The phenomenal growth in mobile broadband has created a massive challenge for the industry to satisfy the thirst for data, yet it has also created an equally significant market opportunity. If leveraged effectively it could transform users’ mobile experience for the region. While it is a fact that mobile data continues to grow unabated, Qualcomm believes what the industry now needs is a focus on practical solutions to manage and grow from this trend

Hani Yassin is Qualcomm‘s Senior Director of Technology for the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia

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Scott Gegenheimer was appointed CEO of Zain Group effective December 2, 2012, and immediately faced the challenge of re-establishing and re-communicating the Kuwait-headquartered company’s strategy given its relative inertia in the last two years

Gegenheimer was previously CEO of Wataniya Kuwait, from which he departed in June 2012

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The anticipation is building in Saudi Arabia with respect to the licensing of three mobile virtual network operators in 2013. The kingdom is seen as offering the business model its greatest chance of success in the region, and interest to participate is high from regional and international parties alike

Saudi’s three incumbent telcos shall be forced to alter their view of the market and their participation in it should they intend to survive the entry of MVNOs in tact

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Service providers in the Middle East are engaged in a bitter fight to protect and even grow their mobile digital services, though the process is taking some rethinking of old assumptions. Etisalat Group has taken a pro-active position in fashioning a digital services paradigm, and other service providers appear to be taking note

Etisalat’s Al Shamsi believes the telecom industry brings a great deal to OTT partnerships, which is something that ought to be acknowledged and rewarded in its interactions with them

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Service providers continue to look to ways to increase revenues that are waning, though for the meantime it appears the more they invest in infrastructure, the less incremental revenue is being driven. Batelco Bahrain’s CEO, Rashid Abdulla, makes the point

Bahrain Batelco CEO, Rashid Abdulla, believes operators need to differentiate the services being offered, and then charge a premium for certain ones

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