Telecom Review February 2019 by tracemedia

T HE T E L E CO M S I ND U S T RY ME D I A P L ATFORM

STC is a key Enabler for Digital Transformation Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Nasser, CEO, STC

Data brokers facing intense scrutiny as European regulators clamp down

Are economies ready for digital taxes?

How can high-capacity microwave drive 5G deployment?

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2019

TH E TE L E CO M S INDUST RY MEDI A P L AT FO R M

10 STC outlines its ambition to become a world-class digital leader

Huawei is building hyper-scale datacenters without brick-andmortar

26 PCCW Global aiming to become the digital platform of choice for hybrid cloud utilization

Data brokers facing intense scrutiny as European regulators clamp down

We’re not only a pioneer in the UAE, but a global leader in 5G, says Etisalat CEO

Major trends driving 5G innovation in the Middle East: The 5G future begins now

MYCOM OSI and AWS collaboration will help operators automate their networks

Cisco will continue to innovate in preparation for next generation technologies

“A smart city is not a destination, it is a journey that requires constant evolution” – Dr. Muneer Zuhdi, head of Global Smart City Solutions at Nokia

Operators need to become a one-stop shop to meet evolving demands of customers – Strategy&

Overcoming challenges with smart solutions is what smart cities are all about

Are economies ready for digital taxes?

How can high capacity microwave drive 5G deployment?

EDITORIAL

FEBRUARY 2019

Editor in Chief & Senior ICT Analyst Toni Eid toni.eid@tracemedia.info

Toni Eid, founder editor in chief Telecom Review International

Senior Journalists Mark Forker mark@tracemedia.info Christine Ziadeh christine@tracemedia.info Editorial Team Shelley Beyak (Canada), Toni Eid (UAE), Mark Forker (UAE), Martha Kassouf (Lebanon), Lacinan Ouattara (Ivory Coast), Jennifer Saade (Lebanon), Jeff Seal (USA), Zane Small (New Zealand), Christine Ziadeh (Lebanon) Copy Editor Shelley Beyak Advertising Enquiries Mohammed Ershad ershad@tracemedia.info Graphic Designer Tatiana Issa Responsible Manager Joseph Bou Daher News Provided in cooperation with AFP, the global news agency Published by

Trace Media Ltd. Zouk Mikael, Lebanon Kaslik Sea Side Road, Badawi Group Building, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 90-2113, Jdeidet el Metn Tel. +961 9 211741 M. +961 70 519 666 Trace Media FZ.LLC. Dubai Media City, UAE Building 7, 3rd Floor, Office 341 P.O. Box 502498, Dubai, UAE Tel. +971 4 4474890 M. +971 55 639 7080 Printing Arab Printing Press ÂŠ All rights reserved Publication of any of the contents is prohibited - Year 14 - Issue 146 -

Preparing the digital generation: How is education evolving?

he digital age and technology are omnipresent in all aspects of our daily life, but is education at schools and universities moving at the same speed? Are educational institutions adequately preparing the next digital generation?

Educational establishments are changing curricula to include high tech courses in all majors, from engineering to medicine and even journalism. The main universities in the USA, Canada and UK are already focusing on this and are integrating artificial intelligence into their systems. One school of thought is that artificial intelligence should not be suggested as an elective course, but rather as a requirement, whatever major students choose. Furthermore, quantum computing is changing companies, industries and governments - that is why it should be included in any educational program. Cybersecurity is a must-have for everyone. We are all online and this means our most important data is too. Learning to protect our data privacy should begin along with the most basic learning courses. Preparing our digital generation is important regardless of the field of study or objectives of the workplace. It would be best to apply this approach now, to prepare the current generation moving forward.

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FEBRUARY 2019

Australian operator moves closer to commercial launch of 5G Australian telecommunications operator Optus has taken a significant leap towards the commercialization of its 5G services following the successful completion of a 5G data call on 60 MHz using 3.5GHz spectrum. The second largest telco operator made the 5G data call as part of pre-launch testing from its 5G site in Dickson, Canberra. Optus utilized a commercial grade 5G Radio Network and customer premises equipment (CPE) developed in partnership with Nokia. The indoor Nokia 5G CPE has a high gain antenna capability which can enable the delivery of a 5G connection in residential areas, and the call was made using the 3GPP Release 15 September specification using a standard commercial chipset. Dennis Wong, Optus managing director of networks, expressed his delight at the operator reaching the milestone and said they were now much closer to deploying 5G services to its customers. Using the 5G 3.5 GHz 60 MHz band means that Optus will be able to deliver greater capacity compared to 4G, enabling the use of multiple devices as well ultrahigh definition video streaming which will be key for their customers when 5G begins rolling out this year. In addition to this, Optus disclosed that when it begins switching on its 5G network across a number of capital cities in the first half of this year, the CPE will facilitate a 5G fixed wireless access experience for Australian consumers.

GLOBAL NEWS

China commits to enhancing ICT talent in Myanmar China and Myanmar have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the educational field and ICT talent development, in particular, with a new MoU signed by Chinese colossus Huawei and Myanmar’s Rectors’ Committee under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The cooperation agreement will establish an ICT diploma course system, sponsor “Seeds for the Future” program, establish the Huawei Authorized Information and Network Academy, provide ICT Talent Scholarship to outstanding university students, organize the Youth Open Day at Huawei Customer Solution Innovation and Integration Center as well as assist in ICT related scientific research in Myanmar.

“We appreciate and thank Huawei for the efforts and contributions to Myanmar ICT development. Establishing collaborative partnerships both national and internationally is one of the main approaches which support the development of regional universities,” Dr. Myo Kywe, chairman of National Education Policy Commission, said. CEO of Huawei, Myanmar Zhang Liman, encouraged cooperation and called upon other organizations to promote Myanmar’s human resources, economic and social development. The MoU is an elevated version of the previous one which was signed in 2014 and over 1,500 ICT talents have been trained under the program in the past four years.

