comverse Kenan Billing Solutions, previously CSG Systems, as the regional Chief Technology Officer
for the Caribbean and Latin American Region. Prior to CSG, Mr Birger obtained in-depth industry experience by working with some of
the worldʼs largest wireline and wireless service providers in Europe and Latin America as a project director under Kenan Systems and
Lucent Technologies. During this time, he led project teams through complex technology integration projects in order to help prepare
customers as they moved to 3G networks, and consolidate their multiple billing systems to a standard platform. In addition, he worked
in several systems architect and engineering roles across Europe.
There is no doubt that Africa has rapidly become
one of the most important growth markets
in GSM mobile communications outside
of Europe. Since the introduction of services
in April 1994, a staggering 16 million African
subscribers have joined the mobile world. Now,
this market is undergoing another tremendous
economic revolution. Fuelled by ever-increasing
interest in Africa from overseas multi-national
businesses, new investment is entering
the region, bringing with it new connectivity
demands, such as faster Internet connectivity,
that new technologies such as mobile broadband
and WiMAX can bring. These, in turn,
are generating new revenue opportunities for
local communications operators. In order for
operators to capture this moment of revenue
opportunity, they must first provide these international
businesses with the range of services
they require to effectively ʻdo businessʼ.
However, businesses need much more than
voice and data; they require real-time customer
management and financial control, as well,
to ensure costs are brought in line with value.
With the increase in economic incentives to
invest in Africa, businesses are demanding the
same level of communications they experience
in their home countries where fixed, wireless
and IP communications are now abundantly
available and have become the norm. Offering
quality voice and data services will provide
African countries with an important advantage
in their quest to capture and maintain international
business markets - a primary driver of
economic growth. Operators must rise to the
challenge of serving these business customers
and, thereby, play a key role by helping
their countries reap the financial and growth
rewards of the ʻAfrican Centuryʼ.
African needs
As a result of Africaʼs unique topography, with
its remote open spaces and emerging megacities,
mobile communications in the form of
2.5G and 3G services seem the only means to
provide the needed communications services
for enterprise customers. Currently, fixed networks
are impractical, or too expensive, to
provide the coverage and flexible installation
capabilities that businesses require.
Mobile, with its promise of higher network
speeds and mobile broadband capability offers
the ideal solution for these new business
customers - high-quality Internet access for remote
workers. For operators in Africa to make
mobile broadband a success, and profitable,
they must concentrate their efforts on creating
a compelling customer experience, deliver
appealing services, maintain high quality standards,
treat all consumers as individuals, offer
competitive prices and, most importantly,
make paying for and using these high-speed
mobile communications as simple as possible.
Africaʼs unique economic environment places
further demands on operators serving businesses.
Like all businesses worldwide, companies
in Africa need credit to smooth their cash
flows - to match the timing of their revenues
to the due dates of their accounts payable. Yet
in Africa, with its still developing capital markets,
businesses must rely on suppliers, not
banks, to extend credit. Counter-intuitively,
in a continent perceived as purely prepaid, the
post-paid business model is more important in
Africa - not less! Nevertheless, given the precariousness
of cash flows, businesses also demand
tighter real-time financial controls over
expenditure. Moreover, in a market where mobile
handsets are purchased at a premium, and
where employees rely on their employers for
handsets, operators need to have the ability to
offer both professional and personal payment
profiles on one phone to enable dual usage and
payment.
Capturing the opportunity
Rethinking their back-office billing solutions
in order to address the needs of business customers
is a new challenge for African operators,
who have traditionally viewed billing and
customer care solutions as secondary to network
coverage and reliability. Many post-paid
billing and customer care systems currently
in use were originally bundled with the sale
of the initial communications network equipment.
While in the past this was sufficient for
14 Issue 2006

She’s not a difficult customer. She just wants the latest services,
great prices and no hassle.
Trust Intec to help.
Customers aren’t easy to please. They want the latest
communications services, and they want them now. It’s up to
you to provide them. It’s up to us to help you.
Intec helps 500 carriers worldwide deliver the high performance
services their customers demand, like IPTV, music downloads,
bandwidth on demand, mobile Internet and VoIP. Backed by the
technical expertise of over 1,000 professionals, and partnerships with
the world’s best system integrators, we build our BSS/OSS solutions to
deliver the real-time, high-volume performance services you need to
meet the demands of your toughest customers.
Find out more at www.intecbilling.com, or email us at
info@intecbilling.com

Convergent Billing
low subscriber penetration, with the influx of
new business revenue on the horizon, the mantra
of ʻlow functionality customized systems
for small operatorsʼ is no longer relevant. Now
many operators are facing the ultimate threat -
their first generation billing and customer care
systems are collapsing under the pressure of
the rapidly growing business sector.
Indeed, African operators have less tolerance
for lost revenue and are less forgiving of excessive
total cost of ownership, TCO. They
may, operationally, require less ʻmoving partsʼ
within their solutions and many of them are
too remote for generic off-site hand holding,
but African operators are no longer small and
inexperienced compared to their Western European
counterparts. They are, in fact, learning
through the mistakes made by their European
counterparts in the past. African operators are
now looking towards new carrier grade billing
and customer care architectures to equip them
for future growth. Ultimately, they have the
highest demand in the market for systems that
support businesses out-of-the-box, and rightly
insist that these solutions be proven using ʻtier
oneʼ operator standards.
Prepaid, post-paid… or convergent
Choosing the right billing system to operate
efficiently in this market is an important consideration.
The situation the African communications
market faces is quite different than that
seen in more developed regions of the world.
Local operators currently experience two opposing
pressures. First, African economies are
overwhelmingly cash-based. Consumers have
few, if any, options - credit cards or cheques,
for example - available to them. Second, since
the rollout of mobile services is relatively
more expensive in Africa, there is great pressure
upon operating company margins.
Given the lack of communication alternatives
within Africa, international businesses are
willing to pay a premium to those local operators
that are able to rise to the challenge and
provide a good range of high-quality communications
services.
Nevertheless, we must not forget that local African
businesses also need the same or, indeed
more, flexibility in their payment methods,
enabling them to compete more effectively
within limited credit markets, and still grow
to meet the exploding demands of the African
market. Previously, post-paid credit was discouraged
as operators could not afford to bear
the financial risks involved in the case of nonpayment,
and business users could not afford
the risk of excessive utilisation.
Given the need in Africa for high levels of cash
control, a pure post-paid billing solution, without
real-time credit control, is not, on its own,
economically feasible. The financial gains
- the additional revenues that may be generated
- of attracting international businesses are
often outweighed by the risks that must be assumed
to do so. However, combining the flexibility
of the extended credit characteristics
of post-paid offerings with the strict real-time
credit controls that apply typically to pure prepaid
payment methods creates an ideal billing
model. The result, convergent billing, is a solution
that combines both prepaid control with
post-paid flexibility and credit - suitable for
the African reality.
Real-time customer management
A convergent billing system that supports both
prepaid and post-paid methods, offers African
operators the best of both worlds. Convergent
billing enables operators to maintain their existing
base of local prepaid customers and, as
well, attract and serve multi-national and local
business customers.
However, the functionality of the convergent
billing system involves much more than just
combining different payment methods. The
real-time nature of the platform opens up a
wealth of new value-added financial services
that can assist business customers to not only
control, but also leverage, their budgets and
spending. With both prepaid and post-paid
balances available on the same account, operators
can let their customers select how they
pay - transaction by transaction. This enables
completely predictable, controllable, monthly
payments with the flexibility to top-up credit
limits as and when increased communications
needs so require. This control also offers invaluable
security by protecting against unauthorised
use where fraud is an undeniable
temptation.
This unique flexibility of the convergent system
also offers the ability to have multiple
personal profiles on a single mobile device.
This is particularly important within the African
market, where mobile handsets are a
valuable commodity. Convergent payment
options enable employees to make calls to the
office, customers or suppliers, for example, on
the companyʼs bill, but use the same phone to
make evening calls charged against their own
prepaid balance.
Embracing the convergent future
Unprecedented profits potentially await local
operators in Africa who actively embrace the
new opportunities presented by the influx of
international direct investment. Those who
prepare in advance, and deliver the valuable
mobile communications and payment methods
these sophisticated businesses require, will be
the ones to succeed.
Mobile broadband with the ability to deliver
high speeds and instant access can provide the
crucial communications channel required to
attract and satisfy overseas investment. However,
this exciting new mobile technology must
be underpinned by robust back office functions
in order for its delivery to be a success.
Operators must look towards billing solutions
that promote business growth via convergent
financial functionality that offers a variety
of payment methods - including variations
and combinations of traditional prepaid and
post-paid schemes - multiple user profiles,
and charging flexibility. Convergent billing,
which combines the strength of prepaidʼs realtime
controls with the flexibility and service
options of post-paid payment methods, holds
the key to unlock an important new revenue
stream. Convergent billing systems will help
mobile operators contribute to the continentʼs
enormous economic potential during the ʻAfrican
Centuryʼ.
16 Issue 2006

Broadband Deployment
Closing the digital gap
by Ruediger Muehlhausen, VP, Group Messages and
PR at Siemens Communications
In Africa, broadband is a pre-requisite for both economic growth and the delivery of social services
such as telemedicine, distance learning, higher education and the like. Few service providers,
however, can afford the investment or have the expertise to implement broadband. In
Africa, a Build, Operate and Transfer strategy for broadband deployment, where a technology
partner takes responsibility for commissioning and operating the new network, while training
local employees to take over, can provide the essential financing and know-how.
Ruediger Muehlhausen is the VP for Group Messages and PR at the global headquarters of Siemens Communications in Munich. Mr
Muehlhausen, during his 16 yearsʼ experience in the computing and telecommunications business, has held various positions within
Siemens and Siemens Nixdorf.
Mr Muehlhausen graduated from the University of Hildesheim in Technical Translation, and in Business Administration at the VWA
in Munich.
The emergence of broadband has created a
global revolution in communications - an unprecedented
resource for sharing information,
wildly popular ʻrich mediaʼ entertainment, and
valuable new markets for countless products
and services. Still, the benefits of broadband
are not distributed equally. The disparity between
developed and developing countries is
huge and continues to grow. How do we close
it How do we make broadband affordable and
widely available, so that people everywhere
can take advantage of its benefits
More importantly, how can we in the technology
sector help carriers and operators in Africa
make the transition to broadband a success In
addition to solving technical challenges, this
means providing a solution that a growing
number of users will embrace. It also means
a solution that is self-sustaining, so it continues
to fulfil its promise long after our work is
done. This article examines one approach that
addresses these issues, and has been shown to
do it successfully.
In the developing world, broadband is not
just a delivery mechanism for online games,
music and streaming videos. There is more
at stake, and therefore technology providers
have to work more creatively to make it succeed.
Broadband makes an impact for reasons
not normally seen where communications
are pervasive and services, such as education
and healthcare are widely available. One example
is telemedicine, with rural doctors able
to transmit x-rays and consult with experts
worldwide for a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Another is higher education, where students
can use video-telephony to communicate with
instructors while fast Internet access brings
the worldʼs information resources within easy
reach.
Broadband also connects people to the rest of
the world in ways that people from developed
countries may not realise. In Africa, the largest
market for broadband users is the Internet cafe,
providing a connection to the online world for
those who otherwise could not afford it. The
web café is not just a place for surfing and online
games - it might be the only place in a
neighbourhood or village to send and receive
email, or speak with loved ones overseas using
VoIP for low-cost international calling. It also
provides web access for small businesses that
would otherwise not be able to afford it - that
might not even have a PC - providing a vital
connection with the global economy.
“Carriers are understandably
cautious about making major
investments - especially when
a proposed project is being
done for the first time in their
region.”
Despite these vital benefits, a decision to
deploy broadband still comes down to economics.
For telecom companies and network
operators, broadband is a major financial commitment.
Carriers are understandably cautious
about making major investments - especially
when a proposed project is being done for the
first time in their region. They cannot afford to
raise the capital required to bring new services
to market, and then wait patiently for profits
to come in. Sometimes governments provide
backing, but they have many critical priorities
in addition to broadband infrastructure.
To justify the investment, positive cash flow is
needed as soon as possible - and this requires
flexible approaches that limit risks and allow
fast profitability.
A formula for success in Ghana
One approach that has worked in Africa is to
set up a Build, Operate and Transfer, BTO
strategy for broadband deployment. With this
model, the technology partner takes responsibility
for commissioning and operating the
new network while training local employees
to take over day-to-day operations. Instead
of simply proposing hardware and software,
BTO provides a trajectory that gets the new
service to market as quickly as possible while
at the same time reducing costs. The trajectory
not only includes the infrastructure but also all
professional services necessary to realise profits
as soon as possible.
Issue 2006 17

Broadband Deployment
In addition to delivering broadband directly
to consumers and enterprises, the carrier is
also making bandwidth available to Internet
service providers
The BTO formula was used to good effect in
Ghana, when a national carrier recently set out
to build a fast Internet access network. Even
though Ghana is one of the most stable and
most developed countries in Africa, with intensive
commercial activity, few companies,
hotels or private individuals have fast or reliable
Internet access. Even most Internet cafés
have poor service, many still operating using
dial-up lines.
Like their counterparts in other regions, the
carrier was well aware of the importance of
providing high-quality Internet service, but
was unsure about how to proceed. They knew
that ADSL and broadband Internet had great
revenue potential, but were uncertain about
the best way to bring it to market. In addition
to what technology to use, they were uncertain
about issues like rollout timing, pricing structure,
marketing strategy and a host of other
questions as well.
To bring its vision to life, the carrier adopted
the Build-Operate-Transfer strategy, contracting
with a global vendor to not only build the
infrastructure, but also run it while training
their own staff until they were able to take
control. The fact that the partner was capable
of proposing an integrated turnkey solution, as
well as implementing it completely, had a vast
impact on the carrierʼs final decision. The vendor
delivered all services required to prepare
the carrier for a massive rollout - from the initial
market survey to cost/benefit analysis, solution
design, marketing strategy, equipment
installation, training and initial maintenance.
There is yet another advantage of working
with an established global partner - access
to financing at favourable terms. The Ghana
operator now benefits from an attractive longterm
financing package that helps ensure a
positive cash flow.
What is important to customers
The fruit of interactive sessions between the
carrier and its vendor partner was a promising
business case for introducing high-speed
Internet service on a large scale. Before recommending
equipment or a deployment strategy,
the vendor prescribed a market survey
of potential customers to address important
questions like: How much are people prepared
to pay Which features and benefits do they
understand Which features and benefits are
important to them
The study found that people were less interested
in speed than quality service and reliability.
This was true for both business and
residential users, and both groups were willing
to pay a price for it. Existing dial up as well as
broadband offerings in Ghana were characterized
by slow access, frequent downtime and
poor quality - as well as high prices. The new
offering would set a higher standard of quality
for broadband access, and serve as a model
for other broadband suppliers to follow in the
future. At the same time, attractive pricing arrangements
aimed at schools and Internet cafes
would bring broadband to people who would
otherwise not have access to it.
Step by step to network profits
Rather than deploy the entire network at once,
a phased implementation spread the carrierʼs
investment over time while capturing revenue
as early in the rollout as possible. This included
capturing revenue as an ISP as well as offering
bandwidth to other ISPs. The nationwide rollout
is occurring in stages that focus on areas
of highest revenue potential before moving to
smaller markets across the country.
The initial test phase involved connecting
the first DSLAM-site, Digital Subscriber Line
Access Multiplexer, located in the northern
part of the capital Accra, to serve about 1500
initial ADSL subscribers. During this phase,
other core equipment was installed such as the
broadband remote access server, BRAS, the
ISP infrastructure and the element managers.
In the second phase, three additional
DSLAM sites were rolled out in central Accra,
Accra Cantonments and in the seaport of
Tema. Five remote cabinets serve VIP users
such as the presidential palace, the ministries
and the airport.
In the main rollout phase, additional
DSLAM locations were implemented in other
areas across Accra. During this time, the carrier
also took over network management.
Demand for broadband service in Accra has
grown since the rollout began, to the point
where additional DSLAMs are now needed.
Rollout in major cities across the country is
coming next.
To make the ʻtransferʼ element of the project
a reality, one very important ingredient was
hands-on training for the carrierʼs engineers,
which allowed them to take over network operations
during the main rollout stage. In addition
to training in technical operations, training
was also provided to sales and marketing
staff responsible for launching and promoting
the new richer data services. This specialized
marketing training would turn out to be crucial
for maximizing potential revenues.
The carrier is now addressing Ghanaʼs demand
for fast Internet connections by preparing to
supply reliable ADSL services countrywide.
Over 20,000 installations are planned during
the next three years, along with corporate services
such as virtual private networks, VPNs,
that provide secure, guaranteed bandwidth.
In addition to delivering broadband directly
to consumers and enterprises, the carrier is
also making bandwidth available to Internet
service providers. This not only creates an additional
revenue stream for the carrier, it also
creates a ripple effect of new opportunities for
Internet-based businesses. At least one ISP in
Accra is already offering ADSL service to its
own customers.
Fulfilling the promise
As the Ghana story illustrates, a successful
broadband rollout is about much more than
technology innovation and integration. It is
about brainstorming with the client to identify
opportunities and design a marketing strategy
to fit the local culture and business environment.
It is about bringing the right product to
market, with a deployment strategy designed
to generate revenues as early in the rollout
as possible. In some cases, it could even be
about creative financing to ensure a positive
cash flow. Most importantly, it is about building
a healthy dialogue with the client, so that
when the project is done, they are ready to take
over.
In Africa, as in the rest of the developing
world, deploying broadband means overcoming
a variety of challenges, from lack of infrastructure
to limited disposable income on the
part of consumers. The BTO formula has been
shown to work effectively in this demanding
environment, providing a rewarding transition
for operators and bringing the promise of
broadband to life.
18 Issue 2006

Connecting
the unconnected
by 2015...
Connecting the unconnected by 2015 was one of
the key challenges embraced by world leaders
at the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS).
It is a major task, but one that can be achieved if we
all contribute our unique expertise and resources.
Together, governments, the private sector, civil
society and international organizations can use
the benefits of information and communication
technologies to improve health and education,
boost economic opportunity and enhance cultural
and linguistic diversity.
Join the growing number of organizations that
have become partners to Connect the World, a
global initiative launched by the International
Telecommunication Union and other committed
stakeholders.
Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner
for Information Society and Media
www.itu.int/partners
CONNECT
THE WORLD

