We have developed an excellent - Teletimes

Vol: 06 Issue: 06www.teletimesinternaitonal.comABC CertifiedThe only tri-regional magazine focused towards the IT & Telecom sectorsof The Middle East, Asia and AfricaE-mail: info@teletimesinternational.comPublisher & Chief EditorKhalid AtharExecutive EditorRiaz AsherMedia Partner to:6th year of publicationRecipient of“International Arch of EuropeAward for Quality”and“Teradata ICTExecellence Award for Media”ADVISORY BOARDDr. Alaa Bader HindawiAssociate EditorsIzhar AhmadQutubuddinTechnical EditorJeff SealAssistant EditorsNasir KharlGulraiz KhalidSub EditorMuhammad Awais HanifArt EditorKhurram ShahzadStaff PhotographerRamzan MughalDr. Zafar Khan MBEKhalid KhanIqtidar ZaidiProf. Nasreen KhalidManager CoordinationAtif KhalilLegal AdvisorHashmat HabibInternational OfficePost Code: 117 Al-Wadi Al Kabir, PO Box: 148Muscat, Sultanate of OmanTel: (+968) 24503275, Fax: (+968) 24503275Asia OfficesIslamabad# 6, St - 39, G-6/2, Islamabad, PakistanTel: (+92) 51 2874225, 2279830,Fax: (+92) 51 2272405Cell: (+92) 300 9559879KarachiM 29, Matin Shoppers Gallaria,Tariq Road. Karachi. PaksitanTel: (+92) 21 34532050Cell.(+92) 332 3572925, (+92) 345 2215050Lahore1st Floor, 43-K,Commercial Area, DHA, Lahore Cantt. PakistanTel: (+92) 42 5709964, Cell: (+92) 300 8106199Regional OfficesKingdom of Saudi ArabiaKing Fahad Road, opposite Kingdom Souqe,RiyadhTel: (+966) 12153200, Fax: (+966) 14606463Egypt5, Tanta St. Al Mohandsein, GizaCell: (+20) 12 2 175 185UAE402 B, Habroosh Building, Satwa,P.O.Box 65377, Dubai.Cell: (+971) 0557310388, 0505142949U.K.235a, Old Brompton Road. London SW5 0EATel: +44 (0)7831418072France7 Rue Ernest Roche, Escalier-C, 75017 ParisTel: (+33) 698990821Bureau Chiefs:Dubai: Azizullah KhanLondon: Moazzam ShahidIstanbul: Zümrüt TanriövenJeddah: Akram AsadKarachi: Syed Babar AliCorrespondents:Abu Dhabi: Bashir AnjumParis: Aslam AnsariBrussels: Nadeem AhmedTokyo: Tanveer QureshiMelborne: Javeria HashmatCasablanca: Dr. Khadija ArabanyLahore: Azeezur RehmanA PROJECT OF PPA PUBLICATIONSSole Distributor for GCC countries:Malik News Agency, P.O. Box. 5449, Dubai.Ph: 04 2659165-9US$ AED PKR € GBPPrice per copy 8 25 300 7 5One year subscription 80 250 3000 70 50

Interviews1227Reports & News1723We have developed an excellent business model ofproviding system integration services in the UAEMohammed Zameer, GM,Al Rostamani CommunicationsKhlalid AtharOur main goal is to provide fast,different and convenient service...Erkan Akdemir, CEO - AveaCem KivircikSaudi Telecom’sIndonesian subsidiary completes USD 1.2 billion financingShaahima FahimCTO assists Unicef in its mission to improvethe lives of children through the use of mobile telephonyIn this issue243435363741424749545556The 2nd SATRC Workshop held in MaldivesTeletimes ReportPCCW offers free Wi-Fi serviceat 158 public rental housing estatesAndrea DaganHuawei’s SingleRAN solution to enhanceEverything Everywhere’s 2G NetworkRiad SandakliKalimat offers a whole new arenaof value added service to its subscribers in Q3 of 2011STC Group CEO Saud Al Daweeshhonored with Global Award for outstanding contributionto telecommunications industryEtisalat awarded Best Mobile Operatorfor the second year successivelyNahid Mudathir HassanDr. Ali Singel inauguratesthe first 2011 Al Multaqa seminar series underdu’s Emiratisation program ‘Masar’Orange Jordan takes digital content to new heightsTeletimes ReportOmantel offers cost effective web hosting servicefor medium & small companiesYahsat sends First Commandto Y1A from Abu DhabiBatelco awarded Bahrain eContent Award 2011in the e-Entertainment category for O CinemaSaudi Arabia is the Arab World’smost competitive cellular marketArab Advisors Groupand much more ....373904 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

In this issue19Research & Analyses1115314446Special Reports19213339Telecoms operators must work togetheras the industry evolvesGhassan Hasbani, CEO International Operations - STCMeeting consumer demandsin the Middle East with Internet video on demandSantino Saguto (Value Partners)Delivering sky-high mobile bandwidthVick Khalil Mamlouk, VP, MEA - CommScopeOne size does not fit allIf operators are prepared to offer a flexible array of services ....Robin BurtonCloud Computing set to revolutioniseIT market sharesMECOM 2011The leading telecoms and enterprise communications eventGulraiz KhalidNawras CEO outlines Broadband Growthat Abu Dhabi Telecoms SummitGulraiz KhalidWorld Telecom and Information Society (WTIS) DayCelebration in PakistanNoshin MasudPrincess Sumayainaugurates Arab Advisors Groups' conference in AmmanTeletimes Report174715Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com05

Letter to readersKhalid AtharChief EditorDear Reader,Welcome to the new edition ofTeletimes.I would first like to talk about the‘Teletimes International ExcellenceAwards’. I feel great about tellingyou right now that judes panel hasfinalized the Award winners. Theseawards are being given in sixteendifferent categories to the organizationand personalities from ICT sectorsof the Middle East, Asia and Africa.The Awards Ceremony ManagementCommittee will soon be announcingthe date and venue according to whichthe event will take place in a befittingmanner probably during the third weekof July, 2011.Another important news that I wantto bring to you is that the new websitefor Teletekwire has been launched.All ICT companies and other relatedorganizations may submit their pressreleases with the same ease but with agreater reach on www.teletekwire.com,(email: info@teletekwire.com).Teletekwire (previously ‘Teletechwire’)is a sister concern of TeletimesInternational with no other partnerand is not associated with any othernewswire website, which may resembleits features and reach, or which may beattempting to copy its modus operandito gain leverage.Now I move on to the content inthis new issue. Firstly, you willfind the article “Telecom operatorsmust work together as the industryevolves” by Ghassan Hasbani, CEO,STC International who needs nointdoduction. You will also find twointerviews in this issue, the first of Mr.Mohammed Zameer, General Manager,Al-Rostamani Communications andthe second of Mr. Erkan Akdemir, CEO,Avea-Turkey by Mr. Cem Kivircik, theSpecial Correspondent of Teletimes inIstanbul.MECOM 2011 took place in Abu Dhabiduring the mid of April where Teletimeswas represented by its Assistant Editor,Gulraiz Khalid. The post-event report isincluded in this issue. Also included isthe report for the 2nd SATRC workshopthat took place in Maldives.Two very interesting articles in thisissue include an article from theManaging Director of Value Partners,Mr. Santino Saguto and an article“Delivering sky-high mobile bandwidth”by Mr. Khalil Vick Mamlouk, VP, MiddleEast and Africa, CommScope.Two reports from the Arab AdvisorsGroup, who organized the ‘8th AnnualMedia and TelecommunicationsConvergence Conference’ in Jordanon the 6th and 7th June, are includedin this issue. As usual you will findother news and articles regarding STC,Etisalat, Du, Omantel, Batelco, PCCW,Huawei, Nawrus, CTO, NSN, Orascom,Qtel, Wi-tribe and Yahsat alongwiththe Events Calendar in this issue.Please enjoy this issue of Teletimes.15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com07

Interview: Khalid AtharWe have developed an excellentbusiness model of providingsystem integration services in the UAEMohammed ZameerGeneral ManagerAl Rostamani Communicationsspeaks to TeletimesMr. Mohammed Zameer, is an Electronics &Telecom engineer with a post-graduation inBusiness Administration (MBA) from EdinburghBusiness School, Scotland (UK)He is an entrepreneur-Senior BusinessManagement Professional with a careerspanning over 30 years in InformationTechnology & Telecommunication.He has been working in the Middle East forthe past 20 years, during this period he hassuccessfully established two system Integrationcompanies from conceptualisation of businessmodel to implementation and running themsuccessfully and profitably.Presently Mr. Mohammed Zameer is the GeneralManager of Al Rostamani communicationsLLC.(ARC). ARC is part of one ofthe largest Entities of the AlRostamani Group in theUAE. The Group hasBusiness interestsin Finance, Travel,Construction,Property, Electrical,IT & Telecombusinesses.12 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Teletimes - What do you have to say aboutthe growth in virtualization technologies inthe UAE and the GCC region?Mohammad Zameer - Historically GCCmarkets have followed the worldwidetrend in IT Technology embracement andIT utilization, with UAE being at theforefront in the GCC market. This is mainlydue to the latest technology infrastructureprovided by the Telecom providers likeEtisalat and DU. Virtualization hasbeen on the upward trend in GCC withDesktop virtualization topping doubledigit growth among all the differentvirtualization segments. We are currentlyAt the Present roleZameer has established anorganization providing systemIntegration services forboth enterprise and Serviceprovider market segments.The organization has morethan 200 Professionalsproviding consultancy andimplementation of majorprojects for service providerslike Etisalat, Du and TelecomRegulatory Authority.Mr. Mohammed Zameer hassupported major Telecomproduct solution providers inestablishing and growing theirmarkets in UAE and Oman:Motorola, Lucent, Aztech,Intracom, Tech Mahindra,Ascade, Telcordia, Harmonic,Quative, Nagravsion, Gemplusare few on these companies.He is also one of the foundingmembers of SAMENA Telecomcouncil.In today’senvironment thedevelopments in thearea of informationtechnology aretouching everyaspects ofhuman lifeseeing a lot of opportunities in UAE andthe GCC for Server Virtualization andNetworkVirtualizationin existing Datacentres and also new Data centresthatare being prepared for Cloud computingrequirements. With the newannouncements by industry giantslike CISCO, Fujitsu, NetApp,HP, IBM Citrix, VMware etc.we foresee a continuedgrowth of virtualization inthe coming years.TT - In your opinion,please talk aboutthe importance ofthe education andempowerment of today'sIT professionals fortomorrow.MZ - Education is thekey most differentiatorbetween Humanbeings and otherliving forms. Itis educationthat makes theHuman beings amost superiorform of livingbeings;howevereducationwithoutempowerment,i.e. withoutfreedom to think &act, is of no use.In today’senvironmentthe developmentsin the area of Informationtechnology are touching everyaspects of human life hence the skills ofIT professionals are key to the furtherimprovements of the quality of life. If ITprofessionals had to truly contribute totheir potential they need to continuouslykeep abreast of the latest technologicaldevelopments and at the same time theyshould have an environment where they areempowered to think and act.The major success of UScompanies in the areaof innovation in the ITtechnology is a keyindicator of what agood educationalenvironment andempowering cando to an IT enabledeconomy.15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com13

TT - Please talk in detail aboutyour major on-going projects?MZ - We are one of the topfive system integrators in UAEwith an equal focus both onEnterprise and Telecom Marketsegment.In the enterprise segmentwe are providing completeTechnology solutions to TheHospitality Sector, Governmentsector, Aviation, Banking andEducation sector. . The solutionsinclude from passive cablinginfrastructure, voice and Datacommunication network, ITSecurity installation, to theBuilding management system,video surveillance, and productsincluding in room entertainmentsystem.We are also providing to majorclients in UAE a major portion ofthe Datacentre requirements andincluding managed services forsome of our clients.In the area of Telecom wehave helped major telecomoperators in UAE to enabletelecom services to the endusers including installation andimplementation of telecomapplications.TT - What services and productsare you currently providing inthe GCC region?MZ - In the GCC region,it’s mainly distribution ofcommunication products.We are a competencecentre for manyInternational suppliersand we handle theirservice fulfilment in theGCC region.TT - Are you planningto enter any newmarkets in the nearfuture?MZ - Yes, presentlywe have developedan excellentbusiness model ofproviding systemintegrationservices in UAE.The key strength of a systemintegrator is his technicalcapabilities and resources.We would like to leverage theexisting capabilities and areplanning to replicate the same inthe GCC countries. Our priorityis to expand to Qatarand Saudi Arabia andestablish similar systemintegration business inthese countries.TT - Please tell ourreaders in detail aboutthe IT solutions youare providing andabout ARC as a systemsintegrator.MZ - We are System integratorand hence our product portfoliois not limited to fixed products.Our capabilities are more intointegrating heterogeneousWe are one ofthe top five systemintegrators in UAEwith an equal focusboth on enterpriseand telecommarket segment.productsand environments to workas a single solution for ourcustomer, However, wehave certain authorisedagencies of product likeCISCO, HP Procurve,Fujitsu, NetApp, McAfee,Symantec, Aruba, Media5,Telcordia Technologies,SonicWall to name afew.Our qualified engineers workvery closely with our customersto deliver a best-of-breedsolution in the most costeffectivemanner and fastestimplementation timelines.TT - Do you have any plans tointroduce any new services orchange your product portfolio inanyway?MZ - We firmly believe thatthe core strength of a systemintegrator is his technicalcapabilities of understandingcustomer needs and findingand integrating the bestproducts available in themarket and protect and enhancecustomer investments. Futuregrowth in our business willcome from providing servicesboth on site and off siteManaged services. In view ofthis our stress in future is toadd best technical talent in theorganization and strengthen theprofessional services business.TT - How do you see the futureof ARC?MZ - We are one of the fastestgrowing System integrator inUAE. We are confident thatwe keep up the acceleration ofgrowth. We have some seriousorganic and geographical growthplans which will help us tosustain the past growth rates.TT - Would you like to commenton TELETIMES International(which is the only tri-regionalmagazine focused towards theIT and telecom sectors of theMiddle East, Asia and Africa).MZ - I appreciate Teletimesfor the quality of coverageon the major telecom events,market trends in the regionand honesty & capability inreporting. I wish them all thebest. I am a regular readerof Teletimes and it helpsme in understanding themarket trends and the all theimportant happenings. T14 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Meeting consumer demandsin the Middle East with Internet video on demandUAE. according to valuepartners, the leadingmanaging consultancy firm inthe Middle East specializingin media and telco trends, thecontinued growth in video ondemand (VOD) in the MiddleEast delivered over the internetis inevitable as consumers areincreasingly expected to controltheir viewing.Value Partners suggests thatgrowth in demand for VOD callsfor a coalition of infrastructureproviders, broadcasters and regulators,to examine the abilityof the Middle East’s broadbandnetworks to deliver VOD withthe quality of service requiredto satisfy consumers. TraditionalTelcos acting as Internet ServiceProviders (ISPs) and content/application providers need toadapt their technical and businessmodels to meet future consumerdemands, and the role offuture net neutrality legislationin shaping this quality of servicerequired to satisfy consumersof VOD.“As more online video servicesare launched and internet VODmoves to the TV, audiences inthe Middle East increasinglyexpect internet VOD to matchthe reliability of broadcast TV,”said Santino Saguto, Partner,Value Partners.“VOD is the most technicallychallenging of all services todeliver with guaranteed QoS.Today, to stream standarddefinition (SD) video withoutinterruptions requires a consistentspeed of around 1.5 Mbpsfor the duration of the video.This is more demanding thanother applications such as surfingand email, which are burstyand less time critical; or internettelephony which requires lowerbandwidth.”Over the next few years, ValuePartners expects that compressiontechnology will reducethe speed required to deliverSD quality internet VOD. Inconjunction, infrastructureupgrades will increase thespeeds achievable by homes inthe Middle East. “Over time,improvements in compression,buffering, and use of progressivedownload technologiesin the Middle East will reducethe speeds required and allowfor short fluctuations in speedduring streaming,” continuedSaguto. “Internet VOD is likelyto remain the most extreme testof the network infrastructure’sability to deliver consumersguaranteed QoS services.”The opportunity for content andapplication providersWith personalization anddifferences in user interfacedriving loyalty, users are likelyto default to a small numberof favorite sites. VOD contentproviders, such as YouTube andSeesaw, will compete for usersbased not only on content butalso on picture quality and servicereliability. Furthermore, asinternet VOD moves to the TV,reliability becomes more importantas TV VOD needs to matchthe experience of broadcast TV,PVRs and DVDs. Opportunity inthe Middle East is also linked toprovisioning of local content aswell as regional websites or regionalizationof existing globalSantino Sagutowebsites.Telcos are aware they are criticalto delivering uninterrupted VODstreamed over the internet.They control the majority of thedelivery infrastructure. Withthe right investment in networkinfrastructure use of intelligentnetwork management and trafficprioritization techniques,and appropriate partnershipsacross the value chain, they willbe able to provide guaranteedQoS solutions to consumers andcontent providers. Furthermore,the nature of telcos’ relationshipswith their customersmeans they are best placed towork with customers to troubleshootany pinch points withinthe customers.Major telcos are also seekingto take the market opportunityopened up by guaranteed QoStechnologies one step further,by moving into triple-play, offeringcustomers a bundle of payTV, broadband and telephony.This would help them extendtheir relationship with customers,grow Average RevenuesPer Users (ARPUs) and reducechurn. Countries as UAE andQatar are also enjoying theavailability of extensive FTTHinfrastructure to deliver highspeed broadband and top QoS.Net neutralityIn its purest form, net neutralityis the equal treatment of alltraffic in a network, so that consumerscan have non-discriminatoryaccess to all content, servicesand applications. However,it is now widely recognized thatISPs need to manage the trafficon their network to optimizenetwork performance. Thedebate currently centers arounddefining the acceptable level ofnetwork management.There is clear consumer demandfor VOD. However, businessmodels are nascent and theirviability on a standalone basisis as yet unproven. Furthermore,delivery of VOD services overthe open internet is technicallycomplex and generallyinvolves multiple stakeholderscontrolling different parts of thedelivery infrastructure. For aguaranteed consumer experiencecollaboration betweencontent/application providersand telcos/ISPs is required.The future development of theinternet VOD market dependson the outcome of negotiationsbetween content providers andtelcos/ISPs around the divisionof responsibilities and sharingof value.Value Partners is divided intotwo sister companies: ValuePartners Management Consultingand Value Team IT Consultingand Solutions. It draws onnearly 50 partners and 3,300professionals of 25 nationalities.Value Partners ManagementConsulting was founded in 1993and has built its strong internationalreputation by assistingclients in over 40 countries. Ithas offices in Milan, Rome, London,Istanbul, Dubai, Sao Paulo,Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires,Mumbai, Beijing, Hong Kongand Singapore. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com15