A new 5G experience launches in Singapore Ericsson, Singtel and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) have partnered on Singapore’s first live 5G facility. Aimed at developing the 5G ecosystem in the country and driving 5G solutions for enterprises, the 5G Garage utilizes Singtel’s 3.5 GHz trial 5G network at Ayer Rajah. The 5G Garage is the first partnership of its kind between enterprise, industry and higher education in Singapore. 5G Garage is the latest project in Singtel and Ericsson’s 5G Centre of Excellence program which focuses on upgrading employees’ skills, technology demonstrations, live field trials and collaborations with educational institutions. Singtel and Ericsson made Singapore’s first 5G data call in November 2018 over their 5G pilot network at onenorth. Martin Wiktorin, country manager Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines, Ericsson, said “5G has the potential to transform industries and bring

enhanced mobile broadband experience for consumers. At Ericsson, we are already collaborating globally with 42 operators, 45 institutes and 31 industry partners, to create a thriving 5G ecosystem. We are delighted to partner with Singtel and Singapore Polytechnic towards the setting up of the 5G Garage, which we hope will stimulate Singapore Polytechnic students to come up with new 5G use cases.” Mark Chong, group chief technology officer, Singtel, declared that Singtel is pleased to partner Ericsson and SP on the 5G Garage initiative. “As Singapore advances its digital economy and becomes a smart nation, the benefits of 5G will first be seen in enterprises, especially in their digital transformation when they integrate technology into their processes, services and products. With 5G standards largely established, now is an opportune time for SMEs and enterprises to join us in shaping our 5G future,” he said.

FEBRUARY 2019

GLOBAL NEWS

Indian operator requesting more time for spectrum repayments Indian operator Vodafone Idea has requested additional time in its bid to make spectrum repayments, after its debts continued to proliferate and its profitability weakened due to market demands. The Indian telco market is one of the most challenging and competitive globally. The introduction of Reliance Jio in September 2016 has squeezed margins for a number of India’s traditional major players in the ICT ecosystem. The Department of Telecommunications has confirmed following speculation in local media that it is currently reviewing a request from the operator for a two-year moratorium. A report in the Economic Times said that the operator needed to repay about INR100bn ($1.4bn) in spectrum fees this year alone. A Vodafone Idea spokesman told ET, “The telecoms industry is critical to

fulfilling the digital aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians. Hence, it is important for it to be financially robust with multiple operators that can offer choice to citizens, ensure healthy competition and that national assets like spectrum are valued correctly.” In late August 2018, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular completed their longawaited merger which in turn created the nation’s largest mobile operator in the process. Since 2010, the companies participated separately in five spectrum auctions. Vodafone India spent a total of INR793 billion while Idea invested INR636 billion, the newspaper said. In contrast, Vodafone Idea, with a 36 percent market share at end-December 2018, has reported an after-tax loss of INR49.7 billion in its fiscal Q2 2019 ending 30 September. It is exploring the option of raising INR250 billion for capital expenditure for future investments in new growth areas and emerging industry verticals.

Telstra partners with Ericsson and Ciena to improve ‘connectivity’ on its subsea infrastructure Telstra, together with Ericsson and Ciena, has announced a new rapid restoration service on its busiest subsea cable routes in Asia, to help keep customers continuously connected. The new continuous connection service combines the vast scale and diversity of Telstra’s subsea cable network, with flexible programmable infrastructure technology through Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme solution. Continuous connection builds on Telstra’s assured availability “Always on” service - a world first offering to key routes in Asia - which currently offers restoration within eight hours. Telstra’s new service will reduce that time from hours to minutes – a significant reduction to current

restoration service arrangements in Asia. Together with Ericsson, Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme solution increases the intelligence of Telstra’s leading subsea network, enabling rapid responses to changing network demands, all without manual intervention. The technology solution provides increased visualisation over Telstra network, boosting resiliency, and providing the flexibility and agility to give customers fast, reliable data access. The continuous connection service is expected to benefit a broad range of customers, including financial services organisations, carriers and cloud services providers, saving time, money and improving the experience they provide to its end users.

Tech giant incurs GDPR fine applied by EU country for the first time France’s data watchdog (CNIL) announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time. Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said. The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising. “People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We’re deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re studying the decision to determine our next steps.” The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect. One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France’s Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems. Schrems had accused Google of securing “forced consent” through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use. “Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google’s legitimate business interests,” the CNIL said.

FEBRUARY 2019

Telcos team up on first 5G NR video call in Europe Telecom Italia (TIM), Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson have successfully completed the first, live video call in Europe using 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. The partners used a smartphone equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G chipset on Ericsson equipment to make the call during the inauguration of the TIM’s new 5G Innovation Hub in Rome. The new TIM 5G Innovation Hub aims to attract and support an ecosystem of startups, research centers and other stakeholders interested in the digital transformation. In addition to the 5G video call, TIM also showcased a series of new services including a remotedriven car, a virtual museum tour, remote controlled industrial robots and multiplayer interactive video gaming using augmented reality. Mario Di Mauro, chief strategy, innovation and customer experience officer at TIM, said: “When we started to define the strategy and the development plans for 5G, we immediately realized that such a massive challenge could not be faced without the support of a wide range of partners committed to the same goal. We therefore proposed Qualcomm Technologies set up a place where work on the new 5G services and every business idea could find a quick realization thanks to the support of leading international technology players, innovative partners and startups from the local and national ecosystem.”

GLOBAL NEWS

Nepal deploys new FTTH network with the support of Finnish telecom giant Nepal’s internet service provider, Vianet, has partnered with Nokia on a multi-year project aiming at deploying a fiber to the home network across the country, thus providing more than 200,000 customers with access to ultra-fast broadband by 2019, which will allow them to seamlessly benefit from internet applications such as ultra-high definition (4k) video content, internet TV, live streaming, online gaming, as well as support the growing number of devices that are becoming internet capable. In the framework of the project, over 100,000 of Nokia’s GPON Optical

Network Terminals (ONTs) will be deployed and the GPON fiber solution will help Vianet build up to 2.5 Gbps capable network per subscriber. With the new FTTH network, Vianet subscribers will be able to upgrade their current bandwidth up to 100 Mbps and all of Nepal will see its broadband speeds significantly increasing. “Expanding beyond the metropolitan area of Kathmandu, the new fiber network will also enable Vianet to more effectively address underserved areas across Nepal and further increase broadband penetration,” Nokia said.