Saved 1

Digital Divide
Bridging new digital divides
by Jean-Hervé Jenn, President, International,
Convergys Corporation
The world increasingly relies upon broadband for the voice data and video services that sustain
the economy and drive growth. Without broadband, countries are doomed to play a secondary
role in the emerging information society and global economy. Although, in recent years, great
strides have been made liberalising the communications infrastructure and providing modern,
competitive communications services in African and Middle Eastern countries, the penetration
of these services there is still quite low compared to the worldʼs more developed regions.
Jean-Hervé Jenn is the President, International, of Convergys Corporation. He is responsible for the company in Europe, the Middle East,
Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific and South America. Before the expansion of his role, Mr Jenn served as the President, EMEA, for Convergysʼ
Information Management Group (IMG). Prior to joining Convergys, Mr Jenn led a team at Goldman-Sachs responsible for all of the firmʼs
strategic dialogues with large corporate, institutional and government clients. Jean-Hervé Jenn served previously as head of the European
Information, Telecommunication and Entertainment practice for KPMG and was a co-founder of KPMG Ventures. He is a member of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and a trade representative to the Financial Services Authority.
Jean-Hervé Jenn earned Masterʼs Degrees in science from Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, Paris, and in management, from the University
of California, Los Angeles. He also completed the Executive Management Program at INSEAD, France.
The Internetʼs promise of being the great economic
equalizer has never been so near at
hand. Nevertheless, it remains out of reach
for the majority of developing countries. The
worldʼs leading economies now rely heavily
on broadband technologies to underpin
cheaper and faster Internet connections and
offer a growing range of communications services
that enable e-commerce, e-government
and e-education. Commercial imperatives now
drive the development of a new generation of
converged services, combining media content
and communications services, and ensure the
widespread availability of broadband connections.
Those economies that fail to harness adequately
such commercial forces risk being
left behind.
The term ʻdigital divideʼ, coined more than
ten years ago, refers to the gap between those
communities, populations and countries with
access to technology and those without. The
benchmarking standards used to monitor the
technological progress of nations and regions
with reference to the digital divide included
access to telephone services, to personal computers
and to Internet access relative to total
populations. Despite great strides forward
made by public and commercial initiatives to
make these technologies more widely available,
and thereby reduce the gap, the prospect
of a widening digital divide remains a very
real one. As leading economies seek to capitalise
on the latest wave of digital opportunities,
new benchmarks that track progress in
areas like broadband penetration, VoIP traffic
and the availability of ʻmultiplayʼ – triple play
and quadruple play - services are becoming
increasingly significant. Triple play includes
voice, video and data services; quadruple play
adds mobile access to the package.
Traditionally, the comparison between the
ʻhavesʼ and the ʻhave-notsʼ was between unconnected
areas with limited telephony and no
Internet access, versus communities that had
ubiquitous telephony and high levels of Internet
access. However, today, even some of
the most remote areas in the world can boast
some level of connectivity - even if only found
in community access centres or as dedicated
Internet access provided for medical or educational
use.
Egyptʼs free Internet initiative has helped increase
its Internet usage from just 600,000 people
in 2001 to more than five million people in
2005. While this makes Egypt the largest Internet
market in Africa, it only represents a seven
per cent penetration rate in a population of 71
million. This said, Egyptʼs Technology Access
Community Centre programme, TACCs,
established in 1999 and jointly funded by the
United Nations Development Programme,
UNDP, has enabled community Internet access
in hundreds of towns, villages and rural
areas throughout the country. This means that
actual access rates are higher than the subscriber
statistics reflect. Despite the progress
in both overall subscriber numbers and rural
Internet access, broadband access, with only
about 100,000 subscribers, remains low.
Now let us compare the Egyptian situation
with that in Europe. Forrester Research predicts
that 41 per cent of all Internet-connected
households in Western Europe will have
broadband access by 2010. According to the
OECD, the pace of broadband access is increasing
amongst member countries such as
The Netherlands, Denmark, Korea and Iceland,
all of which now have more than 25
broadband lines per 100 people (OECD Statistics,
December 2005). Forrester expects that in
the Netherlands, this figure will rise to 54 per
cent by 2010, and that there will be 71 million
European broadband users by the same date.
For todayʼs economists and statisticians, one
of the challenges will be how best to compare
communities with access to converged multiplay
service offerings such as broadband, IP
telephony and interactive digital television, to
regions that only have traditional telephony
and Internet services - or just basic voice services.
Like it or not, just as many countries
“Despite great strides forward
made by public and
commercial initiatives to
make these technologies
more widely available, and
thereby reduce the gap, the
prospect of a widening
digital divide remains a very
real one.”
Issue 2006 21

Where’s your next
customer coming
from in Africa
GSM>3G Africa is the annual pan-African
communications event which will keep you
on the road to more customers. Located in
the vibrant city of Cape Town, GSM>3G
Africa delivers a 360 degree solution of
brand positioning, market research, and
critically, face-to-face touchpoints with the
people that matter.
Be the one to drive your business forward in Africa by contacting:
joanna.jones@informa.com
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7017 4801, quoting ‘CWOTP’
Together we can
grow your business
NEW for '06
Free exhibition ONLY ticket for African visitors
International operator & regulator discounts
visit our web site to learn more
www.gsm-3gworldseries.com/africa/cwotp
19-20th October

Digital Divide
reach, or even exceed, their targets for Internet
access and telephone services, economists
will begin measuring their e-competitiveness
based on broadband penetration and the ability
to offer fully converged services.
Unfortunately, the global model for telecom
privatisation has tended to divide national
communications assets by technology and
geography, via licensing for specific communications
services. Following the lead of the
USA and Europe, emerging markets have by
and large privatised mobile services, Internet
services, satellite services and wireline services
in separate processes, sell-offs and competitive
bids.
In the Eighties and Nineties, this strategy had
the desired effect in many Western markets of
rapidly promoting growth in cellular and Internet
subscribers - a trend mirrored during the
past ten years in the Middle East.
Today, the lines between different services and
technologies are increasingly blurred. Many
international communications service providers
have already embarked upon ambitious
strategies to integrate services
such as broadband, cellular and
fixed-line telephony services to
create new multiplay offerings.
In Europe, this has already led to
numerous new business partnerships,
mergers and acquisitions
by communication service providers
that are strong in one or
more service area, but recognise
the need for additional capacity
to offer subscribers fully converged
multiplay services. In the
UK, NTL is set to acquire Virgin
Mobile in order to offer integrated
TV, broadband, telephony and
mobile services under the same
umbrella. NTL saw an opportunity
to create a large, integrated
communications company able
to compete with both pay TV and
telecom operators. Meanwhile,
British Telecom - still the UKʼs
largest telephony provider - is investing billions
in upgrading its national network to provide
triple-play services, including digital TV.
The company has already signed deals with
several global media companies to provide
content for television services it will launch
later this year.
Some countries in the Middle East and Africa
are now in danger of bogging down in the
middle ground. Having privatised systematically
- and some would say wisely, given the
circumstances - often beginning with mobile
and Internet services before deregulating the
wireline sector, some economies have effectively
created fast-growing islands of communications
services.
Operators are empowered to drive their category,
so long as the core benefit sought by their
subscribers is a standalone communications
service. Many operators are currently limited
in their ability to provide multiplay services
by their respective regulatory environments.
If these markets are to continue to close the
gap between themselves and the global digital
leaders, this must change soon.
Jordan is perhaps the furthest along the road to
deregulation in the Arab world. Jordan is well
positioned to reap the benefits of a competitive
environment, which can drive the adoption of
broadband and converged communications
services. Based in firm economic principles,
Jordan has liberalised incrementally. One of
the most significant steps in the liberalisation
process, however, occurred in 2005 when the
Kingdomʼs fixed-line services were opened to
competition. This paved the way for the other
26 telecom operators to offer a rich variety of
multiplay services in Jordan, and the opportunity
to create what could be the most competitive
communications market in the Middle
The term ʻdigital divideʼ, coined more than ten years ago, refers to the
gap between those communities, populations and countries with access to
technology and those without.
East. The incumbent operator, Jordan Telecom,
as a result, has already embarked on an ambitious
strategy to integrate its offerings and provide
a broad range of multiplay services.
In what seems to be a diametrically opposite
approach, the State of Qatar maintains a monopoly
in the telecommunications sector, but
Qatarʼs national operator, Qtel, has pressed
forward with its own business strategy to develop
a sophisticated suite of converged services.
Although broadband penetration is still
relatively low at about 30,000 lines or 3.7
per 100 people, Qtel has invested heavily in
much of the underlying technology required
to provide new multiplay services throughout
the country. These include wireless local
loop services, using broadband point-to-multipoint
technology to provide telephone and
broadband Internet services to areas outside
Qtelʼs wired network. Qtel will introduce 3G
and video streaming technologies later this
year. Qtel was also one of the first operators
in the world to implement a converged billing
system for quad-play services, allowing it to
unify billing for mobile, telephone, Internet
and digital TV services, and easily integrate
multi-service offerings.
South Africa already boasts the African continentʼs
most advanced network services, but
the country had to wait until last year for the
first major steps towards full liberalisation,
creating new licence categories, allowing the
use of VoIP and permitting fixed line competition
for the first time. Competition has already
had an impact in the broadband services market;
broadband subscriber numbers grew from
50,000 in February 2005 to about 200,000 currently.
The country is now mulling a Convergence
Bill to provide a regulatory framework
for the telecommunications, broadcast and IT
markets to compete openly in a
fully converged services market.
Many Middle Eastern and African
countries have invested
heavily in e-government and
e-education systems to ensure
future economic competitiveness,
and are turning increasingly
towards e-commerce. The
greatest limiting factor to their
e-competitiveness has been
the number of citizens able
to access the Internet. In the
Economist Intelligence Unitʼs
2006 e-readiness rankings, the
Middle East and Africaʼs state
of e-readiness ranks below that
of North America, Western
Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central
and Eastern Europe and Latin
America.
In a world where broadband access, increasingly
driven by multiplay services, is becoming
a core requirement for e-competitiveness,
emerging markets must either put themselves
on the fast track to full liberalisation of their
markets, or significantly change the agendas
of the incumbent operators. Where regulatory
environments foster and promote converged
services markets, market forces will prove to
be powerful allies in driving e-competitiveness
goals.
Issue 2006 23

3G Networks
3G in the Kingdom and the Middle East
by Saud Bin Majed Al-Daweesh, President,
Saudi Telecom Company
3G mobile networks are spreading throughout the Middle East. Several countries, including
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, have already issued licences for 3G service providers.
In Saudi Arabia, this will accelerate the Kingdomʼs connection to the Internet - a huge step
forward. Although mobile services drive telecommunications growth in the region, they have
limited potential for future revenue growth. Operators look to the value-added services that 3G
makes possible, such as MMS and e-commerce, to boost their revenues.
Saud Bin Majed Al-Daweesh is the President of the Saudi Telecom Company (STC). Previously, Saud Bin Majed Al-Daweesh served in
a number of executive positions, including as acting Vice President responsible for the companyʼs overall network operations, as Vice
President for Customer Services and District Affairs, and as the President of Al-Jawal, the Mobile Business Unit of STC. In addition,
he played an active role in the transformation and restructuring of STC, and was responsible for the creation of the ISP Business Unit
(Saudinet), which introduced the Internet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saud Bin Majed Al-Daweesh earned a Bachelorʼs Degree in Engineering at the University of Southern California.
You have seen the billboards and newspaper
advertisements, heard the radio ads and read
the articles, but why all this hype about 3G and
what does it mean for our nation During the
past year, there has been much excitement and
press coverage given to the development of
third generation mobile networks, 3G, and its
future in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA.
Since the Kingdomʼs regulator granted the 3G
service licences, mobile broadband technology
has moved on to the next stage. In simple
terms, the Saudi nation will be able to connect
to the Internet much faster than was previously
possible, which is a huge step forward
for the Kingdom.
3G is relatively new in the region and growing
at a rapid pace. When High Speed Packet Data
Access, HSPDA, a packet access technology
for wireless networks launches in the region,
it will be a huge jump forward, as much of the
Kingdom still uses dial-up and only 20 per
cent of households have an Internet connection.
Our nation is a young one, with 50 per
cent of the population under the age of 25, but
they are very tech savvy; given this, together
with the appeal of mobility, I foresee a huge
demand for the service all over the Middle
East and especially in the KSA. Saudis, by
nature, have strong social ties and love to talk
on their mobiles, so if you look at the average
minutes of use in the Middle East, you will
probably find that it is double that in the European
Union, because people in the Middle
East consider talking to be entertainment.
The Middle East region has a number of opportunities
for 3G in the areas of infrastructure,
technology or service provisions. However,
the success of such ventures will depend upon
the presence of a number of critical factors
including the availability of broadband access
technologies, wireless and mobile technologies
and digital asset management. The Kingdomʼs
operators have been leading the efforts
to bring 3G to the region
and they are firmly committed
to the investment,
technological evolution,
continuous development
and innovation needed to
make this happen.
The mobile market has
been the growth driver
of the Middle Eastʼs
telecommunications industry
for much of this
decade. However, with
limited potential for future
growth in services,
carriers will have to look
to added-value services
to grow their mobile revenues.
With 3G services
showing by far the highest
average revenue per
user, ARPU, in the mobile
market, telecom operators
will have to intensify
their 3G capabilities, and
persuade subscribers to use and pay for highreturning
services, such as mobile data and 3G
multimedia.
The market is changing, with rapidly increasing
competition in the mobile sector and slowly
reducing state involvement. Licence tenders
to operate privately owned mobile networks
have recently taken place. Mobiles are taking
“The Kingdom’s operators have been leading
the efforts to bring 3G to the region and
they are firmly committed to the investment,
technological evolution, continuous development
and innovation needed to make this
happen.”
24 Issue 2006

3G Networks
market share from declining fixed-line markets
in the more developed countries. Internet
use and broadband development are generally
low for the relative levels of economic development
except for the United Arab Emirates
(UAE).
Bahrain was the first country
in the Middle East to liberalize
fully its telecom market
three years ago in March
2003, and many other countries
have since followed their
example. This has actually
helped bring lots of investment
to the region and has,
as well, improved services
and created new opportunities,
both for customers and
investors. Bahrain was also
the first country to issue a 3G
licence and served as a good
pilot project to test new technologies
and new marketing
strategies.
According to the Yankee
Group Research Company in
Western Europe, 3G penetration
is projected to be 20 per
cent of the total mobile market
by 2006; by 2009, penetration
is expected to reach 60 per
cent. The 3G handset market
should account for over 80 per
cent of the total handset sales
by 2009, compared to the 42
per cent expected in 2006. In
2005, 3G handsets accounted
for only 20 per cent of the total
handset sales and eight per
cent of the total mobile customer
base.
The success of Multimedia
Message Service, MMS, is
setting the stage for a 3G
take-off by changing user
behaviour, moving people away from Short
Message Service, SMS, and creating demand
for mobile Internet services. Once people are
regularly using mobile multimedia services,
there will be a natural rise in demand for the
higher bandwidth offered by WCDMA, wideband
Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA,
for services such as video streaming and video
telephony. Other operators around the world
have developed engaging content that has
driven the use of the MMS. In Saudi Arabia
millions of MMSs are sent every day; it is an
innovative way of communicating with friends
and family, but it does have some sectors of
our conservative society worried about the
abuse of technology. However, the Kingdom
is changing and we like to think that people in
general will use this wisely.
One way of combating the abuse of this technology
is by creating relevant content for
different people. Sunrise in Switzerland, for
example, offers MMS services in which subscribers
can elect to receive a daily or weekly
“The success of Multimedia Message
Service, MMS, is setting the stage for a
3G take-off by changing user behaviour,
moving people away from Short Message
Service, SMS, and creating demand for
mobile Internet services.”
Garfield cartoon for kids and women are targeted
with illustrated horoscopes. All these
would work very well in the Kingdom. Italian
operator Telecom Italia Mobile offers access
to information on Italian football matches via
TV programme vignettes; this, again, would
do very well for our football-loving nation.
MMS brings added value to cross-media mobile
multimedia services, for example sports
enthusiasts watching a game on TV could
use MMS to receive additional player and
team statistics or alternative camera angles of
a goal. Another application will use the latest
traffic-status information and knowledge
of location to generate a map of the quickest
route to a destination, or even to display where
the userʼs friends are located.
The investigation of the possibilities that MMS
brings is only just starting. The initial success
stories are often the result of building on existing
popular services - such as adding images
and audio to basic text services - to enhance
the user experience. A similar evolutionary
approach will be taken when
3G makes higher bandwidth applications
possible.
Eventually, the Kingdomʼs operators
and subscribers will catch up with
their European counterparts. Yet in
all regions of the world, the ultimate
success of 3G systems depends on applications.
Many industry observers
believe, for example, that electronic
commerce will be the ʻkiller applicationʼ
that fuels widespread demand for
3G wireless services. That may turn
out to be the case. However, people
are likely to opt for 3G services, be
they for e-commerce, Web browsing,
or other high-speed data applications,
only if those services are affordably
priced and if the 3G handsets are easy
to use.
The essential rationale for deployment
of a 3G network - gaining spectrum
efficiencies, easing network capacity
constraints, lowering operating costs,
and expanding revenue opportunities
through provisioning of data services
- remains intact. We believe that the
rising popularity of MMS and picture
messaging will legitimize the culture
of data consumption in a mobile environment
and spur deployment of
network infrastructure. It will not,
however, be just 3G driving these developments;
public wireless local area
networks, WLANs, with ʻhotspotsʼ will
also help in this development.
Despite all these uncertainties, 3G
wireless systems will emerge, and I expect
the adoption of 3G to evolve with
reasonable speed. We also foresee regulators
easing the constraints on licences and pushing
for more competition.
Issue 2006 25