Saudi Telecom’sIndonesian subsidiary completesUSD 1.2 billion financingAXIS, the Indonesiansubsidiary ofSaudi Telecom Companyhas announced, thesigning of a USD 1.2 billionfinancing deal witha tenor of 7.5 years withlocal and internationalfinancial institutions.The deal comprises threefacilities: a USD450million Murabaha commercialfacility, arrangedby Deutsche Bank andHSBC and underwrittenby Deutsche Bankand Saudi British Bank(SABB); a USD400 millionfacility for equipmentpurchases fromHuawei, underwrittenby China DevelopmentBank; and a USD350million facility forequipment purchasesfrom Ericsson, arrangedby HSBC and backedby EKN, the SwedishExport Credit Agency.All facilities have beenstructured in a shariacompliant manner.This financing will helpfund AXIS’ expansionand growth strategiesfor the next five years, especiallyexpansion into mobilebroadband and improved coveragenationwide, which in turnwill result in higher financialreturns for the Group. TheIndonesian telecom sector haswitnessed sound growth overthe past few years owing tothe rising mobile and internetpenetration rates, which havehad a positive impact on AXIS,with the company passing 11million subscribers and with15Jun - 14Jul 2011service available in more than400 cities across Indonesia.Announcing the financing dealand its structure, Ameen AlShiddi, Chief Financial Officer(CFO), Saudi Telecom Companyhighlighted the significanceof this deal saying, “This dealis one of the largest Islamicfinancing deals in Asia and oneof the largest internationalfinancing deals in East Asia.This financing will help fundAXIS’ expansion and growthstrategies for the next fiveyears, which in turn will resultin higher financial returns forthe Group.”Al Shiddi added, “The size ofthe financing deal demonstratesthe confidence that thefinancial markets have in theability of AXIS to achieve itsbusiness goals. The involvementof different financialinstitutions and vendors is aclear indication of the strongand long-term partnershipsthat exist between these organizationsand STC.”Shaahima FahimGhassan Hasbani,Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Saudi TelecomInternationalOperations said,“The Indonesiantelecom sector haswitnessed soundgrowth over thepast few yearsowing to the risingmobile and internetpenetration rates.The growth of ourinternational operationshas had amajor impact on theGroup’s overall revenues.This financingdeal will enableAXIS to increase itsbroadband servicesoffering to customersthereby tappinginto the tremendousgrowth potentialthat exists in ahighly competitivemarket.”The country hasbeen experiencingstrong economicgrowth with averageannual GDPgrowth of 5 percentfrom 2000 until 2010. Citingimprovements in the nation’seconomic performance andpolitical stability, Standard& Poor’s international ratingagency recently upgraded Indonesia’sBB rating to BB+ witha positive outlook. Indonesia'seconomy expanded 6.5% percentin the first quarter of 2011from a year ago, and as per therecent estimates of the centralbank, foreign direct invest-Contd on page 18www.teletimesinternational.com17

STC takes the leadat Arab Telecommunicationand Internet ForumAs part of its strategy tosupport the telecommunicationsindustry across theregion and display its thoughtleadership, STC sponsored theArab Telecommunication andInternet Forum (ATIF) thatwas held in Beirut June 2-3,2011. The two-day event drewTelecom Ministers and leadingtelecommunications personalitiesfrom across the region aswell as business leaders andspecialists from the industry.Ghassan Hasbani, CEO of InternationalOperations at STCsaid, “STC’s sponsorship of theForum is due to the importanceof information technology inthe Middle East.” He added,“STC has played a pioneeringrole in the field of informationtechnology and has given itgreat importance as part of itstelecommunications agendaand excelled by introducing thelatest in technology to customersworldwide, a step thatearned it market leadershipamong all telecom providers inthe region.The forum’s agenda includedthe changes that the IT andtelecommunications sectoris undergoing in light of theincreasing demand for newservices, including assessmentof needs, aspirations and consumptionpatterns of internetand mobile phone users at agrass roots level. Delegates alsodiscussed the nature and opportunitiesof modern telecombusiness models and analyzeddevelopments that havewitnessed changes includinginvestment, broadband development,the role of regulators,the needs of the modern digitalconsumer, digital security andother issues pertinent in thefield of telecommunicationsand information technology.At the Forum STC participatedTeletimes Reportwith a stand showcasing itsinternational investments.The stand was visited by theLebanese Minister of Telecommunications,Dr. Charbel Nahasand the Ambassador of theCustodian of the Two HolyMosques in Lebanon Mr. Alibin Saeed Aseeri as well asother ministers, officials, andother participants.Contd from page 17ment is expected to surge 42%this year. The Government isalso facilitating growth in keysectors by boosting foreigninvestment.Erik Aas, Chief Executive Officerof AXIS added, “Indonesia’stelecom industry is fast-growingand extremely dynamicwith mobile broadband usageconstantly on the rise. 50% ofIndonesia’s population is below30 years old, and the wholepopulation is adopting socialSaudi Telecom’s Indonesian subsidiary completes USD 1.2 billion financingnetworking applications ontheir mobile phones.”AXIS CEO further added,“With this funding milestonein place, AXIS is well set for itsexpansion into mobile broadbandand improved coveragenationwide. This financing willfully support our expansionplans for the next few years,and we are well prepared tofurther grow our market shareand revenues.”First launched its service inApril 2008, the companyprovides 2G, 3G and BlackBerryservices nationwide and internationally.Within only threeyears of its operations AXIShas 80% population coveragewith service available in morethan 400 cities spreading fromSumatera, Java, Bali, Lombok,Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Thecompany has passed 11 millionsubscribers who are servedthrough more than 120,000retail outlets, and doubled itsrevenues from 2009 to 2010.In recognition of its achievementfor 2010 in terms ofgrowth and expansion of itscustomer base, AXIS receivedBest Growth Story of the Yearfrom TMT Finance & InvestmentMiddle East Awards. Thecompany has also recently wontwo prestigious Selular Awardsin 2011 in “The Best MarketingProgram” and “The BestMobile Data Service for GSM”categories. T18 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

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need major investment. Inthis significant discussion,he also elaborated the role ofUniversal Service Fund for upgradingthe current ICT sector,especially in Pakistan, and therural development programsso that, people become able toget ICT benefits for the sakeof goodness of their lives.While discussing the Authorityrole in the development ofthe ICT sector, Mr. Amir Malikexpressed his suggestions thata sound regulatory creatingan enabling environment forinnovation, investment andcompetition is essential forthe roll out of efficient ICT.He added that access tobroadband allows the deliveryof more effective healthcare,better education, environmentalsustainability, more efficienttransportation services,smarter and more economicalenergy supplies, and manynew applications and services.He commented that for ICT industry,good regulation breedsconfidence and stability. Itreduces risk and encouragesinvestment in ICT infrastructure,rewards competition, andencourages innovation. At thesame time, it offers consumersgreater choice, lower costs,a transparent market placeand a fair system for resolvingdisputes. He hoped thatSATRC would be able to helpthe regulators to provide goodregulatory environments inSATRC member countries.In this very session, representativefrom Bangladeshbeamed the Role of PrivateSector in Policy formulation.The enlightened features ofthis discussion were to bringthe private sector into thegovernment policy makinghub. Despite of consequences,the key point was to makethe ICT sector growing witha consensus between thegovernment and private sector.Later on, a session onthe Facilitation of Broadbandin SATRC countries was heldwith an intention of RegulatoryPerspective. In this sessiondelegation by the Authoritiesof Maldives, Nepal and Indiapresented their aspects andrecommendations.On the second day, a sessionheld on a very importanceprospective. The session,chaired by Mr. MuhammadAmir Malik, Director (ICT),Pakistan TelecommunicationAuthority, discussed the significanceof Critical InformationInfrastructure Protection(CIIP) and CybersecurityIssue. While explaining theCybersecurity in the perspectiveof SATRC Members, therepresentative from TelecommunicationRegulatory Commission,Sri Lanka emphasizedon the Challenges and Opportunitiesand put forward hisrecommendations as well.Intrusion of Privacy in thepublic networks has becomea serious cause of concern. IPnetworks have open structureand hence are vulnerable.Large number of incidences ofcyber attacks such as denialof service, man in the middle,identity theft, spoofing andspam has to be effectivelyhandled. Progressive transitionfrom telecom traditionalnetwork to IP networks inconverged era will form backbonefor critical informationinfrastructure. The protectionof such infrastructure is crucialand a challenge. Therefore,necessary policy and regulatoryframework has to be putin place to secure critical informationinfrastructure. ThePrinciple and the regulatoryapproaches in the prospectiveof Critical InformationInfrastructure Protection areof vital essence for any countryfrom the security point ofview.The key issues like Secrecy,Authentication, Non-repudiation,Integrity Control andChild Abuse were discussedin the session. Cyber intrusionslike Attacks on Network,Attacks on Services, MaliciousCodes, Viruses, Malwareand phishing were also underthe spotlight in the session.Furthermore, Members fromNational Center for InformationTechnology, Maldiveshighlighted the Governmentinfrastructure and approachesin the Cyber InformationInfrastructure Protection Issues.The session ended withthe purposeful discussion onthe key factors of CIIP andCybersecurity.The workshops under theshade of SATRC Umbrella areof crucial Significance. TheCommunication RegulatorAuthority plays a crucial rolein the growth of Communicationtechnology in the country.SATRC provides a platform forthe South Asian countries toput forward their views, sharetheir current codifications,network their efforts andcumulate their approaches forthe betterment of the SouthAsian region. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com25

Cem KivircikSpecial Correspondent in IstanbulOur main goal is to providefast, different and convenient service...Erkan AkdemirCEO - AveaSpeaks to TeletimesTeletimes - You are CEO ofAVEA for almost two yearssince June 2009. What kindsof changes did you do in thepast two years in Avea?ERKAN AKDEMIR - Actuallyit can be seen best from theperspective of our customers...But when we look at from ourperspective, we have madechanges in organization andmarketing strategies. Thesetwo years have passed veryquickly indeed, but our structuraltransformation activitiescontinue. We have a numberof studies that directly affectthe customer and on the otherhand, we continue some transformationprojects that cannotbe seen by the customer, butlead to enrichment in customerexperience. Meanwhile, I cansay that we have shaped ourroad map for ourselves. Themotion brought by this sectoris not very pleasant for oneswho make no progress. Ourposition is constantly changingin these conditions of competition,which is increasing ineach passing day, and will alsochange. In commercial sense,market was changing very rapidlyin 2009 and sector experiencedgrowing and downsizingwithin this rapidly changingmarket. There was a similardevelopment in 2010. Therewere different applications inthe regulations. Therefore, theyears of 2009-2010 are oneof the turning points of thesector. We expect that groundwill become a little more apparentand competition will beformed even more in 2011.TT - Although Avea’s investmentis less than other GSMoperators according to the4th quarter of 2010 report ofICTA, its EBITDA income isvery high. What is the secretof it?EA - License fee and theamount of investments in2010 are much higher than in2009. When we look at the15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com27

numbers, our investmentsin 2010 appear higher thanin 2009. When it comes toEBITDA, this concept is notassociated with an investmentin fact; it is an indicator thatshows the difference betweenincome and expenditure. Ourmain aim in 2010 was to bethe operator the profitabilityof which increases at fastestpace. We achieved this aim.In this sense, we are ahead ofother operators. We are theoperator that has the highestvalue in terms of ARPU. Whenwe look at the last quarter,figures are very promising.Avea increased its marketshare in the fourth quarter.The number of its subscribersincreases around 200thousand. There is also aserious increase in ARPU.It has reached to 19,1. Weclosed the year 2010 withsuccessful figures and we cansay that 2010 was a successfulyear for us. We see a satisfactoryincrease at average levelin terms of income. Now, wehave focused on our 2011goals.TT - The number of subscribersof three operators is approximatelycertain. Only transitionsfrom one operator tothe other take place becauseof campaigns. What kinds ofplans do you have in order toincrease revenues?EA - Considering the externaldynamics of the market, youranalysis is accurate. In termsof penetration, i.e. the numberof mobile line or SIM card per100 people we have reacheda saturation as it seems. ButI think this is a temporaryplateau... This ratio may beincrease especially in the lastperiod of this year. After all,when we look at Europeancountries or similar countries,a similar growth trendis continuing. These countriesexperienced the same periodbefore. Asymmetry between“onnet-offnet” tariffs has beenremoved after the numberportability. They went throughthis period earlier. We expectthe same growth trend experiencedin those markets.But since thisratedecreased for two years, itis apparent that we need acorrection factor elsewhere.One of the biggest reasonsis the thick armor shrinking,narrowing and restricting themarket. I mean the tax. Whenit is disappeared or decreased,market will enter into a rapidgrowth trend.TT - Vodafone is an internationalcompany; Turkcell alsobegan operation in Germany.Do you have a plan such asoverseas expansion of Avea inthe future?EA - Our current priority isTürkiye. This trend adoptedby our competitors is in factbetter for us in this respect.Türkiye is our priority, but wecan consider cooperation withdifferent operators in differentgeographies.TT - When we look at your advertisingcampaigns, you givevery ironic messages to youropponents. Finally, “ConsumerRights” is high on the agendaamong operators. What kindsof rights do you offer as Avea?EA - We also tell our ad that“Actions speak louder thanwords.” We canprepare aWe are theoperator that has thehighest value in termsof ARPU. When we lookat the last quarter,figures are verypromising.500-page book and tellthe customer what kinds ofrights and services we provide.I want to leave the legalprocess between the othertwo operators on this issue toconsumers. I think consumersare not interested in thisdebate. But when we look atthe picture closely, it showsthat Avea is much better thanothers and at a very differentplace in terms of providing abenefit to the customers andtaking sides with them. We donot want to enter into such ameaningless fight. If we makean econometric analysis, in amarket with an oligopoly oftwo operators in the absenceof Avea, the price level offeredby these two operators as wellas the benefit and servicesprovided by them have totallychanged after Avea’s entranceto the market. Avea disruptedthe oligopoly of them andactually changed and shapedthe market with its price leveland leading role. This situationis more important thanConstitution or declaration.Moreover, I think it is notvery accurate to put forwardthe issues demanded by theregulatory authority as if yourown initiative.TT - You as Avea think youmake an important contributionto the creation ofconditions of competition inthe market and the formationof prices for the benefit ofconsumers…EA - Absolutely, this topic isvery clear... When Avea enteredto the market, there wasalmost an agreement on theinterconnection fee betweenthese two operators and therewas no regulation. When youcompare the average pricesper minute at that time andthe prices of today, you cansee the effect of Avea moreclearly. Not just the price level,but also in terms of innovativeservices… Intra-group advantages,group tariffs or differentapproaches towards certainsegments were all brought byAvea to the market. Moreover,we are the operator that takesinitiative in terms of callingother operator under the conceptof “liberty”.TT - Last year, at a meetingabout interconnection fees,you said that interconnectionfees could be even lower. Butother operators expressedtheir dissatisfaction often andsaid that their profits are affected.What is your opinionon this subject?EA - We can be at a marginallevel, close to zero atinterconnection fees. In fact,the structure in developedcountries goes in this direction.Many countries such as Britainand Germany announced it28 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

and shared how they decreasethe interconnection fees in thenext period. When we lookat these countries, it becomesclear that Türkiye took theright decision, but I think weshould not stop at this leveland continue in the same direction.Because it is apparentthat all these factors will havea negative effect on the operatorsin the first place… We donot want them to suffer, eventhey are our competitor. Butthis practice has positive effecton the consumer and alsoreduces the costs of operators.It is extremely wrong toposition it in a different way... When this practice wasannounced, there were lots ofdisaster scenarios, such as theprofitability of operators willdecrease or the tax revenuesof finance will decrease. Butnone of them happened and alloperators will see the benefitof this practice in the mediumterm. It shows that this is agreat barrier. We need to lookat the long-term benefits ofcalling to other operators. Wehave explored this issue thoroughly.It has positive effecton the operators and the totalmarket as well as on consumers.Since the last year, averageprices paid by consumershave dropped very quickly. Inaddition, tax revenues derivedby the public were influencedpositively. It can be said that itresulted positively in terms ofthe resulting social benefits.I think that if this practiceis taken a step forward, theresulting social benefits willincrease.TT - You have made a statementabout the allocation offrequency. You wanted a fairdistribution. At the same time,you argued that a positive discriminationshould be appliedfor Avea and all operators cannotbe in the same regulationpool. Could you explain ita little more?lines three years ago, it did nothappen very seriously. In thecoming period, this issue is ahot topic and an arrangementshould also be done.TT - You perform your LTEtrials veryquickly.Regulation isactually made forthe operators thatare active anddominating forcein the market.EA - Regulationis actually made for theoperators that are active anddominating force in the market.These kinds of regulationsare not made for operatorsthat do not distort the marketand do not have activities toobstruct the entrance of othercompetitors to the market.This is contrary to the approachof regulation… We saythat operator that distorts themarket and has the dominantpower in the market should besubjected to the regulation. Ithink it is wrong to narrow theplayground of other operatorsand apply restrictions in thisdirection.Frequencies are consistentlyre-organized in Europe and equitabledistribution of frequenciesis maintained. However,frequencies have not beenre-organized since the date offirst distribution in Türkiye.Aside from the sale of 900Have you set any date forthe application? When do youthink the conditions will beappropriate for LTE?EA - We think it is too earlyfor LTE. Because it seems thatthe evolution of technologyside of LTE as well as the formationof its commercial sideespecially with the terminaldevices will take a few years.There are still many uncertaintiesin the subject of LTE.Conditions will be appropriateafter these uncertainties willbe clarified.TT - Avea has a great sensitivityin R & D. In recent months,we have seen that certainmedical tests can be performedby attaching a lens apparatusto mobile phones at a meeting.When will we see this orsimilar applications?EA - I think such applicationswill be put into practicetowards the end of 2012. Theapplication you mentioned is15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com29