Telstra adds capacity to subsea cable network – the largest in Asia Pacific Telstra announced the addition of substantial capacity to its subsea cable infrastructure with its first large capacity purchase on the new-generation New Cross Pacific (NCP) cable, and a further investment in the faster cable. These investments strengthen Telstra’s Japan to the US route and confirm Telstra’s subsea cable network as the largest in the Asia Pacific. Telstra Enterprise Group Executive Michael Ebeid said Telstra’s investments were part of a long-term strategy to capture data demand across Asia and the Pacific. “Building on the capacity, resiliency and the footprint of our already vast subsea network is a key part of our international growth strategy,” Mr Ebeid said. “Following Telstra’s purchase of Pacnet in 2015, we have strategically invested in additional capacity and infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for data right across the Asia Pacific region, carefully mapping our international paths and investment.” In December, Telstra entered into agreed terms to purchase a 25 percent stake in

Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN). Subject to definitive agreements and regulatory approvals, the agreement includes capacity on the existing Southern Cross network and new Southern Cross NEXT subsea cable - set to become the lowest latency path from Australia to the US. Telstra has also boosted its Asia to US operations over the last 12 months, with a half fiber pair investment in the Hong Kong Americas (HKA) cable and a 6Tb capacity purchase in the Pacific Light Cable Networks (PLCN) cable, both due to be completed in 2020. These new-builds complement Telstra’s major half fiber pair investment in the INDIGO cable system from South East Asia to Australia, which has reached a major milestone with the completion of the 4,600km Indigo West cable lay from Singapore to Perth just before Christmas. Today, Telstra’s subsea cable network reaches more than 400,000km – enough to circle the world almost 10 times. Once completed, Telstra’s investments in SCCN, HKA, PLCN and INDIGO, will grow Telstra’s subsea cable network ownership by more than 25Tb.

FEBRUARY 2019

GLOBAL NEWS

PCCW Global’s Console Connect extends its reach to the US PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, and datacenter and cloud specialist, TierPoint, announced a collaboration to offer US-based enterprises the world’s first global software-defined interconnection platform using TierPoint’s infrastructure, with access to PCCW Global’s Console Connect. As enterprises migrate critical applications and content to the cloud, they are discovering that the public internet was not designed or built with business connectivity in mind, especially when it comes to reliable performance, predictability and security. PCCW Global’s Console Connect answers these business challenges by delivering an affordable platform that makes connections to cloud-based applications, partners and client IT infrastructure

simple, easily managed, predictable and secure, with seamless access to the world’s major cloud hosting services, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud and Yunify. Console Connect will initially be available at TierPoint facilities in Andover, MA, Bethlehem, PA, and Durham, NC, enabling enhanced performance, visibility, monitoring and security. TierPoint’s datacenter tenants will also gain additional benefit from having access to the digital innovation capabilities delivered via fast and secure direct connectivity provided by PCCW Global’s Tier 1 IP network, which spans more than 150 countries worldwide. TierPoint’s customers will have an opportunity to easily provision ondemand direct access to their businesscritical applications.

ZTE and China Mobile conduct 5G field trial in Guangzhou

US operator achieves 5G milestone in San Diego US telecommunications operator Sprint has achieved a 5G milestone following a pilot trial in the sunkissed city of San Diego. Sprint, which is owned by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank announced that it had completed a successful 5G OTA data transmission on its live network. Sprint CTO John Saw has expressed his delight at the success of the 5G project, and claims that it will provide a huge step forward in relation to the operators’ overall plans to launch next generation services in the forthcoming months. Sprint disclosed the details of the field test and revealed that it was conducted using 2.5GHz spectrum on the operators’ commercial network with radio equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia and a mobile test device from Qualcomm.

It is the first time that 2.6GHz NR equipment is adopted in such a field trial and passed the test successfully and smoothly.

on the 3GPP R15 compliant field trial. In accordance with China Mobile’s test specifications, the test has verified the fundamental performance items of the SA networking, including SA access performance and SA single user rate. Due to the complexity of the test environment, ZTE and China Mobile need to consider the complex frequency solution and the guarantee of the existing network when they complete the 2.6G test, lest that they cause any impact to the users.

In addition to this, Sprint also disclosed that the trial demonstrated a successful handoff between 4G and 5G connectivity while streaming video, conducting Skype audio and video calls, and sending instant messages. Its test follows the completion of a 5G data transmission in a lab during December 2018. The operator earlier this week announced plans to release a Samsung 5G handset in 2019.

ZTE is the first vendor conducting the 2.6GHz NR test. This test adopts ZTE’s full series of end-to-end solutions, including 5G high performance basestations, core networks and the latest devices.

China Mobile plays an important role in promoting 5G standardization, industrialization and commercialization. ZTE and China Mobile have long-term and comprehensive cooperation in the 5G field.

The test results show that at 100MHz bandwidth, the single user downlink peak rate is stable at 1.8Gbps, and the extreme distance is up to 3 kilometers. The 2.6GHz NR test jointly conducted by ZTE and China Mobile is fully based

In 2016, ZTE joined the China Mobile 5G Joint Innovation Center, and both sides jointly developed Pre5G Massive MIMO, which has been commercialized now. In 2017, ZTE and China Mobile initiated the Guangdong 5G field trial.

“Sprint 5G is now out of the lab and in the field as we prepare for our commercial launch in the first half of this year,” Saw said in a statement. Nokia North America CTO Mike Murphy noted Sprint’s use of 2.5GHz spectrum for 5G will allow it to reuse existing 4G sites to provide both indoor and outdoor coverage: “This first standards-based call is thus a critical step towards Sprint’s offering of a 5G service to its customers.”

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, announced that ZTE and the Guangdong branch of China Mobile have completed the first 2.6GHz NR test in Guangzhou 5G field trial.

FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY

Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Nasser, CEO, STC

STC outlines its ambition to become a world-class digital leader Saudi telecommunications operator STC (Saudi Telecom Company) has been a pioneer for decades in terms of championing revolutionary new technologies that have transformed the daily lives of Saudi citizens. It is in their DNA to embrace change and to deliver cuttingedge innovations and solutions that ultimately enhance the quality of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The project is the brainchild of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Saman who believes the radical transformation program will help the country become a hub of technological innovation. He recognizes that the country must become less dependent on oil revenues and thus needs to diversify its economy. The objective of Saudi Vision 2030 is to achieve that goal.

t its core, STC is an innovator and has continued its tradition of adopting a progressive mindset towards the development and deployment of emerging transformative technologies such as 5G. It has taken the lead

Telecom Review managed to secure an interview with STC’s dynamic and visionary CEO, Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Nasser, in an effort to find out more about STC’s plans regarding the launch of its 5G networks.

on next generation technologies in Saudi Arabia to become one of the first operators in the Middle East to commercially launch 5G last year. STC plays such an important role in the ecosystem of the development of Saudi Arabia that it has been identified as being a ‘key enabler’ in the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 program.