Wireless Broadband
Wireless broadband - changing business in
Africa and the Middle East
by Pertti Johansson, President, Qualcomm
Middle East and Africa
Given the growth of broadband wireless networks and the wide availability of inexpensive
handsets, third generation 3G broadband technologies will give developing countries a level of
Internet access sufficient to bridge wirelessly the digital divide. As these technologies evolve,
mobile voice and high-speed data services will far surpass the economic importance and relevance
of wired communications. In the near future, the wireless Internet will contribute to uplifting
and reshaping the economies of emerging markets across Africa and the Middle East.
Pertti Johansson is the President of Qualcomm Middle East and Africa (MEA). Prior to joining Qualcomm, Mr Johansson was the
Founder and President of the consulting firm,Johansson Global Associates, LLC. Previously, Mr Johansson worked for Motorola Corporation
in a number of executive management positions, including Senior Vice President of Global Account Management, Senior Vice
President and General Manager of the European, Middle Eastern and African regions, Vice President, Corporate Vice President and
General Manager of the International Cellular Infrastructure Division, and Director of R&D and Product Marketing for GSM Networks.
Mr Johansson has served on the boards of the Aegis Communications Corporation, the Strategic Account Management Association,
the Pacific Telecom Council, the U.S.-Russia Business Council, Motorola Regional Management for Asia, Europe and Latin America,
and the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce. Pertti Johansson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering:
Telecommunications from the Helsinki Institute of Technology.
When Alexander Graham Bell first conceived
of the telephone in 1876, he touted it as the
“miracle discovery of the age”, yet the public
was mostly unaware of its possibilities. Today,
the concept of the telephone has given way to
a slew of other inventions, including the cell
phone. Like the telephone, the Internet can be
tagged as a ʻmiracle discoveryʼ since it has
revolutionized the computer and communications
like nothing else. Today, the combination
of the cell phone and the Internet has had a significant
impact on the way we work, increasing
efficiency and contributing to the health of
many regional economies. In fact, the wireless
Internet will contribute to uplifting and reshaping
the economies of emerging markets across
Africa and the Middle East.
Many believe that access to communications
is a basic right, and that bringing access to
information and communications to underserved
communities strengthens cultures and
promotes commerce and societal participation.
The economic importance of enabling access
to basic telecommunications service has long
been recognized around the world as critical
for development, yet such access is still unobtainable
by many. As wireless communications
technologies continue to evolve offering
mobile voice and high-speed data services, the
economic importance and relevance of these
wireless networks are far surpassing those of
the wired world. Wireless communications
will provide universal, ubiquitous, equitable
and affordable access to information.
Already taking off around the world, third
generation (3G) broadband technologies are
the catalyst that will broaden the Internetʼs influence
on the world. The telecommunications
industry is at the point where the availability
of broadband wireless networks is coinciding
with the availability of inexpensive handsets.
With very inexpensive cell phones becoming
common, developing countries will experience
a level of Internet access not previously seen,
allowing for a wireless bridging of the digital
divide.
The rapid growth of wireless penetration,
compared to fixed lines, is largely attributable
to the relatively low incremental cost of adding
subscribers to cellular networks. Wireless
networks can be built far more quickly than
fixed-line networks, and the technology allows
users a variety of ways to obtain access to the
network.
Wireless networks are ideal vehicles for the delivery
of Internet services to developing countries,
because they do not require the costly
and lengthy network infrastructure build-outs
of wired networks. Paired with the fact that inexpensive
handsets are readily available, it is
only logical that, in the future, the majority of
people accessing information over the Internet
will use their cell phones as their main information-access
devices.
In developing countries, mobile consumers are
realizing the convenience, mobility and advanced
capabilities of cell phones, and it is in
those markets where the cell phone-to-PC ratio
is the widest. For example, in the Middle East,
the telecommunications regulatory authority in
the United Arab Emirates estimates that 91 per
cent of the population has cell phones, whereas
only 19 per cent have PCs. This difference indicates
cell phones have a much broader reach
than PCs, and illustrates the potential of the
wireless Internet.
26 Issue 2006

Wireless Broadband
Wireless technologies have clearly emerged as
the predominant method of accessing information
and communications services worldwide.
In 2002, the number of wireless phone subscribers
across the globe overtook the number
of fixed-line connections. In Africa, wireless
phones account for at least three quarters of
all telephones. In the region, over the past
five years, approximately eight times as many
mobile wireless connections have been made
relative to other fixed access methods.
In emerging markets like the Middle East
and Africa, where the wireline infrastructure
availability varies greatly between the city and
rural areas, the wireless networks provide the
fastest, most secure and cost-effective means
of providing broadband access to rural areas.
It is in these areas where 3G wireless broadband
will have the greatest economic impact
on the region.
Wireless technologies are already making a
profound economic contribution to Africa, by
creating a positive impact on employment, increasing
business efficiency and boosting tax
revenues and Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
In Africa, telecommunication service revenues,
as a percentage of GDP, have grown
the fastest compared to other regions. Today,
they represent almost five per cent of GDP in
Africa, compared to 4.5 per cent in Oceania,
3.8 per cent in Asia, 3.3 per cent in Europe and
2.9 per cent in the Americas. This highlights
the importance of the telecommunication sector
for the African economy.
In addition, a significant number of studies
have emerged that establish a positive link between
the use of mobile phones and economic
growth in developing countries. A recent study
attempted to quantify the effect of increased
mobile penetration on GDP, and found that
The rapid growth of wireless penetration,
compared to fixed lines, is largely attributable
to the relatively low incremental cost of adding
subscribers to cellular networks. Wireless
networks can be built far more quickly than
fixed-line networks, and the technology allows
users a variety of ways to obtain access
to the network.
between 1996 and 2003 a developing country
with ten more mobile phones per 100 people
could expect to experience annual GDP growth
that was 0.59 per cent higher than an otherwise
identical country. While research has shown a
positive correlation between teledensity and
GDP growth, an even stronger relationship
exists between Internet penetration, which can
be further accelerated through 3G wireless
technology, and GDP growth. Because 3G
wireless broadband technology can provide
both voice and high-speed data in a more costeffective
manner than wireline infrastructure,
the implementation of 3G wireless broadband
will further accelerate GDP growth in developing
countries.
Wireless phones also have an important impact
on economic growth by increasing productivity.
A survey of small businesses in South
Africa found that 89 per cent made use of
mobile phones. Of these, 62 per cent reported
increased profits. Benefits of the technology
that were highlighted in the survey included
increased availability to clients, reduced travel
and assistance in breakdowns/emergencies.
Wireless devices also enable the realisation of
economic benefits through the availability of
up-to-the-minute price and cost information.
For example, fishermen and/or farmers can
use the data capabilities of 3G-based wireless
phones to check real-time market prices for
their commodities and can then find the best
offering price for their products. Increased efficiency
of communications, such as these, for
businesses is becoming ever more important;
it will help businesses in Africa and the Middle
East to compensate for the lack of other
modern amenities needed to keep up with the
global pace of business.
The success of implementing 3G broadband
wireless technologies is already evident in
India. With the introduction of 3G technologies
in 2002 and subsequent regulatory reform
by the Government of India, the country witnessed
a six per cent increase in total teledensity
amounting to more than 80 million new
wireless subscribers and a drop in tariffs by
75 per cent to less than one rupee per minute.
As a result, India currently has the lowest mobile
tariffs in the world. These inspiring results
demonstrate the potential impact on the economies
of other emerging markets through the
implementation of 3G technologies.
In the future, in addition to increasing productivity,
wireless technology will be able to
transform economic relationships and processes
in the private and public sectors of
these emerging markets. E-commerce, such
as business-to-business and business-to-consumer
transactions is taking up an increasing
market share, and broadband uptake through
3G wireless is closely linked to this development.
Services such as banking and electronic
payment have become prevalent in countries
where 3G wireless broadband is widely deployed.
The economic impact of 3G wireless
broadband will further be amplified in underserved
areas, particularly with the extension of
credit and transactional facilities to those who
previously had no access to banking services.
Similar arguments apply to mobile commerce
and data services, as well as a range of other
applications, including e-government, e-health
and e-education.
In some parts of the developed world like
Japan, the adoption and advanced usage of
the wireless Internet occurred earlier, and
at a much more rapid pace, than that of the
wired Internet; these early adopters are a good
example of what is possible for the future of
wireless communications in other regions. Japan
and South Korea quickly recognized the
potential of the wireless Internet and subsequently
developed applications and functions
for this platform, rather than for the PC. In
Korea, mobile banking applications have been
widely accepted as a cost-effective channel to
deliver banking and trading services, and the
number of customers who use mobile banking-enabled
handsets has surpassed the ten
million mark, according to a recent article in
The Korea Times. Comparatively, in Japan, the
wireless Internet has supported the emergence
of such business applications as systems maintenance
and sales force automation, resulting
in greater operational efficiencies and lower
costs. This rapid adoption and development
of daily applications for business, as well as
recreation, has fuelled an explosion in the use
of the wireless Internet that has far surpassed
the wired Internet.
Telecommunications has certainly come a
long way since the days of Alexander Graham
Bell, and the drive to explore the potential of
new technologies continues. Several decades
ago, the telecom industry invented ways for
us to communicate with each other wirelessly;
since then, the industry has worked hard
to refine and invent technologies and to bring
new products and services to consumers. Simultaneously,
the wired Internet has grown to
provide a viable method of information dissemination,
a mode of communication and
collaboration and a tool for e-commerce. Today,
3G broadband wireless technologies are
evolving to bring together the enormous capabilities
of the Internet and the convenience
and affordability of wireless phones. Communications
has become a realistic and attainable
basic right, and it has never been more important
to the businesses and overall economies
of emerging markets such as Africa and the
Middle East.
Issue 2006 27

Wireless Broadband
Universal broadband - can it pay in Africa
by Michah Himmelman, Founder and President, MaxBill Ltd
Broadband promises to bring great economic and social benefits to Africa. Traditionally, wired
broadband connections to computers linked them to the Internet. In Africa, however, few workers
earn enough to buy a computer, let alone pay for the service. On the other hand, mobile
phone ownership and usage has grown dramatically in recent years and the cost of broadbandenabled
mobile handsets is shrinking. Broadbandʼs growth in Africa, then, may well depend
upon the availability of affordable broadband-enabled mobile handsets.
Michah Himmelman is the Founder and President of MaxBill Ltd. Mr Himmelman, with over 20 years of experience in software design
and development in the financial and billing arena, directly oversees the companyʼs product development focused upon mission-critical,
Internet-enabled, enterprise software solutions.
Prior to founding MaxBill, Mr Himmelman worked as a subcontractor and as an independent software consultant for a number of companies.
Mr Himmelman has created diverse products for a variety of fields, including Customer Care and Billing, corporate financial
applications, cardio-pulmonary exercise testing analysis software, online and rule-based facility security software, a traffic planning
system, network communication protocols, mediation software and artificial intelligence technology development.
In recent years, several African countries have
experienced triple-digit Internet usage growth
rates, including the Ivory Coast, Morocco,
Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania. This trend is
expected to continue in 2006. While in 2005,
only 2.6 per cent of Africaʼs population was
connected to the Internet, within a year the
density has doubled.
Still, there are some problems hampering
Internet growth. Leaving political instability
aside, many African countries lack proper
telecommunications infrastructures. Africa
has poor fixed-line coverage and the cost of
improving the infrastructure often cannot be
met. In an effort to improve the situation, most
countries have embraced privatization of their
government-controlled telecommunications
monopolies and have reformed their regulatory
structures. The privatized telecommunication
companies, then, are required to bear
the cost of bettering the countryʼs overall communications
- a necessity for strengthening a
countryʼs economy, its education, health and
security services, government efficiency and
social benefits.
Broadband offers an improvement, an easier
and more cost-efficient way of upgrading the
communications infrastructure. However,
there are certain prerequisites to implement
and profit from broadband.
In addition to a proper infrastructure, broadband,
for most users, requires a computer -
something most people in Africa do not own.
Each computer with an Internet or e-mail connection
in Africa supports, on average, three
to four users. Unlike other countries, where
computers are a privately owned commodity,
most computers in Africa are in educational institutions,
government offices or, in some cases,
in public Internet cafe. The reason for this
is simple, according to Computers for Africa,
a non-profit organization working towards
bringing refurbished computers to Africa; the
average person in East Africa earns a daily
wage of approximately US$1, while the cost
of a computer is the same as outside Africa. In
addition, only half of the available computers
have Internet access.
Of what use is broadband if there are no
computers
Due to the low literacy rate in English and/
or French, a huge percentage of the African
population falls short of the mark for actual
broadband usage. UNESCO has implemented
several programs to address this issue, by making
computer literacy programmes available in
African schools and NGOs, and assisting with
software programmes that will enable the set
up of content in local languages.
Not only are basic programmes required to
educate potential end-users, there is also a lack
of trained professionals to set up and maintain
telecommunication systems. These difficulties
are aggravated by the fact that the salaries paid
to even the most basic telecommunications
technicians are often higher outside Sub-Saharan
Africa or even Europe.
“...the average person in East
Africa earns a daily wage of
approximately US$1, while
the cost of a computer is the
same as outside Africa. In addition,
only half of the available
computers have Internet
access.”
While literacy issues of end-users and availability
of trained professionals may be remedied
with time, the lack of computers coupled
with poor infrastructure remains.
So what are the prospects for the broadband
market
Due to poor fixed-line coverage, Africans have
quickly embraced mobile networks. Mobile
telephones account for 85 per cent of all African
telephone subscriptions. Africa now has
more than 120 operational mobile networks.
According to RNCO, a market research firm,
Africaʼs mobile phone subscriber base rose 66
per cent, while Europeʼs grew by only 11 per
cent. According to RNCOʼs study, 378 million
Africans are expected to own a cell phone by
2011.
28 Issue 2006

4 – 8 September 2006
Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa
Compete. Win.
Featured speakers include:
Innovation and strategy for 21st century telcos
• Business development and competition – increasing your bottom-line
• Hear from the latest player in the South African market
Dr Tracy Cohen
Councillor
ICASA, South Africa
John Slaighter
Munsaka
Chief Operations Officer
COMDEV, Zambia
Andrew Kawamara
Standardisation,
Research and
Programme Co-ordinator
ATU, Kenya
• Profit from the successful delivery of mobile content and digital entertainment
• Learn how to exploit broadband and wireless opportunities
• Gain insight on the impact of disruptive technologies
• Optimise your customer loyalty and brand strategies
• Review the latest cutting-edge technologies and innovations
Book before the 30th of July 2006 and receive a 10% discount off the conference
price!
Diamond & luncheon sponsor
Peter Maila
Vice President
Structured Debt Africa
RMB, South Africa
Silver & luncheon sponsor
Silver sponsors
Douglas Mboweni
Chief Executive Officer
Econet Wireless,
Zimbabwe
Bronze & luncheon sponsor
Bronze sponsor
ELECTRONICS
Official publication
Organised by
4 SEPARATELY BOOKABLE
MASTERCLASSES
Pre-conference masterclass:
• Project finance
or
• Broadband via satellite
Post-conference masterclass:
• Customer loyalty / service
or
• Building a Wi-Fi network
for voice
REPLY FORM FAX BACK +27 (0)11 707 8357
YES! I am interested in Telecoms World Africa 2006
I would like to attend the conference – please send me more information
I would like to know more about promoting my company at this event – please contact me
Mr / Mrs / Miss First name:
Surname:
Job title:
Company:
Tel:
Fax:
Mobile:
Email:
www.terrapinn.com/2006/telecomza
Terrapinn0818

October 2 nd to 5 th
The most qualified Telecom & IT
event in Latin America
TECNOLOGIA
To register for the International Seminar • negocios@futurecom.com.br
+55 (41) 3314-3200
To register for the International Seminar • www.futurecom.com.br/inscricoes

Wireless Broadband
Of what use is broadband if there are no
computers
Only 23.6 million Africans access the Internet,
but there are already 135 million mobile phone
users. Recent mobile telephone handsets can
access wireless broadband, and the cost of
handsets with broadband access is dropping
rapidly. Accordingly, the logical inference,
and more economical step, is to use mobile
phones, not dedicated computers, for broadband
access in Africa. It makes more sense
for Africa to bypass the ʻwireline stageʼ and
the necessity of a computer altogether, and use
only one device - a more economical device
- to give people access to both telephony and
the Internet.
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave
Access, WiMaX, is the future for Africa. It is
the latest and most hyped generation of fixed
wireless technology, and is poised to provide
a solution to the major impediments to wireless
fi delity, WiFi, namely standardization and
range. WiMax was launched as a potential alternative
to fixed broadband services. However,
the lack of standards and commercially viable
consumer equipment has not yet enabled
its full development for mass-market deployment.
The development of a fourth generation,
4G, solution, combining mobile phones and
wireless broadband technologies will be able
to address markets such as wireless data, telemetry,
radio frequency identification, RFID,
and a range of other new services that will
emerge based upon 4G technology.
One has to keep in mind that, while the market
is wide-open with many first time users,
most customers cannot afford to buy high-end
phones or replace them very often - the market
calls for a simple, affordable device.
One service, in particular, will be of importance
for Africa: voice over internet protocol,
VoIP. The great number of expatriates,
migrant workers or even refugees, generates
disproportionately high levels of international
call traffic compared to those expected given
the generally low local income levels. VoIP
will bring down the traditionally high costs of
telecommunications. Although local providers
often try to erect barriers to restrict or disable
the end-user from accessing such services, the
use of VoIP is growing. The telecom operators
themselves, recognising the economic advantages,
are using VoIP as a transport layer on
their international links working through joint
ventures with international VoIP companies.
Mobile phones bring the informal sector opportunities
to generate income. Business contacts
are maintained, orders are taken and sales
are made via mobile phones. In Africa, where
credit cards are, for the most part, non-existent
and bank accounts rare, Smart Cards as used
in South Africa, give a telephone subscriber
credit that can be used not only to place calls
but to pay for data transfers or even pay for
merchandise.
Basic mobile data applications, such as the
Wireless Application Protocol, WAP, are offered
to mobile phone subscribers in most
parts of the world providing them, among
other things, with news. With broadband, television
content over mobile devices will certainly
grow in importance. Much of the world
regards radio only as a musical content source
for teenagers. However, radio is by far the
most dominant mass medium in Africa. Radio
stations with trained personnel are widely
available throughout Africa, and can transmit
an ample range of content to illiterate populations
in local languages. Accordingly, it may
be worthwhile to consider using bandwidth to
provide rural populations with specific content.
Radio content on demand via mobile
broadband may prove to be an especially valuable
way to deliver health information or professional
training.
This year, the installation of fibre-optic cables
around Africa should be completed, offering
the region additional opportunities to access
broadband services. In addition, the African
continent is already covered by high speed Internet
via Satellite access systems.
Whether broadband is provided via a fixed
line, like in Morocco where, as of this year,
95 per cent of Internet users are ADSL subscribers,
or via wireless satellite transmission
to mobile phone handsets, there is immense
growth potential.
Few studies have been conducted of rural versus
urban users, but one can assume that users
in cities vastly outnumber rural users, due to
the existence of educational centres with computer
access, higher literacy rates and electrical
access. However, many countries now have
points of presence in some of their secondary
towns. In addition, several countries have tried
to promote Internet use by offering local call
charges for all calls to the Internet provider,
regardless of distance.
The Seychelles has gone even further; the rates
for calls to the Internet service provider are set
at half the price of regular local voice calls.
The success is incredible. The Seychelles has
a 25 per cent Internet user penetration which,
together with French Reunion, is the highest in
the whole of Africa.
However, in its drive for technical modernization
and for links to global broadband networks,
Africa is facing serious problems with
fraud. Thus, fraud management and revenue
assurance are of utmost importance to local
companies. Telecom fraud has been identified
as the single biggest cause of revenue loss for
operators and service providers. In Africa, carriers
report write-offs of fraud losses amounting
to as much as US$700 million annually. As
mobile penetration in Africa increases, so does
fraud risk; with new services like 3G and VoIP,
the opportunities for fraud are increasing and
fraud attacks and scams are becoming increasingly
sophisticated.
Indeed, the fraud problems in the field have
drawn much attention, and the Telecoms
Fraud-Africa 2005 conference in South Africa
attracted the fraud and revenue assurance
managers from mobile and fixed operators in
17 African countries. The needs are such, that
a follow up conference on the issue was held
between 29 May and 1 June of this year in Johannesburg.
To cope with fraud, a system is required that
can identify potential fraudulent events and
situations. Such systems provide early warning
in potential revenue leakage and fraud
situations, detect actual revenue leakage, provide
prompt notification to the relevant fraud
and revenue leakage personnel within the respective
provider, pro-actively handle potential
customer complaints, and pre-emptively
handle exceptional conditions.
A combination of several elements is needed
to resolve these problems. These include
software applications to control, monitor and
profile and alert the end user, software modules
that are capable of rating usage records,
as needed, independent of a providerʼs current
rating capabilities, and the ability to add-on
and integrate hardware components such as
probes or sensors, that trace and detect suspicious
call activity.
Having the necessary systems in place will
ensure that future services offered by telecommunication
service providers will start
in the right direction and, where possible, in
accordance with an optimized business case.
The promise of broadband in Africa extends
far beyond the service providersʼ inevitable financial
return; it is broadbandʼs potential as an
educational and social tool, and as a means to
support local businesses and build the regional
economy, that promises to be the true success
story.
Issue 2006 31