a new application not only inTürkiye, but in the world. Wehave shown that it can workin the first place. We alsoperformed a good cooperation.The second stage is theproduction and it is processoutside of our control. Oncethis device is developed, it isvery possible to provide it as amobile service… As these studiesare completed, we as Aveaconsider this. There are alreadysupports of the governmentin this respect. But, we alsobenefit from a significantamount of funds in Europe.We carry out these studies incooperation with our domesticand overseas business partnersas well as the universities andresearch centers. But our focusis the mobile technologies.Studies on how mobile technologiesfacilitate the lives ofpeople will focus on this point.Products are always being developedin terms of commercialservice. In addition, we thinkwe are unrivalled in the developmentof innovative products.In terms of allocating resourceto these studies, Avea is differentfrom the other operators.TT - Femtocell is a new conceptfor us. What can you sayabout this?EA - Femtocell will be aninteresting product. We areworking on this subject fortwo years with our groupcompanies; both on servicedevelopment and productdevelopment. We focus on thisissue for a long time. When itis regulated, I believe that wecan offer this product in a veryshort period of time.TT - What is the operationsystem of this product?EA - It is same as the wirelessADSL box, except that itprovides 3G coverage. Thus atwo-sided benefit is provided.First, it provides a significantconvergence and creates a differentproduct and a differentpositioning. At the same time,it provides the opportunityto deploy 3G traffic over theinternet network. You know,mobile data is growing veryfast. It also requires operatorsto invest continuously in thisway. This is an investment intechnology to alleviate thisburden in a sense.TT - In recent years, call centerswere established especiallyin the eastern region.This will make a tremendouscontributionparticularly tothe development of employmentand the creation of asource of income. What do youthink on this subject? Do youas Avea intend to invest morein this field?EA - We have in-house callcenter, but also serve throughthe other call centers. AssisTT,among our group companies,is one the largest call centersin Türkiye. Apart from that,we are working with differentsmall call centers. Thisstudy was initiated by formerMinister of TransportationBinali Yildirim. I think it offersan insight to the companies interms of technology as well asit provides a significant benefitin terms of employment. Iknow Bingöl call center weremet with great enthusiasm bythe people. Call center establishedin Erzincan is one of thelargest call centers that servea considerable number of companiesin Türkiye. It is reallypleasing. This will be usefulfor the development of thoseregions. From our perspective,it provides advantages both interms of the quality of serviceand cost. Inorderwe are unrivalledin the development ofinnovative products. Interms of allocating resourceto these studies, Avea isdifferent from theother operators.to make these investmentsmore attractive, someencouraging policies should beapplied. I think, in that case itwill progress much faster andmove from west to east.TT - We know that you asAvea are very sensitive to thesocial responsibility projects.You implement a major projectof social responsibility for ourdisabled citizens and we knowthat you employ more than2000 of them. Do your applications,such as employingdisabled citizens in your callcenter or providing an opportunityto work at their homes,continue?EA - They continue. It is aninitiative launched by the Ministryof Transport... In fact, weemploy disabled persons workingat their house or a comfortableoffice and their numberis constantly increasing. Inaddition, we conduct a studyin cooperation with PhysicalDisabilities Foundation. Weare pioneering in this respectby employing around 2700persons. This study has beencompleted in Istanbul. Wewill continue to work with thefoundation for expansion ofthis study all over Türkiye. Wesee this project as bringing theimportant values of Türkiye tolife. We will continue to workto employ disabled people inAvea and reintegrate them intothe society.TT - Finally, what kinds ofinnovations are waiting for usin 2011? What are the plansof Avea?EA - As I said in the beginning,we expect that market will beformed a little more in 2011 incomparison with 2010. Otheroperators' strategies graduallybecome clear in this field. Theyear 2011 will not fall behind2010 in terms of competitionand even it appears thatthe competition will be morechallenging. We finished thefirst quarter. Next month,all operators will announcetheir first-quarter figures. Weentered the year 2011 artilyand our claim will continue. Inaddition, our structural projects,conversion projects willcontinue. We plan to investmore in 2011 in comparisonwith 2010. At the same time,we implement a conversionproject in our sales channels.We accelerate this project. Inthe same way, we try to beone of the leading players ofthe market vigorously in thecompetition environment.30 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Delivering sky-high mobile bandwidthAs 4G connectivity becomes an ever-nearer reality for subscribers in the Middle East, Vick KhalilMamlouk, VP of Middle East and Africa, CommScope, explains how in-building solutions can ensureflawless next-generation connectivity in even the tallest of skyscrapers.Etisalat’s LTE network inthe UAE became the firstcommercial LTE network to bedeployed in the Middle Eastand, where they have ventured,others will soon follow.Zain aims to deploy LTE networksover the next two yearsin Bahrain, the UAE, SaudiArabia and Jordan, whileEtisalat also plans to enhanceits LTE footprint across theregion. Soon many of theregion’s cities will have themobile connectivity to reflectthe state-of-the-art skyscrapersand hi-tech commercialhubs for which they’re known.These dense, highly populatedurban areas are wherewe see the most mobile dataconsumption. In fact, wefind that in many countriesapproximately 70% of thetraffic on cellular networksoriginates from or terminatesinside buildings. Unfortunately,these same structurescan often present significanttechnical hurdles as signalstrength may be drasticallyreduced when penetratingphysical structures. Clearlythis is an important obstaclefor operators to overcome,as they strive to deliver thebandwidth and user experienceexpected from a nextgenerationnetwork.We’ve been involved in numerousLTE trials with majorglobal operators over the last2 years, including projects inthe Bhurj Khalifa, and haveseen how in-building systemscan deliver near-flawlessnext-generation performanceindoors. But it’s not just inskyscrapers where in-buildingsolutions are required, thesame benefits can achieved inall major business hubs, largepublic transport systems, stadiaand high-rise residentialand business buildings.By providing dedicated nextgenerationcommunications tothe sites where much of thedemand for additional bandwidthis concentrated, operatorscan maximise their LTErevenue streams as quicklyas possible. In addition, byhaving a dedicated high speednetwork in place, the impactof these sites on surroundingnetworks will be substantiallyreduced, which has theknock-on benefit of freeingup valuable network resourceselsewhere.Achieving LTE indoorsCurrently, dedicated indoorcoverage and capacity isprovided through DistributedAntenna Systems (DAS),where radio frequency (RF)signals are routed throughfibre or copper cabling from asingle base station to multipleantennas located throughoutthe building. This has provento be a highly effective andefficient way to distributewireless connections inside alarge building and eliminate‘dead zones’, as steel columnsand layers of concrete caninterfere with wireless signals.Fortunately, the same principlescan be applied to aDAS providing LTE coverage,allowing operators to confidentlyroll the system outusing established protocolsand, in some cases, existinginfrastructure. By adapting aDAS system that already provides2G or 3G coverage insidea building to provide LTE, itis possible to substantiallyreduce the capital expenditurewhen compared to a brandnew installation. Of course,each building and each legacyDAS will have their ownunique requirements to makeContd. from page 3215Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com31

CommScope’s insights on thefuture of the wireless market,opportunities presented bynew technologies,and the benefits ofin-building wirelesssystems shared atthree Middle Eastevents last month.Dr. Oliver Braz,head of system engineeringand productline manager forfuture technologies,CommScope, leada half-day seminarat the Prince SultanAdvanced TechnologiesResearch Institute (PSA-TRI) of the King Saud Universityin Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Histalk, “4G Enabling Technologies(LTE/WiMAX, MIMO andOFDM) and Cognitive Radio,”will explore new developmentsin LTE and other technologiesand what the future may bringin terms of broadband radiotechnology. The event, opento King Saud telecom graduatestudents, faculty membersand Saudi TelecommunicationSociety members, is sponsoredexpertsto share insights at Middle East eventsby PSATRI, Advanced Communications& Electronics Systemsco., Ltd. and the Saudi TelecommunicationSociety.Vick Khalil Mamlouk,vice president ofwireless sales, MiddleEast and Africa, CommScopewas a featuredspeaker at theTelecoms CEO Summitin Abu Dhabi, UAEwith his talk on “TheFuture of Wireless.”Also at the event,CommScope hostedcustomers and otherindustry stakeholdersat its exhibition stand (H19at the Abu Dhabi NationalExhibition Center), where itshowcased its solutions fornetwork infrastructure in wireless,enterprise and broadbandBarbara Ghininetworks.Ulf Lofberg, operations managerfor Wireless Innovations,CommScope, addresses theTechnology Summit in AbuDhabi. His presentation, “Analyzingthe In-Building WirelessSolution Business Case,”offered advice and guidance onthe various options operatorshave when addressing the complexitiesof offering in-buildingcoverage and capacity for wirelessusers.“We are pleased to discussour thoughts and share ourexpertise at these importanttelecom events in Saudi Arabiaand Abu Dhabi,” said Mamlouk.“CommScope has servedcustomers in the Middle Eastregion for many years and welook forward to meeting themand others at these events.” TContd. from page 31the switch to LTE, but muchof the knowledge, equipmentand technical expertise isalready in place.Next-gen considerationsThe main design criteria foran LTE in-building DAS isa question of cost versusperformance. Most existingin-building solutions use aSingle Input Single Output(SISO) system, which can beadapted to the Multiple InputMultiple Output (MIMO) systemrequired for LTE coverage.This avoids major constructionactivities, such as opening upthe ceiling to bring in a secondcable path, but each projectwill need to evaluate whethera simple reconfiguration of theSISO will provide sufficientperformance.To help illustrate the performanceof various in-buildingsolutions we used our testfacility – a standard squareoffice floor with corridors – tocompare four DAS scenariosand provide a general guideinto their data rates in thesame environment:1. Co-located pair of antennas:The most straightforwardapproach to upgrade indoorcoverage involves installinga MIMO antenna next toa standalone SISO instalment.In our test environmentthis achieved a datarate of 61 Mbps throughout91% of the floor.2. Distributed antennas: Bysplitting up the co-locatedantennas and installing theSISO and MIMO antennason opposite sides of thefloor, we were able to ensurethat the data rate neverfell below 75 Mbps acrossthe whole floor.3. Distributed pair of antennas:If there are existingdistributed SISO antennasin place, it is relativelysimple to install two additionalMIMO antennasin the same positions. Thisachieves even higher andmore consistent data ratesat a minimum of 112 Mbps.4. Interleaved distributed antennas:The most elaboratealternative is to install twoadditional interleaved antennas,which would requirea change in the position ofthe existing antenna locationsas well. From a MIMOperformance point of viewthis is the optimal solution,achieving a minimum of 117Mbps across the floor.From a business and performancepoint of view, thereasons for implementingLTE in-building solutions areevident. It provides optimumlevels of performance andgives operators the perfectopportunity to make the mostof their investment in thenetwork, helping to acceleratedeployments elsewhere. Froma technology perspective, it ismerely a question of assessingindividual sites to help determinethe cost of implementationversus performance. Oncea decision has been made,then it’s simply a case ofimplementing tried and testedsolutions.32 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

To commemorate WorldTelecom and InformationSociety (WTIS) Day 2011,Ministry of Information Technology,in collaboration withTelecom Industry and UniversalService Fund, held a grandevent in Islamabad which wasattended by the chairmanPTA Mohammed Yaseen andprominent personalities fromall sections of life, includingparliamentarians, governmentofficials, representatives ofpublic sector, industry andacademia.WTIS theme for this yearis ‘Better life in rural communitieswith ICTs”, thereforeUniversal Service Fundplayed a major role in thecelebrations, creating publicawareness about the theme.In the same context specialsupplements were publishedby main newspapers, whereasothers also carried articlesand advertisements relatedto the theme. Similarly banners,streamers and gantrieswere displayed at prominentplaces in the Federal Capital,Islamabad, as well as all theprovincial capitals, Karachi,Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.The Chief Guest at the event,Federal Minister MakhdoomShahabuddin and FederalSecretary Information Technology,Saeed Ahmad Khan,in their respective speechesemphasized on the need ofICTs to achieve desired levelof prosperity in the countryby focusing more on the ruralareas of Pakistan. Earlier avideo message from SecretaryGeneral International TelecomUnion (ITU) was played inwhich the Secretary Generalconveyed that ICTs provideenhanced opportunities togenerate income and combatpoverty, hunger, ill healthand illiteracy. He also addedthat ICTs and related e-applicationsare key instrumentsin improving governance andrural services,On this World Telecom day2011, Universal Service Fundalso launched a documentarywhich sheds light on the enormousbenefits being broughtthrough it’s Programmes forrural communities. This documentarymainly comprised ofinterviews of people in ruraland sub-urban areas thatwere so far unserved but whoare now utilizing ICT servicesbeing provided through USF.The documentary received avery positive response fromthe audience and was greatlyappreciated.At this occasion Merit Certificateswere also awarded tostudents of remote rural areaswho won scholarships beingoffered by National ICT R&DFund.Nadeem Ashraf, AdditionalSecretary, Ministry of InformationTechnology, Dr. MuhammadYaseen, Chairman-PTA and other high officialsof Telecom and IT industrywere also present at the occasion.It is noteworthy to mentionhere that so far USF, throughits Rural Telecom Programmes,Noshin MasudWorld Telecom and Information Society(WTIS) Day 2011 Celebration in PakistanFederal Minister for Textile Industry, Makhdoom Shahabuddin addressing the seminiaron World Telecom & Information Society Day in Islamabadhas provided basic telephonyand data services in 3,500previously un-served villages.Apart from this, 2,900 kms ofOptic Fiber Cables have beenlaid through subsidy contractsconnecting 53 unserved Tehsilswith 5,300 kms of cables.And finally to take BroadbandInternet to the villages, USFis in the process of launchingMulti-purpose CommunityTelecentres. In BroadbandProgram, 238 previously-unservedtowns now have morethan 200,000 USF-fundedbroadband connections. Subsidywinning service-providersare obliged to provide freeBroadband Internet to allhigher-secondary schools,libraries and colleges in theirareas. So far 790 such institutionshave been covered.15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com33