In a fascinating interview, STC’s CEO provided us with a comprehensive oversight on its journey with 5G so far,

FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY

and what it is going to be working on in its efforts to commercially deploy the technology on a nationwide basis in the forthcoming years. In addition to this, Al-Nasser highlighted how 5G can create new verticals for operators which can generate new revenues for them to offset the losses they’ve suffered due to the rise of OTTs. Healthcare and Transport are two areas he highlights in which he believes will be valuable 5G use cases. He also discusses in detail STC’s DARE strategy which is closely aligned with that of the aspirational objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. He believes this new blueprint will help STC become a world-class digital leader and will help them propel digital transformation in the MENA region. STC is one of the first operators in the world to launch a 5G network. Where are you in the technology/ network development so far and what key lessons have you learned from this early commercial deployment? STC always prides itself on being first in launching new services and pioneering technological innovation and advancement. STC has the required capabilities, the necessary skill-base and the critical international partnerships to enable it to pioneer our market.

STC was one of the first operators in the region to commercially launch 5G

Indeed, STC was one of the first operators in the region to commercially launch 5G, on the 15th of May of last year as soft launch. This was the result of huge efforts in studies, trials, partnerships and worldwide collaborations. In order to achieve this, STC has partnered with three major international vendors to build the first 5G network in the Kingdom. STC’s objective was to deploy 5G technology on commercial basis by Q1-2019. To address the spectrum issue, we are utilizing the 3.5 GHz spectrum band, as an initial step forward. STC is also developing its existing core and transport network, to serve

the 5G network requirements. Our ultimate objective is to get the best possible user experience, and to reach cell throughput beyond any limit that we have experienced to date.

this new technology. We are mainly looking at fixed wireless access as our first 5G service to end customers. Yet, we are working with different industries to develop new use cases.

STC has definitive and ambitious plans to extend coverage to more extended areas in KSA, within a three year time span. So far, we have deployed an early pilot network to provide an initial experience with

After the success of launching the first 5G network in SA, when can Saudi enjoy the 5G experience? We are proud to uphold our technology leadership position in the region by being the first to launch 5G

FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY

This new three to five year STC strategy, launched under the name ‘DARE’, will see the company pursue growth by moving into new businesses, while simultaneously protecting and growing core telecoms assets. For STC, ‘DARE’ is both an aspirational roadmap towards the future and an internal call to embrace change. STC’s aspiration over the next 5 years is to substantially grow and diversity its portfolio. This goal will be achieved through expansion in both our geographical footprint and our portfolio of businesses.

technology. Industry players across the value chain from chipset, handset, software and hardware manufacturers to service providers are all excited about the potential value that 5G and related ecosystem will bring to multiple industries and to the society in general. 5G technologies will be a key enabler for industry 4.0 that promises to revolutionize value chains across the industries. Enhanced spectral efficiency, low latency, higher throughputs and network slicing benefits of 5G technology will enable use cases across multiple industries such as manufacturing, transport and logistics, health, retail, education, security and others. For STC, there are three main considerations in our planning towards commercial 5G availability: 1. 5G technology standardization has made very good progress. 2. Devices availability. 3. Commercial demand and readiness for applicable use cases. We are closely monitoring industry developments and working with our partners on the technology as well as commercial side. Devices availability is expected this year. It is also important

for us to consider our 5G deployment strategy that balances reusing existing investments, new revenue streams, prioritization based on commercial benefits and financial returns, and competitiveness, while minimizing risk. As the devices start to become commercially available, initially, we are starting to deploy fixed wireless broadband solutions including IoT use cases, followed by deploying targeted mobility coverage, scaling coverage, and then focusing on industry scale advanced IoT solutions that require low latency and high throughputs. ` Technology and demand side ecosystem readiness will take some more time. However, 5G is high on our agenda as evident from our ongoing activities and engagements. STC is well positioned to ensure that our region is among the first to reap the benefits of 5G technology on commercial scale. Can you elaborate more on the ambitious STC DARE strategy? STC has based its new strategy on the aspirational directions set by KSA Vision 2030, a strong desire by shareholders for significant growth, revolutionary changes in the telco industry, and on the company’s existing strengths and capabilities.

Our aim will be to selectively pursue value-creating opportunities to pioneer the digital transformation of KSA and the MENA region. STC has set forth its vision to become a world-class digital leader providing innovative services and platforms to our customers and enabling the digital transformation of the MENA region. The ICT industry is changing rapidly and value is shifting upstream towards digital services. Across many digital segments, winner-takes-all becomes a reality. This implies that a successful player will have to do two key things: evolve towards a digital player and strengthen capabilities across multiple if not all segments of the value chain i.e. infrastructure and connectivity, platforms, and digital services. Explaining the four themes of DARE, (D) – Its strategy stands for digitization of internal processes and creating a data driven organization, and developing agile delivery platforms i.e. IT and Network. This will be a key enabler for rest of the strategic pillars. In addition, it will also improve productivity and deliver significant operational savings. (A)- Our strategy entails accelerating performance of our existing assets i.e. extracting more value – profitable growth - from what we already have. This includes generating new revenue streams, as well as capital and operating efficiency focus. The (R) theme is about reinventing customer experience and a customerfirst culture across everything we do.

FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY

This includes improving customers’ quality of experience, digitizing customer sales and other customer touchpoints, and improving brand perception. The (E) theme is the growth engine of our ambitious strategy and focusses on expanding both scale and scope of our business. As part of the growth pillar, STC’s leadership has decided to further strengthen its positon in the connectivity and infrastructure space through geographical expansion and creating new businesses such as its tower company. On the platform side, we are investing in IoT, cloud, cybersecurity and other enabling platforms. On the digital services side, our focus is on media and advertising, digital financial services, and further strengthening our positon in IT services. Other than the digital sector, what other major sectors has STC entered to provide its advanced cloud computing capabilities? Part of our strategy goals is to maintain growth in building world-class datacenters not only in KSA but in the MENA region. Datacenters will help us grow retail (enterprise and consumer) as well as wholesale business in public and private sectors. Datacenter hubs are like a cornerstone enabling multiple aspects of the digital transformation journey that we, as STC and the KSA economy, are embarking on. Our platform strategy for cloud services, IoT services, Cybersecurity and e-Government services will be enabled by these datacenters. Similarly, the digital services such as IT services, media and advertising, and digital financial services will make use of the storage, switching, and networking capabilities that we are building in these datacenters. Datacenters will also support the implementation of virtualization and automation of our core networks required for deployment of IoT solutions and 5G networks. We have built the largest area stack cloud in the region with many use cases. We have launched the first-of-itskind radiography platform (Enterprise

Medical Imaging) in the Kingdom, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health at King Fahd General Hospital in Madinah. Beyond 5G and digital transformation, what are the main challenges STC is facing across its operations for example, business, technology or both? STC is the largest and leading telecom operator in the Middle East. Therefore, it will be naturally impacted by many of the factors affecting the global telecom business. Our main approach is to ensure the best possible customer experience with the network. We will make sure that our infrastructure is ready for the future services and applications, and will deliver to customer expectations and new services requirements. Our biggest challenge is shared by all global operators, and that is: to make sure we have the correct and optimal business model in order to monetize the new services and ensure a sustainable return on investment. This applies to 5G as well as other services. From a technical viewpoint, we are also governed by the international standardization of technology and the maturity of devices ecosystem. This prominently applies to 5G and cloud technologies.