Wireless
Wireless - building the Middle East and Africa
by Jose R. Figueroa, Corporate Vice President & Regional Manager (EMEA and LAC),
and Ali Amer, Senior Director of Sales (MENAPAK), Motorola Networks
In Africa and the Middle East (AME), wireless solutions will dramatically affect peopleʼs lives
and stimulate the local economy. A recent survey found that 62 per cent of small businesses
in South Africa and 59 per cent in Egypt believe, despite call costs, that mobile phones had
increased their profits. AME governments are looking to wireless broadband to benefit education,
healthcare and overall economic development, and operators see an opportunity to build
their business while benefiting the communities they serve.
Jose R. Figueroa is Corporate Vice President and Regional Manager of Motorola Networks, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and
Latin America & the Caribbean. Mr Figueroa previously served in various leadership roles at Motorola, including as general manager for
the East region of the United States and in executive positions in Motorolaʼs paging sector, personal communications group and cellular
subscriber sector.
Ali Amer is the Senior Director of Sales for Motorola Networks & Enterpriseʼs Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAPAK) region.
Since joining Motorola, he has held a number of engineering and business management positions, including as Motorolaʼs Director of
Sales for North Africa and General Manager for Motorola Morocco. He was previously a research engineer for Motorola in the USA in the
Advanced Manufacturing Technology Organization, and holds a patent in technology development.
We have already witnessed the mobile telecommunications
industryʼs first major phase
of expansion in North America, Western Europe
and parts of Asia. While the transition
to ʻmature marketʼ status in these regions has
been impressive, we can soon expect the same
growth and momentum, and anticipate the
increase in subscriber numbers, in emerging
territories. In just five years, another one billion
people will connect to mobile networks
- a landmark that operators in Africa and the
Middle East will play a key role in achieving.
The potential for further expansion is even
more exciting. By 2010, the Middle East will
double its mobile subscriber base. In Africa,
market experts anticipate that the market
will expand by 137 per cent between 2004
and 2008. Interestingly, although subscriber
number projections from an IDC study for
Nigeria show an increase from 3,093,615 to
17,233,440 over the five-year period to 2008
and in Kenya from 1,623,848 to 4 million,
the figures represent just over a tenth of these
countries respective populations.
Indeed, the Middle East and African markets
will be prominent players in fuelling the mobile
industryʼs second phase of growth, that
will see the worldwide population of mobile
users increase by 33 per cent to three billion
by 2010.
Particularly in the Middle East and Africa,
wireless solutions can dramatically impact
peopleʼs lives, which accounts for the strong
demand we see today and will continue to see
into the future. In addition, there is a growing
recognition that the availability of mobile
phones stimulates the economy: they enable
farmers and fishermen to check prices before
leaving for market, people can easily transfer
money and workers can locate and maintain
employment. The Centre for Economic Policy
Research highlighted some of these factors in
a 2005 survey of mobile customers in Africa.
It concluded that mobiles save travel time for
people living in rural communities - 85 per
cent of the respondents in Tanzania and 79 per
cent in South Africa said they had enhanced
contact and relationships with families and
friends as a result of being connected.
On the business front, 62 per cent of small
businesses in South Africa and 59 per cent in
Egypt believe, despite call costs, that mobile
phones had increased their profits. As part of
the same LBS School study, the researchers
concluded that for every increase of ten mobile
phones per 100 people, GDP increases by
0.6 per cent per year.
The core strategy of ensuring that low-cost
technological solutions can deliver high performance
is carried over into network design.
There is a growing belief that networks in
emerging markets must provide from the outset,
or through upgrade, the option to support
a broad range of services, albeit with changes
to traditional configurations to address the particular
topographical and revenue challenges
presented in each market.
Todayʼs more affordable wireless solutions remove
limits for service providers in both high
growth and mature markets. The efficiency is
achieved by incorporating micro base stations
for rural connectivity, backhaul offerings for
call transmission (that can be routed locally),
and a media gateway for lower call transport
costs. When the signal between a phone and
base station is strong, both the handset and
the station use less power to stay in touch - a
clever feature that enhances battery life. Continuing
the power theme, high power macro
base stations now available mean that operators
need to run fewer of them. Today, there
is also a wide range of power solutions available;
these include wind and solar options to
drive base stations where access to electricity
is scarce.
The use of wireless or satellite technologies to
connect mobile engineers over IP with a central
maintenance centre reduces maintenance
overhead. Facilities that combine database,
fault management and traffic analysis in a single
operation further reduce overhead.
Issue 2006 33

Wireless
Africa and the Middle East (AME) markets
are increasingly looking beyond voice services
to ways that wireless broadband can benefit
education, healthcare and overall economic
development. WiMax and unlicensed mobile
broadband systems will be available this year
to extend the data options. These IP-based access
mechanisms lower the cost of supplying
high-speed data and provide the option of easily
upgrading networks as customersʼ expectations
evolve.
New cost-effective technologies for emerging
markets
It is clear that demand is strong in emerging
markets and growth in subscriber numbers will
be unprecedented - easily surpassing the most
aggressive expansion phases experienced in
the now mature markets.
Operators should therefore consider systems
that combine high-volume call capabilities
with the ability, as needed, to add data services
easily. There is a growing realization in
many countries that communications play a
fundamental role in economic health. As governments
seek to address the technical divide
between developed and developing regions,
operators have a significant opportunity to fulfil
their business objectives while benefiting
the communities within which they work.
When assessing the network infrastructure to
support these objectives, itʼs important to bear
in mind that working in emerging markets requires
intelligent solutions to technical challenges.
The remarkable range of technologies
available to telecoms providers today, combined
with changing customer demand, leaves
operators in the AME region with the
dilemma of how best to provide affordable,
high-capacity voice products and
deliver value-added wireless broadband.
In addition, operators need practical
strategies to combine fixed and
mobile services all in one franchise.
Indeed, providers in the AME need to
understand the complete range of business
models available to them.
Acquisition, flexibility and coverage
Wireless broadband offers three core
advantages. It is cost-efficient to acquire,
it is flexible and it expands the
range of options available to create, enhance
and extend coverage.
The technology enables the wireless
delivery of premium services with the
high levels of security and quality of
service associated with fixed-line networks;
additionally, there is no need for
expensive overhead or ground wires,
microwave or complex control software.
Wireless systems provide highly
cost-effective alternatives for backhaul
(connection to the backbone network)
and leased line connection. Since a great many
consumers and businesses have broadband
and WiFi subscriptions, they are familiar with
access devices; for that reason, they can install
their own customer premise equipment, CPE
at a considerable cost saving.
Based on IP protocols, wireless broadband
is inherently flexible; systems can be used to
provision services from scratch or integrated
into existing networks. Put simply, the technology
enables service providers to reach
more people more easily. It supports a range
of existing and new business models. Wireless
provides residential broadband for converged
fixed/mobile voice and data services. Wireless
can also provide and maintain high capacity
private networks or even ʻlightʼ a city with
wireless connectivity for public access, public
works and public safety.
The catalyst for innovation
The term revolutionary is used and abused to
describe new technology, but wireless broadband
as the catalyst for a new cycle of innovation
is just that - revolutionary.
Wireless innovation, seen in municipalities,
campuses and enterprises, brings universal
broadband access and improves productivity,
promotes knowledge transfer and collaboration
and improves security and safety. Wireless
innovation is helping areas throughout the
world, blighted by the digital divide, gain access
to the Internet and all its information and
access to learning.
Benefiting from the low cost of IP technology,
WiMax promises to deliver economical, highspeed,
wireless broadband. Traditional GSM
operators in Middle East and Africa can benefit
by using WiMax to generate an alternative
revenue stream and to enter the fixed market
using the latest wireless broadband technologies.
With faster interface speeds, the services that
subscribers can access will dramatically advance.
Application developers are harnessing
broadband delivery speeds to create new and
exciting ways to interact with content; this
will make communication more intuitive, realistic
and fun. Video and group conferencing
will also enrich communications. Enhanced
devices that support Internet, digital video
broadcasts, video capture, music and gaming
will transform entertainment. Given the speed
of broadband, downloading an album will take
less than a minute, subscribers will play games
with others across the network, and planning
and navigating a trip will require little more
than a mobile device.
The development of a variety of innovative
wireless broadband access technologies has
enabled new business models. Service providers,
testing and implementing these new
technologies and business models, are fostering
significant structural change within the
industry.
Convergence of fixed and mobile services
Relationships between operators, services and
the customer have been governed by the limitations
of technology. Subscribers have often
needed at least two suppliers - one for mobile,
another for broadband and fixed-line services.
Wireless broadband based on IP removes the
technical barriers that separate the cellular,
cable and fixed environments. Converged
services, like fixed-mobile substitution using
wireless broadband are already available. Furthermore,
the implementation of IP standards
for core network interaction, the level of convergence
and competition is set to increase. By
2010, according to a study by Maravedis, the
global market for wireless broadband equipment
should reach US$4 billion.
Challenge usually comes with opportunity.
The wireless broadband sector is no different.
In addition to intense competition, companies
seeking to market wireless broadband face an
array of infrastructure options, from WiMax,
to unlicensed spectrum interfaces, to mesh networks,
to backhaul and broadband over power
lines. Whatever solutions operators in Africa
and the Middle East choose, the ultimate winners
will be the subscribers. They will gain
entry to a new world of economic and communications
potential.
34 Issue 2006

FREE to Regional Operators & Regulators
The Leading Middle Eastern Mobile
Communications Congress &
Exhibition, Featuring 22 Operator
Presentations including Keynotes from:
Babar Khan, President & CEO, Ufone – PTML, Pakistan
Bamdad Ghafari, Managing Director, Mobile
Telecommunication of Esfahan, Iran
Ismael Fikree, CTO, MTC Vodafone, Bahrain
Karim Khoja, CEO, Roshan, Afghanistan
Eng. Khaled Marmoush, CIO, Telecom Egypt
Khalid Al Kaf, CEO, Mobily, Saudi Arabia
Majd Shweikeh, CEO, MobileCom, Jordan
Marwan Zawaydeh, Group CTO, Board Director,
Board Executive Committee Member, Warid Telecom, Pakistan
Medhat Amer, CIO, Fastlink, MTC, Jordan
Mohammed Al Qamzi CEO, Etisalat, UAE
Osman Sultan CEO, du, UAE
Ossama Bessada Commercial Director,
Orascom Telecom, Egypt
Ross Cormack, CEO, Nawras, Oman
11-12 September 2006
Dubai International Convention Centre
Now in it’s 11th year, do
business and learn from:
120 exhibitors
45+ speakers
Interactive panel sessions
Keynote interviews
22 operator presentations
Dual-streamed strategic
and technical agenda
Over 1200 attendees
50% operator attendance
International audience
with over 50 countries
represented
Email for your copy of the agenda-setting programme
today: caroline.wiezien@informa.com
www.gsm-3gworldseries.com/meg/cw
Supported by:
Event Sponsors:
REGISTRATION HOTLINE
+44 (0)20 7017 5506

36
Saved

Digital Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility
Africa and the Middle East - broadband
access for growth
by Paul Bell, Senior Vice President, Dell EMEA
Broadband access will not solve all of the regionʼs problems, but broadband can make a huge
difference in local economies and bring much needed services affordably to local communities.
Even in developed nations, more than 25 per cent of GDP growth results from information
technology. Investment in computer literacy skills, at all levels, is important. The cooperation
of global ITC companies in local literacy, health and technology programmes is essential to
improve the quality of life and digital access.
Paul Bell is Dellʼs Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), responsible for all business operations and manufacturing
activities across the region. Prior to his current role, Mr Bell served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Worldwide
Home and Small Business Group. Prior to joining Dell, Mr Bell was a consultant with Bain and Company.
Mr Bell has Bachelorʼs Degrees in fine arts and business administration from Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA from the Yale
School of Organisation and Management.
There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionised
the world, from the way a business
operates to how it connects, informs and entertains
consumers. The Internet has become
such an integral part of society that many of us
agree that we would not be able to live without
it. So what of those countries and regions that
do not have the technical infrastructure for Internet
access, let alone the convenience of the
services, such as buying groceries online, that
it brings
It is important to acknowledge that broadband
access may not be an immediate priority for
some countries, especially those that do not
have widespread access to computers. Governments
hold the responsibility for long-term
infrastructure implementation and planning,
and it is important that experienced technology
practitioners and organisations make
themselves available to offer advice and consultation.
Global and local businesses have an
important part to play in broadening exposure,
both to technology and new methods of communication.
Digital access has the power to
make huge differences on a community and
country level. Broadband will further enhance
local technology markets and in turn encourage
foreign investment, which will quicken
the cycle of development.
Whilst it is difficult to make generalisations
about a region that is so diverse and with such
varying economic and political challenges, our
view is that broadband access in the Middle
East and Africa, MEA, should be universally
available to those who want it.
The challenge of regional differences
The regions within the MEA vary widely in
their cultures, geography, economies and politics.
Between them, there are more than 50
countries, ranging from the African islands of
the Seychelles to the small but wealthy federate
state of United Arab Emirates, UAE. Politically,
there are monarchies, military and
civilian republics and constitutional democracies.
There are countries recovering from civil
war and those that face problems of political
unrest, famine and drought.
The diversity of community and culture is also
reflected in the adoption of technology and access
to communication networks. In general,
“Internet usage figures vary
greatly, not only between Africa
and the Middle East but
also within each region. Only
eight of the 57 countries that
make up Africa have Internet
penetration of more than
seven per cent. Among those
with the highest penetrations
are Morocco at 11.6 per cent
and South Africa at 7.4 per
cent.”
the Middle East has progressed further than
Africa in making widespread access to technology
available. Taking these differences into
consideration, it is clear that the introduction
of broadband across MEA will not be a ʻone
size solution fits allʼ situation.
Broadband access vs. Internet access vs.
computer access
Narrowing the divide between those who are
more fortunate than others by improving access
to information technology is one of the
greatest challenges facing governments and
the private sector in the region. The current
reality for many MEA countries is that, before
even beginning to consider broadband access,
providing access to computers is the priority.
For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa fewer
than two in 100 people have direct access to
a computer.
Internet usage figures vary greatly, not only
between Africa and the Middle East but also
within each region. Only eight of the 57 countries
that make up Africa have Internet penetration
of more than seven per cent. Among
those with the highest penetrations are Morocco
at 11.6 per cent and South Africa at 7.4
per cent. In the Middle East, as expected, Internet
penetration is higher. In fact, in only a
quarter of the 14 countries that make up the
Middle East is Internet access less than ten per
cent. These Internet penetration figures from
internetworldstats give a fair representation
Issue 2006 37

