Much of the discussion at AfricaCom 2011 in Cape Town centred on the imminent threat of flattened service revenues, and the opportunities available to resuscitate such through innovative data offerings. The role of Internet players and over-the-top (OTT ) providers is being viewed by telcos with a measure of suspicion as well as that of envy, as traditional players look to formulate new business models

Etisalat Nigeria’s Steven Evans (centre) says operators have been looking to launch new services while at the same time improving their operational efficiencies wherever possible

Continue reading →

At the start of December, Arab Advisors Group held its inaugural Smart Handheld Summit in Dubai. The event drew some of the most influential players in the regional telecom arena, and while the opportunity raised by increased computing power on mobile devices is widely acknowledged, how to monetise such opportunities remains less certain

Arab Advisors hosted the Smart Handheld Summit, which considered ways in which Arab operators could benefit from the changing mobile data ecosystem

Continue reading →

2011 was a challenging year for telcosacross the MEA , not least as a result of the socio-political situation that persisted throughout much of the year, causing heightened market uncertainty and a suspension of any large-scale M&A activity. Thus entrants on Comm.’s annual list of most effective service provider CEOs have had to be particularly adept at driving efficiencies and managing rapidly changing environments

Continue reading →

Telecom service providers in Sudan have had to overcome more than the usual operational challenges in a market, and earlier this year an additional one was placed in their path by the separation of what had previously been the Republic of Sudan into two countries. Comm. speaks to the CEO leading operator Zain Sudan about the state of play in both countries – the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan – and the impact the separation is set to have on the telecom business

Zain Sudan MD Elfatih Erwa believes the operator already enjoys distinct advantages in the South, having established a strong brand and built out the most extensive network

Continue reading →

The Ericsson Media Summit held in Beirut at the end of November brought together telecom professionals and students from around the Middle East region for a discussion of the ICT drivers at play. Ericsson emphasised the need for private and public sectors to become fully aware of the significant gains the digital dividend offers and to take steps towards developing the necessary enabling environment

Anders Lindblad, Ericsson’s president of Region Middle East, offers insights on the drivers of the telecom sector in the Middle East

Continue reading →