Emerging markets have always been fertile ground for the provision of mobile satellite services (MSS), but in recent years the Middle East and Africa has proven to be a particularly robust backdrop for an industry, which 10 years ago was forecast to have little commercial future. Comm. reviews the path being carved by a number of the leading MSS players, and highlights to what level the MEA region is assisting in helping raise the industry to greater heights

At the beginning of August, Inmarsat reported total revenues for the six months to end-June amounted to US$485.5 million, up 70.8 per cent year-on-year. EBITDA was up 31.5 per cent to US$264.1 million, and the mobile satellite services provider announced the highest quarterly growth in Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) subscribers in Q208 of 3,400.

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Celebrating its third year of establishment, GULFCOMMS 2008, commencing October 19 gathers the global communications sector in Dubai. Throngs of solution and technology providers will be present, showing their wares and trying to cut a deal. Comm. looks at a few examples of what interesting developments a number of exhibitors shall be showcasing

Broadband network provider Green Packet has established the first dedicated WiMAX consultancy in the Middle East, in collaboration with a global division of its sister company Packet One Networks (Malaysia) also known as P1.

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East Africa is fast emerging to become one of the most vibrant regions in Africa, with regulatory frameworks being put in place to facilitate the wholesale development of the telecommunications sector. Uganda is a prime example of the changes sweeping through the region, with its five-strong mobile market leading to heavy innovation and the improvement of services in the market

Uganda is a telecoms market ablaze with competition, in complete contrast to the situation just a few years ago. In 2006, the national regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), redefined universal access targets, with a new licensing regime introduced in order to increase competition.

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As telecoms networks converge around IP, software companies with the know-how to organise the complexity thrown up by this shift are doing a roaring business. US software company Telcordia Technologies is one such organisation, and not satisfied with dominating its local market with software solutions such as caller ID, wireless number portability, and tollfree traffic, CEO Mark Greenquist talks to Comm. about expansion into international markets and the growing importance of intelligent software

Telcordia’s CEO, Mark Greenquist is keen to see the company’s US-centric approach becoming globalised. Currently international activities account for 15-20 per cent of overall revenues

The world of operating and business support systems (OSS and BSS) has for a long time been an unglamorous one, dismissed as a back office function that was necessary, but hardly the stuff of moulding and inspiring services in the telecoms space. However as competition grows around the world and networks evolve to adopting IP as the core building blocks of their networks, software companies such as Telcordia are finding themselves en vogue – helping service operators draw closer to end-users while improving network efficiencies.

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Nawras is expected to be awarded Oman’s second fixed-line licence following confirmation in September that a consortium including the UK’s Vodafone Group had won Qatar’s second fixed-line telephone licence.

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