Digital Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility
Africa and the Middle East - broadband
access for growth
by Paul Bell, Senior Vice President, Dell EMEA
Broadband access will not solve all of the regionʼs problems, but broadband can make a huge
difference in local economies and bring much needed services affordably to local communities.
Even in developed nations, more than 25 per cent of GDP growth results from information
technology. Investment in computer literacy skills, at all levels, is important. The cooperation
of global ITC companies in local literacy, health and technology programmes is essential to
improve the quality of life and digital access.
Paul Bell is Dellʼs Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), responsible for all business operations and manufacturing
activities across the region. Prior to his current role, Mr Bell served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Worldwide
Home and Small Business Group. Prior to joining Dell, Mr Bell was a consultant with Bain and Company.
Mr Bell has Bachelorʼs Degrees in fine arts and business administration from Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA from the Yale
School of Organisation and Management.
There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionised
the world, from the way a business
operates to how it connects, informs and entertains
consumers. The Internet has become
such an integral part of society that many of us
agree that we would not be able to live without
it. So what of those countries and regions that
do not have the technical infrastructure for Internet
access, let alone the convenience of the
services, such as buying groceries online, that
it brings
It is important to acknowledge that broadband
access may not be an immediate priority for
some countries, especially those that do not
have widespread access to computers. Governments
hold the responsibility for long-term
infrastructure implementation and planning,
and it is important that experienced technology
practitioners and organisations make
themselves available to offer advice and consultation.
Global and local businesses have an
important part to play in broadening exposure,
both to technology and new methods of communication.
Digital access has the power to
make huge differences on a community and
country level. Broadband will further enhance
local technology markets and in turn encourage
foreign investment, which will quicken
the cycle of development.
Whilst it is difficult to make generalisations
about a region that is so diverse and with such
varying economic and political challenges, our
view is that broadband access in the Middle
East and Africa, MEA, should be universally
available to those who want it.
The challenge of regional differences
The regions within the MEA vary widely in
their cultures, geography, economies and politics.
Between them, there are more than 50
countries, ranging from the African islands of
the Seychelles to the small but wealthy federate
state of United Arab Emirates, UAE. Politically,
there are monarchies, military and
civilian republics and constitutional democracies.
There are countries recovering from civil
war and those that face problems of political
unrest, famine and drought.
The diversity of community and culture is also
reflected in the adoption of technology and access
to communication networks. In general,
“Internet usage figures vary
greatly, not only between Africa
and the Middle East but
also within each region. Only
eight of the 57 countries that
make up Africa have Internet
penetration of more than
seven per cent. Among those
with the highest penetrations
are Morocco at 11.6 per cent
and South Africa at 7.4 per
cent.”
the Middle East has progressed further than
Africa in making widespread access to technology
available. Taking these differences into
consideration, it is clear that the introduction
of broadband across MEA will not be a ʻone
size solution fits allʼ situation.
Broadband access vs. Internet access vs.
computer access
Narrowing the divide between those who are
more fortunate than others by improving access
to information technology is one of the
greatest challenges facing governments and
the private sector in the region. The current
reality for many MEA countries is that, before
even beginning to consider broadband access,
providing access to computers is the priority.
For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa fewer
than two in 100 people have direct access to
a computer.
Internet usage figures vary greatly, not only
between Africa and the Middle East but also
within each region. Only eight of the 57 countries
that make up Africa have Internet penetration
of more than seven per cent. Among
those with the highest penetrations are Morocco
at 11.6 per cent and South Africa at 7.4
per cent. In the Middle East, as expected, Internet
penetration is higher. In fact, in only a
quarter of the 14 countries that make up the
Middle East is Internet access less than ten per
cent. These Internet penetration figures from
internetworldstats give a fair representation
Issue 2006 37

Digital Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility
of the potential for broadband adoption across
MEA. It is likely that countries with established
technology markets, such as the UAE,
or an advanced telecommunications market,
like Israel, will lead the way for widespread
broadband adoption and be among the first to
benefit from its potential.
Digital access improves the quality of life
Prior to the introduction of broadband, investment
in education, including the teaching of
basic computer literacy skills at all levels, is
important. Personal computer technology has
progressed; it is now more user-friendly and
therefore digital access for everyone
- independent of IT literacy - is
more easily achievable. Governments
and businesses have a vital
role to play to ensure that everyone
has a good education and an opportunity
to learn IT skills. In recognition
of this, Dell South Africa
commits a defined percentage of its
sales revenue to the Dell Foundation
that focuses on literacy, health
and technology to improve the
quality of life and digital access.
The foundation has made a considerable
impact on the basic education
needs in parts of rural South
Africa by providing computers and
training teachers, enabling them
to pass on basic IT skills to the
next generation of South Africans.
Since January 2005, the foundation
has donated more than 1,000 desktops
to 374 schools in mainly rural
areas and provided IT training to
more than 268 teachers.
On a business level, the foundation runs an
Enterprise Development programme. The
foundation, for example, trained a young
man called Moffat Sebolelo in small-business
skills, and donated a computer and vehicle to
him. Previously he was collecting rubbish for
tips, now he runs a successful cleaning services
company and employs up to 20 staff.
Digital access impacts on the economy
Investment in technology has proven to influence
economic growth. A study by the UNʼs
International Telecommunications Union,
ITU, recently found that 27 per cent of the
GDP growth in the G7 nations from 1995-
2003 was a result of investments in information
technology. Consider the impact, therefore,
of introducing broadband to MEA and
its potential to translate into real economic
opportunity, greater productivity and employment
opportunities.
Boosting the domestic technology industry
has wider implications. Businesses should
view technology as a vehicle to aid business
performance. For example, better sales and
marketing contribute to increased revenues,
which in turn influence the wider economic
environment. In a developing domestic IT
market, the more access there is, the greater
demand there will be for related technology
services. This is also the case with broadband
- as demand increases, the market grows, outside
investment increases and competition
becomes more prevalent. This leads to lower
costs, making access to computer technology
and broadband access more affordable for
businesses and consumers alike.
Digital Inclusion: Africa & the Middle East must
be empowered to catch up with the rest of the
world
Working with business leaders and trend-setters
to improve the future of technology access
within different geographical locations will
help create access to broadband for everyone.
There are numerous examples of multinationals
working with local companies to improve
their ability to deal with the expected Middle
Eastern growth in technology related activity.
Government contribution
Global companies have a responsibility to
work with government policymakers on technology
related issues that benefit the social
and economic environment. Governments that
have encouraged the implementation and use
of technology quickly see the benefits. The
UAE opened its Dubai Internet City, DIC in
2000, specifically aimed at encouraging the
development of both large and small information
and communications technology, ICT
businesses in Dubai. DIC offers 100 per cent
tax exemption to DIC companies plus a multitude
of managed services such as an advanced
Ethernet network and the worldʼs largest IP
telephony network. Many of the worldʼs leading
technology companies now have offices in
DIC, as do many small to medium businesses
and ICT start-ups. This proactive encouragement
of a local IT market with a global outlook
means there is already a market of potential
broadband customers.
In some countries, governments have taken
proactive measures to further the introduction
of broadband. For example, in South Africa,
in May this year, the communications minister
committed to ensuring that the countryʼs
broadband infrastructure is able to meet the
socio-economic, business and scientific developments.
There is no doubt that communication
networks are crucial to broadband development.
In many ways, developing
countries that are starting from scratch
have an advantage, as they have the
opportunity to bypass older, less efficient
systems and go to straight to
broadband strength communication
networks. This is more cost effective
than building a traditional telecommunications
network and then having
to upgrade it to a higher bandwidth
within a very short timeframe. Choosing
to take this path brings great benefits,
as it fast tracks those that follow
it into the broadband-ready world.
Hardware and related technology
providers must be ready to help consumers
and businesses realise the rewards,
and a return on investment, of
these new technologies.
Information technology has contributed
enormously to the world we live in.
The Internet is an accepted and integrated
part of everyday life in most of Europe.
It has also been proven that investment in IT
is directly related to economic growth. Broadband
will bring further technological and business
opportunities. Despite the differences in
population density, cultures and wealth across
the Middle East and Africa, we believe that
broadband access is a basic necessity throughout
the region. It would be good if everyone
had the opportunity to take advantage of this
new technological revolution. It is important,
however, to view this in perspective, as many
MEA countries face greater, more basic survival
challenges than this. The aim is to increase
access to broadband and technology, but also
- in preparation for this - encourage domestic
IT markets and quality education incorporating
IT skills. It is the responsibility of global
companies to work with MEA businesses and
governments to further technological development
and broadband adoption, for the benefit
of the global integration and development of
regional economies.
Issue 2006 39

Triple Play
Triple play in Africa - a pipe dream
by Desi Lopez Fafié – Managing Director, African
Operations, Oracle Corporation
Considering the way people are accustomed to interact, the way business is commonly conducted
and the way services are traditionally delivered, triple play - the delivery of Internet,
video and telephony using a common protocol and transmission channels, is a disruptive technology
that will change each of these activities profoundly. For Africa, early commitment to
broadband and triple play is a way to cost effectively and quickly bring its people many of the
economic, educational, health and leisure benefits found in highly developed regions.
Desi Lopez Fafié is the Managing Director of African Operations for Oracle Corporation. He has held a variety of key positions at Oracle
before his appointment to his current position. For the past 19 years, he has been working in the IT industry, at MSA (later Dun & Bradstreet
Software) prior to joining Oracle. Desi Lopez Fafié, an auditor by profession, educated in Europe, has held several positions in
auditing firms and finance, including as Director of Finance at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Mr Fafié speaks six European
languages and one Asian language.
A young Rwandan student at the University of
the Witwatersrand in South Africa was relating
his experiences as a refugee from Rwanda
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
DRC, in 1994, fleeing the military forces
that were slaughtering Africans by their hundreds
of thousands. “I was 13 years old and
my most precious possession was a radio,” he
said. “Even when we were in the middle of
the Congolese jungle hundreds of kilometres
from any settlement, we could pick up reports
of troop activity on the radio, and that information
saved our lives.”
Like water, electricity and water-borne sewerage
systems, that radio was a lifesaver. Not
only was it a lifesaver, it was an inexpensive
lifesaver. The broadcast infrastructure introduced
to Africa during colonial times was
rapidly extended to cover the entire continent;
now, nearly all countries possess fairly good
medium and short-wave coverage.
Communications obviously also falls into the
category of essential infrastructure. Unlike
broadcasting, communications infrastructure
development lagged, and the costs of telecommunications
have remained high. Access, until
recently, was restricted due to cost
and availability.
Pervasive technologies built on common
standards tend to become more
affordable as they mature. The huge
demand for cellular telephony services,
Internet access and television
in Africa has highlighted the need to
extend these services beyond urban
areas and into the larger part of rural Africa,
and make them affordable for more people. A
lower-cost, pervasive telephone, Internet or
digital broadcast system would certainly contribute
towards accelerating socio-economic
development.
Government commitment
African countries have recognised that if they
lag in making broadband available, Africa will
once again fall behind in its development. It
is testimony to the recognition those governments
have given to the new trend in communications
that they began discussions with
each other and have been planning for broadband
for some years now. As recently as May
this year, the West African Telecommunications
Regulatorsʼ Assembly, WATRO, consisting
of the ECOWAS, Economic Community
of West African States, countries, agreed to
create a common regulatory environment for
the region that would foster more rapid and
cost-effective telecommunications infrastructure.
Just as importantly, WATRO agreed to
encourage the separation of policy-makers,
regulators and service providers to ensure that
competition and cost efficiency would drive
“I was 13 years old and my most precious possession
was a radio,” he said. “Even when we
were in the middle of the Congolese jungle
hundreds of kilometres from any settlement,
we could pick up reports of troop activity
on the radio, and that information saved our
lives.”
infrastructure into rural areas. According to
WATROʼs provisions, each nationʼs legal
framework should incorporate these regulations
by the end of 2007.
The New Partnership for Africaʼs Development,
NEPAD, ICT Infrastructure Programme
- again, an initiative driven through co-operation
among countries - has seen the birth of
a massive broadband ICT network initiative.
The NEPAD initiative consists of two projects
- the East African and South African Development
Community, SADC, countries, and the
West and North African countries - working
together, co-operating, to implement a network
that will span the entire continent.
What happens when you take three pervasive
technologies, and roll them into one Enter
triple play, a catchy title given to the delivery
of video, Internet and telephony across a standard
protocol and on a choice of devices, from
television to mobile phone to computer.
It seems like an uncomfortable relationship,
considering they tend to use different technologies
for delivery, different standards, and
deliver different products. Looking at the latest
triple play products that won
awards from the International
Engineering Consortium at the
Broadband World Forum Asia
2006, this relationship is not
(yet) a seamless one. The awardwinning
products were television-based,
but still needed a PC
and a telephone handset to get a
complete service. In addition, the
40 Issue 2006

Triple Play
products were clearly for entertainment - a
ʻnice to haveʼ rather than an essential tool.
What, therefore, is its relevance to Africa,
where fibre optic and even copper infrastructure
is restricted mainly to cities Without
even the basic infrastructure to support pervasive
Internet access, the idea of triple play on
broadband could really be regarded as a pipe
dream.
The infrastructure, however, is already beginning
to take shape before commercially viable
products have even come to market. Africa has
jumped in early. Once commercially viable triple-play
products come to market, there may
well be a full, Africa-wide broadband network
to deliver them.
Application
Even if the products were available and the
network in place, one could still question the
relevance of triple play. With the technology
available today you can create your own
mini-broadcast network over the Internet - one
that links your TV with those of your friends
- so you can all watch the same movie and
post comments to each other on-screen. Still,
apart from the novelty, this is not a compelling
value proposition. Personally, I would rather
have friends arrive at my house with a bag of
snacks and a couple of drinks so we could all
watch TV together and talk to each other in the
old-fashioned way.
The NEPAD E-Schools Demonstration Project
brought the real potential of triple play home
to me. The demonstration project called for a
group of companies to co-operate to provide
an e-learning programme to rural schools in
Africa. This learning programme delivers an
educational experience using computers, Internet
access, television, and on-line interaction
with other schools. In addition, a school
administration system gives teachers the ability
to manage the studentsʼ performance and
curriculum content.
“Africa is responding more
swiftly to broadband, implementing
it faster than it has
ever done with any technology
since colonial days when
a broadcast network was regarded
as essential to the wellbeing
of the African countries’
occupiers.”
Satellite-connected Internet, digital satellite
television, and a host of online content support
the programme. A consortium that counts
upon some of the biggest names in the ICT and
allied sectors leads the effort to implement a
demonstration e-learning project in seven African
countries. The consortium members are
Oracle, Cambridge-Hitachi, CompuTrainer,
DHL, Evalunet, Fujitsu Siemens Computers,
Intel, Learnthings, Markbook, Multichoice
Africa, Mecer, Sentech, SES Astra and Xerox.
Each of these companies contributes a critical
piece of the solution. Although the consortium
members provide the connectivity and equipment,
the schools, the local communities or
governments still have to create rooms and
libraries to accommodate the equipment. The
television might reside in the library, the server
computers should be located in a specially
fitted-out computer-room, and other computers
are located in the administrative offices -
there is a great deal of hardware, software and
connectivity that has to go into supporting the
project.
Triple-play products, potentially running off
a single console, would reduce the logistical
challenge of rolling out this type of infrastructure
to the whole of Africa. In addition, by
enhancing the interactivity still more, children
could watch a documentary on the Discovery
Channel, switch to the Internet to do some research,
and then chat to their cyber-friends in
the next country about what they are learning
- all through the television set. Triple play is a
powerful tool for development.
This type of innovation is disruptive; it challenges
the traditional educational methods and
processes - it changes the way children learn
and it changes the way teachers teach. Even
without triple play, we have already seen how
teachers in African countries, at schools which
implemented the NEPAD E-Schools Demonstration
Project, were changing their methods
to take full advantage of the new learning material
and access to information.
If one extends this experience into the commercial
market, the potential is enormous.
That potential, however, can only be reached
if a standard combining Internet, telephony
- both fixed line and wireless - and broadcast
services can be agreed upon to create a common
working interface that ensures the seamless
delivery of services. This highlights the
importance of African countries agreeing on a
common regulatory environment for communications.
Many major industry players have
committed to the J2EE open standard for the
development of a telecommunications service
delivery platform to support new services such
as voice over IP, mobile and real-time applications.
Companies can launch triple-play products
- with huge commercial potential - using
this service delivery platform.
Africa is responding more swiftly to broadband,
implementing it faster than it has ever
done with any technology since colonial days
when a broadcast network was regarded as essential
to the well-being of the African countriesʼ
occupiers. Given the success already
achieved through regional co-operation by
groups such as WATRO and NEPAD, I am optimistic
that broadband will penetrate Africa
faster than we expect. Better still, broadband
will bring with it market-relevant, triple-play
products and will allow countries to accelerate
essential services, development such as
education, healthcare and citizen services. Significantly,
triple play brings a completely new
way for people to do business and an important
new way to drive regional development.
Issue 2006 41

Data Security
Mobile data security
by Massimo Migliuolo, Vice President for the Global Mobile
Vertical at Cisco Systems
The rapid growth of broadband mobile data in Africa and the Middle East brings with it a
series of challenges, including the question of Internet Protocol security. Unresolved security
concerns could seriously hamper the widespread adoption of wireless data products and services.
Operators who are not prepared to address security issues will face severe competitive
pressures and, if the sector as a whole ignores the problem, government regulators are likely to
impose solutions that could be costly and difficult to implement.
Massimo Migliuolo is currently the Vice President for the Global Mobile Vertical at Cisco Systems. On August 1, 2006, he will take on a
new role as Cisco Systemsʼ Vice President of Service Providers in Emerging Markets. Previously, Massimo Migliuolo worked at Lucent
Technologies and at AT&T, where he was engaged in the development of their mobile market. Mr Migliuolo spent three years in the oil
industry, before joining the telecommunications industry.
Massimo Migliuolo graduated from the Bocconi University in Milan with a degree in Business Economics.
The revenue for delivering wireless data is
already exceeding most industry predictions
in the Middle East and Africa region, MEA,
which is growing faster than Western, Central
and Eastern Europe. Spending on wireless data
services in MEA is forecast to reach US$9 billion
in the next three years. The use of cellular
and wireless networks to deliver voice, video
and data content brings a new dimension to the
broadband market and represents an exciting
new source of revenue and margin for mobile
operators. It also, however, introduces them to
an unfamiliar world of business and technical
challenges, particularly in respect to Internet
protocol, IP security.
Our research indicates that in order to be successful
in this potentially lucrative market,
mobile operators must address the challenges
of security. If left unresolved, customersʼ security
concerns could become a serious obstacle
to the widespread adoption of wireless
data technology, products and services. If mobile
operators are perceived as not adequately
able to address the problems, other vendors
could enter the space, or government regulators
could impose solutions that are difficult
and costly to implement. By successfully
managing network security concerns, mobile
operators can expand their revenue opportunities
in two ways: first, by offering a new set of
basic services to an ever-wider customer base;
and second, by charging for select IP security
solutions as value-added services.
Consumer and enterprise security concerns
Consumer and enterprise customers share
several security concerns, including secure
mobile content and access control, but each
also faces independent challenges, such as the
assurance of business continuity and service
guarantees on the part of enterprise customers
(Table 1).
Spam: clogging inboxes
While spam is not strictly a security concern,
it is an unwanted and potentially expensive
nuisance. Spam can often bypass anti-spam
filters and appear in e-mail inboxes. The potential
to receive unwanted text messages on
Table 1: Consumer and Enterprise Security Concerns
mobile phones poses an even greater concern
as consumer and enterprise customers do not
want these messages clogging their inboxes
and diminishing their expensive mobile minutes.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission,
FCC voted in August 2004 to ban all
unauthorized text messages to mobile phones
and pagers unless the user has given prior permission.
A mobile data service will need to
block spam not just to meet regulatory requirements
but also, and perhaps more importantly,
to meet customer demand for a clean inbox.
Viruses: Infecting mobile devices
While common in the wired data world, LibertyCrack
2000, the first known virus for
mobile devices, appeared on Palm mobile de-
Concern Consumer Enterprise
Spam X X
Virus attacks X X
Unrestricted
access to inappropriate
or adult sites
Compliance with law
enforcement directives
Confidentiality X X
Business continuity and
X
service guarantees
X
X
X
X
42 Issue 2006

