According to the GSM Association, the mobile sector in sub-Saharan Africa is in the second phase of private sector investment which began in 2005 and was characterised by international investment. The first phase of investment was characterised by entrepreneurial endeavours where the private sector and multilateral agencies backed companies to cash flow positive positions.
Pay with the wave of a mobile phone
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 2 July/August 2008
Etisalat and Emirates NBD bank are piloting the first joint mobile near field communication (NFC) payments project in the MENA region, which will enable UAE customers to make payments by waving their mobile phones at the point of sale.
Number portability projects starts in Bahrain
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 2 July/August 2008
Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has appointed consultants to its number portability project, who will advise the industry working group comprised of local mobile and fixed-line operators and key stakeholders.
DoCoMo to enter Middle East
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 2 July/August 2008
Japan’s largest mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo, is reportedly in talks with Middle East carriers Qtel, Etisalat and Saudi Telecom regarding possible overseas expansion.
Gaining a stake in these companies would give DoCoMo access to markets where mobile phone demand is growing faster than in highly-penetrated, tech-savvy Japan. Toshinari Kunieda, senior VP of global business confirmed DoCoMo’s interest in the region.
Nokia Ovi services go live in MENA
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 2 July/August 2008
Nokia users in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait will now be able to receive voiceguided navigation and maps direct from their handsets in more than 30 languages.
Part of the new services offered by Nokia’s Ovi mobile Internet services for the Middle East and north Africa region, Maps 2.0 is an updated version of the Finnish manufacturer’s mapping software that provides access to maps for almost anywhere in the world, as well as car navigation, pedestrian navigation and satellite images. Tommi Mustonen, vice president of services and software said Ovi aims to empower and enable Nokia device owners to realise the full potential of the Internet.
“We are now delivering navigation, gaming and music services for Nokia users in MENA and we will continue to roll out new user interface elements, service suites and web communities and bring them together in a single offering,” Mustonen said.