PCCW offers free Wi-Fi serviceat 158 public rental housing estatesAs part of its ongoing questto transform Hong Kong intoa leading Wi-Fi city, PCCW isextending free Wi-Fi serviceto 158 public rental housingestates across the territory,benefiting around 2 millionresidents.Since 2008, PCCW has beenproviding free Wi-Fi at 45public rental housing estates.From today, the service will beavailable at all existing publicrental housing estates in HongKong. Between 6 a.m. and 11p.m. every day, residents will beable to enjoy PCCW’s free wirelessbroadband service at therecreation areas of the estatesand some shopping centers viaWi-Fi enabled devices, such assmartphones, tablets and laptops.PCCW is also prepared toinstall and operate more Wi-Fihotspots at new public rentalhousing estates.The additional hotspots inthe housing estates furtherwiden PCCW’s citywide Wi-Finetwork. Today, PCCW hasunparalleled Wi-Fi coveragewith about 9,000 hotspotsthroughout Hong Kong, enablingspeedy, reliable and stableInternet experience at conveniencestores, coffee shops,shopping malls, key MTR stations,Airport Express stationsand trains, the airport, as wellas PCCW phone kiosks.For many years, PCCW has beenoffering free Wi-Fi to varioussegments of the community asa public service. Hundreds ofthousands of university andother tertiary students haveenjoyed free Wi-Fi at theircampuses since 2007. The publiccan also access Hong KongGovernment service websitesthrough PCCW’s free Wi-Fi.PCCW’s partnership with HongKong International Airport haseven created one of the largestfree wireless broadband coveragezones available at majorinternational airports in theworld.Furthermore, PCCW also helpspromote Hong Kong to visitorsby offering them free access toInternet to obtain the latest informationfrom the Hong KongTourism Board about events andfestivals, mobile travel guides,etc.At the same time, PCCW is alsooffering another free service,where public rental housingestate residents may watchround-the-clock news programsof now NEWS Channel over1,100 sets of 22” high-resolutionAndrea DaganLCD TV installed in the estates’ground floor lift lobbies. Theprograms are carried on the“Housing Channel”, operatedby PCCW, which also carriesvideo clips from the Hong KongHousing Authority to keepresidents updated on importantinformation such as safe use ofestate facilities, healthy living,green practices and schemesof interest or importance toresidents. The platform alsoenables the Housing Authorityto input and display importantand localized messages on theon-screen rolling text bar. Goingforward, PCCW will furtherextend the service to more newpublic rental housing estates. Inaddition, PCCW is also planningto extend the service to coverestates under the Tenants PurchaseScheme. TPCCW Solutions winsMiddle South Regional Air Traffic Management Bureaucontract to provide Control Tower Simulator solutionPCCW Solutions, a subsidiaryof Hong Kong'spremier telecommunicationsprovider, PCCW Limited, haswon a contract to provide theMiddle South Regional AirTraffic Management Bureauof Civil Aviation Administrationof China with a ControlTower Simulator (CTS) solution.PCCW Solutions will beresponsible for the design,delivery and implementationof the CTS system.PCCW Solutions has successfullyimplemented aCTS System for East ChinaRegional Air Traffic ManagementBureau of Civil AviationAdministration of Chinapreviously. Through this newcontract, PCCW Solutions’CTS solution footprint willbe extended to cover majorprovinces administered bythe Middle South and EastChina bureaus, including thetwo regional air traffic controlcenters in Shanghai andGuangzhou.The CTS solution, which providestraining for tower controllers,will simulate real-lifeair traffic environment basedon virtual reality technology,and support preparation,progress, recording, playbackand evaluation of training. Itwill help enhance civil aviationsafety through improvedtraining in terms of qualityand effectiveness.Mr. George Fok, PCCW Solutions’Managing Director,said, "The market potentialfor air traffic control systemsin China is huge in the wakeof burgeoning air traffic andthe expansion of airportinfrastructure in recent years.With our world-class technologiesand proven track recordin running large-scale and sophisticatedIT projects, PCCWSolutions will work closelywith the Air Traffic ManagementBureau to raise air trafficsafety and efficiency."The Middle South regionalbureau is one of the sevenregional units of the Air TrafficManagement Bureau ofCivil Aviation Administrationof China and is responsiblefor managing the airspace ofHenan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong,Guangxi and Hainanprovinces. T34 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Huawei’s SingleRAN solution to enhanceEverything Everywhere’s 2G NetworkHuawei, a leader in providingnext-generation telecommunicationsnetwork solutionsfor operators around theworld, today signed a contractwith Everything Everywhere- the UK’s largest communicationcompany - to enhance its2G network, which will resultin one of the most advanced,high-quality 2G networks inthe UK, significantly increasingnetwork capacity andcoverage for its customers.Huawei’s delivery of thisGSM (2G) Radio networkupgrade program will enablethe customers of EverythingEverywhere to look forward tosuperior network performancewith richer data experienceand higher speeds on the GSMnetwork. There will also be asignificant increase in coverageand network capacity,including indoor coverage.Customers can also expect HDvoice experience for voice callsin line with the UMTS (3G)network. The upgrade willalso prepare the EverythingEverywhere network for itsevolution to 4G or LTE in thecoming years.The deal is a milestone forHuawei, highlighting its transitionto becoming a significantnetwork supplier for mobileoperators in the UK. Throughthis rollout, Huawei willupgrade Everything Everywhere’sbase stations within aperiod of four years, not onlyoptimizing its GSM network,but future-proofing it throughits unique, flexible multi-nodecapabilities.Emin Gurdenli, Vice Presidentof Network Services, EverythingEverywhere said: “Huawei’scutting-edge technologyand professional, dedicatedteam with unrivalled globalRadio Access Network experiencewill enable us to rapidlyachieve our objective of buildingone of the biggest andbest mobile networks in theUK and providing our customerswith the best possiblenetwork experience.”“This contract marks a verysignificant milestone in theevolution of the UK mobilemarket and represents yet anothermajor breakthrough forHuawei in The European tierone wireless service providerarena,” said Victor Zhang,CEO of Huawei UK. “Huaweihas a proven track record inproviding cutting-edge mobilesolutions to operators acrossthe world. We are committedto becoming a seriousnetwork supplier for mobileoperators in the UK and arepleased to collaborate withEverything Everywhere, offeringan effective solution withfuture-proofed technologythat will improve voice qualityand network coverage for itscustomers across the UK.” THuawei Unveils the world's first 200GHuawei, a leader in providingnext-generationtelecommunications networksolutions for operatorsaround the world, hasannounced the launch ofthe world’s first 200G linecard for high-end routers.This high-performance linecard strengthens Huawei'shigh-end router clustering capabilitiesand will enable operatorsworldwide to deployultra-broadband networksover which users can enjoyhigh-quality cloud computing,mobile broadband, and HDvideo services.Cloud computing and networkvirtualization are challenginglegacy service channels.Operators are therefore ingreat need of larger-capacityand higher-efficiency"golden" service channelsto ensure premium serviceexperience. The deploymentHigh-Speed Line Card for routersof this 200G line card enableshigher network and powerefficiency for operators to effectivelyincrease bandwidth,while reducing operation andmaintenance (O&M) costs. Byusing Huawei’s self-developedSolar chipsets, including itshigh performance forwardingengine chipset, switchfabric chipset, and trafficmanagement chipset, intandem with new-generationenergy-saving technologiessuch as MIP (Macro Instructionfor Packet Processing),this innovative 200G line cardis able to achieve line-rateforwarding of services and isable to maintain a minimumpower consumption of lessthan 2.62 W per GE, which issignificantly lower than theindustry average.Hu Kewen, president ofHuawei's Carrier IP Sub-ProductLine, said, "Operators'demands for larger-capacityultra-broadband networks tocarry high-value services arethe catalyst behind our developmentof the 200G line card.Huawei is the only one in theindustry to hold 200G coretechnologies and readily helpsoperators build sustainable,future-proof convergencenetworks."This 200G line card, consistingof a mother cardand daughter card, will bedelivered with two types:2 x 100GE and 20 x 10GE.The mother card is backwardcompatible with the daughtercards of legacy 100G linecards, protecting customers'investments and facilitating asmooth evolution from 100Gto 200G. In addition, themother card supports multiplehot-swappable daughtercards for operators to choosefrom. When deployed on aRiad SandakliHuawei NE5000E high-endrouter, the new line cardenhances the port densityto 256 100GE ports or 256010GE ports, and improvesthe forwarding capability ofthe "2+8" NE5000E clustersystem to 50 Tbit/s. Thenew line card also enhancesthe bandwidth and clusterexpandability of theNE5000E for each slot tomeet operators' requirementsfor network expansion.Huawei's IP products and solutionsare providing servicesto the world's leading operatorsincluding China Mobile,China Telecom, China Unicom,France Telecom, DeutscheTelekom, British Telecom,Telefonica, SingTel, andEtisalat. According to a reportfrom Ovum, a consulting firm,Huawei was ranked third inthe world router market as ofthe fourth quarter of 2010.15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com35

Kalimat Offers a whole new arenaof value added service to its subscribers in Q3 of 2011Kalimat, being a strong presenceand a leader in Iraqin the 3 G and 4 G spectrum, isunveiling state-of-the-art andnovel services in the Iraqi market,which many more advancedcountries are yet to launch.These services will enableKalimat’s Iraqi subscribers, todo a lot more than just makecalls or use the internet withKalimat. The services include:money transfer (K-money); anonline store (K-store); an onlineIraqi social networking club (K-Club); and data storage services(K-Cloud).K-Club is a social networkingclub inside Kalimat where themembers can share thoughts,photos, videos and where theycan blog. It will be targetedspecifically to local Iraqis, andwill be a single stop for allsearch engines and products ofKalimat. Kalimat Club will alsobring to the forefront news, mediaand activities in Iraq whileletting its subscribers knowwhat is new and what isbest in Iraq. It will providenews and entertainment channelsfor its subscribers with allservice support provided withinthe K-Club site.K-Store is a virtual mall inIraq, providing access to manyproducts available worldwide.K-Store is the Mall or Cybershoppingcomplex in Iraq.The dealers and suppliers willhave a portal on the K-store toshowcase their products andKalimat Subscribers can buy theproducts using Kalimat Prepaidcards by paying into the portal,and choosing an outlet fromthe drop down menu the outletto be delivered with a smalldelivery charge.This facility will help Kalimatsubscribers shop online withouta Credit or Debit card, in acountry where their are nocredit cards or debit cards available;and will encourage Iraqi’sto buy within Iraq and thuslifting the Iraq economy.K-Money is your virtual money,providing flexibility to transfer,make payments and to makepurchases with the utmostWilson Varghesesecurity. K-money is redeemableat any bank or Kalimatauthorized outlet in Iraq.The list of outlets is providedfrom the Kalimat helpdesk orby SMS. K-money facilitatesmoney transfer betweensubscribers and can also beexchanged at approved automaticterminals for cash. Thisfacilitates payment settlementbetween Kalimat subscribersfor a variety of services. Forexample, if a Kalimat subscribertakes a taxi and if the taxidriver is a Kalimat Subscriberthe payment can be made byK-money. The taxi driver canthen pay for groceries or fuelthe same way, and the fuelstation or grocery store canvisit the bank or any Kalimatauthorizedoutlet to exchangethe K-money for cash.K-cloud from Kalimat is anultimate data storage solutionfor Kalimat subscribers. K-Cloudcan be used for a variety oftasks, from simple backingupof your phone contact listand data, to the huge securitydata storage and backuprequirements for the emergingcorporate environment of Iraq.All of this with the speed ofan intranet, and with a highlysecured data encryption. Thisservice facilitates eluding ofdata storage systems in the corporatepremises, and companiesand individuals can now dependon the responsible, secure andsafer K-Cloud.Mr. Wilson Varghese, CEO ofKalimat said “With this arrayof Value Added Services,Kalimat will be the operatorof choice in Iraq, by providingfull 3G and 4G services and alsorecognizing and responding toour Subscriber needs.” TT36 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

In recognition of its leadershipin providing the besttelecommunications services inthe region and its internationalgrowth strategy, STC receivedtwo prestigious accolades forBest Mobile Operator of theYear and Best Growth Story ofthe Year at the TMT Finance& Investment Middle EastAwards Ceremony at the RitzCarlton, Dubai last month.In addition, STC Group CEOEng. Saud Al Daweesh was honouredwith a special achievementaward for his outstandingcontribution to telecommunicationsin the Middle East andAsia.Thanking the TMT Awardscommittee, Eng. Al Daweeshsaid: "In accepting this award Ipay tribute to all my colleaguesIn continuation of its leadershipin the field of deliveringintegrated series of smartand tablet devices, within thecoming days STC will enablecustomers to benefit from themany applications available inthe BlackBerry App World store.The apps are for the differenttypes and models of BlackBerrydevices and are similar to thoseinstalled in other smart devices.This will enable STC Blackberrycustomers, who form the largestnumber in the kingdom, todownload whatever they wantfrom free apps, or buy apps thatneed fees to download, andenjoy a vast world of popularapplications.The prepaid and postpaidBlackBerry package has alreadywho have played their part inmaking STC one of the world'sleading telecommunicationscompanies. By teamwork, technologicalknow-how, marketingexpertise and customer focusedstrategy we have succeeded intaking STC beyond its nationalbeen made available by STCat an attractive competitiveprice monthly subscription feesthat includes 1000 Megabytesdata size to be used forreading email, websitesand BlackBerry Messenger,in addition to 5free Megabytes whenroaming internationally.STC has also createdthe WeeklyBlackBerry Packageto give newand currentSAWA andLANA customersthe advantageof enjoying this unique,easy and high flexible service atunprecedented rates, enablingborders and are now serving aninternational customer base of139 million in 10 countries."STC was a major participantamong the 50 companies representedat the TMT Finance& Investment Middle EastConference, held at the RitzSAWA and LANA Sim users ofBlackBerry devices to subscribeto the package that includes thepotentiality of 120 Megabytesof free data download, unlimitedusage of BlackBerrymessenger andemail. Thepackage doesnot include anyfree megabytesin case of internationalroaming.STC has previouslylaunched many differenttypes and sizes ofBlackBerry devices in theSaudi market, demonstratingthe company’s highcapability of keeping up todate with the latest versionssuch as models that include:Teletimes ReportSTC Group CEO Saud Al Daweeshhonored with Global Award for outstanding contribution totelecommunications industrySaudi Telecom Company enables customersto enjoy benefits of BlackBerry App World storeCarlton, Dubai InternationalFinancial Centre. Eng. Al Daweeshdelivered the Visionarykeynote speech on the subjectof The Growth Cycle.The Mobile Operator of theYear Award recognizes thatSTC is the leading telecommunicationsprovider in theregion and its market positionis consistently growing due toits superior expertise in mobiletechnology and the wide andcomprehensive range of mobileproducts and services offered.STC also clinched Best GrowthStory of the Year for its operationsin Indonesia under thebrand Axis. Axis has doubledits revenues in 2010 and alongwith the other overseas investmentsconstitutes 34% of STC'sturnover. TBlackBerry new Bold 9780 inwhite and black colors, Black-Berry Curve 3G in red and silverand BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 inblack and white.In addition, STC was first inthe market to introduce theBlackBerry Torch 9800 device,in red and white, which is thefirst smart phone in the worldthat correlates between theBlackBerry keyboard and thetouch-screen and the first alsothat uses the new BlackBerry 6system. Most recently, STC haslaunched the BlackBerry Curve3G 9300 with its elegant designand a miscellany of the best featuresand functions that is idealfor customers who want to stayconnected to social networkingsites. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com37

Saudi Telecom to invest$450m in Indonesia operationsState-owned Saudi TelecomCompany (STC), SaudiArabia’s largest phone operator,plans to invest around $450min its Indonesian operations, asenior executive said.The telco, which in Marchincreased its stake in Indonesia’sAxis, said it will look toincrease its broadband wirelessnetwork in the Southeast Asiancountry.“We are investing in expansionin Indonesia this year it will bein the region of $450m,” saidGhassan Hasbani, CEO, internationaloperations for SaudiTelecom.The investment will be fordebt financing and will beannounced in a few weeks,he said on the sidelines of anindustry event in Dubai.“We have investment taggedfor Indonesia because that’s abig growth market and we havea lot of growth potential in thatmarket,” Hasbani said.“We’re driving the companytowards broadband, we’refocusing on delivering whatothers may find difficult to deliverin the Indonesian marketgiven that there are a lot ofconstraints on bandwidth andcapacity.”STC faces increased competitionfrom Etihad Etisalat (Mobily)and Zain Saudi in its domesticmarket and is eying acquisitionsacross the Middle East, NorthAfrica and Gulf, said Hasbani.“We’re looking at other complementarymarkets wheneverthere is opportunities arise.We’re open to any opportunitywhether it’s a license or anacquisition of an existing operationanywhere in the MiddleEast, North Africa and Asiathat complements our currentportfolio.” TSTC launches QuicknetInternet packagesSTC announced that it has launched Quicknetpackages for mobile Internet servicesThe packages provide customerswith high flexibilityin selecting and transferringfrom one package to anotherunder the theme "We designedthe Internet the way you wantit". The packages cover keydevices such as PCs, smartdevices, tablets, and mobiles.Quicknet provides high flexibilityin using mobile Internetservices through its post-paidand pre-paid packages whichoffer many exclusive featuresbased on the customer'sdesires.The Action package providesunlimited and free usage atnight while the Express packageprovides one hour of freeuploading every day based onthe client's wishes. STC alsooffers a multiple chip servicewhich provides three Quicknetchips that work simultaneouslyfor the price of one. This willenable the customer to selectthe type of chip based on thedevice he wishes to use.These services are part of STC'seffort to provide its customerswith many choices based onthe company's integrated Internetnetwork and technology.The new STC services comewith high efficiency due tothe infrastructure supportfor broadband Internet in theKingdom. In addition, customerscan make use of new highspeed Internet services thatreach 42 mbps for uploadingdata in those areas covered bythe new speeds. TT38 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Teletimes ReportHRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, inaugurates Arab Advisors'8th Annual Media & Telecoms Convergence Conference:500 senior executives to deliberate current industry trendsUnder the royal patronage of HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, the 8th Annual Media andTelecoms Convergence Conference held on June 6th & 7th 2011 in Amman in the context of a continuedand accelerating mobile broadband boom in the Arab World. The conference is attended by500 delegates from around 150 companies spanning 23 countries.HRH Princess Sumaya bint ElHassan, inaugurated twodays' 8th Annual Media andTelecommunications ConvergenceConference in Ammanat the Four Seasons Hotel. Themassive two-day conferencebrought together top regionaland global media and telecomsindustry executives.For the first time ever, theArabic language has become anasset for growing technologybusinesses. That was the messagedelivered by HRH PrincessSumaya Bint El Hassan in herkeynote address to the Conference.Praising the work of Jordanianentrepreneurs in puttingArabic online, the Princesssaid Arabic onlinecontent is expected togrow dramatically in thecoming years as morethan 320 millionArabic speakersdemand far morethan the one percentof global online contentthat is currently providedin Arabic: “I am delightedto say that Jordan is thetop contributor of Arabiconline content today with over75% of the region’s Arabic contentoriginating in the Kingdom,”said the Princess, “but there isenormous potential for growth.”In her speech titled "Listeningand Leveraging: New ConversationsWith The Arab World",15Jun - 14Jul 2011HRH told over 500 delegatesfrom 14 Arab countries thatthe Arab World had changeddramatically since their lastmeeting in 2010: “Our world isdynamic; it is demanding; andit is ambitious. It is fuelled bypassion and it is empowered bytechnology. It is creative, it ishopeful and it is not going backto the isolation of the past.”The Princess added that newmeans of expression, particularlySocial Media, had revolutionisedthe way people and businessescommunicate with each otherand with the market, and theway the market makesitspreferencesFor the first time ever,the Arabic language hasbecome an asset for growingtechnology businesses.That was the messagedelivered by HRH PrincessSumaya Bint El Hassan inher keynote address to theConference.known:“Leverag- ing this newlandscape is the key to ourcompanies’ and our communities’future progress and prosperity.”Princess Sumaya said that inbusiness, and in life, the Arabworld was crying out for meaningfuland rewarding conversations:“And we all have our partsto play in making sure theyhappen.”The Princess pointedout that the convergenceof trans-nationalsatellite television channelsand the Internet was alreadyaffecting consumption, politics,the public sphere and almostevery aspect of the daily lives ofArabs: “Media diffusion is buildinga broader choice of contentthat is oblivious to state bordersand blind to cultural difference.Diverse worlds are colliding andan astounding array of connectionsare being made betweenArabs and the wider world. Theextraordinary immediacy ofthis new technology has builta framework for following andanalysing developments as neverbefore.”The Princess veleborated thefact that as the boundariesbetween media and telecom operatorswere becoming evermoreblurred, under-represented sectionsof society, such as womenand young people, were gaininga new and durable prominence.Delegates at the official openingceremony were also addressedby Dr. Khaled Lahham, SecretaryGeneral, Ministry of ICT, and onthis occasion he said: “Convergencepresents the Jordanianlocal ICT sector with a great opportunitythat we cannot affordto ignore. We will continue toContd. on page 40www.teletimesinternational.com39