Asia’s
leading global
infrastructure event
9th Annual
Featuring
Fiona Beck
President and CEO
Southern Cross Cable
Network, Bermuda
World 2006
3 - 6 October 2006
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore
Owen Best
President, Asia Pacific
FLAG Telecom
Hong Kong
Gabriel Ruhan
Managing Director
Global Marine
Systems Limited
London
Bandwidth Busters
Craig Ginsberg
Chief Technology
Officer
ANYTIME Pte Ltd
Singapore
Paul Greenberg
Chief Operating Officer
Napster, Japan
Intelligent Infrastructure
It’s all about global connectivity!
• The world’s most established global infrastructure conference
• A conference that considers the impact of high bandwidth consumption
• High level and strategic; an event that provides insights on changing
business models of carriers and infrastructure owners
Exclusive Platinum Sponsor:
Silver Sponsors:
Alfred Tolle
Chief Executive Officer
Lycos Inc, USA
Bronze Sponsors:
Response form Fax back to (65) 6226 3264
I wish to sponsor and leverage on the extensive marketing campaign. Please contact me to discuss.
I wish to attend the conference. Please send me the programme when available.
Media partner:
Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Job Title : ________________________________________________________________________________________
Company: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Tel: ________________________ Fax: ________________________ Mobile phone: ____________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
www.terrapinn.com/2006/snw_sg
Organised by:

The place to do
business with the
mobile market in Asia
Sol Trujillo
CEO, Telstra
Sunil Mittal
CEO and Chairman, Bharti Televentures
Alexander Izosimov
CEO and General Director, Vimpel Communications
Dr Young-Chu Cho
President and CEO, KTF
Alejandro Zubilllaga
Executive Vice President Digital Strategy and Business Development, Warner Music Group
Naguib Sawiris
CEO and Chairman, Orascom
Dr Sachio Semmoto
Founder and CEO, eAccess & eMobile
Singapore
16-20 October
2006
Co-Located with the GSM Association Members’ Forum
To secure your opportunity to meet 4,000 decision makers,
Register Now at www.3gsmasia.com
Congress Partner:
Platinum Media Partners:
www.3gsmasia.com

Data Security
The next generation of viruses could
have the capability to record phone
calls, shut down phone service, and
even infect home office and
corporate LAN, local area
networks and WLAN, wireless
LAN networks.
vices, deleting all executables (Program files)
in 2004. The virus serves as a long-needed
wake-up call for mobile operators because
the risk of virus infection through cell phones
presents a significant threat to both consumer
and enterprise customers. The next
generation of viruses could have
the capability to record phone calls,
shut down phone services and even
infect home office and corporate local
area networks, LAN and wireless
local area networks, WLAN,
networks. Both virus and spam
protection services will become a
baseline requirement for a successful
mobile data service
Unrestricted access: Opening Pandoraʼs Box
Teens and children have embraced mobile
data applications, such as e-mail and Internet
access. Parents, however, will not pay for Internet
access services for their children unless
their concerns about access to adult content
websites are addressed. In the United Kingdom,
mobile operators have signed a voluntary
ʻcode of conductʼ to restrict proactively
the access of children and teens to inappropriate
content.
If mobile operators do not provide an easy way
to restrict access to adult sites, government
regulators could step in and impose their own
solutions, which could be technically difficult
and expensive to comply with. If operators are
proactive and work with government agencies
to help control access, they can potentially
gain governmental allies, invaluable PR, and
a perception of concern for families.
with government regulations concerning ʻlawful
interceptʼ. They must be able to respond to
subpoenas from law-enforcement authorities
to monitor the activities of certain users by examining
message streams in real time.
“Teens and children have embraced mobile
data applications, such as e-mail and Internet
access. Parents, however, will not pay for Internet
access services for their children unless
their concerns about access to adult content
Websites are addressed.”
For example, to avoid detection, criminals often
share e-mail ʻdrop boxesʼ, shared e-mail
accounts with a common password, and leave
draft messages for one another. The draft e-
mails are never sent, so they cannot be tracked.
With mobile phones, this strategy becomes
even more viable for criminals. In Europe,
End-users need the assurance of data
integrity even when using wireless
connection
where prepaid mobile access is more widespread,
users can purchase prepaid mobile
phone cards or chips and use them to access
the Internet. The purchase is a cash transaction,
so the temporary service use cannot be traced.
The mobile user can communicate unseen, and
then discard the device once the conversation
is completed. Law enforcement personnel will
want to know in real time what cell locations
those types of contacts are coming in from so
they can take appropriate action. Mobile operators
must learn to examine the bit stream in
real time and identify the URL that leads to the
drop box, find the cell site, and immediately
forward that information to the appropriate
authorities.
Confidentiality: Thwarting thieves
For enterprise customers, protecting the privacy
of their business communications is
paramount. Mobile operators not only provide
mobile-data transport to enterprise customers,
they must also provide appropriate encryption
and authentication safeguards, including
support for VPNs, virtual private networks.
Mobile operators who have a wide-ranging
customer base need a flexible approach to
security delivery. For some customers, lower-level
safeguards will satisfy their security
needs, but others will demand and
be willing to pay for higher, more
sophisticated levels of defence.
Business guarantees: Taking responsibility
In order for large enterprises to
consider outsourcing network security,
the services must be accompanied
by business guarantees. All
too often, operators focus on the technical
challenges posed by security and overlook the
business challenges faced by their customers.
The level of concern, which is directly related
to confidentiality, is in direct proportion to the
value of the information transmitted over the
wires. Financial institutions managing mergers
and acquisitions, and healthcare organizations
handling patient medical records, can be
held civilly and criminally liable for information
that is left unprotected over the wireless
infrastructure. Any findings of accidental or
deliberate negligence can result in civil or governmental
penalties and millions of dollars in
fines. These businesses and organizations will
expect their mobile service providers to share
in this responsibility. Mobile operators must
be prepared to accompany their service offers
with business guarantees, to prove that they
are responsible and that they recognize and
understand the severity of the security risks.
Law enforcement compliance: Playing the
informer
Mobile operators must also be able to comply
Checklist of capabilities
For mobile operators, a successful contentdelivery
strategy depends on the ability to
Issue 2006 45

Data Security
control what content is delivered to each
subscriber. Content-delivery constraints
arise from legal, cultural, corporate-policy
and social-responsibility perspectives. Mobile
operators must be able to address all of
these aspects, while also giving subscribers
some choice and control in the content they
access. The questions in this section are designed
to help mobile operators plan for the
service capabilities their customers will expect
from them.
For the consumer market
1. Do you have the ability to intervene in a
text-message stream and examine whether
it is spam or a legitimate e-mail Today,
spam and viruses are perceived as technical
problems. However, as mobile telecom
becomes ubiquitous, they will be viewed as
social problems, providing an opportunity
for legislators to establish controls that may
be difficult and expensive for you to implement;
and
2. As your subscribers browse the Internet,
do you have the ability to examine each
URL and take appropriate action Examples
might include blocking access to adult content
URLs for under-age subscribers, and
tracking and triggering law enforcement
alerts if a URL is associated with suspected
criminal activity.
For the enterprise market
1. What markets do you plan to target
What security requirements are dictated by
customer expectations, business practice or
regulation The answer to these questions
will determine the appropriate security services
you will need to deploy.
2. Do you have the appropriate business
guarantees to support your technical security
implementations Your guarantee to back
up your security assurances communicates
a great deal to your customers about your
level of investment in and commitment to
the services you offer.
Data security also
involves Data Storage
Security
Delivering content over the mobile infrastructure
offers exciting new sources of
revenue for mobile operators - and security
issues can be addressed successfully with
the proper planning and deployment. We
recommend that you consider the benefits
listed below as you calculate your cost-value
analysis.
Mobile data transport can be an attractive
service with a wide customer base. If
enterprise or consumer customers do not
believe the service is secure, however, they
will not use it.
Customers are willing to pay for valueadded
security capabilities. For example,
some ISPs offer parents the option of blocking
adult and other inappropriate URLs for
an additional monthly service fee.
Effective mobile-data security helps create
customer loyalty by sending the message
to consumers that you are an Internet
service provider that cares about protecting
their childrenʼs safety and well-being.
Building the perception of secure transport
around your mobile service adds value
to your brand.
“Any findings of accidental or deliberate negligence can result
in civil or governmental penalties and millions of dollars
in fines. These businesses and organizations will expect their
mobile service providers to share in this responsibility.”
Connect-World is
celebrating its 10th year
anniversary
Through the years, Connect-
World’s authors told of the rise
of mobile, of fibre, of wireless
and of broadband; they told of
the dot.com meltdown, of
digital inclusion and convergence,
of standards and breakthroughs,
the rise of IP and
the fall of switching and of the
regulatory turnaround.
In every issue of Connect-World
heads of state, ministers and
regulators, heads of
international institutions and
leaders of industry speak of
what the ICT revolution, as it
happens, means to the people
in their regions of the world.
Mobile security business benefits
Mounting a proactive response to solving
security threats keeps government regulators
from imposing their solutions on your
operations or, in extreme cases, from shutting
down your business because of criminal
activity associations.
www.connect-world.com
46 Issue 2006

Metropolitan Wireless Broadband
The promise of metropolitan wireless broadband
by Makoto Ikari, General Manager, Wireless Broadband Division, Corporate
Communication Systems Equipment Group, Kyocera Corporation
The Internet is more than technology; it is a social and economic revolution. Countries throughout
the world are developing high-priority programmes to provide all their citizens with highspeed
connectivity to the net. Initially, the emphasis was upon replacing narrowband connectivity
with broadband. Now, the emphasis is upon providing ubiquitous connectivity. The next
generation of broadband infrastructure will be largely wireless, to provide the benefits of connectivity
- person to person, person to machine, machine to machine - wherever and whenever
needed.
Mr Makoto Ikari is the General Manager of Kyocera Corporationʼs Corporate Communication Systems Equipment Group, Wireless Broadband
Division. Mr Ikariʼs entire career has been spent at Kyocera. He began in its General Affairs Department and has worked his way up
through a series of increasingly responsible positions. He has worked in the production engineering of electronic devices, as the Production
Manager of the Information Equipment Division, in the production of PHS - Personal Handyphone Systems, in quality assurance, and as
the leader of the PHS business unit. Most recently, he led the iBurst business of Kyoceraʼs Wireless Broadband Division.
Makoto Ikari earned his Masters Degree from Waseda University.
Use of the Internet is expanding rapidly in virtually
every part of society. This growth has
spurred great advances in the technology for
network infrastructures, and accelerated the
speeds of first - mile/last-mile access through
technologies including Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line, ADSL cable and fibre-tothe-home,
FTTH. Thanks to this progress, in
many parts of the world virtually everyone has
convenient access to a broadband network. We
are racing toward a future of ubiquitous connectivity,
where Internet access and information
will be readily available, like water and
electricity today.
The Figure 1 illustrates the concept of ʻu-
Japanʼ, introduced last year by the research
council of Japanʼs Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communications, MIC in its final report
called ʻUbiquitous Network Society.ʼ
Before the ʻu-Japanʼ concept was unveiled, the
Japanese government had promoted its ʻe-Japan
Strategyʼ since 2001. ʻe-Japanʼ was aimed
Figure 1: u-Japan
Universal
Communication of heart with heart
People friendly
* Simple and east to use for anybody regardless of
equipment and/or network
* ICT encourages elderly of disabled people to participate
in social activities
Heart-to-Heart Communications
* Communications generates a sense of community
beyond generation or area
Ubiquitous
Connect everybody and everything
* Realisation of connecting anytime, anywhere with anythin anybody
* ICT changes daily lives simple and easy
* Connect ‘objects to object’ and ‘people to objects’, not only ‘people to people’
Communications becomes crucial at every aspect of life
User oriented
With users’ point of view
Users’ point of view
* Realise a society which considers users’ convinience first
* Develop technology and service to satisfy the market needs
A user is a supplier
* All Japanese can be “Prosumer” with power of
the network
at making Japan one of the most advanced IT
nations in the world by the year 2005. The
strategy focused on upgrading fixed telecommunications
infrastructure, specifically replacing
narrowband with broadband. As a result,
Japan had great success in growing its base of
fixed broadband users, making it one of the
worldʼs true ʻbroadband nations.ʼ
In 2005, Japanʼs MIC decided that the e-Japan
strategy, while extremely successful, was not
ambitious enough. The decision was made to
replace ʻe-Japanʼ with the ʻu-Japanʼ strategy
we see implemented today. The ʻuʼ in ʻu-Japanʼ
stands for a number of things - including
ubiquitous, universal, user-oriented and unique
- but the emphasis falls heavily on ubiquity.
Unique
Raise the vitality of individuals
Enhance the individual potential
* Realise a society where people are well encouraged
to challenge
Stimulate the society
* Create new social systems, businesses and
services
* Promote local originality and
creativity
The ʻu-Japan policyʼ has accelerated the countryʼs
advance relative to the former ʻe-Japan
strategyʼ. The ultimate goal is to usher Japan
into an age of practical, ubiquitous networks
offering connections anytime, anywhere, with
anybody and anything. The Japanese government
is now taking the promotion of infrastructure
for quality broadband services very
seriously.
To understand this strategy, it is important to
have a true understanding of the meaning behind
ʻubiquitous societyʼ. Figure 2 illustrates
the concept, showing how new value is created
through convenient communication, enjoyable
content and enhanced public safety. To achieve
this, the network must enable connections anytime,
anywhere, with anybody and anything.
Until recently, telecommunication technology
was regarded entirely as a means of connecting
human beings. It mainly connected people
to other people. Looking ahead, however, we
can expect to continue the expansion begun in
the late 20th century, when telecommunications
also began connecting people to objects
and even objects to objects.
More than just modems and networks connecting
computers and machines, the applications
for ʻconnecting objectsʼ are virtually limitless.
For example, imagine a car driven in heavy
rain. A pedestrian is crossing the street ahead,
obscured by the blinding downpour. Wireless
communication equipment installed in the
car automatically recognizes signals from the
pedestrianʼs cell phone and alerts the driver,
or perhaps even stops the car automatically.
The same technology may assist drivers with
speed control, keeping safe distances between
cars or even collecting precise and real-time
Source: MIC Final Report by Research Council for Realisation of Ubiquitous Network Society
Issue 2006 47

Metropolitan Wireless Broadband
Figure 2
Figure 3
weather information from other cars turning
on their windshield wiper systems. Objects
transmit and receive waves and frequencies to
function - almost like living creatures. Once
the providence of science fiction movies, such
applications are fiction no more.
The realization of such a world, however, begins
by establishing the infrastructure. In particular,
a truly wireless environment is crucial
to ʻliberatingʼ people from the constraints of
time and place. As indicated in Figure 3, there
is a rising demand from subscribers for rich
content, making broadband infrastructure indispensable.
Although broadband requires
more bandwidth, spectrum - the key resource
- is limited and being shared by an ever-increasing
number of users. Richer content and
increased network traffic are at odds with the
fixed amount of spectrum available. The only
solution for making the best use of this limited
resource is enhancing the efficiency with
which we use it. With this as our context, it is
not surprising that so many people are paying
a great deal of attention to wireless broadband
technology.
“Although broadband requires
more bandwidth, spectrum
- the key resource - is limited
and being shared by an everincreasing
number of users.
Richer content and increased
network traffic are at odds with
the fixed amount of spectrum
available”
Figure 4 explains the systems for wireless
broadband. There are three main systems for
wireless broadband: Personal Area Network,
PAN, and Local Area Network, LAN, for narrowly
defined areas, and WAN, Wide Area
Network for wider areas. Current ʻ3Gʼ technology
is categorized as WAN. The 802.11a/b/g
standard for wireless LAN products is already
in service and is growing quickly in popularity
with PC users. Beyond that, 802.11n is progressing
toward standardization. Originally,
wireless LAN was used mainly for small, private
spaces such as homes and offices. Today,
wireless LANs are widely used for public ʻhotspotʼ
applications and reach a broader market.
Notice (Figure 4) the layer between LAN and
WAN, which we are calling Metropolitan
Area Network, MAN. The concept of ʻwireless
broadbandʼ, as described in Figure 4, is
originally a fusion of WAN - the mobile phone
infrastructure, and LAN - the wireless infrastructure
mainly developed for PCs. MAN is
the result of an intermingling of these layers.
In other words, MAN technology was born as
a child of two different paradigms - one with
broadband high-speed data transmission and
the other with true cellular mobility. The initial
purpose of MAN technology was to transmit
data. By adding VoIP, Voice over Internet
Protocol technology to this system, however,
it began being used for telephony (connecting
humans) as well. That is why MAN technology
is quickly gaining momentum as a leading
candidate for the ubiquitous network system.
Last year, Japanʼs MIC organized ʻThe Study
Group for Wireless Broadband Promotionʼ.
They indicated great interest in this sort of
wireless broadband infrastructure.
At present, there are two leading MAN technology
candidates. One is ʻMobile WiMaxʼ,
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave
Access, also known as IEEE802.16e. The
other is Mobile Broadband Wireless Access,
MBWA, or IEEE802.20. Both Mobile WiMax
and MBWA feature levels of mobility and data
speeds that will surely meet the marketʼs demands.
For example, MBWA can efficiently
support high network accessibility and contribute
to the realization of a ubiquitous environment.
Due to its highly efficient use of
spectrum, MBWA enables highly functional,
large-scale commercial networks. For example,
as little as 5 MHz of bandwidth can create
a commercial network with very respectable
downlink throughput to users of approximately
1 Mbps.
Looking at the communications industry in
Africa, the rate of growth in the installed fixed
telephone base is frankly low, while growth in
mobile phone usage is obviously rapid. National
governments recognize that developing
their telecommunications infrastructure is an
urgent task, yet the development of the fixed
telecommunications infrastructure in the region
has been very slow because of reliability
48 Issue 2006

