Kingdom of Bahrain
TT_Jan17
TT_Jan17
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
connected automotive and are now moving<br />
into the next phase which is v2x which is<br />
vehicle to everything connectivity. So that<br />
is vehicle to pedestrian, vehicle to vehicle,<br />
vehicle to infrastructure and that’s going<br />
to change the landscape <strong>of</strong> transportation.<br />
It’s going to make autonomous driving a<br />
reality and it’s going to reduce accidents so<br />
the benefits <strong>of</strong> having the connectivity are<br />
going to be industry changing. Besides this<br />
we are also focusing on multiple segments<br />
mainly entertainment, wearables tracking<br />
and some other IoT verticals.<br />
JS: How soon will we see “Automated<br />
Driving” and what should be the real<br />
expectations?<br />
GK: The evolution is going to be gradual.<br />
We are not going to get there by phasing<br />
in or phasing out. Initially the whole idea <strong>of</strong><br />
connected cars is “assisted driving” so it’s<br />
different dynamics than other markets.<br />
Would you like to elaborate on that?<br />
GK: Africa is more <strong>of</strong> an adopted mature<br />
technology market. It means that Africa<br />
only adopts a technology when the devices<br />
and the ecosystem drops down to a point<br />
where it’s affordable and that’s quite logical<br />
given the economies and the purchasing<br />
power <strong>of</strong> the area. When we talk about<br />
the migration <strong>of</strong> technology, 2G is there<br />
because <strong>of</strong> legacy. 3G is deployed and is<br />
widespread and the countries in this region<br />
that have jumped to 4G are very few. There<br />
are few specific markets and areas which<br />
we talk about the digital divide we talk<br />
about being connected to the internet.<br />
This digital divide is being addressed now<br />
with 3G smartphones that are affordable.<br />
The migration <strong>of</strong> the operators to 4G is<br />
happening and that’s going to bridge the<br />
gap for better connectivity usage even<br />
more.<br />
JS: When will see the actual<br />
commercialization <strong>of</strong> 5G?<br />
GK: 5G will be standardized in the 2019 time<br />
frame and in 2020 it will be commercialized<br />
globally. You may see some 5G networks<br />
Initially the whole<br />
idea <strong>of</strong> connected cars<br />
is “assisted driving”<br />
so it’s not going<br />
to be completely<br />
autonomous, the<br />
driving is going to be<br />
assisted autonomous<br />
driving”<br />
not going to be completely autonomous,<br />
the driving is going to be assisted<br />
autonomous driving. You are going to get<br />
interaction with infrastructure to be able<br />
to manage traffic, to manage accidents<br />
and the achievement will be to minimize<br />
these kind <strong>of</strong> accidents, “minimize” not<br />
“eliminate”. So from the legal perspective<br />
nothing changes because the car is not<br />
autonomous, you are the assistant driver.<br />
Autonomy is happening in very close areas<br />
and that’s going to stay, the autonomy<br />
will stay in very dedicated tracks in<br />
very dedicated areas and in controlled<br />
environments until other issues are<br />
resolved.<br />
JS: Africa is a very important market for<br />
telecom operators - however, it has quite<br />
have adopted that but if you look at the<br />
continent, it has successfully migrated to 3G<br />
and now it’s in the phase to migrate to 4G.<br />
Why? Because the price <strong>of</strong> the devices has<br />
actually reached affordability.<br />
Now, we can talk about 4G smartphones<br />
below $100 which is affordable in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
the initial migration. Ideally, we want to see<br />
it go down to the $50 mark or below but<br />
that’s a roadmap and we will get there.<br />
2G is now is very low cost ranging from<br />
$7 to $15 and from a consumer point <strong>of</strong><br />
view, this is not the person who wants<br />
to be connected to the internet, he just<br />
wants to use it for the phone. But when<br />
launch here and there, maybe in Korea<br />
and Japan in early 2018 and maybe in US<br />
in second half <strong>of</strong> 2018 but commercial<br />
availability <strong>of</strong> the devices will not happen<br />
before 2020.<br />
We have announced X50 that will be<br />
launched in the second half <strong>of</strong> 2018. 5G will<br />
come quickly in many areas like the US,<br />
Europe, China, Middle East, and then there<br />
is Africa where it’s all about the 5G devices<br />
hitting the affordability mark. The roll out<br />
and network discussions will start in Africa<br />
anytime in 2020. And when the price will<br />
hit the $100 mark that’s when you will start<br />
seeing the acceleration. So it really comes<br />
down to price for this region.<br />
January 2017<br />
31