Despite all these challenges and constraints, I must assure you that STC is steering its future developments with confidence and clear vision. We have full appreciation of these challenges and have put forward safeguards to guarantee best possible outcome for STC. What do you expect to be the main talking points at MWC2019? MWC is one of the leading organizations that motivate and inspire technologies and solutions. It brings together most of the expertise and specialized people for all over the world. This year’s event comes at a critical timing for telecoms as the shift towards 5G and digitization gathers more momentum and becomes reality. This definitely creates distinctive excitement in the marketplace. I believe this year’s event will be dominated by the evolution towards new services and the monetization of network infrastructure. This includes: • • • • •

5G and its potential use cases AI Blockchain Collaborations and partnerships Network cybersecurity and the way to tackle threats of all kinds.

FEBRUARY 2019

REGIONAL NEWS

Chinese firm announces 5G investment plans in GCC

OPPO, a global smartphone brand, has reaffirmed its commitment to the region’s 5G ecosystem through substantial new investments and technology trials. The company recently announced it would raise its global R&D investments to around $1.43 billion in 2019, a 150% year on year increase. This will allow OPPO to further explore areas of 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart devices. OPPO Research Institute has been exploring 5G applications in the fields of 3D vision, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). In 2018, OPPO reaffirmed its image as a pioneer in smartphone technologies

by completing one of the world’s first 5G signaling and data connections on a smartphone and becoming the first company in the world to complete a 5G internet access test on a smartphone.

economic vision. We understand how crucial 5G will be to the ongoing digital transformation efforts in the GCC and are proud to invest heavily in R&D and drive 5G innovations that will yield great benefits in the region.”

OPPO also partnered with Qualcomm Technologies in the “5G Pioneer Initiative” to explore ways of developing innovative 5G technologies and bringing the greatest 5G experience to users around the world. These technological breakthroughs have provided OPPO with a technological edge and have brought the company a step closer to releasing 5G handsets commercially in 2019.

Gulf nations also have some of the highest smartphone penetration rates globally, and this in turn is creating an ever-increasing user demand for enhanced mobile broadband experiences. The UAE specifically leads in the adoption of new technologies and has begun to accelerate efforts to adopt the 5G technology.

Andy Shi, managing director of OPPO MEA, commented, “As a company that focuses relentlessly on the development of breakthrough technologies like 5G, OPPO is very encouraged to see governments supporting 5G as part of their

“We believe that countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia will be at the forefront of 5G technology in the region. In line with this, OPPO will drive the advancement of 5G together with AI, big data and cloud computing, making smartphones and smart devices true intelligent personal assistants,” concluded Shi.

UAE consumers are amongst the most connected technologically how much a smartphone could help them manage their schedules. With 97 percent receiving their news online and 93 percent on social media, this level of enthusiasm for digital world innovation was beaten only by the smartphone-crazy consumers of China and India.

UAE consumers are increasingly relying on technology and have a growing desire to be connected, with 67 percent stating that they see value in harnessing the power of technology. This is according to the findings of the UAE edition of a new study by KPMG International, titled ‘Me, my life, my wallet’. The report analyses factors driving consumer behavior and choices in the UAE — and how these could change as the customer of tomorrow emerges. Almost half of all UAE consumers interviewed were impressed with

Interestingly, despite recent global data breaches, 78 percent of UAE consumers feel comfortable sharing their data with retailers and other institutions, but they would be more likely to do so if they saw tangible value. When asked about trading their data for personalization or better deals, UAE consumers were midway between the privacy-conscious Europeans and the more carefree consumers in China or India, with 22 percent saying they would not trade their data at all. Globally, more than half of consumers expressed anxiety about identity theft, including hacking of financial, medical or other personal information online;

46 percent were concerned about the theft of credit card details when shopping online; and 38 percent were concerned about the unauthorized tracking of their online habits by companies, governments and criminals. The study found that consumers are more likely to trust companies with the data that is directly relevant to the service they are providing. For example, 71 percent of global consumers said that they trust banks with their financial data, but only nine percent said they would trust retailers with this information. Likewise, 47 percent of consumers trust telecom providers with their mobile data, but only eight percent said that they would trust advertisers. In the UAE, sectors that enjoyed the highest level of trust among consumers were healthcare (63 percent), banking (52 percent), retail (51 percent) and technology firms (38 percent), while the least trusted was advertising at 15 percent.

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OPINIONS

Huawei is building hyper-scale datacenters without brick-and-mortar

Time is money for every business and all businesses expect to go to market quickly. In the past few years, the prefabricated modular building technology has become one of the most promising choices for the building industry and is widely applied in high-rise offices, dormitory and chain hotels. Considering the customer benefits such as quick construction, energysaving, standardized production and predictable quality, Huawei innovatively introduced this technology into an information and communications technology (ICT) industry, building high-standard datacenters without brick-and-mortar.