3rd Annual
Fixed-Mobile
Convergence Forum
Accelerating the profitable convergence of fixed and mobile services,
devices and networks
Leading speakers include
Rodrigo Donazzolo, Programme Director, Fixed-
Mobile Convergence Alliance
Volker Binder, SVP, Product Marketing, Services &
Mobile Internet, T-Online
Arthur Feather, Mobile Architecture & Standards,
Global, Cisco Systems
Guillaume Lacroix, Director, Innovation, Neuf Cegetel
Lamia Delenda, Deputy Director, Group Spectrum
Office, France Telecom
Giovanni Canepa, Business Development Director,
Wind
Kerry Ritz, MD, Vonage UK
Mattias Hansson, Founder & CEO, OptiCall AB
Anders Halldin, CEO, Woize
Matthias Peter, COO, Hello AS
Miloš Mastník, Product Management and Strategy
Director, GTS Novera
James Tagg, CEO, Software Cellular Network Ltd
Florian Pollack, Head of Strategy and
Communication, ONE GmbH
Chandra Tekwani. V.P., Mobile and IMS/FMC, Juniper
Networks
Erik Larsson, VP Marketing, Netcentrex Converged IP
Communications, Comverse
Per Kristiansson. Director Marketing & Strategy,
Worldwide Services EMEA, Lucent
Jacques Rames, Seamless Mobility Business
Development Director, Motorola Networks
Håkan Persson, Project Director, Spring International,
Spring Mobil
Magnus Kelly, Managing Director, MCom
Lesley Hansen, Group Marketing Director, Teleware
Michelangelo Barbera, Executive Partner-
Communications, Broadband Lead, Europe and Latin
America, Accenture
Tomi T. Ahonen, 3G Author, Strategy Consultant &
Motivational Speaker
Dean Bubley, Founder,
Disruptive Analysis
Michele Mackenzie, Head of Consumer Practice,
Ovum
Dr Lindsay Frost, Wi-Fi/Cellular Convergence
Marketing Task Group,
Wi-Fi Alliance
Pat McCarthy, Leader, FMC/Triple-Play Initiative,
Global Billing Association
Ross Brennan, CEO, Cicero Networks
Join leading innovators, thought leaders and decision makers for two days of
insightful presentations and robust, lively discussions around profitable routes to
the rollout of converged services. Building on the great success of the two previous
events in this series – as well as two further Americas-specific gatherings on the
same theme – this year’s FMC Forum is designed to meet the needs of all kinds of
communications service providers evaluating convergence business models and
seeking positively to inform their partnership and technology choices.
Networking
Discussions
Solutions
14 – 15 September 2006, Paris, France
Assess business cases for the development of fixed-mobile converged
services and enabling technologies
Contextualise your convergence strategy via discussions with the key firstto-market
evangelists across network operators and technology vendors
Anticipate the technical and regulatory challenges and plan to resolve them
Make the case for your vision of converged services via a uniquely
interactive event format
Gain competitive advantage by making contact with key prospective
partners
OSNEY MEDIA – THE ORIGINAL ROUNDTABLE FORMAT
UNBEATABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Seated on roundtables you will be allocated time during the event to join
in discussions with your peers. Using inspiration from the presentations and
panels you have heard, you will share knowledge and develop relationships
throughout the event. Pre-selected table facilitators will lead your
discussions and ensure that your time is well-spent and relevant to your
own challenges.
www.fixed-mobile-convergence.com
Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsor
Official
Associations
Media Partners
For more information:
BOOKING REF: 865ConnW
ONLINE www.fixed-mobile-convergence.com TEL +44 (0) 20 7880 0000
EMAIL paul_osmond@osneymedia.co.uk

Asia's premier
digital entertainment
conference
Early bird savings!
Register before
31 July 2006 and enjoy
a 10% discount
W O R L D 2 0 0 6
19 – 21 September 2006 • Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong
Featuring
Hou Ziqiang
Chief Technology Advisor
China Netcom, China
NiQ Lai
Chief Financial Officer
City Telecom (Hk) Ltd
Hong Kong Broadband Network
Ltd, Hong Kong
Jeremy Pink
President and Managing Director
CNBC Asia, Singapore
Thomas V. Ryan
Senior Vice President of Digital &
Mobile Strategy and Development
EMI Music, USA
Ron Wheeler
Senior Vice President Content
Protection
Fox Entertainment Group, USA
Ian Chapman-Banks
Vice President,
Motorola Asia Pacific
Motorola, Inc., Singapore
Leveraging the digital economy
Delivering Fun
• Monetising digital entertainment by bringing content to consumers
using new technologies and new distribution capabilities
• Generating revenue from the distribution and delivery of entertainment
content to a growing list of devices, and to an increasingly fickle
audience
• Defining the market for global digital content & distribution including:
IPTV, DTH, DVR, Mobile, Internet TV, Wireless Broadband covering
Digital Rights Management and payment models
Response form Fax back to (65) 6226 3264
I wish to sponsor and leverage on the extensive marketing campaign. Please contact me to discuss.
I wish to attend the conference. Please send me the programme when available.
Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Job Title : ________________________________________________________________________________________
Company: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Tel: ________________________ Fax: ________________________ Mobile phone: ____________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Media partner:
Organised by:
www.terrapinn.com/2006/dew_hk

Metropolitan Wireless Broadband
problems and high costs. For African nations,
it is far cheaper and faster to build infrastructure
for satellite and mobile communications.
Figure 3
The mobile market in African countries is
growing impressively from a global perspective.
In 2005, the growth rate nearly doubled
compared to the previous year. Studies show
that 14 countries have achieved triple-digit annual
average growth over the past five years.
The Internet is also growing rapidly in Africa.
We heard that many nations have national
policies for the development of broadband
networks. Nevertheless, the quality of fixed
telephone lines remains a bottleneck, and the
overall Internet penetration is still low. Given
the current status of African voice communications,
there are strong motives to migrate
quickly to wireless networks. The introduction
of wireless broadband technologies can hold
the key to quick, low-cost network growth.
The privatization of the state-controlled, monopolistic,
fixed and mobile communications
businesses has been advancing under government
guidance in some areas of the Middle
East and North Africa. Most observers expect
this will facilitate the introduction of advanced
communications technologies and new communications
services. The widespread deployment
of wireless broadband technologies will
encourage the accelerated development of the
Middle East and Africa region.
The ubiquitous society
As wireless telecommunication technologies
and equipment have evolved, cell phone sales
have skyrocketed to more than 650 million per
year. Much of society is communicating without
regard for time and place. As the technologies
have grown and multiplied, each has been
examined to find its ideal fit to myriad new
applications.
Today, nowhere is that evolution more prominent
than in broadband, and changes abound.
The fusion of mobile telephony and broadcasting
systems is bringing new value to users.
Wireless broadband technology will play an
important role there and expand the possibilities
of communications. Broadcasting has truly
gone mobile. Rich content no longer relies
upon television or radio as the only mediums;
todayʼs cell phones, PDAs and computers are
providing new broadcast platforms, bringing
high-quality content anywhere the user may
be. For example, ʻ1 segment broadcastingʼ,
in which television programmes are digitized
and played on mobile phones, is about to start
service in Japan. Beyond just entertainment,
however, ʻOne Segʼ or 1 segment broadcasting
may also prove useful for applications such as
a disaster warning system. Understandably, expectations
for the technology/service are high.
“For African nations, it is far cheaper and faster to build infrastructure
for satellite and mobile communications. The
mobile market in African countries is growing impressively
from a global perspective. In 2005, the growth rate nearly
doubled compared to the previous year.”
Such advances are creating a healthy symbiosis
within the telecommunications industry.
Advances in hardware drive necessary progress
in software and enable new horizons in
rich content. As the content and software improve,
there is great demand on the hardware
and infrastructure providers to keep up. In the
end everyone wins, especially the end-user.
As a society, we are not ʻwiredʼ anymore, we
are wireless. Wireless broadband will change
our lives and society dramatically. Today we
enjoy only a small taste of ubiquitous connectivity.
People want e-mail, phone calls, TV
programmes and Web browsing - yet they are
we forced to change equipment or devices to
enjoy each of these services. One day soon,
however, a single device will handle all these
services and more!
Today, music, movies - and just about every
other form of content - are being digitized
and primed for delivery through a single,
ubiquitous network. It is simply a question
of demand and time before we have it. This
industryʼs mission is to contribute to humankind
and society by utilizing its technology to
develop systems and devices suitable for the
ubiquitous network age.
As a society, we are not ʻwiredʼ anymore,
we are wireless. Wireless broadband will
change our lives and society dramatically.
Issue 2006 51

Digital TV
Broadband and digital TV - new
cultural dimensions
by Neil Gaydon, CEO & Mike Tometzki, New Business
Development Manager, Pace Micro Technology
In Africa and the Middle East, locally generated content distributed via broadband can play
a vital role reflecting local culture, interests and needs. The growth of broadband networks,
progress in compression technology and speed, and the use of cost effective IP-enabled devices
will significantly accelerate growth and commercial opportunities. In addition to content and
technology, challenges such as digital rights management, quality of service, regulatory questions
and local loop unbundling to encourage local competition, must still be resolved.
Neil Gaydon is the Chief Executive Officer of Pace Micro Technology. Prior to this appointment, he served on the companyʼs board as Executive
Director and as Sales & Marketing Director responsible for corporate strategy, global sales, marketing, technology and product
management. Mr Gaydon has also served as the President of Pace Americas, as Regional Director EMEA, as Head of Product Marketing
and, originally, as Head of Worldwide New Business Development. As the Environmental Management System representative on Paceʼs
board, Mr Gaydon ensures that environmental concerns are addressed at the companyʼs highest level. Previously, before joining Pace,
Neil Gaydon worked for ten years as a senior executive in the hi-fi industry.
Mike Tometzki is Pace Micro Technologyʼs New Business Development Manager and part of the Pace European team. Mike has over 17
yearsʼ experience within high technology sectors and, before joining Paceʼs European team, Mike was the Companyʼs Head of Product
Management. Prior to this, Mikeʼs other roles at Pace have included Satellite Divisional Product Manager, Engineering Team leader
and Senior Hardware Engineer.
Before joining Pace, Mike held a variety of research and development roles in industries, from defence to semiconductors and aeronautical.
His roles have included senior research engineering and project leads at GEC Research, Engineering Research Centre, Whetstone,
UK, where he joined as sponsored student/graduate.
The launch in December last year of the first
HDTV station in the region at the Middle East
Broadcasting Show, MEBSHOW in Beirut,
was a landmark in the history, and a demonstration
of the rapid growth of digital technology
in Africa and the Middle East. It demonstrated
a commitment to the new and exciting
developments digital television can offer, and
once again reinforced the prevailing view that
successful economic growth is reflected in the
scale of activity of high-tech consumer products.
This trend provides a unique opportunity for
broadband to enrich the customer user experience
by complementing traditional broadcasting
fare with the sort of content available
for narrowcasting. This will ultimately mean
the generation of a greater amount of content
that will reflect local interests and meet local
needs. Once these two factors are combined,
it will undoubtedly result in a tremendous
growth of culturally rich material.
To state that digital television is strong in Africa
and the Middle East is an understatement.
There are now around 200 free-to-air satellite
channels and 100 pay TV channels - via
Showtime, ART and Orbit - in the Middle East
alone, and 45 new satellite television channels
on Nilesat and Arabsat. Al Jazeera has announced
that it will be broadcasting in HDTV
and ART offered coverage of the FIFA World
Cup in high definition. Current figures show
that there are over one million pay television
subscribers in the Middle East.
While, in comparison, the number of broadband
subscribers in Africa and the Middle East
is still comparatively small (Algeria, Egypt,
Morocco, South Africa, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
being the leaders), the number of operators
- and the subscription base - is set to rise exponentially
over the next five years, bringing
with it an unprecedented commercial revolution.
Broadband will, therefore, move from
being a luxury to a necessity for both businesses
and individuals. This presents a tremendous
opportunity for the region to leapfrog existing
technologies, use more cost effective IP-enabled
devices, and provide significant global
commercial opportunities through widespread
and extensive communication.
With such a fast pace, it would be easy for
broadcasters simply to provide a service of
imported entertainment shows. However, the
challenge for both broadcasters and the fledgling
IPTV providers must be to develop programmes
that reflect the cultural richness of
the area. Some operators have already begun
this process. Fawasel TV, based in Dubai Internet
City and launched in April of this year,
reflects the commitment to culturally orientated
content. They have announced that 4000
hours of documentary content will be on offer
and much more will be created locally. There
is no doubt that to enrich the consumer experience
all operators throughout Africa and the
Middle East will, essentially, follow this pattern.
The need for cultural contribution in the digital
television sector is considerable. Over the
next five years, the so-called quad play of
voice, data, video and mobile will become a
reality and the major telcos and ISPs will be
conveniently placed to take advantage of its
growth. By providing locally originated content,
the fundamental need to provide real
viewing choice will have to be met; the wide
52 Issue 2006

The decision makers’ forum
for the ICT driven development
Executive Office: Global House 12 Albert Road London E16 2DW United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 20 7540 0876 Fax: +44 20 7474 0090 email: info@connect-world.com

Keynote speakers include:
Simon Guild
Chief Executive
MTV Networks Europe,
United Kingdom
Linda Vermaas
Chief Executive Officer
M-Mobile, South Africa
24 – 27 October 2006
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
Hamza Farooqui
Managing Director
Worldspace,
South Africa
Gail Curtis
Chief Executive Officer
Saatchi & Saatchi,
South Africa
Adapt
Plus:
Frans Lindeque
Acting Chief Operating
Officer
Sentech, South Africa
Mvuso Mbebe
Head – Content
Enterprises
SABC, South Africa
British Sky Broadcasting
Warner Music Gallo Africa
Telkom … and many others
2 SEPARATELY BOOKABLE
MASTERCLASSES
Pre-conference:
• Exploiting the Wireless
Broadband Opportunity
24 October 2006
Presented by Sadiq Malik,
BCT Global
Post-conference:
• Mobile Entertainment / Mobile
Television /
Digital Entertainment
27 October 2006
Presented by Tess Sulaman,
Cellsmart Technologies
Preparing Africa’s media, broadcasting and
mobile sectors for the digital explosion
• Maximise advertising revenues by taking advantage of the latest digital,
mobile, broadcasting and interactive developments
• Create the ultimate customer experience with compelling content and acquire
the practical know-how to implement it
• Profit from exciting opportunities in mobile applications, especially mobile TV
• Gain insight into innovative strategies that are narrowing the digital divide on
the continent
• Understand the impact of digital-terrestrial TV and the need for transformation
under pressure
• Discover how the digital era is affecting radio, print media and film
Official publication
Organised by
REPLY FORM FAX BACK +27 (0)11 463 6903
YES! I am interested in the Africa Media & Broadcasting Congress 2006
I would like to attend the conference – please send me more information
I would like to know more about promoting my company at this event – please contact me
Mr / Mrs / Miss First name:
Job title:
Surname:
Company:
Register early as these
masterclasses will fill up fast!
Tel:
Mobile:
Fax:
Email:
www.terrapinn.com/2006/mediaza
Terrapinn0927

Digital TV
“There will be a paradigm
shift in broadband over the
next five years. Operators, instead
of using dumb terminals
for data only as an extension
of the network, will migrate
to products that extend their
service delivery capabilities
to video, voice and possibly
mobile.”
variety of new facilities technology can offer
will make this much easier to achieve.
To fully exploit the potential for broadband,
companies are currently working hard to
overcome a number of obstacles. The key
one will be the physical constraints of building
networks that are capable of delivering the
speed and bandwidth to meet future requirements.
The progress in compression technology
(MPEG-4) and speeds (ADSL2+) makes
it much easier today to start from scratch with
the most advanced, leading-edge technology.
Economics dictate that broadband penetration
has to reach critical mass to be viable. It will
take time. One can expect it to take at least
five years to achieve this. For video, the target
market will be customers, particularly those
in multi-dweller units, who cannot get digital
television by satellite or cable, but will be able
to get IPTV. This alone presents a huge opportunity.
As the number of households that own
a computer increases, there is a proportionate
increase in the opportunity to target these
households as a market for a bundled package
consisting of television, data and the Internet.
There will still be a great deal of work to do
to ensure a smooth launch for the full range of
services, including video delivery. The issue of
rights ownership has to be amicably negotiated
between the owners of the broadband service
and the content owners. Digital rights management
is naturally of concern - content owners
still do not trust that IP-based broadcast solutions,
content programming and digital rights
management can match existing offerings and
systems. Quality of service, QoS, is also extremely
important. The regulation of the new
technologies is still unclear; there are many
questions, such as, “Should the new services
be regulated as data or cable”. Local loop
unbundling, to encourage local competition, is
also a challenge that will require considerable
effort to overcome. There is also limited confidence
that todayʼs billing mechanisms can
match the ambitions of the operators.
There is no doubt that these obstacles within
the region will be overcome over the next five
years and, as they do, the scale and scope of
broadband subscriptions will rise exponentially.
As this happens, the sophistication of
high-end products will become increasingly
important. There will be a paradigm shift in
broadband over the next five years. Operators,
instead of using dumb terminals for data only
as an extension of the network, will migrate to
products that extend their service delivery capabilities
to video, voice and possibly mobile.
Therefore, a family of products from basic settop
boxes to personal video recorders, PVRs
and home servers, with increasing functionality
to meet consumer demand for features and
benefits, is essential. With these services on
offer, operators will be in a position to engage
in generating local content, and strive to differentiate
their offerings from the competition
by providing specific, special, rich content to
reflect the background of its consumers. In
such circumstances, the local culture can be
the only winner as ʻa la carteʼ programming
- narrowcasting in its purest sense - meets the
needs of the individual in his or her country.
In addition, there will be the need for the
seamless introduction of IP connected devices,
by means of which content enters and
leaves the home over many devices, and from
many sources. These devices will of course
take many forms, such as games, audio devices,
portable media devices and the like.
Significantly, by 2010 it is estimated that of
the 352 million connected IP-enabled home
devices sold in that year, 45 million will be
cell phones, reinforcing the wisdom of operators
going down a quad play route.
Increasingly simplified connectivity will aid
the successful rollout of broadband services.
At the moment, wireless networks are sufficient
for voice and data around the home, but
a great deal of research and development is
devoted to determining how to network video
around the home. On the table today are five
real options: via existing coaxial cable; wireless/WiFi
- still in the early stages for video
and currently lacking robustness - Ethernet;
Ethernet-over-Powerline; and over-the-telephone
wiring. As the networked home becomes
more prevalent over the next five years,
technological advances will, without doubt,
drive the demand for utilising broadband to an
ever greater extent.
One final issue, worthy of further development
and of monumental importance to the
broadband industry, is the potential effect of
disruptive business models for triple-play delivery.
Companies such as Google, Yahoo, Bit
Torrent, Vonage, Skype and Akimbo each offer
an alternative to traditional IPTV offerings.
If these companies achieve the level of success
in video that they have elsewhere on the Internet,
they are potentially capable of distorting
the market considerably.
Therefore, the suppliers of the right products
for broadband operators will be operators
that have comprehensive credentials. A huge
wealth of experience with in-house development
of leading-edge technologies - DVB,
MPEG-4, HDTV, etc - is fundamental. In addition,
vendors must understand partnership
integration throughout the digital delivery
chain. Furthermore, a pre-requisite for helping
broadband operators achieve their goals will be
suppliers who not only understand the need for
pure IPTV boxes, but also for ʻhybridʼ home
devices offering cable, satellite or digital terrestrial
television, DTT. Significantly, there
will also be a need to understand and nurture a
partnership with the customer, not only for the
short term but over many years.
In short, the opportunity for the region to drive
broadband has never been brighter than it will
be over the next five years. Ultimately, however,
the operatorsʼ success will depend on the
extent to which they can create content which
celebrates and reflects their surroundings,
rather than merely transmit generic programming
available everywhere else. This new period
is going to be exciting, with technology
and content teaming together to give a unique,
unprecedented user experience in the Africa
and Middle East region.
Issue 2006 55