Mohammed Omran,Chairman of Etisalathas participated in the ArabAdvisors Group’s 8th Mediaand Telecoms Convergence conferencewhich took place underthe patronage of HRH PrincessSumaya bint El Hassan, Presidentof El Hassan Science Cityand the Royal Scientific Societyin Amman this week. Here hecontributed to the keynotepanel discussion on the “Stateof the Industry – Reflections of2010-11 and beyond”.In his speech, Omran saidthat: “2010 was a challengingyear for everyone, althoughgrowth was still apparent inthe telecoms and technologyindustries. This indicates thatour sector has resilience and isstill performing strongly. This isbeing driven by the success ofInternet services which are fuellingdemand for capacity andthe need to develop networksto accommodate increasingContd. from page 39focus on enabling the regulatoryenvironment to embraceconvergence through the currentrevision of the governmentstatement of public policy thisyear.”“The 2011 edition of the convergenceconference is effectivelya post-convergence conference.Convergence has already happenedwhere the media andtelecom industries have movedfrom having un-shared certaintiesto shared uncertainties inthat the new business modelsare still developing in the contextof blurring lines betweenhitherto distinct verticals.” Mr.Jawad J. Abbassi, Arab Advisorsconsumption.”He predicted: “In the comingperiod we will witness a seriesof mergers involving smalland medium-sized operatorswhich may transform them intopowerful regional competitors.This is especially likely aspenetration rates are very highin some markets which is limitinggrowth opportunities in theregion.”Omran continued saying: “Theevolution of technology andthe introduction of advancedservices is happening soquickly that mobile phonesFounder and General Managersaid. “The Arab Advisors Groupis very pleased to have the continuedsupport of HRH PrincessSumaya Bint Al Hassan, whichunderscores the importance sheplaces on advancing the TMTindustries in Jordan and theMENA region at large.” Mr. Abbassiadded. “The Arab AdvisorsMedia and Telecoms ConvergenceConference has becomethe primary annual event forbringing together the media andtelecoms industries as evidencedby the strong support from thesponsors and the level and numbersof attendees” Mr. Abbassinoted.have become more than justdevices for making calls. Theyare developing into increasinglypowerful mobile computersthat can be taken anywhereand which enable Internetbrowsing and access to sophisticatedservices at any time.”He added: “Convergence betweentelecommunications andthe media is therefore inevitableand is resulting in a leap indemand for data and content.We see a doubling in the sizeof the market and this willcreate a major challenge forour industry as we search for anew economic model that willsupport a sustainable futurefor the Internet and communications.”Mohammed Omran said: “Etisalathas great experience inintroducing technologies andprovisioning services and hasplayed a great role in meetingthe needs of customers.This has been proven timeMost Arab countries openedup their markets for multipleplayers, greatly enhancingcompetition and increasing thenumber and quality of services.By May 2011, 14 out of 19 Arabcountries had fully competitivecellular markets, with the exceptionof Lebanon, Libya, Syria,Qatar and the UAE- which hadcellular duopolies. Fixed serviceslag, however, with only fourcountries having competitivefixed telephony markets. Moreover,14 countries had competitiveInternet markets and only 4countries had duopoly Internetmarkets.On the broadcast media front,Teletimes ReportEtisalat Participates in the Arab Advisors Group’s8th Media and Telecoms Convergence Conference“A new and innovative economic model is required for the development of the sector involvingtelecoms companies, content providers and application developers”and again whether throughour next-generation fiberopticfixed-line network, or 4Gwireless broadband infrastructures.”Etisalat’s chairman concluded:“Etisalat is investing billionsof dollars to establish fiberopticinfrastructure in the UAEto meet the growing demandfor data traffic and especiallyvideo services. This will ensurethat the UAE is the world’s firstfully fiber-connected country.We will also continue to rollout our mobile infrastructureand international networkswhich have helped transformthe UAE into the regional hubfor the Internet.”The Arab Advisor Group’sMedia and Telecoms Convergenceconference aims to shedlight on the post-convergenceera. Hundreds of leading figuresfrom the telecoms sectorparticipated in the conferencethis year. Tthe number of Free to Air (FTA)satellite channels in the ArabWorld continues to grow andreached 538 FTA channels byApril 2011. The FTA landscapehas grown by 438% betweenJanuary 2004 and April 2011.The main sponsor of the 8thMedia and Telecoms ConvergenceConference was Zain. Theannual conference also receivedthe support and sponsorships ofQualcomm, ARABSAT, Motorola,Umniah, Ericsson, Orangeand Oracle. Teletimes Internationalwas the media partner to8th Annual Media and TelecomsConvergence Conference. T40 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Etisalat awarded Best Mobile Operatorfor the second year successively and Eng Alabdoolirecognized as CEO of the YearEtisalat Misr has beenawarded “Mobile Operatorof the Year” and Eng. SalehAlabdooli, CEO and ManagingDirector of the company waschosen “CEO of the Year” atthe 2010 DG awards for thetwo successive years as part ofthe DG awards which recognizesexcellence and outstandingperformance of companies,movies, and songs through athorough survey that is carriedout over the internet, whereall segments of the society arefree to express their opinionson who they see the best.Mr. Maged Hosny, chairman ofDG Group stated that it is nosurprise that “Etisalat Misr”was able to win this year’saward for its leading and innovativerole in providing thebest bundles of products andservices in a market known tobe one of the most competitivemarkets. He continued,led by Eng. Saleh Alabdooli“Etisalat Misr” delivered onthe promise they made sinceinception to revolutionize themobile and internet services inEgypt.Engineer/ Salih Alabdooli,CEO and Managing Directorof “Etisalat Misr” said we areproud to receive this prestigiousawards and we wouldlike to present these awards toEtisalat`s Board of Directors ,the employees of this companyand our clients who made thishappened.Alabdooli added “EtisalatMisr” has won for a lot ofreason, mainly for the outstandingrange of products,services, and market offeringsthe company availed in afiercely competitive market,in addition to its highest ratioof year-on-year increase innumber of new subscribersor existing subscribers fromcompetitors.Industry Experts reverted tothe huge decline in the costof all services since “EtisalatMisr” started its operationin the market, in addition tothe fair competition” EtisalatMisr” led in providing thehighest added value in itsservices to its subscribers. Thisresulted in a strong competitionin the market on delightingthe customers, and leadingto a positive effect not onlyfor Etisalat’s subscriber base,but for the whole Egyptian ICTsector as a whole.Etisalat tariff “Ro’ya” (Arabicword for Vision), addressingthe hearing impaired andthose with inability to speakcommunity, and its service“Etisalat Masmou”(Arabic word forHeard), addressingthe visuallyimpaired communityand providedfor free for thefirst time in theMiddle East, wereboth recognizedby the e-surveyparticipants, whopraised “EtisalatMisr” direction towardsaddressingthese importantsegments of oursociety that werenever looked upon before inthe market. Our special needscommunity is “reconnect” backto the society, and enjoy thelatest mobile technology andinternet applications.Survey Participants alsopraised Eng. Saleh Alabdooli’scontinuous efforts to lead“Etisalat Misr” in an effectivemanner that resulted inestablishing a state-of-the-artnetwork with the latest thirdgeneration technology 3.75GNahid Mudathir HassanSaleh Abdoolithat took internet speed to anew level, as well as his greatcapacity to lead “Etisalat Misr”to outstanding and unprecedentedmilestones and breakthroughsin terms of expansions,growth rates, at the timewhere everybody was talkingabout the difficulties that thethird operator will face.The survey also stated thatEtisalat was not only capableof competing with players whohave been in the market forover 10 years, but was alsoable to lead the market to newtransformations in the leveland sophistication of services,as well as fairness to consumers.It is worth mentioning that“Etisalat Misr” was awarded in2010 the “African Mobile Operatorof the Year” award forthe second year in a row in theyearly CommsMEA Awards,as well as a wide range ofawards in different disciplinessuch as “Best Customer Carein the World” at the GenesysAwards, “Excellence in ITTransformation Awards”, and“Best Community ProgramAward” at the 6th CSR SummitAwards to name a few. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com41

Dr. Ali Singel inauguratesthe first 2011 Al Multaqa Seminar Series under du’sEmiratisation programme ‘Masar’Presided by the award winningmedical veteran, Dr.Ali Singel, Head of MedicalServices at Dubai Police andhost of Dubai TV’s ‘Vitamin’programme, du launched thefirst Al Multaqa Seminar seriesfor 2011. Building on thesuccess of the 2010 Al MultaqaSeminar series, the meetingsaim to give Emirati freshgraduates who are enrolled indu’s Masar programme, andthose who have already graduatedfrom the course and arecurrently working in du, theopportunty to meet pioneeringEmiratis across varioussectors in the UAE, to havean open discourse and benefitfrom their extensive experience.“Managing Relations in workenvironments and the impacton occupational health” wasthe topic on the agenda duringthe inaugural session of AlMultaqa’s 2011 seminars, heldrecently at du’s head office alAl Salam Tower. The meetingprovided attendees with anopportunity to interact withindustry leaders, including du’sDirector of Medical and OccupationalHealth Services, Dr.Mansoor Anwar, one of thespeakers in attendance. 2011’sseries of Al Multaqa Seminarscommemorates the fifth yearof du’s Masar programme; furtherreiterating du’s commitmentand position as a leadingemployer of choice.Relaying his valuable insightsto the seminar’s attendees, Dr.Ali Singel commended du’s effortsin the scope of Emiratisationand shed light on the importanceof work- life balancein any professional workplace:“I am delighted to take partin the seminar and share myexperience, which is a testamentto du’s commitment toEmiratisation and true nationalleadership. We recognisethe importance of ensuringa healthy work life balance foreach individual employee thatresults in a highly productiveworkforce, and we believe theright environment, guidanceand knowledge are the keyingredients to make this happen.”The seminar provided day-todayexamples and practicaladvice for young professionalson how to become successfulindividuals within theworkplace. In addition, Dr.Mansoor Anwar delivered apresentation stressing thepsychological and physicalconsequences of work relatedstress. In order to avoid suchconsequences, Dr. Anwar advisesorganisations to clearlydefine employee’s roles and responsibilities,ensure that theworkload is in line with workers’capabilities and resources,and design jobs that provideopportunities for workers touse their skills.Dr. Anwar also highlightedthe importance of giving staffthe opportunity to participatein decisions affecting theirpositions as well as improvinginternal communicationto reduce the uncertainty offuture employment prospects.In addition, social interactionwithin the workforce shouldalso be encouraged and theorganization of work schedulesshould be compatible withthe demands from outside theworkplace.“Given the hectic pace of lifeof today it is a fact that stressis part of our everyday lives.Organisations need to worktogether with their staff toencourage motivation andensure that their workplaceis productive, while relievingsome of the stresses we arefaced with on a daily basis.The benefits of a happy andfruitful workforce is tremendouswith less time lost due tosickness and other psychologicalside effects”, commentedDr. Mansoor Anwar, Directorof Medical and OccupationalHealth Services at du.Dr. Anwar offered some advicefor employees looking torelieve stress, including takingtime for energizing activities,making friends in and outof the office, taking a walk,booking a vacation to lookforward to and most importantlyto ask for help from acolleague if needed.Entering its 5th year of operation,‘Masar’ is a programmefor UAE nationals at du,and contains a set of sixdevelopment programmes,in alignment with the employeegrade and qualification.The programmes are aimedtowards developing not onlythe technical skills, but alsodevelop soft and businesslanguage skills. T42 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

High Speed Broadband and VODdelivery named hot topics at broadbandworld forum Asia 2011The key to successful highspeed broadband penetrationin the Asia-Pacific regionis strong government supportand a clear regulatory vision,said industry expert GiorgioMigliarina at last month BroadbandWorld Forum Asia 2011.The world’s largest broadbandevent for the Asia-Pacificregion, which took place 10-11May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia– co-located with IP&TV WorldForum Asia 2011 - saw morethan 2000 experts from 55countries come together to discussprofiting from investmentinto high speed broadband asan enabler of social and economicgrowth in the region.Giorgio Migliarina, chief technologyand innovation officerat Telekom Malaysia, kicked offthe show’s keynote presentationsdiscussing Maximisinghigh speed broadband penetration.Addressing old industrypredictions that the futurewas entirely mobile, Migliarinasuggested that the drasticallychanging nature of consumerbehaviour actually meant that“the future of data is fixed,[and that as] data traffic continuesto grow, countries mustconsider fiber deployment as astrategic investment.”Summarising his presentation,Migliarina concluded: “Governmentand regulators have tointervene to ensure investmentsin developing countries,and the right models must beinformed by local market needsand balance stakeholders’ expectations.”Another hot topic of conversationat the show was one thatWing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications,addressed in hisDay One presentation TacklingVOD delivery challenges tomultiple platforms (PC, TV andMobile). Discussing the keyglobal trends in television services– convergence of digitalTV and internet connection,interactivity and on-demand,and personalisation – Lee examinedthe next generation ofTV experience and concludedthat “Hybrid delivery is key”.Gavin Whitechurch, directorof the Broadband WorldSeries, commented: “BroadbandWorld Forum Asia provides theindustry with a place to discussand share its knowledge andpredictions for the region.“Following its absence fromthe industry calendar lastyear, it was great to see theshow spark debates amongstdelegates, and the feedbackfrom those who attended hasbeen incredible – we’re alreadylooking forward to planningBroadband World Forum Asia2012.”Next year the show will remainin Malaysia and will be takingplace on 15-16 May 2012 at theMandarin Oriental Hotel, KualaLumpur. TT15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com43

Robin BurtonOne size does not fit allIf operators are prepared to offer a flexible array of services that aretailored to individuals, they stand a better chance of increasing ARPUsand reducing churnBasic telephony services are becomingcommodities. Developmentssuch as number portabilitymean the traditional barriersthat tended to prevent subscribersswitching easily betweensuppliers have been eroded andprices have been pushed down.To make things worse, therehas been no compensation forthe lower prices in terms ofincreased subscriber usage.Mobile data held out the promiseof increased revenue for awhile. However, now the majorbenefit seems to be reaped bythe application developers andapplication store providers.Operators are increasingly beingrelegated to becoming just a ‘bitpipe’.In such a commodity market,prices inevitably tend to be low.When the average subscribersees little appreciable differencebetween different networksand their offerings, he or she isall the more prepared to switchbetween suppliers whenever,and as often, as there is a perceivedbenefit elsewhere — evenif such a benefit lasts only for ashort period.For subscribers, it’s increasinglya matter of ‘take advantageof the latest offer — and thenmove on to the next.’ And who’sto blame then if that’s how theindustry is marketing itself?A cool responseOne common operator responseto subscriber switching has beento invest heavily in branding.Unfortunately though, in manycases, such exercises have beenabout trying to persuade usersthat the services on offer arebetter than they actually are.All too often, campaigns alsoinvolve saturation advertising,sports sponsorship and ‘cool’design, with endorsementsby pop singers, film stars andcelebrities’ as other popularmethods.However, mobile phone subscribersare certainly sophisticated— and often cynical— consumers and the evidenceis that, although brandingexercises can call attention tonew players in the market, theydo little to increase usage or tobuild customer loyalty.The reality is that, in the longterm, the promotion of ‘cool’just isn’t good enough. Like anice lolly in the sun, it simplycan’t last. Fashion is, by itsnature, a transitory, ephemeral,fast and fickle thing. In otherwords, probably not the wagonto which a serious company init for the long term, would wantor ought, to hitch its star.The point is that brandingexercises can be useful, but onlyas part of a cogent strategicapproach to the market. Thebrand is the promise and oncepeople are persuaded to try outa service they must discoversubstance behind the marketingblandishments. They mustgain some genuine advantage. Ifthere isn’t any, they are going tolook for it elsewhere.Sources of advantageThe big money question, ofcourse, is how is such advantageto be delivered? After all,most subscribers will not appreciatedifferences in networkquality between one operatorand another. The plain factis that many such differencesare so subtle that, in termsof consumer experience, thegreat majority of users simplywouldn’t be able to differentiatebetween them.Meanwhile, the old notion ofcompeting on price terms is asurefire recipe for long-term disaster.In the end, pricing warsare always won by the companywith the lowest costs and deepestpockets.However, little things can meana lot. In fact, they can make allthe difference between winningor losing a subscriber. They canhelp to justify a price premiumover competitors. However,these ‘little things’ are often44 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

personal, and what’s importantto one customer may well be ofcomplete disinterest to another.Lost in confusionLet me give you an example.Fairly recently I found myselfhaving — for the very firsttime — to buy a mobile phonefor personal use. Please thoughbear in mind that I am experiencedin the ways of thescenario is repeated all over theplace and countless unknownmultiples of sales opportunitiesgo down the pan. People willnot buy when they are confused,it’s a simple as that.It’s a truism I know, butmodern life is very complexand everyone has a lot to copewith. Everyone has many, andmultiplying, calls on their time.any SMS message sent to thechild’s phone, perhaps we wouldalso allow the child to call theirparents even if they had nocredit. We might even add theability for parents to restrict thenumbers that the child coulddial or indeed, even restrict thenumbers that could dial theirchild. These features would giveparents a strong set of reasonsto use the service, which developsa clear place for the servicein the user’s mind.That simple and clear position isalso easily communicable by theuser to associates and friends —and word-of-mouth recommendationscan be massively moreeffective than any amount ofexpensive advertising, celebrityendorsements, or sponsorship.technology as I have been usingbusiness mobiles since the early1990s when they first becamelight enough to carry.It was a Saturday morning asI strode purposefully along aBritish high street looking to getmyself all mobiled-up. On enteringthe first of several phonesshops on that fashionablethoroughfare, I was confrontedby walls festooned floor-to withdifferent handsets and advertsfor different tariff packages. Inten minutes I was confused.And after fifteen, was terminallybaffled. I had absoluteno idea which package wouldbe right for me and neither didthe shop’s staff, who were: (a)not particularly helpful; and (b)apparently even more confusedabout the choices on offer thanI was.Not surprisingly I voted with myfeet and walked out — withouta phone.Now that was a single salesopportunity lost. Everyday, thatOn a day-to-day basis, it meansthat unless something is ofearth-shattering importance tous we are very unlikely to spenda lot of time and effort in understandingit. What is neededare product solutions that areaimed at us and are tailored forus as individuals.Divide and conquerTo be able to provide that, it isnecessary to divide customersinto different groups with differentcharacteristics, then providethe services and applicationsthat they want and will value.This may well mean constructinga bundle of services and brandingidentity for each group.For example, as service providerswe could launch a packagefor children, the fist-time usersof the network. The decisionto purchase is going to bemade by their parents so, thesensible thing is to focus ontheir concerns. Knowing that wemight launch a package wherethe parents were copied withfor choosing our network.Or we could launch a packagefor the owners of small businesses.In this case we mightgive them two numbers for asingle phone. This would allowthem to treat business callsdifferently. They might want, forexample, to direct business callsto voice mail outside of businesshours, while still acceptingcalls from family and friends.We might also give them theability to have their colleagueslog on to role- based phonenumbers. This might mean thatone member of staff could logon to be responsible for supportover the weekend. We couldalso send them a list of numbersthat had called them while theywere on other calls, or out ofservice for some reason.In each case, the branding foreach service can be much betterfocused and therefore muchmore powerful. Furthermore,behind the gloss of the brandingis a real reason for subscribersEncouraging new habitsThus it could well prove remarkablyeffective to build ARPU byencouraging new behaviouralpatterns among subscribers.For example, students mightbe encouraged to phone homemore often if offered short-termtow rates or free minutes tospecific numbers. Once a newhabit is established, the operatoris then able either to reducethe discounts and/or offer newservices.The point is that subscriberscan be wooed into long evenpermanent, increased ARPUif operators are prepared tooffer a flexible array of servicesthat are relevant to them asindividuals and accompanied bygentle price rises invoked at thesubscribers’ request, When subscribersknow that the servicesdeliver clear, tangible benefits,are easy to use and understand,and cost comparatively littleto trial then take-up should besteady and progressive. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com45