uawei’s Prefabricated Modular Data Center Solution integrates power, cooling, firefighting, cabling and management systems into the prefabricated modules. All modules including IT, power, cooling, battery and multi-function modules are prefabricated in the factory, and all facilities will be pretested before delivery. The site preparation is synchronized with the module prefabrication. When all modules arrives at the site, it takes only few days to complete all installation and commissioning. With Huawei FusionModule1000B, it is 50% quicker to deploy a new datacenter than that of a conventional brick-mortar building. Huawei’s prefabricated modular datacenter solution offers more than quick delivery. It takes modular design for both components and architecture. UPS, air-conditioning, power distribution system and racks can be deployed as business grows. Besides, the Huawei solution allows flexible combination of prefabricated modules and to deploy facilities on-demand. The solution also supports five floors stacking. When capacity grows, it just adds new modules to achieve expansion. With modular

and scalable design, it can duplicate the datacenter to develop a prefabricated modular datacenter complex quickly. Huawei’s solution provides customers with truly on-demand deployment and reduces investment risks. For instance, to deploy an 1800-rack datacenter in the Middle East, Huawei’s prefabricated modular datacenter solution saves about 40% initial investment comparing with the brick-mortar building way, which brings quicker ROI to customers. It is essential for datacenters to guarantee the stable operation of critical business. Huawei’s solution provides high reliability to customers. With IP55 protection-rating (optional IP65), Huawei prefabricated modular datacenter solution can withstand sand and dust storms, and heavy rain attacks. It passes 1440 hours of a salt-mist UL test and has strong anti-corrosion ability. Its service life is as long as 25 years. With customized coating, facade and roof, the service life will be extended to 40 years. The solution passes a 120 minute fire test of an UL Lab and can withstand earthquakes of Mercali 9 degrees. It can operate stably between -40°C~+55°C. These tangible benefits will help the datacenter easily adapt to all types of tough environments. Apart from enclosure reliability, both the interior and exterior finish of Huawei’s prefabricated datacenter are

excellent. Huawei’s solution provides a wide range of module enclosures, like 3.6m and 4.15m high, 2.4m and 3.5m wide. Its interior space is as large as a tall building. Besides, it can provide customized office, meeting room and staircase/elevator modules with a business-style interior finish. Together with a customized building-like exterior facade, Huawei’s solution brings fantastic user experience and helps customers build an enteral city in the cloud era. Huawei’s prefabricated datacenter solution has been applied worldwide. In the Middle East region, Huawei has already won most of the hyper-scale prefabricated modular datacenters, such as: Dubai Airport, UAE Etisalat Al Ain, UAE Apollo, Batelco and more. Over 380 prefab modules will be delivered before the end of this year. In China, Huawei Cloud BU planned a hyper-scale prefabricated modular datacenter with 7000 racks. The 1st phase, including 1000 racks, has already finished with five-floor stacking within nine months. It ranks world’s No.1 in shipment from 2014 to 2018 and keeps leading the industry. By An Jian, president of Carrier Network Business Group at Huawei Middle East

WELCOME TO THE ERA OF

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FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

he dynamic visionary has helped solidify Etisalat’s position as a global leader in the telecommunications ecosystem. In an engaging and forthright interview, the CEO spoke about Etisalat’s role in 5G, the new technologies that are reshaping our societies and the impact Etisalat Digital has had in terms of helping its customers and partners achieve digital transformation. Which of the emerging transformative technologies do you envisage is going to have the biggest impact in terms of reshaping our society? I think all of the emerging technologies are going to have a big impact in terms of how they reshape society. AI is going to be a part of everything in your life. It is going to be in your home in various forms such as household devices and we’re already seeing that from the introduction of Amazon Alexa and Google Home into family households. We’re going to be doing a lot of things that are based on easily programmable routines that are based on voice commands.

We’re not only a pioneer in the UAE, but a global leader in 5G, says Etisalat CEO

Etisalat has been a pioneering force in the UAE for decades and has long been a champion for change by embracing technological advancement in an effort to improve the lives of its customers and partners. Etisalat has remained committed to its fundamental core value and is now unsurprisingly leading the charge towards 5G. Telecom Review managed to secure an exclusive interview with Etisalat International CEO, Hatem Dowidar, onsite at the 11th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit.

In addition to this, AI is going to be very important in the future development of the healthcare industry and how we can diagnose illnesses. This technology is also a key component in autonomous cars. At the same time, we’ve got a lot of technologies that are going to be part of the evolution of entertainment such as VR and AR. It’s all about experiences, and no longer is it about watching a game on 3D; you’re now watching it as if you were on the pitch. Etisalat Digital has been a phenomenal success since its inception. Can you tell us more about the impact it is having? I think Etisalat Digital is focusing a lot of its expertise on not only helping Etisalat itself become a more digital company, but also a company that can facilitate digital transformation. We’re already helping a lot of our customers and entities to become digital by educating them on the importance of embracing

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INTERVIEW

digital transformation, be it government agencies or corporate customers. We have managed to bring in a lot of expertise inside Etisalat Digital which enabled us to work with different agencies in the government in the UAE and across the GCC region. We have already commenced on a number of projects and there are a lot more in the pipeline. There is a global move towards digital transformation and entities are seeking that expertise to support and facilitate them on their journey and Etisalat Digital does exactly that. You were featured on a panel that examined the future of the telecoms industry. What were some of the most interesting insights and viewpoints that emerged from the discussion? I think all of us are on the same page. All the operators are on the cusp of making big investment in relation to 5G, just like we did a few years ago with 4G. There are big investments coming, but we need to make sure that we find ways to monetize that investment because we need to create some returns. I think digital transformation is one of the ways. We also need to find ways where we can be more involved in the ICT ecosystem such as in cloud computing and datacenters, as well as just from a connectivity perspective. We need to provide ICT services like we already talked about with Etisalat Digital, because these are the things that will enable us to get some return on the investment and therefore will allow us to invest more.

to start seeing consumer devices later in 2019, so we’re going to see handset phones that support 5G - and as you get to this moment you will start getting virtual reality and augmented reality handsets that support 5G. The chipsets that exist in the cars today and that are providing connectivity will move from 4G to 5G. In addition to this, 5G will also enable narrowband internet of things which allows a lot more internet-enabled devices to be connected live all the time. So we’re going to see in the second-half of 2019, and early in 2020, real applications of 5G starting to emerge.

Etisalat is a pioneering force in the UAE that has always championed new technologies. You’re leading the way in 5G, so what can we expect to see in 2019? Etisalat is not only a pioneer in the region. I sit on the board of the GSMA association and Etisalat is probably in the top 10 in the world in terms of leading 5G. We’re leading the charge towards 5G and had one of the world’s earliest commercial deployments.

In your opinion, what is it that differentiates the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit from other global ICT events that you attend? I think Telecom Review is the standard for telecom journalism in the region. Telecom Review is the go-to platform for all the news that is happening in the telecoms and technology industry. This is one of the reasons why I, and many other leaders from the ICT ecosystem, attend the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit every year - because it provides us with the opportunity to engage in robust debates in a shared effort to improve the industry overall.