Education
Education and universal broadband access
by Dr Mounir Hamdi, Director, Computer Engineering Programme,
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Broadband is revolutionising education and training. Using wireless broadband, students in
the remotest regions of the world can access classes given by the worldʼs leading professors.
Both students and teachers can easily access an enormous variety of material from libraries,
museums and databases throughout the world. Ten years ago, not even the worldʼs greatest
scholars had such rich resources at their command. For businesses, broadband brings specific,
on-the-job training programmes. Broadband also facilitates collaboration between educational
institutions, students and researchers.
Dr Mounir Hamdi is the Director of the Computer Engineering Programme and a full professor of computer science at the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology. He is also the Director of the Master of Science in Information Technology programme, and Director
of the High-Speed Networking Research Lab at the university. Previously, he held visiting professor positions at Stanford University,
USA, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland, and served as a teaching/research fellow at the Department
of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. Dr Hamdi has frequently consulted for companies in the USA, Europe and Asia. Dr
Hamdi has been on the Editorial Board of IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Communication Magazine, Computer Networks,
Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, and Parallel Computing and has been on the programme committees of more than 100
international conferences and workshops. He was a guest editor of IEEE Communications Magazine, guest editor-in-chief of two special
issues of the IEEE Journal and a guest editor of Optical Networks Magazine. Mounir Hamdi has also earned numerous industry and
university awards. Mounir Hamdi earned a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering-Computer Engineering minor (with distinction) from the
University of Louisiana and his MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Broadband is among the most significant technologies
in the communications industry today.
The proliferation of broadband access brings
with it a dramatic shift in the way people live
and work. Broadband makes streaming media,
virtual reality and other bandwidth intensive
technologies possible. The use of broadband
lets both students and teachers tap into a
wealth of in-depth information and facilitates
collaborative efforts between institutions. In
Africa and the Middle East, broadband can
deliver educational programmes on par with
the best in the world. As a result, governments
and organizations are funding broadband connections
to many schools to provide “exciting
and effective ways of improving the quality of
education”.
Broadband benefits
Included among the many benefits of broadband
access are:
A richer learning experience - Broadband
access exposes students to a wide range of exciting
and innovative, but previously inaccessible,
educational resources that complement
their current activities and motivates them to
learn more. In addition, given the quick access
and retrieval of rich media, it encourages students
to use the Internet for research and other
learning activities.
Preparing lessons is a big part of a teacherʼs
job. Broadband gives them convenient access
to such high-quality resources as videos, animations,
and graphics to prepare their lessons.
Teachers can also post studentsʼ assignments,
information and results online for easy access.
A huge amount of material is available to
teachers on the Internet, but searching for it
can be time consuming. Broadbandʼs speed
helps teachers find suitable lesson material
much more quickly.
Easier remote collaboration - Broadband
facilitates and enhances inter-institutional collaboration,
allowing schools to share scarce
teaching resources using high-speed interactive
video-conferencing. This is especially important
in the developing countries of Africa
and the Middle East, where the appropriate
human resources are often scarce. Alternatively,
broadband facilitates communication
and cooperation by linking diverse institutions
together to work on innovative joint projects.
Certain innovative projects use broadband
to facilitate the often difficult interaction between
students from hostile countries and help
cushion some of the consequences of historical
problems. Children in remote areas of Africa
may only mix with other schoolchildren
once or twice a year. They have little contact
with other children their own age but, with
broadband, they can collaborate with classmates
from other schools on group projects
using email or even video-conferencing.
Novel teaching methods - Broadband access
can make innovative e-learning opportunities
a reality and on a wider scale. Broadband
makes it possible to have conversational
language lessons with native speakers in other
countries. The Internet has a wealth of additional
material to stimulate and challenge the
“Certain innovative projects
use broadband to facilitate
the often difficult interaction
between students from hostile
countries and help cushion
some of the consequences
of historical problems.”
brighter students in a class or to support and
nurture those with learning difficulties. The Internet
also gives school students access to experts
- often not locally available - in advanced
subjects such as mathematics, physics or computer
technology. Using broadband and digital
technology, a university can collaborate with
another by combining resources and teaching
staff to offer shared degrees. On a wider scale,
it can also facilitate international collaboration
with organizations and institutions outside the
education sector. Still, e-learning and computer
based learning should not totally replace
56 Issue 2006

Education
Education and universal broadband access
by Dr Mounir Hamdi, Director, Computer Engineering Programme,
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Broadband is revolutionising education and training. Using wireless broadband, students in
the remotest regions of the world can access classes given by the worldʼs leading professors.
Both students and teachers can easily access an enormous variety of material from libraries,
museums and databases throughout the world. Ten years ago, not even the worldʼs greatest
scholars had such rich resources at their command. For businesses, broadband brings specific,
on-the-job training programmes. Broadband also facilitates collaboration between educational
institutions, students and researchers.
Dr Mounir Hamdi is the Director of the Computer Engineering Programme and a full professor of computer science at the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology. He is also the Director of the Master of Science in Information Technology programme, and Director
of the High-Speed Networking Research Lab at the university. Previously, he held visiting professor positions at Stanford University,
USA, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland, and served as a teaching/research fellow at the Department
of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. Dr Hamdi has frequently consulted for companies in the USA, Europe and Asia. Dr
Hamdi has been on the Editorial Board of IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Communication Magazine, Computer Networks,
Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, and Parallel Computing and has been on the programme committees of more than 100
international conferences and workshops. He was a guest editor of IEEE Communications Magazine, guest editor-in-chief of two special
issues of the IEEE Journal and a guest editor of Optical Networks Magazine. Mounir Hamdi has also earned numerous industry and
university awards. Mounir Hamdi earned a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering-Computer Engineering minor (with distinction) from the
University of Louisiana and his MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Broadband is among the most significant technologies
in the communications industry today.
The proliferation of broadband access brings
with it a dramatic shift in the way people live
and work. Broadband makes streaming media,
virtual reality and other bandwidth intensive
technologies possible. The use of broadband
lets both students and teachers tap into a
wealth of in-depth information and facilitates
collaborative efforts between institutions. In
Africa and the Middle East, broadband can
deliver educational programmes on par with
the best in the world. As a result, governments
and organizations are funding broadband connections
to many schools to provide “exciting
and effective ways of improving the quality of
education”.
Broadband benefits
Included among the many benefits of broadband
access are:
A richer learning experience - Broadband
access exposes students to a wide range of exciting
and innovative, but previously inaccessible,
educational resources that complement
their current activities and motivates them to
learn more. In addition, given the quick access
and retrieval of rich media, it encourages students
to use the Internet for research and other
learning activities.
Preparing lessons is a big part of a teacherʼs
job. Broadband gives them convenient access
to such high-quality resources as videos, animations,
and graphics to prepare their lessons.
Teachers can also post studentsʼ assignments,
information and results online for easy access.
A huge amount of material is available to
teachers on the Internet, but searching for it
can be time consuming. Broadbandʼs speed
helps teachers find suitable lesson material
much more quickly.
Easier remote collaboration - Broadband
facilitates and enhances inter-institutional collaboration,
allowing schools to share scarce
teaching resources using high-speed interactive
video-conferencing. This is especially important
in the developing countries of Africa
and the Middle East, where the appropriate
human resources are often scarce. Alternatively,
broadband facilitates communication
and cooperation by linking diverse institutions
together to work on innovative joint projects.
Certain innovative projects use broadband
to facilitate the often difficult interaction between
students from hostile countries and help
cushion some of the consequences of historical
problems. Children in remote areas of Africa
may only mix with other schoolchildren
once or twice a year. They have little contact
with other children their own age but, with
broadband, they can collaborate with classmates
from other schools on group projects
using email or even video-conferencing.
Novel teaching methods - Broadband access
can make innovative e-learning opportunities
a reality and on a wider scale. Broadband
makes it possible to have conversational
language lessons with native speakers in other
countries. The Internet has a wealth of additional
material to stimulate and challenge the
“Certain innovative projects
use broadband to facilitate
the often difficult interaction
between students from hostile
countries and help cushion
some of the consequences
of historical problems.”
brighter students in a class or to support and
nurture those with learning difficulties. The Internet
also gives school students access to experts
- often not locally available - in advanced
subjects such as mathematics, physics or computer
technology. Using broadband and digital
technology, a university can collaborate with
another by combining resources and teaching
staff to offer shared degrees. On a wider scale,
it can also facilitate international collaboration
with organizations and institutions outside the
education sector. Still, e-learning and computer
based learning should not totally replace
56 Issue 2006

Education
conventional face-to-face teaching, but, rather,
should enhance and complement it.
“Broadband now makes a
new generation of business
training packages designed
to take advantage of new
technology possible. Covering
everything from customer
service to sales techniques,
these new training packages
are content-rich and designed
to deliver a compelling and
engaging experience.”
Sharing computing and equipment resources
- Broadband access is an economically viable
way for schools and universities in Africa
and the Middle East to share costly database,
computing and equipment resources, using
what is termed grid computing. Some of the
expensive equipment that schools and universities
need is only used part-time, so it is very
appealing when it - and the associated costs
- can be shared with other organisations using
broadband links. Using broadband to share the
costs of educational programmes can be extremely
beneficial.
Improving educational administration
- Broadband can provide educational institutions
with real efficiencies by streamlining
and automating their administration and
management. It is an efficient way to deliver
curriculum details and examination results to
students, and improve communications and interaction
between students and teachers.
Access to knowledge - The Internet is a
huge library that never closes; with it, students
of all ages can tap into a vast array of
information. This information is not limited
to the written word; it includes photographs,
diagrams, videos and animations, all of which
can help a student understand a subject so
much more clearly. Still, trying to access this
information on a dial-up connection quickly
becomes frustrating, especially for children.
Broadbandʼs high speed overcomes this problem
and makes browsing even the most image
rich websites a pleasure. Whatever the topic
you can be sure that there will be information
about it on the Internet, and there are search
engines specially tailored to children that find
information pitched to a childʼs level of understanding.
There are also websites dedicated to
helping children with their homework. Broadband
also widens access in rural areas and provides
access to education materials to learners
with disabilities or behavioural problems.
In general, broadband narrows the gap between
the haves and the have-nots. It widens
access to educational material and new learning
opportunities by using links from schools
to the wider communities, such as libraries,
museums, theatres and other cultural institutions.
Family Perspective - Broadband in education
benefits families and the community as a
whole, not just individual students or teachers.
Parents of children with access to higher levels
of education at home have less need to send
their children away to further their education.
Families can stay together and enjoy their family
life. Broadband, then, can reduce the brain
drain in Africa and the Middle East and help
local communities. Affording more children
higher levels of education will lead to better
educated, more capable, communities.
Broadband applications
Education will drive demand for broadband
applications in Africa and the Middle East. Education
applications have a history of driving
the adoption of technology in poor countries.
Parents recognise the impact that supervised
use of the Internet can have on their childrenʼs
education; surveys and empirical evidence
validate how computers captivate kids. Although
much attention is focused upon webbased
learning, even more powerful opportunities
are on the horizon, including interactive
video-conferencing, grid computing and leveraging
Internet 2.
The next generation of applications will
emerge from institutions of higher education.
The challenge is to marry the technology to
research, to develop innovative broadband
applications that meet the specific needs of
regions such as Africa and the Middle East.
This will leverage investments in technology,
position educational entities as community
resources and help stimulate community demand
for services.
More than connectivity and computing speeds,
we need a vision of the world we are preparing
students for, where e-learning can take us if we
can think about learning in fundamentally new
ways. Technology is the cornerstone of the
economy, but the combination of technology
and education is its bedrock. Rapidly developing
technologies such as advanced computing,
biotechnology and nanotechnology, will
each create revolutionary changes to which
we must adapt. Intelligence will be embedded
everywhere, and everyone - anywhere - will be
interconnected. Learning opportunities will be
only a thought or an eye movement away. Intelligent
systems may discern our knowledge
needs at work and play, and proactively offer
learning opportunities and accelerate the accumulation
of knowledge. Ultimately, it seems,
education, training and knowledge management
will converge to create a new ʻknowledge
utilityʼ that will integrate learning into all
aspects of our lives, making learning opportunities
ubiquitous for all, from pre-schooler to
retiree. This is beyond computers in schools,
beyond the Internet and beyond the deployment
of broadband. This is about much bigger
change - a new learning infrastructure based
upon a broadband infrastructure.
Broadband for business education
Broadband development is critically important
to the future of business education and learning
in Africa and the Middle East. For small
and medium-sized businesses, broadband
means that online learning and staff training
will become a viable option; until now, online
training packages have been limited by
restricted bandwidth. As a result, many have
been relatively dull, short on interactive content,
and did not engage learners.
Broadband now makes a new generation of
business training packages designed to take
advantage of new technology possible. Covering
everything from customer service to sales
techniques, these new training packages are
content-rich and designed to deliver a compelling
and engaging experience. On-line training
via broadband will offer smaller and rural
companies committed to staff development
many advantages including:
Personalized content reflecting specific
company or individual need;
at-the-desk staff access to training - when
and as needed;
easy log-on and log-off to training;
no dial-up charges for connection; and
flexible training tailored to meet the demands
of the workplace.
In short, broadband can make continuous
learning - at the workplace - a reality. As the
broadband network expands - both nationally
and across international borders - so will the
availability of effective training packages that
bring relevant and exciting learning direct to
employeesʼ desks. This will transform learning
in organizations of every sort and size.
Students growing up with broadband will
take e-learning at home and school as a given.
They will be more likely to see education as a
lifelong process and will expect ready access
to online, interactive, educational resources
throughout their lives. They will also have
the skills and familiarity with technology demanded
by employers when they enter the
workforce. We look forward to that future.
58 Issue 2006

9 – 12 October 2006
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
Security.
Africa’s only director-level card event
dedicated to payments, transactions and
loyalty
Cards Africa 2006 brings together retailers, banks, card manufacturers and
leading industry bodies to discuss best practice for growth and prosperity in
the cards, payments and loyalty market. Delegates will listen to visionary
speakers, network with the who’s who of the smart card’s industry and learn
from the best minds in the market, in a fun and interactive environment.
Official publication
Organised by
Topics include:
• Prospering in an evolving cards market
• Key issues in credit and debit
• Fighting card fraud and investing in security
• Enhancing business through card and payment innovation
• Electronic and mobile payments: opportunities and threats
• Building loyalty programmes and marketing strategies to maximise
profitability
• Beyond 2007 – tapping new markets and trends
Register before 2 August 2006 and enjoy an instant 10% discount!
REPLY FORM FAX BACK +27 (0)11 707 8352
YES! I am interested in Cards Africa 2006
I would like to attend the conference – please send me more information
I would like to know more about promoting my company at this event – please contact me
Mr / Mrs / Miss First name: Surname:
Job title:
Company:
Postal address:
Postcode:
Tel:
Mobile:
Fax:
Email:
www.worldofcards.biz/2006/cardsza
Terrapinn0823

Reply Card Subscribe to Connect-World Reply Card Subscribe to Connect-World Reply Card Subscribe to Connect-World Reply Card Subscribe to Connect-World Reply Card Subscribe to Connect-World
The Information Communications Technology revolution is upon us and
Connect-World is here to help you to stay ahead of the competition.
Connect-World is the most authoritative publication on the market, packed with
issues, views and regular contributions from leading authorities in the ICT sector
and leading experts in their field.
Yes I would like to subscribe for...
(Please tick the appropriate boxes. Subscription is free of charge for all ITU Members)
One Year Two Years
Connect-World Africa & The Middle East US$60 US$100
Connect-World Asia-Pacifi c US$60 US$100
Connect-World Europe US$60 US$100
Connect-World EMEA US$60 US$100
Connect-World ICT Global Challenge Issue US$60 US$100
Connect-World India US$60 US$100
Connect-World Latin America US$60 US$100
Connect-World North America US$60 US$100
Personal Details
Name: . . . . . . . .
Organisation: . . .
Position: . . . . . . .
Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
State/Country: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Postcode/Zip: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telephone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fax: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Email: . . . . . . .
Payment
As above
Other address
I am an ITU member. My membership number is: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signature: . . . . . .
Please fax back to: +44 20 7474 0030
Global House 12 Albert Road London E16 2DW United Kingdom
Tel .: +44 20 7540 0876 Fax: +44 20 7474 0090 email: admin@connect-world.com URL: www.connect-world.com

Cisco Ad