Cloud Computingset to revolutionise IT market sharesRevenues predicted to increase steadily.Cloud to maximise computing efficiencyThe next three years will seemassive improvements ascloud computing enables organisationsto cut IT costs by 50%and improve capital utilisationby 75%. Cloud environmentsare gradually being adopted byorganisations across the GCCand it will be only a matter oftime before the cloud revolutionreaches its peak. The InternationalData Corporation (IDC),the premier global marketintelligence and advisory firmfor the information technologyindustry, estimates a 25%growth clip on the sale of publicclouds alone.According to the latest marketsurvey by IDC, the public cloudsegment is set to flourish. It isexpected to generate close to$16 billion in annual revenuesand increase to about $56 billionin annual revenues, withcloud servers growing froman $8.4 billion opportunity in2010 to a $12.6 billion marketin 2014.The cloud computing revolutionis making its way through tomainstream technology and willsoon be the core of IT infrastructure.New software firmscoming into the market willbe built around SaaS servicecomposition and delivery andwill account for a major chunkof net growth in the softwaremarket.Where vendors see cloud asthreat or challenge, due to marketgrowth and leadership disruption,CIOs and CTOs will seeit as an opportunity which willpropel the growth and scope ofthe IT market and in turn, helpgenerate advanced applicationsand successfully penetrate smalland medium enterprises. As aresult, industry leadership ranksare bound to fluctuate anddeveloping a cloud strategy willprovide an edge."Cloud computing is no longer afad, it is enabling the SME sectorto have access to enterpriseclass hardware and softwareat fraction of cost," said AjayRathi, Senior Manager of ITInfrastructure at Damac Groupin the UAE, on the influence ofcloud computing in the region.Validating this point, SiamakKia, General Manager Abu Dhabi,GBM says, "GBM is proud tobe part of the 3rd InternationalCloud Computing Summit whichwill allow IT professionals toexchange knowledge on how tomake Cloud Computing workfor them". "At GBM we firmlybelieve that Cloud Computinghas come of age in the regionand has the power to makesignificant changes to our ITenvironment. Itis events suchas this that helpIT professionalsdrive Cloud Computingstrategieswithin theirorganisationsand understandhow to capitaliseon the benefitsthat it is able toprovide to them."The 3rd InternationalCloudComputingSummit - AbuDhabi is focusedon helping ITprofessionalsand executiveswith their cloud based requirementsby bringing together theexperience of experts from theindustry.The summit feature some of thebiggest names in the industrythat are looking to advance therange of IT service and scopein the GCC market and helpprofessionals establish a morestable and responsive relationshipwith clients. This year'ssummit will bring togetherCIOs, CTOs and CISOs from organisationsincluding Musanada- Abu Dhabi Government, Etisalat,Dubai American Academy,ADCO, Majid Al Futtaim, PayPal- an eBay Company, Qatar SteelCompany, New York UniversityAbu Dhabi, Madinah KnowledgeEconomic City KSA, DubaiAluminium Company Limited,Damac Group, Health AuthorityAbu Dhabi and RW Armstrongand Associates.Attendees provided with theopportunity to put questionsto the experts and take part inlively discussions. The programmeis designed to includeas many networking opportunitiesas possible to sharechallenges and experiences andtake away strategies to achieveorganisational goals.The 3rd International CloudComputing Summit - Abu Dhabiis an IIR Middle East initiativewhich is aimed at educatingprofessionals on leveraging thepower of cloud computing tofoster operational efficiency intheir organisations. The summitheld, at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi,UAE. T46 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Orange Jordan takesdigital content to new heightsThe company expands on its Mobile TV package with HD streamingfrom a variety of popular TV channelsNayla KhawamCEO - Orange JordanOrange Jordan has announcedthe launch of anew bundle of services in thearena of Mobile TV, which willoffer subscribers access a richrepository of digital content.The event was headed by thecompany's CEO Nayla Khawamand Marketing Director WasfiSafadi, in addition to variousrepresentatives of the localmedia and online activists.During the conference, Khawamdiscussed the rapidly growingdemand for digital content andthe crucial role it plays in thedevelopment of our local communities.She explained thatQ1 2011 witnessed a noticeableincrease in the consumption ofonline content, whether throughpersonal computers or mobilephones."We were the first to introduce3G+ technology to the Jordanianmarket, a move that substantiallyspurred the consumptionof digital content," commentedKhawam. "Our role, however, isnot solely limited to the supplyof high-speed Internet connectionsthat provide easy accessto content, but also in devisingcreative services that redefinethe quality and variety of digitalcontent, as well as the channelsthrough which it is delivered."Khawam then unveiled the newplatform recently launched byOrange Jordan within its MobileTV package, which streamsHD content from a variety oftelevision channels in competitively-pricedoffers that cater tovarious consumer groups. Thechannels streamed through thishighly varied platform are Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiyya, France 24Arabic, MBC 1 -- which has anexclusive content syndicationagreement with Orange, MelodyHits, Melody Drama, MelodyMovies, in addition to NaghamTelevision, which streamsthe Star Academy programexclusively through Orange.The company also intends tocontinue expanding its MobileTV platform by adding morechannels in the future."This new platform will allowour subscribers, irrespective oftheir interests, to access a varietyof rich and popular content.The addition of new channels toour Mobile TV HD service demonstratesour deep understandingof our subscribers, whichcontinually drives us to utilizeour high-tech infrastructure inorder to cater to their needs.This is precisely why OrangeJordan remains a pioneer ofgroundbreaking services."Orange Jordan began providinginnovative digital contentservices in late February 2010after signing an exclusive agreementwith MBC to stream anassortment of the channel'sprograms and series to Orangesubscribers. This was followedby a similar agreement withAl Jazeera Sports to streamcontent during the 2010 WorldCup. This concept was expandedwith the "Real Madrid" assortmentof services, which allowsReal Madrid's fans to stayapprised of club news througheasily accessible video segmentsdownloadable directly to theirmobile handsets. These includegoals, training sessions andcelebrations, as well as Real Madridteam wallpapers, images,animations and games. Thepackage also includes a specialring-back tone service with arich backlog of club anthems.Teletimes ReportRecently, the company launchedits Star Academy service, whichallows subscribers with theunique opportunity to enjoyunlimited access to the 8thseason of the popular TV showthrough their mobile phones andcomputers.Khawam emphasized the factthat the prices of OrangeJordan's Mobile TV HD offersare tailored to suit variousconsumer groups, explaining:"We believe that new communicationtechnologies should bemade accessible to all; after all,our prime objective at OrangeJordan is to simplify the waypeople communicate."Orange Jordan's prepaid subscriberscan access the newservice through three subscriptionoptions: a two-day packagefor 99 piasters, a weekly packagefor JD 2.99, or a monthlypackage for JD 4.99. Post-paidsubscribers can subscribe on amonthly basis for JD 4.99. Ineither case, activation of theservice requires a 3G-capablehandset."Through this offer, we alsoseek to target the youth segment,which is amongst our toppriorities at Orange Jordan,"concluded Wasfi Safadi. "Moreover,we recently launched the'Min El Akher' mobile offer forthis particular segment, whichoffers subscribers 1250 on-netminutes per week, in additionto 25 off-net minutes and 25MBfor Facebook and Twitter browsing-- all for the great price ofJD 1.5 per week. The offer alsocomes with an attractive tariffon local calls and a variety ofspecial discounts." T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com47

Head of Egypt's Wind Telecom expectsVimpelcom board seats in 6 monthsNaguib Sawiris' firm will ask Russian mobile operator for seats at first shareholdermeeting following its takeover of Orascom Telecom and WindWind Telecom'schairman sees thecompany getting three seatson Russian mobile operatorVimpelcom's board withinsix months if an existingshareholders agreement isscrapped.Egyptian tycoon NaguibSawiris' firm will ask Vimpelcomfor the seats in thefirst shareholders' meetingafter any cancellation of theagreement, which gives keyVimpelcom stakeholders Altimoand Telenor three boardseats each."Sawiris explained ... thatWind has a 34 per centvoting right, by virtue ofthe deal, which gives it aright to get three seats onVimpelcom's board, and suchprocedures could end withinsix months," the report said.A spokeswoman for OrascomTelecom, which is owned byWind, confirmed the report.Sawiris became a 30.6 percent shareholder in Vimpelcomlast month after Russia'sNo. 3 mobile phone operatorclosed a more than US$6 billiondeal for Wind Telecom,including Orascom Telecomand Italy's Wind.Vimpelcom's key Russianshareholder Altimo said inApril it expected to scrap a2009 shareholder agreementwith Norway's Telenor toallow Sawiris roughly equalrights in Vimpelcom. TEgypt bustsillegaltelecomsnetworkAn Egyptian military courtsentenced 16 people to jail forestablishing an illegal telecom networkenabling phone calls via Israel. Localmedia reported, that an Israeli andtwo Palestinians were among thosesentenced to 15 years in jail for thenetwork.The state-owned daily newspaper saidthat two Egyptians, Ahmed Metwalliand Ahmed al-Badri, were jailed for 15years, while the Israeli and Palestinianswere sentenced in absentia.Terms ranging from four months toone year were handed to 11 peoplewhile 11 others were acquitted, thenewspaper reported.The group is said to have set up a telecommunicationnetwork that allowedcallers to make unauthorized internationalcalls through Israel, costing thestate-owned Egypt Telecom some 280million Egyptian pounds ($47 million)in losses. Analysts feel the move ispositive and is likely to hold those accountablefor illegal activity.“We are definitely watching the proceedingsbecause it is important to thefuture of telecom market in Egypt,”said Ismail Ramadan, a securitiesanalyst based in Cairo. “Because withso much corruption and illegal activity,there needs to be accountability andthis is a good start.” T48 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Omantel Business, thecorporate business armof Omantel, is offering highlyeffective and value for moneyweb hosting services designedto help business owners on lowbudgets to enjoy the benefits ofhaving their own website.As a division committed tohelping the business community,Omantel Business has establishedits web hosting facilityto help business owners enjoyenhanced productivity andefficiency by establishing themselveson the internet with thesecured Omantel Infrastructure.Omantel Business providescompanies with a high qualityservice includes fast, reliableand secure servers with featurerichhosting package includingfree domain name and free mailboxesthat have an Anti Virus &Anti Spam solutions.The Webhosting service fromOmantel is also a cost effectivesolution with plans startingfrom RO 8 to RO 30 permonth depending on the scopeand storage and data transferrequired by the business – andthe service is available in threeattractive packages.Musab Al Haddabi, ProductManager of the Product DevelopmentDepartment of OmantelBusiness said: “Today, Omantelis the preferred choice for localbusiness websites hosting as itis secured and provides roundthe clock support for the businessowners and help them toregister their own web addressand show them how to createand establish their own websitein just a few minutes using theeasy to follow Omantel tutorial.”Omantel Business guaranteesthe safety and security of thehosted websites through firewallswhich are able to safeguardsensitive information andprovide shared SSL certificatesand encryption. The hostedWebsites can also be backed upin different geographic locationsas well.Mr. Al Haddabi added: “Securitymeasures are implemented proactivelyat Omantel’s webhostingservers, unlike other WebHosting companies where thesemeasures are not taken intoconsideration. We have implementedin-house measures thatensure security of all our serversin order to ensure continuousoperation, highest serviceperformance, reliability and dataintegrity and full Data backupsare conducted daily to preventdata loss”.“SSL certificates are alsoincluded to ensure secured connectivityfor uploading websitecontent with up to unlimiteddata transfer. The Webhostingservice includes free Emails thatare secured using state-of-theartanti-spam/ anti-virus solutionagainst external harmfulthreats.”Companies who wish to registertheir free domain name shouldvisit and apply at www.omnic.omOmantel Business has tens ofthousands of corporate customersacross the country with aTeletimes ReportOmantel offers cost effective web hosting servicefor medium & small companieskey to this success and growthits commitment to deliveringpersonal service througha highly trained and qualifiedteam who offer highly focusedand personalized services toBusiness customers.The services offered to the corporatesegment include ADSL,mobile postpaid plans, leasedlines, 3.5G Data plans, IP MPLS,Internet Leased Lines, Email &Web Hosting and InternationalPrivate Leased Circuits. TOman praises Bahrain’s excellencein eGovernment servicesThe 4th Government eServicesExhibition in Sultanateof Oman concluded, in whichBahrain showcased the keyservices offered by the Governmentalentities in the Kingdomof Bahrain.The exhibition was inauguratedby Mohammed bin Al Zubair,Economic Planning Advisorto His Majesty Al Sultan, andtoured the pavilions includingthe Kingdom of Bahrain e-Government Authority Pavilion,where he praised the efforts ofthe Kingdom of Bahrain in thisarea and its initiatives towardsthe e-transformation in thesociety.The Kingdom of Bahrain pavilionat COMEX 2011 demonstratedthe latest and cutting-edgeICT products that provide integratede-Government servicesintroducing the advanced levelof services offered to citizens,residents, businesses and visitorsin the Kingdom of Bahrain.Besides displaying the eServicesoffered by the government, theexhibitionprovideda dynamicplatform forgovernmentalentitiesto meetunder theumbrellaof Oman’sdigital initiative to exchange expertisein the ICT field, in additionto reinforce the cooperationand integration between variousgovernmental entities as wellas to encourage the developmentof their eServices. COMEX2011 aims at showcasing theeservices and IT based productsprovided by the governmentalentities and the private sector. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com49

wi-tribe rejuvenatesitself world overwi-tribe unveiled the re-Iaunch of itsbrand with a new identity and a refreshedbrand concept at a very interestingthematic press launch ceremony heldat a local hotel.The re-branding initiative moves awayfrom wi-tribe’s previous tagline “onlinewith no line” to “create your own world”,Mustafa Parachapromising a deeper, more profound consumerrelationship by providing a moreexciting experience from Pakistan’s no.!broadband company. With a new lookand feel, wi-tribe reaffirms its commitmentto transform the lives of its customersby offering not just a product buta novel combination of converged productsand services. Established in June2009, wi-tribe Pakistan quickly gainedconsumer trust and became the fastestgrowing broadband service provider inthe country. wi-tribe is synonymous withfun and innovation by making internetsurfing more enjoyable.Taking its vision forward, wi-tribe aimsto follow a more personalized, community-orientedand warmer approach to attractgreater customer affinity. Speakingon the occasion, CEO, wi-tribe Pakistan,Mustafa Peracha said, “wi-tribe believesin exceeding customer expectations.Our focus is on continuousprogress. Followingthis thought,we have come upwith a fresh brandidentity to betterreflect the expandingset of services thatwe aim to bring toPakistani customers.In doing so, wi-tribewill add the kind ofzest in their lives,empowering them toenjoy greater value and satisfaction. Wehope to enrich our customers’ internetexperience; giving them the freedom tocreate their own world and explore endlesspossibilities.”In line with its brand re-invention,wi-tribe continues venturing into newinitiatives such as products and servicesfor consumers and enterprises, add-onsfor all kinds of users, software-as-a-service,partnerships with industry leaders,and live streaming facilities, ensuringconsumers can continue to expect a hostof amazing surprises from wi-tribe. TQtel reachesinternet trial speedsof 100 Mbps forconsumersQtel became the first company in Qatar,and one of the first communicationsproviders in the region, to reach internettrial speeds of up to 100 Mbps (Megabitsper second) for consumers. From 18 May2011, Qtel is enabling customers within thecompany's trial fibre footprint to receivehome internet broadband at speeds of up to100 Mbps.As Qtel's next generation fibre network continuesto extend,the company willbe well positionedto offer this serviceto customersthroughout Dohaand other urbanareas.The deploymentof Qtel's next generationfibre network throughout Qatar isadvancing rapidly, with fibre deployment occurringzone-by-zone and commercial launchset to start in the second half of this year.Qtel has confirmed its intention to launchinternet packages with speeds of up to 100Mbps. Pricing and availability will be announcedat the commercial launch later in2011.With the 100 Mbps speed, customers willbe able to download HD movies and sharehundreds of photos in a matter of minutes,rather than hours. This new technologicalmilestone will propel Qatar into the "TopTen" countries with the fastest internet inthe world. T50 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