Today, the commercial deployment and what we’re testing is more with business-related solutions because the devices are not there. We’re going

Can you outline to us what your primary objectives and goals are for 2019? I think what we need to do in the

countries where we still have not started 5G, is to continue to evolve 4G. 4G has a lot of capabilities that have not yet been fully utilized, so there’s still evolution in 4G in some countries. I think in places where we’re ready to deploy 5G, we need to make sure that we have a successful deployment, and that we provide great customer experiences and ultimately deliver services that are able to not only benefit the customers but also generate some returns for companies.

We’re leading the charge towards 5G

FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

uring the conference, Ladki delivered a keynote presentation with Amazon Web Services (AWS), which focused on how CSPs can build autonomic networks with an open cloud ecosystem. The dynamic leadership of Ladki has helped MYCOM OSI to grow year on year and to become a major player in the ICT ecosystem. In a brilliant interview, he highlighted MYCOM OSIs partnership with AWS and outlined in detail why CSPs should move towards public cloud in order to accelerate their digital transformation objectives.

MYCOM OSI and AWS collaboration will help operators automate their networks MYCOM OSI is a global leader in providing cloud native assurance, automation and analytic solutions that enable communications service providers (CSPs), managed service providers (MSPs) and enterprises to manage their digital experiences and hybrid networks. MYCOM OSI was one of the first in its industry to introduce and commercialize next generation cloud native solutions coupled with innovative subscription business models. Telecom Review managed to secure an exclusive interview with MYCOM OSI president and CTO, Mounir Ladki, at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit.

MYCOM OSI has recently announced a new partnership with Amazon Web Services. Can you tell us how this new collaboration agreement will enhance the services you provide to CSPs? We have entered into a new partnership with AWS, whereby we are going to combine our software solutions on top of Amazon’s infrastructure and offer it as a service to telecommunication operators. Why is that? Well, our customers today are on a journey, and they want to move away from their current position as traditional communications service providers and become digital service providers. As such, they’re also looking to massively automate their operations and automate their networks in an effort to be able to offer real-time on-demand digital services. However, in order for them to do that, they’ve got to be able to manage massive complexity and web-scale types of infrastructure and services as they’ve never done before. So, they’re moving towards the deployment of autonomic networks and software defined operations which are highly automated. The advantage of the public cloud is that it offers you this kind of scalability, flexibility and agility to innovate, and also allows you to deploy artificial intelligence at scale. All of this automation that we’re talking about has to be driven by AI,

FEBRUARY 2019

because it has to be sustainable and it has to be self-learning, in order to discover new patterns, use cases, adapt itself and evolve. All of this can only happen if you are relying on the public cloud; hence, our new partnership with Amazon Web Services. In your expert opinion, how can moving to public cloud help CSPs achieve their digital transformation aspirations and goals? Today, CSPs are at a junction, they’re at a crossroads basically. 5G is just around the corner, and there are many different use cases and possibilities that are offered by 5G. One of these possibilities is for communications service providers to act as the backbone of the future digital economy and serve the various industry verticals. I think one of the key use cases and business models that we’re advocating is for telcos to expose their know-how, domain expertise, and the systems such as the ones we sell them, to be the guarantor of digital experiences that they sell to these various industry verticals, such as transport, logistics, smart cites and connected factories. These would be very innovative business models. However, as you can imagine, this would require massive scalability and agility, to innovate and bundle new services and be able to dismantle these services in real-time. This innovation, this ability and this scale are only possible in a large public cloud environment. So we are working with Amazon Web Services to access scalability, and also to access some of their innovations, especially in AI, ML and automation at large scale. We want to offer this in large scale and enable the telcos to offer these types of vertical solutions to various customers and industry verticals to be able to slice or spin up 5G slices in real-time. These are the monetization models that we’re looking for, and as we said before, this is a revolution. We don’t believe in an evolution model. This marriage between the valueadded intellectual properties that we offer, along with the open-source provided by our partner Red Hat and

INTERVIEW the public cloud of Amazon Web Services, will deliver an open, scalable, intelligent ecosystem and we will help our customers achieve that. MYCOM OSI is one of the first providers to offer a cloud-based solution across the industry. Can you tell us more about this solution and the impact it will have for operators? MYCOM OSI comes from a background delivering service assurance solutions to CSPs, so our expertise is in maintaining networks at peak performance and managing all the events that can happen in a network. In addition to this, our focus is also on managing and optimizing the quality of digital services and customer experience. This is where we come from, and today we serve some of the largest operators in the world. In total, we have around 2 billion customers that are served by networks that we’re managing on an ongoing basis. So we have a massive presence in the service assurance space. Over the last number of years, we’ve embarked upon a major evolution ourselves in that we anticipated this digital opportunity that is opening up with the need for further automation.

Can you tell us more about your collaboration with Three UK and how you’re helping them? Three UK is a major disruptor in the mobile market in the United Kingdom. They have a really ambitious goal of becoming the most loved business in the UK by 2022. They have an objective in place that aims to double their revenues and gain significant improvement in net promotor score (NPS) and customer experiences. So, in order to do that, they decided to be the first operator in Europe to move to a fully virtualized core network. In this regard, they were looking for systems that had a brain which would be able to manage their future virtualized autonomic networks from the public cloud. We’ve been in partnership with them now for over a year, and it has been very successful so far. Soon, they will start launching these fully virtualized services.

We’ve opened up our architecture and we’ve added a great degree of automation on top of it, so that our solutions can take over the management of the networks in a closed loop. In this regard, we’re helping our customers move to zero touch networks. We free up a lot of capital and cash flow and resources that can be redeployed to enable these innovative business models powered by 5G.

You’ve been coming to the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit for years, but in your opinion, what is it that differentiates this event from other ICT conferences? I think the Telecom Review team has now acquired world-class expertise in organizing these brilliant ICT events. I think the conference is second-tonone in this region, where you have by far the largest gathering of C-Level executives and influencers from across the entire telecommunications industry. At the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, you have C-Level executives and key decision-makers from telecom operators, vendors, consultants, regulators and solution providers.

We’ve had great success thus far, and we recently announced a partnership with CK Hutchinson who is one of the first customers globally to be served out of the public cloud (managing their systems). We also have one of the largest operators in the world in India as a customer that is on a journey with us to target the automation of 95% of their operations. Many other operators around the world are beginning to adopt these new cloud-based solutions that will act as the brain of their future autonomic networks.

