Telecom leaders discuss need for better connectivity

Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business

Telecommunication is very vital for any company. Considering the same, honchos of the industry gathered at the SAMENA telecom Leaders’ summit 2016 and looked into various aspects needed to further strengthen the sector.
SAMENA Council’s Telecom Leaders’ Summit 2016, which opened in Dubai, was a host to may dignitaries from Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia and Europe. The Summit was also attended by the
International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao.
Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East told Emirates Business, “This event is very significant for the telecom industry and the discussion is like defining a roadmap for continued growth and development of the industry. In today’s time each and every sector is digital. This is a digital era that we are living in. Being a leading solutions provider to these networks, Huawei sees an open, collaborative approach as essential to shared success through cross-stakeholder participation. We are also very excited to have our stakeholders take advantage of our strategy during this seminal event.”
According to Internet World Stats, the UAE government services are actively being transitioned to offer online digital and mobile services, with over 95% of important government services offering m-government solutions. In addition to smart phone penetration has reached around 70% of all registered handsets.
The prime focus of the Summit was laid on the interchange of knowledge and expertise. The leaders also
discussed the essential elements to be kept into consideration for the evolving market and relevant legislation and regulation.
Dr. Khaled Biyari Group Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Telecom and Chairman of SAMENA Council led the discussion, reiterating the need for telecom operators to expand their digital visions in view of both business needs as well as socio-economic imperatives, said, “Success now increasingly depends on gaining a deeper understanding of
the evolving digital ecosystem and the value-chain, developing or acquiring the capabilities needed to flourish, and ensuring that such ecosystems remain sustainable. New partnership-oriented mindset and strategies need to be adopted across the stakeholder spectrum. For telecom operators to thrive and not simply survive such approaches are integral to future success.”
Further analyzing the telecommunication companies in the UAE, Du and Etisalat
are both demonstrating an interest in developing 5G and have developed various partnerships.
In 2015 du announced it had finished testing on its IoT network which uses nationally deployed sensors to relay data – and paves the way for smarter management of parking, waste and lighting, as reported by Internet World Stats.
“This is an industry-focused strategy that will drive continued innovation by delivering exceptional services and experiences to telecom customers. Our Global Connectivity Index report being launched at this event demonstrates how ICT development can dramatically accelerate economic growth, increase GDP for any country, and deliver operational efficiency, productivity and quality across all vertical sectors,” added Yang.