A long-term evolution Bahrain TRAA shortage of spectrum and devices couldhinder the adoption of LTEOperators and vendorshave generated muchhype around LTE in theMiddle East. In particular,operators have made somebold announcements at eachstep, from starting their firsttests with vendors, to initiatingthe deployment of theirnetworks.The situation is similar to theexcitement that was generatedaround WiMAX a fewyears ago, which inevitablyfailed to live up to the hype,even if the technology hasproved itself to be a versatileworkhorse.Some operators in the Gulfhave already had to backtrackfrom some of their earlierclaims. UAE operator Etisalatsaid originally that it wouldbecome the first operator inthe Middle East to launchLTE, in the first half of 2011,although the telco can nowonly confirm that the launchwill be before the end of theyear. Last month, Saudi Arabianoperator Mobily, whichis 27.4% owned by Etisalat,said it planned to launch LTEby Q3, which could give it thetitle of the region's first LTEoperator.But whichever operator isfirst to launch will make littledifference, given that - as itsname suggests - LTE will befar more of an evolution thana revolution.This was an important themeto emerge from last month'sLTE Mena conference inDubai, which included frankdiscussions about someof the factors which couldhinder the deployment ofLTE services in the region,such as a lack of the requiredspectrum.Speaking at the conference,Marwan Zawaydeh, CTO,Etisalat, said that the telco'sLTE deployment, which willbe initially in ‘hotspots'around the UAE, will also belimited to outdoor use due tothe available spectrum.Indeed, Etisalat will initiallybe using 2.6 gigahertzspectrum, which is only suitablefor outdoor use. WhileZawaydeh insist that thisspectrum has the advantageof being supported by mostvendors and the availabilityof devices such as USB dongles,he admits that Etisalatwill need more spectrum inorder to launch the kind ofservices that customers willexpect.Abdulaziz Al Tamami, COO ofMobily said that his companywas also experiencing someproblems acquiring the necessaryspectrum for LTE.The problem is not limited tothe Middle East. Maravedis, aCanadian research firm, saysthat operators around theworld could struggle to gettheir hands on the necessaryspectrum for genuine LTE services,as regulators have beenslow to free up the so-calledRoger Field‘digital dividend' spectrum.The picture that emergedfrom the LTE Mena conferencewas perhaps a morerealistic appraisal of LTE andthe way it will be deployed inthe region. Just as with theearly days of 3G, the deploymentwill most likely belimited to metropolitan areaswhere the demand is highest,with 3G and HSPA pickingup the slack in areas with nocoverage.It may take some years foroperators to gain access tothe spectrum they reallyneed, and for a true ecosystemof devices to develop.But while LTE may take someyears to develop, there is nodenying the enormous potentialthe technology holds.In much the same way asthe first telcos to adopt 3Ga decade ago could not haveforeseen the impact of applicationssuch as Youtubeand social networking, it isalso difficult to predict wherethe superior bandwidth andefficiency of LTE will lead.The only thing that looksincreasingly certain is thatthe next couple of years willdemand some patience fromtelecom operators and theircustomers. Ttests radiosignals frommastsResults show levels are0.01% of maximum levelpermittedThe Telecommunications RegulatoryAuthority (TRA) has revealedthat the results of tests on the levelsof radio signals measured at alltelecommunications mast sites inthe Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011 aresignificantly lower than the limits setby international guidelines that havebeen adopted by the Commission forthe Protection of Marine Resources,Environment and Wildlife in MinisterialOrder No. 4 of 2009.The tests were performed at 12separate public sites during the firstthree months of 2011 and the highesttotal exposure for a typical publicsite measured during the quarter was0.01% of the maximum level permittedby Ministerial Order No 4."TRA has been measuring and reportingon ambient radio signal levels inthe Kingdom for two years and weare happy to see the compliance oflicensed operators with MinisterialOrder No 4 of 2009," said TRA'sTechnical and Operations director,Mohammed Mahmood. "This report isconsistent with the previous reportsin its findings that, public exposure toradio signals emitted from telecommunicationsmasts is significantlybelow international guidelines." T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com51

Businesses must shore upsecurity processesArcSight CTO says companies must implement fivekey processes to ensure tighter securityBusinesses across the worldare facing an ever-increasingbattle to keep their IT systemsfrom being broken into bycyber-criminals and, accordingto Dr Prescott B Winter, CTOPublic Sector for cybersecurityand compliance company Arc-Sight, no enterprise can ever befully secure from cyber-attacks,particularly when human erroris thrown into the informationsecurity mix."Nobody is ever going to be100% secure in this domain,especially if you want to beopen, exchange information withcustomers, do all the things thatevery company and governmententerprise around the worldis trying to do. Human error isinevitably part of the picture,that is why you have to be sodiligent, you have to go back toinspecting to identify the departuresfrom policy rather that justexpecting people to do it right,"Winter said.Winter identified five keyprocesses that must be undertakenby corporations to rendertheir security systems almostwatertight.The first of the key processes isunderstanding what the principalbusiness risk issues are andwhy the enterprise exists.Corporate security decision makersmust know what informationassets are most important forthat mission, whether it is ina business sense, to sell goodsand services, or whether it is ina government sense to executesome kind of government missionas a service."So the first question is to getthe business risk managementissues out on the table andto identify those and identifywhat has to be protected," saidWinter.The second key security processis to have a reasonably goodunderstanding of the currentattack structures and the natureof the threats so businesses canunderstand how that set of attackvectors is likely to manifestitself when going after key businessassets.The third key point is thatcompanies must have the rightsecurity sensors and instrumentationin the network to detectattack vectors."As these attack vectors comein, can I actually see them? CanI see them reliably and confidentlyand be virtually assuredof picking them up when theycome inside. These attacks dotake time, they are not instantaneousand it takes a long timeto introduce this stuff, to get itproperly deployed. In most casesyou have weeks to months tostop it," said Winter.The fourth key process, accordingto Winter is absolutelyessential, and that is to correlateall the security information froma business or enterprise and geta holistic picture of the securitylandscape within the corporation."As I see it that is the most importantthing after you get yourbusiness risk management issuesstraightened out. How do youactually see what is happening.You cannot protect what youcan't see and the only way tosee it is to bring it all together,all this tremendous welter of information,millions of logs a day.Bring it into a coherent picture,"said Winter.The fifth process essentialto securing any business orcorporation is quick responseand remediation of any securityissues that may arise."This is where you begin toGeorgina Enzermerge your security operationcentre and your network operationcentre which gives you anideal insight into configurationsand status and operation of yourIT and from your security operationcentre, side informationon what is attacking all thosesystems and what is a priorityand how you have to fix it," saidWinter.Only a very small number, in thesingle digits in terms of percentage,have implemented thesevital security steps, according toArcSight.Winter said that sharinginformation about threats orattacks between companies isessential to help create a sharedknowledge and understandingof potential and actual cyberthreats."Last fall there was a break inin three of the big New Yorkbanks and it was essentially thesame kind of attack and on alittle bit of inspection, it turnedout that a fourth bank had seenan earlier version of that sameattack. Not quite as well developed,not quite as powerful, notquite as effective. The first bankhad managed to get it stoppedbefore it caused any seriousdamage, but nobody in the otherthree banks heard about this sowhen they got hit by a betterversion of the attack aboutthree weeks later, it succeededon all three of them and did alot of damage," said Winter.This is a very clear exampleof what this kind of threatContd. on page 5352 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Intersat - Yahsat sign deal to living IT Connectivityto rural AfricaDubai company plans to rollA out 5,000 internet kiosksin Africa and the Middle East,and has signed a connectiondeal with the Abu Dhabi satelliteoperator Yahsat.Intersat Africa says its solarpoweredkiosks, which cost upwardsof US$9,900 (Dh36,362),will bring internet connectivityto rural Africa and provide jobsin some of the most impoverishedareas of the continent.Features of Rural Internet Kioskinclude internet access, a mobilephonecharging station, advertisingscreens and a photo booth.The company hopes to deploykiosks across the continent.Intersat Africa was one of thefirst companies to partner withYahsat, signing a deal with theAbu Dhabi company in 2009.It will resell consumer internetpackages once Yahsat's secondsatellite, which will facilitateconsumer broadband services, islaunched at the end of this year.Under an extension of the 2009partnership agreed this year,Intersat Africa will also buildthousands of kiosks that will beconnected to the internet viaYahsat's satellite."We have a roll-out plan for thefirst phase of at least 5,000Abdul Bakhraniby the end of next year," saidAbdul Bakhrani, the chief executiveof Intersat Africa. "Weare taking the internet to thegrassroots."There are also plans to launchthe kiosks in Afghanistan andthe company is looking at opportunitiesin more developedmarkets such as the UAE andSaudi Arabia.The kiosks have already been pilotedin Uganda and Kenya, andMr Bakhrani said the Kenyangovernment had expressed interestin launching an additional4,500 units there. The companysaid the units would be run ona revenue-share basis with localentrepreneurs."They can get a loan from amicrofinance company, buy thekiosk … and then it becomesShawkat Ahmeda business for them," said MrBakhrani.The kiosks will not require anyfixed infrastructure, as they arepowered by the sun and connectto the internet via roof-mountedsatellite dishes.The units are manufactured inSharjah, while Intersat Africais run from its headquarters inDubai Silicon Oasis.The basic kiosk costs $9,900,while more expensive modelsare available with scanning andprinting facilities ($10,900)and solar-powered refrigerator($11,900).During testing, Intersat Africasaid, an individual kiosk hadtaken up to $600 a month inrevenue. Vendors sell scratchcards that give customers accessto services, with internet accesstypically costing $1 an hour.Intersat also plans a centrallymanaged advertising network,displaying commercials on eachkiosk's three LCD screens andlarger TV screen."All these kiosks are centrallymanaged from one location,"said Mr Bakhrani. "When we selladvertising, we share the revenuewith the owner." He saidprojected advertising revenuesof $1,500 a month per unit wasa "conservative" estimate.Shawkat Ahmed, the chiefcommercial officer at Yahsat,said the kiosk initiative was "aself-sustaining empowermentmodel"."The rural population has theright to information … If theyhave access to information, thiswill change their life," said MrAhmed. "We believe there willbe thousands deployed once our[satellite] service is available."The kiosks "can be placedanywhere in our coverage area,from the bushes of Africa to themountains of Afghanistan to thedeserts of Iraq", he said.Yahsat is a subsidiary ofMubadala Development, astrategic investment companyowned by the Abu Dhabi Government.Contd. from page 52exchange process would helpto deal with. Winter said thatthe information that shouldbe shared between companiesshould not be operationalinformation or any sensitiveproprietary information, butuseful information about theattacks such as the approachesthat the attackers use, the waythat the sensors have picked upthe data.Winter said that he cannot answerwhether corporations andBusinesses must shore up security processesgovernments are in a cyber-waragainst cyber-criminals stealingdata, but that informationhas become a highly valuablecommodity. "I think what is importanthere is that informationis now a commodity that reallydetermines the fate of enterprisesand the fate of nations.We talk abut war and diseaseand so forth, there is an awfullot happening that determinesthe rise and fall of organisationsof all kinds. It is the loss ofinformation of all these differenttypes; financial data, sensitivegovernment and strategic data,national sovereignty data ofvarious kinds, intellectual propertydata that is really damagingthings," Winter said.Enterprises have to be able topursue the missions of theirorganisation, whether they arecompanies or government agenciesand protect their sensitivedata from outside attack."It is the stuff that we knowthat your adversary does notknow you have; your ability toenter a market that he is notprepared to go to yet, it is theability of a military commanderto exercise strategic surprise. Allof that is gone if the informationthat sustains that advantagein compromised and so we areclearly under sustained assaultby adversaries," said Winter."The clock is ticking and it is upto us in the security industry todeal with this."15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com53

Yahsat to offerconsumer broadband servicesSatellite broadband believesits time has come. The AbuDhabi satellite company Yahsatwill offer consumer broadbandservices that it says will be"competitive", with monthlysubscription prices starting atUS$30 (Dh110), a senior executiveat the company says.Satellite broadband has historicallybeen priced higher thanconsumer internet packages providedvia telephone networks,known as a digital subscriberline (DSL) connections.Yahsat previously said basicsatellite internet packageswould start at $40 a month, butcharges could be as low as $30in some markets, said ShawkatAhmed, the chief commercialofficer at Yahsat."We are targeting price pointsof our basic services to start at$40. It could be lower in somemarkets, such as in Africa. Itcould be around $30," said MrAhmed. "For the first time inthis region, we will be providingsatellite broadband at pricesthat will be comparable to DSL."Commercial internet serviceswill begin after the launch ofYahsat's second satellite atthe end of this year. Satelliteinternetpackages will be soldby Yahsat's partners in each ofthe 25 countries in which theinternet service will be available- markets across the MiddleEast, Africa and parts of Asia."We will be offering broadbandin 25 countries, with a populationof more than 1 billionpeople," said Mr Ahmed. "Wewill be deciding on the pricepoints and marketing with thelocal service providers."Matthew Reed, an analyst atInforma Telecoms & Media, saidsatellite internet "has generallybeen regarded as more expensive".Such technology worksbest in rural areas where cableinternetinfrastructure is notavailable, he said. "It's generallyexpected that satellite is atechnology that is used whenother options arenot available,"said Mr Reed. "Iexpect [Yahsat] tobe targeting lessdevelopedareas."Mr Ahmed said that while thefocus for satellite broadband ison "unserved and underservedareas", Yahsat's partners wouldalso market the service in urbanareas such as Abu Dhabi andDubai."We are not limiting ourselvesto rural areas," he said. "Ifprices are competitive, youmay want to switch to satellitebroadband because you getbetter customer service or getbetter reliability."Mr Ahmed said the receiversrequired to pick up consumersatellite-broadband servicescost about $350. The receivers,as well as four ground stationsthat communicate with thesatellite, will be provided by thebroadband satellite providerHughes Network Systems.Soheil Mehrabanzad, the assistantvice president for theMiddle East and Africa regionat Hughes Network Systems,said satellite broadband couldbe priced to be competitiveeven with cable connectionsprovided by companies such asEtisalat and du. "In the UAE, allof us are paying at least $80 amonth," he said.Mr Mehrabanzad added thatHughes Network Systems wouldbuild four ground stations - inthe UAE, Greece, Luxembourgand Spain - to support Yahsat'ssatellite internet service.Internet services in the Gulfregion have frequently beendisrupted when undersea internetcables have been severed.Satellite users would not beaffected by such a problem, MrMehrabanzad said. TYahsat sends First Command to Y1A from Abu DhabiYahsat has sent its firstcommand to Y1A from thecompany’s satellite control centerin Al Falah, Abu Dhabi. Thesatellite, which was launchedlast month by Arianespace, hadremained under the control ofthe manufacturers as it wasbrought to its final orbital positionat 52.5 degrees east.This event also marks the firsttime Yahsat’s team of Emiratiengineers has controlled Y1A, atask many have spent the past18 months preparing for.“This is a defining moment forour team as, in taking commandof Y1A, Yahsat has become atrue satellite operator,” said JassemMohamed Al Zaabi, CEO ofYahsat and Executive Directorof Mubadala Information, Communicationsand Technology.“We issued the first commandthis afternoon, and Y1Aresponded well. For the nextseveral weeks, our team will betesting Yahsat’s control systemsand evaluating the satellite’sfunctionality, which so far appearexcellent,” he added.To commemorate the event,Yahsat has framed a copy ofthe first command issued bythe company to the satellite,which has been signed by thecompany’s senior managementand put on display in the controlcenter’s main foyer.As Y1A is now under the commandof Yahsat, the manufacturersalong with Yahsat’soperators will spend the nextseveral weeks testing everyaspect of Y1A’s functionalitybefore its systems are activatedfor its dual commercial andmilitary missions. T54 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Batelco awarded Bahrain eContent Award 2011in the e-Entertainment category for O CinemaBatelco, the Kingdom’s leadingintegrated communicationsprovider has been awardedthe Bahrain eContent award inthe e-Entertainment category atthe Bahrain eContent Awards(BEA), held last month.H.H. Shaikh Mohammed binMubarak Al Khalifa, DeputyPrime Minister and President ofthe SCICT (Supreme Committeefor Information and CommunicationTechnology) presentedthe award to Batelco BahrainChief Executive Rashid Abdullafor Batelco’s O Cinema servicefound on cinema.o.com.bhThe annual award ceremony,which is held in order to selectquality e-content and promotecreativity and innovation inthe development of new mediaapplications in Bahrain, wasattended by several ministers,Shura Council and Parliamentmembers, diplomats, businessmenand other VIP’s.The e-Entertainment categoryprize is awarded for digitizedCenter Batelco Bahrain Chief Executive receiving the eContentaward from HH. Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa inthe presence of other eGovernment representativesproducts and services that entertainthe user, using a varietyof languages and taking intoaccount cultural diversity amongother criteria.Batelco launched the unique OCinema service earlier last yearand was the first company tolaunch such a service in Bahrainand the Gulf region.With O Cinema, Batelco customerscan book and buy theircinema tickets anytime and anywhereby visiting cinema.o.com.bh online or on their mobiles.The convenient service allowscustomers to select the Bahraincinema, number of tickets andmovie of their choice, along withthe show time. In addition, thelatest enhancement added earlierthis month allows customersto view the seating layout andselect from the available seats.“This innovative and convenientO Cinema service, which hasbeen a huge success, meansthat there is no need to queue,as customers may go directly tothe quick serve machine, entertheir confirmation code and collecttheir selected tickets,” saidBatelco Group General ManagerMedia Relations Ahmed AlJanahi.Batelco Bahrain Chief ExecutiveRashid Abdulla said that Batelcois delighted to add this award toits large collection of local andinternational awards.“Among its many accolades,the Company won the TelecomsCompany of the Year awardacross the Middle East Regionat the annual Arabian BusinessAchievements Awards 2010ceremony held in Dubai at theend of last year,” he said.“Innovations such as O Cinemaare in line with Batelco’s aspirationto continuously improvethe use of modern technologythrough customer focused andconvenient solutions, thusenhancing the lives of all ourcustomers. Batelco is honoredand proud to contribute to thedevelopment of ICT in Bahrainand feel it is part of our obligationto do so.” concluded Mr.Abdulla. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com55

Saudi Arabia is the Arab World’s mostcompetitive cellular marketThe Arab Advisors Groupreleased the results of itsCellular Competition IntensityIndex 2011 this month atthe margin of the 8th annualMedia and Telecoms ConvergenceConference in Amman onJune 6 & 7 2011. Theindex ranks SaudiArabia as the mostcompetitive Arabcellular market.Jordan camein second,followed byPalestine.The Cellular CompetitionIntensityIndex results forApril 2011 revealedthat Saudi Arabiatops the score –as themost competitive Arab marketwitha 76.01% mark followedby Jordan (75.37%), Palestine(69.61%), Oman (69.52%),Egypt (68.18%), Morocco(64.72%), Iraq (64.32%),Tunisia (63.23%), Bahrain(61.25%), Algeria (61.17%),Yemen (58.61%), Mauritania(57.07%), Sudan (55.68%),Kuwait (54.58%), Qatar(48.24%), UAE (47.17%), Syria(42.18%), Libya (33.97%),and finally Lebanon (33.80%).The Cellular CompetitionIntensity Index is relative innature as it compares the stateof every market relative toother markets. As such, evenif a market’s absolute level ofcompetition improved, its scorein this relative index will alsodepend on how other marketsdeveloped. The 2011 indexresults revealed that four countriesranked higher than theirMay 2010 index ranks, theseare: Algeria, Bahrain, SaudiArabia and Mauritania. Meanwhile,a total of three countriesranked lower compared to May2010 index, namely:Jordan, Sudan,and Yemen.The 2011 index resultsrevealed that fourcountries ranked higherthan their May 2010index ranks, these are:Algeria, Bahrain, SaudiArabia and Mauritania.The remainingtwelve countriesof Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,Lebanon, Morocco, Oman,Palestine, Qatar,Syria, Tunisia andUAE maintainedtheir May 2010ranks.The ArabAdvisorsGroupdevisedtheCellularCompetitionIntensity Index torate and to examinethe intensitylevel of competitionin the ArabWorld’s cellular markets. Theindex takes into account thenumber of operators, packages,and services available in eachof the 19 countries coveredby the Arab Advisors Group.Each category was assigned acertain weight according to itsimportance as an indicator ofcompetition. The categoriesinclude the following: Numberof licensed and expectedoperators in 2011, number ofworking operators, marketshare of largest operator, numberof prepaid plans, number ofpostpaid plans, availability ofsmart phone plans, availabilityof corporate offers, availabilityof 3G services and the availabilityof ILD (InternationalLong Distance) competition.A new report, “CompetitionLevels in Arab Cellular Markets”was released to the ArabAdvisors Group’s Telecoms StrategicResearch Service subscribersin May 2011. This reportcan beArabpurchased from theAdvisors Groupfor only US$950. The“Saudi Arabia hosts four operationaland licensed operators.Consumers have a choiceof nineteen prepaid plans andtwenty three postpaid plans.Saudi Arabia’s score benefitedfrom the availability of smartphone plans, corporate offers,3G services and ILD competition.”reportranks the ArabWorld countriesaccording to their cellular competitionintensity level, basedon a methodological approach.Dana KhatibPlease contact the Arab AdvisorsGroup to get a copy of thereport’s Table of Contents.Any investment in this reportwill count towards an annualStrategic Research Servicesubscription, our could counttowards attending Arab Advisors’8th annual Media andTelecoms Convergence Conferenceon June 6 & 7, 2011 at theFour Seasons in Amman.Zain is the main sponsor ofthe conference; Qualcomm,Arabsat,Motorola, Umniah, Ericsson,Orange and Oracle are amongthe companies who are sponsoringthe event. Telecom andMedia operators can send upto 2 delegates to attend at nocharge. Press members can alsoattend at no charge.“The Arab Advisors Groupadded the “Smart phonespackages availability” indicatorfor the 2011 index. This camein line with the increasedadoption of mobile broadbandand smart phone usagein the MENA region whichcontributes to the overallcompetiveness in thecountry.” Mrs. FatenBader, Arab AdvisorsGroup senior researchanalyst commented.“Saudi Arabia hosts four operationaland licensed operators.Consumers have a choiceof nineteen prepaid plans andtwenty three postpaid plans.Saudi Arabia’s score benefitedfrom the availability of smartphone plans, corporate offers,3G services and ILD competition.”Ms. Zeena Al Borgan,Arab Advisors Group seniorresearch analyst added. T56 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Nawras shortlisted in two categoriesof Customer Service Excellence AwardsOman’s customer friendly communications provider offers pleasingly different customer experienceNawras, Oman’s customerfriendly communicationsprovider is delighted to haveappeared on the shortlist fortwo categories of the CustomerService Excellence Awards heldrecently in Doha, Qatar. Nawrasreached the final selection forboth Best Contact Centre andBest Customer Service Initiative.After receiving the excitingnews, Said Ahmed Safar,Director of Customer Service,said, “Nawras is committed tocontinuously enhancing everyaspect of customer experienceand this recognition of our effortsis fantastic. We constantlystrive to delight our customerswith products and services thatare designed to meet their communicationsneeds in a pleasinglydifferent way.”A member of the Qtel Group,Nawras remains firmly focusedon customers while deliveringgreat value mobile services andbroadband internet. As a matterof routine, all elements of newproducts and services are testedthoroughly before launch toensure they are easy to understand,conveniently availableand simple to use.Hosting a recent CustomerRelationship Management forumin Muscat gave Nawras theopportunity to take Qtel Groupdelegates to see its award winningmulti-media contact centre.Manned by a team of more than230 Omani Customer Champions,assistance is providedaround the clock for customersenjoying Nawras mobile servicesas well as plug and play HomeBroadband internet with freevoice landline.Maintaining a consistently highlevel of customer service is combinedwith a desire to improvewhich is more easily achievablewith a stable team growing dailyin experience. Nawras is proudto have recorded a turnover ofonly 1.7 per cent in its contactcentre over 2010. Duringthe same period, a number ofChampions were promoted intonew positions within the Nawrasfamily and more than 35 spenttime in other departments onenriching rotation programmes.Such movements help to keepthe culture of customer serviceactive and aligned throughoutthe entire company as well asensuring that valuable knowhowis shared.In order to get closer to customers,Nawras encourages andwelcomes feedback which isAhmed Safrarconstructively used in decisionmaking throughout the company.Comments can be givento Nawras Customer Championson 1500 or left on the websiteby visiting www.nawras.om andselecting ‘contact us’. Alternatively,customers can visit anyone of the 24 Nawras Storesnationwide to speak to one ofthe friendly professionals.In 2010 Nawras won CustomerService Provider of the Year fromCommsMEA, for the second yearrunning. Previously, Nawras wasnamed Middle East Call Centreof the Year by INSIGHTS andwon the judges award for ‘Aboveand Beyond the Call of Duty’ atthe World BSS Awards. TT15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com57

30-fold growthin mobile traffic seen in a decadeVoice and data traffic onmobile networks willgrow more than 30-fold duringthe decade ahead, said anew report.The total annual traffic onmobile networks globallywill reach 127 EB (Exabytes)in 2020, representing a 33xincrease compared with the2010 figure, added the reporttitled “Mobile traffic forecasts2010-2020”, the UMTSForum, an open cross sectorand independent organization.The report also predicts thatgrowth will be stronger stillin Europe. During the sameperiod, the UMTS Forum estimatesthat mobile traffic ina typical Western Europeancountry will grow by 67xfrom 186 TB to 12,540 TBdaily – double the correspondinggrowth globally.In contrast with this explosivegrowth in data trafficduring the decade, the studypredicts that mobile voicetraffic growth will remain limitedduring the same period.Key trends and drivers identifiedduring the study periodinclude:••••••Continuing growth intablets, dongles, smartphones,M2M and otherconnected devices.Media rich social net-portance to become thedominant source of datatraffic via streaming andworking is increasinglycrucial for mobile users,generating significanttraffic and new consumptionpatterns.Video has grown in im-Jean-Pierre Bienaimédownloads. Consumptionof TV content is alsogenerating increasinglysignificant data traffic onmobile networks.•• Small cells and femtocellsare becoming the solutionsof choice to avoidnetwork congestion.The forecasted figuresrepresent a total of uplinkand downlink voice and datatraffic transported on mobilenetworks using licensedspectrum.While traffic managed byfemtocells is included in thestudy, the effects of Wi-Fioffload are explicitly not included.Similarly, the forecastdoes not take into accountRFID traffic or any othertraffic carried over unlicensedradio frequency bands.This new report builds onprevious UMTS Forumstudies, taking account oftrends like smartphones andsocial networking via mobile.Specifically, the forecastsaccords closely with a 27xincrease that was forecastedby the UMTS Forum in2005 – an era that precededsmartphones, app stores andthe mass availability of 3G‘dongles’.“The report reflects everincreasingconsumer demandfor mobile broadband services,”said UMTS Forum chairmanJean-Pierre Bienaimé.“These latest forecasts areof particular interest in thecontext of discussions aboutavailability of sufficient spectrumto support the continuinggrowth in demand formobile broadband services,”he added.The mobile traffic report wasoffered as a recent contributionby the UMTS Forumin the framework of globaltraffic forecasts conducted byITU-R and CEPT/ECC. It willalso be offered as a key inputat the next World RadiocommunicationConferences(WRC-12 and WRC-15/16)– the so-called ‘WirelessOlympics’, where regulationsgoverning the use ofradio-frequency spectrum arereviewed.“The ITU-R’s efforts in thepast on IMT spectrum andtechnology have directlyenabled the global successof mobile broadband,” saidBienaimé.“We have also seen that harmonisedspectrum facilitateseconomies of scale, drivingdown pricing of mobile devicesfor consumers. Based onthese new traffic forecasts,further actions in the ITU-Rframework are now neededto meet traffic demand forthe next 10 years,” he concluded.TSAMENAevents inIslamabadand QatarpostponedSAMENA TelecommunicationsCouncil has postponed its eventsscheduled to be held in Islamabad.According to an announcement madeby SAMENA the Broadband Summitwhich was to be held on 23-24 May inIslamabad Pakistan is postponed andrescheduled for date October 2011.However, no confirmed date is announced.Further, SAMENA convergenceto Qatar 2011, earlier scheduledfor 18-19 October has also been movedon 1st and 2nd of November 2011. TDiesel used fortelecom towerscausing Rs 2.6Kcrloss to govtGlobal NGO Greenpeace said dieselconsumed by telecom companiesfor providing power at telecom towersis causing an estimated loss of Rs2,600 crore annually to the governmentin form of subsidy."For telecom operators, there is arobust case to switch to renewableenergy. The government should notgive subsidy to telecom companieson diesel. Subsidy makes sense if it isgiven to poor people of the country,"Abhishek Pratap, Senior Campaigner,Climate and Energy, Greenpeace Indiasaid.The report released by the NGO isbased on research over informationavailable in public domain.It says at current growth rates, thesector would require 26 billion kilowattof electricity and 3 billion litresof diesel by 2012 which will enhancecarbon emission from the country tosignificant level. T58 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

An inaugural event tookplace at the PakistaniEmbassy in Riyadh on 19th Mayto lay down the foundation ofPakistani Association of Computersand Technology with thehelp of Mr. Yasir Khan, the ManagingDirector of the value box.Value box has done remarkablework in arranging informationalevents for the Pakistani communityin different cities of theKingdom so that more and morepeople can take advantage fromit. Connect Pakistan and Gemexpo were also in the front linein making this event possible.After the recitation of HolyQuran Danish Ali (the anchor ofthe ceremony), explained thepurpose of the organization asto gather the Pakistani talentedpeople in Saudi Arabia at aforum and give them a direction.And to provide them with such aplatform where they canutilize their talent in the fieldof IT such that they can makethemselves and their countryproud.Besides, the guest of honor Mr.Ayaz Muhammad khan, Executivesfrom nine other Pakistanicompanies were also presentwho introduced and explainedthe working of theircompanies. Those include:1. Haider Abbas Naqvi, Abacusconsulting Pvt. (Ltd)2. Masood Ahmed Baloch, ArizonaComputer Services Pvt.(Ltd)3. M. Zohaib Khan, A to Z creators4. Ikram Ahmad Khan, Businessbeam Pvt. (Ltd)5. Awais zahid, E- Access Pvt.(Ltd)6. Ahsan farooq, Extream engineeringCo.o solution7. Jamil, Kulitatem Pvt. (Ltd)8. Muhammad Munaf, Server 4sale Pvt. (Ltd)9. Abrar rauf, Royal cyber incAbdus Saboor Butt from PakistaniAssociation of Computersand Technology said that in thefuture this Association will beTeletimes Report“PACT” inaugurated in Riyadhplaying an integral role for everysector of society in helping pavethe way toward progress. Itwould also serve as a platformfor newcomers.The primary purpose of this organizationis to bring educatedindividuals in the limelight.The first step in this directionwas taken by the Saudi government.The purpose was to enhanceIT oriented thinking andthe use of IT in corporate andbusiness matters. The purposeof PACT is not just to sustainitself as a group but to create aplatform from all expert PakistaniIT companies which couldbe more effective and prominentin the international arena.Toward the close of the event,Mr. Ayaz Muhammad Khancongratulated Abdus SaboorButt and his team on settingthe foundations for PACT anddeclared it an exceptionalendeavour. He had the embassyguarantee its support and cooperationand emphasized theneed for Pakistanis to work hardand make their nation proud.Later Symantec sponsored alucky draw and distributed giftsamongst the audience. In theclosing “PACT” presented EhsaanJaved, Arsalan Khalid andHassan Ali with certificates forvolunteering their services. T15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com59

Simplified print assetsmaintenance with a single,affordable solutionIn today’s business world,managing IT assets forcorporations is becoming amajor challenge. This criticalissue is to be solved strategicallynow or else the corporationswill end up in increasing theiroperational cost with respect totheir IT resources. IT industryin Pakistan has been thoroughlyworking on this to serve thebusiness community while theIT companies are acquiring themost modern infrastructure andexpertise to provide solutionsthat can address cost cutting,efficiency and resilience.There are numerous IT assetsthat need management andmaintenance but one of thecritical capital expenditureconsuming assets is the printingneeds of a business. Thetraditional way of managingthe print assets is to strugglewith overlapping responsibilitiesand multiple vendors offeringdifferent prices, service practicesand standards. IT administratorshave to engage vendors for allthe hardware requirements forprinting then repeating thewhole process for supplies andat last service vendor comes in.The new version of managingand maintaining the print assetsis now available in the marketwhich will ensure continuousprinting and productivityin a single, simple servicescontract at a predictable andaffordable monthly price.Corporations have to sign upa single service provider whowill deliver extended value tothe businesses by simplifyingmanagement of their printassets. The service providerfirstly will improve productivityin your office by placing themost suitable, energy-efficientdevices in the right locationsbased on the corporation’sneeds. Secondly, the serviceprovider will ensure exceptionalprint quality and a smoothrunning printing fleet with ondemanddelivery of original printsupplies—ink cartridges, tonercartridges and maintenance.Lastly, the service providerensures worry-free printingoperations and maintenancethroughout the duration ofthe contract with services thatinclude:•• Skilled installation of hardwareand drivers.•• Basic device operation trainingfor the corporation’s staff.•• Regular and periodic hardwaremaintenance.•• Prompt technical support andtimely delivery of supplies.With the new version ofmanaging and maintainingthe print assets, organizationswill start to figure out anenhanced user satisfactionthrough consistent print qualityand from having suitable,Raheem Iqbal COO, New Horizonenergy-efficient devices inthe right places, an improvedprinter utilization throughincreased uptime and minimizeddisruptions, an improvedstaff productivity and assetoptimization by freeing your ITstaff from managing devices,and a minimized administrativeoverheads from ordering andstocking supplies.An interesting quote fromMoving Toward More EffectivePrint Management, Info Trends,Inc. 1 June 2007, says: “It iscommon that organizationscan quickly realize 30% hardcost savings in the generaloffice printing environmentfrom increased user-to-deviceratios and newer, more efficientdevices and supplies. To refrainfrom going after these potentialsavings risks missing out onwhat some have described asthe ‘last frontier of unrecognizedIT cost savings’.”Publisher-Editor: Khalid Athar - Printed by: Javed Khursheed at Khursheed60 www.teletimesinternational.comPrinters (Pvt) Ltd. Islamabad. Place of Publication: #6, St-39, G-6/2, IslamabadVol: 06, Issue: 0615Jun - 14Jul 2011

JulyGlobal Telecom event 2011VAS Africa06 - 07 July - Johannesburg, ZASan Francisco Data Center Conference28 Jul - San Francisco, USSeptemberLTE Asia06 - 07 Sep - SingaporeNigeria Com20 - 21 Sep - Lagos , NigeriaWholesale World Congress - WWC07 - 09 Sep - Madrid, SpainOSS BSS World Summit08 - 09 Sep - LondonIT Siberia. SibTelecom. Broadcasting Siberia20 - 22 Sep - Novosibirsk, Russia11th ITCN Asia20 - 22 Sep - Karachi, PakistanOctoberTeletcom World03 - 06 Oct - Dubai, UAECEATEC Japan 201104 -08 Oct - Makuhari Messe, TokyoGITEX Technology Week9-13 Oct - Dubai - UAEmedialive!, 2011:16 - 18 Oct, Abu Dhabi, UAETechnology for Marketing & Advertising26 - 27 Oct - Shanghai, ChinaCTO Telecom Summit02 - 05 Oct - Scottsdale, AZ, USWHIR Networking Event:20 Oct - Washington DC, USNovemberSAMENA Convergence to Qatar 201101 - 02 Nov - QatarGIL 2011: China01 Nov - ShanghaiSCIP 2011: European Summit08 - 10 Nov - Austria Centre Vienna4th Annual Indonesia Telecoms International Summit15 Nov - Jakarta, IndonesiaCustomer Contact Indonesia16 Nov - Jakarta, IndonesiaDecemberCTIA IT & Entertainment01 - 08 Dec, Budapest, HungaryCIO Midmarket Summit04 - 07 Dec - TBDFemtocells Americas05 - 06 Dec - USAMobile Advertising World06 - 08 Dec - London, UKLTE - Next Generation Networks Americas07 - 08, Dec - USAITU Kaleidoscope12-14, Dec - Cape Town, South AfricaM2M World12-14 Dec -Venue: London - London62 www.teletimesinternational.com15Jun - 14Jul 2011

Teletoons"Why do people always assume I downloadmy music illegally?""Electronic correspondence is hurting our business.You can read more about this in the e-mailI'll be sending out tomorrow."15Jun - 14Jul 2011www.teletimesinternational.com63