The entire ecosystem is present at the event and is debating in a very open and friendly environment. One other key aspect of the event is the networking opportunity provided. You can bounce ideas off each other, share insights and forge new relationships, all facilitated by the great hospitality and professionalism of Toni Eid and his team. There is a lot of value to be derived from sponsoring this event, and I’d encourage all our partners and customers to attend.

The future of smart cities

starts here!

FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

you plan to integrate your company into their system? At the core, before the acquisition of Console Connect, PCCW Global aspired to get into more software applications - and we were doing a little bit of it. However, the acquisition of Console Connect put us straight into our tactical objective, and arguably strategic objective going forward of becoming a digital platform of choice for hybrid cloud utilizations and also automated network to network delivery.

PCCW Global aiming to become the digital platform of choice for hybrid cloud utilization Telecom Review managed to secure an exclusive interview with PCCW Global CEO, Marc Halbfinger, onsite at the 11th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit following his presentation at the industry-leading conference.

n a brilliant interview, Halbfinger discusses the unique aspects of the company’s recent acquisition of Console Connect and how it will help the telco provider become a digital platform of choice for hybrid cloud and automated networks.

In addition to this, he discusses its Proof of Concept (PoC) with blockchain technology and the major PEACE cable project it has embarked upon with HENGTONG Group. Can you tell us about the recent acquisition of Console Connect, and how unlike traditional acquisitions,

If we were to just try and integrate Console Connect into what PCCW Global was doing, then I don’t think we would be able to achieve the same objective. We really needed to reshape the views of all of our colleagues and we’ve taken two decisions. One is that we’re going to move into agile-based working methodology for the entire company, and that was quite a tough decision, but it is one we’re moving into quite well I believe. The second is to make sure that the company understands that digital platforms/ software-based platforms are critical but not divorced from the network. There needs to be some sort of consensus-based delivery of service to end users in the B2B space that mixes both network and platform. Users today are interested in making sure the acquisition of both the network and cloud application capability is done ubiquitously, and not in separate environments - and I think that is a key driver of where we’re headed. PCCW Global is doing a PoC with blockchain. Has the technology now become an alternative to the settlements payment process? Blockchain isn’t an alternative to the settlements process, the settlements process is defined and it’s quite a finite environment. Blockchain is delivering an approach to automating the settlements process, and it allows us to move settlements processes from months to minutes. I think that’s the key. PCCW Global has been involved at the outset of the first Proof of Concept

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INTERVIEW

together with Colt, but as I said during my presentation, we’ve opened that up to the entire industry because we don’t believe that the back-end is some area that one service provider needs to compete, but rather it’s where we all need to find common ground, work together and create a governance framework that makes sense for the industry. So, the next step is to determine whether or not we can create an industry-wide governance process, a construct as you will, that will facilitate automated settlement of inter-delivery of various ICT services around the world and through various functions. How much of a challenge is it to create that governance framework that makes sense for the entire industry? I don’t know if it’s a challenge, but at the moment we’re used to paperbased contracts and people settling on a bilateral basis. However, having a blockchain environment allows trust to be delivered through the industry, and contracts delivered through code effectively. We codify contracts into IT code that facilitates dispute management and resolution in a much more automated and sensible basis. So those are the next steps in terms of how that’s done, and how the industry agrees on what the procedures are, and how technology is managed over time, because again, technology will evolve. All of that needs to be agreed with a common set, but the industry is used to doing that because we’ve done undersea cables for hundreds of millions of dollars together. If we can build an undersea cable system together, which is complex technology, then I think we can agree on how we code a contract together. PCCW Global and HENGTONG Group aim to connect three continents with the high speed PEACE cable project. Can you provide us with an update on the project? PEACE is moving very quickly. HENGTONG, which is a manufacturer of fiber systems in China, together

with Huawei Marine, are building a first component of it. PCCW Global is actively involved in moving that forward. We’ve also publicly announced that we’ve agreed landing in Marseille together with Orange. We believe that PEACE will be another step towards facilitating the ICT infrastructure for the one belt, one road economy that is moving out of Asia, and I’m very excited about it. This is the 11th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit. You’ve been in attendance at almost every one. What is it that differentiates this event from other ICT conferences? It is informative, it’s brilliant. I really enjoy coming to the conference every year as it provides me with an opportunity to find out what’s happening in the region. The content and substance of what the Telecom Review team deliver is spot on, and I just really enjoy listening and participating in this event every year.

The next step is to determine whether or not we can create an industry-wide governance process

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ICT FEATURE

Data brokers facing intense scrutiny as European regulators clamp down The introduction of the iPhone in 2008 fundamentally reshaped how societies in the Western world functioned. Smartphones have completely altered the way we interact with each other and no other technological innovation has had a bigger impact on our daily lives.

owever, the phenomenal adoption of smartphones globally has resulted in mass quantities of personal data becoming available for data brokers. These brokers then subsequently harvest the private information and sell it to various different industries. This sensitive information is invaluable for companies and enterprises looking to sell their products or goods by finding out the habits and likes of its targeted market. For years, these data brokers have collected information about consumers

and have operated in the shadows unaffected and unregulated. However, following the high-profile Cambridge Analytica scandal, everything has changed. The role of data brokers and how data is shared has come under intense scrutiny. It appeared that the general public was finally awakened to the dangers of data harvesting and how companies were using their personal information without their consent. It became a major political scandal when it became clear that the UK firm had used the personal data of millions of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook accounts without their consent and used it for political purposes. The information was used to gauge political opinion in

the Brexit referendum and the 2016 US presidential election. However, it has since been described as a watershed moment and has led to governments both in Europe and the US to demand that tech companies impose tighter regulations on how their data is processed and used. Europe has been actively pursuing legislation that forces enterprises and organizations to take more responsibility with regards to how they manage the data theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been provided with. The European Commission reinforced this mindset with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) -

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ICT FEATURE

Europe’s new privacy law brought into effect in May, 2018.

behemoth of breaking European data protection rules.

The European Commission has forecasted that the value of the data brokering market in Europe will reach $107bn by 2020, and the IDC has projected that data vendor sales will increase to $10.1bn by 2022, which represents a significant rise from $3.1bn in 2017.

UK information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, expressed her grave concerns that their policies on data are not aligned with those clearly outlined in law and in direct conflict with the rules of the General Data Protection Regulation.

However, it has also emerged that campaign group Privacy International has submitted a formal request to the EU to have seven data brokers investigated in relation to data protection concerns. It is clearly evident that European regulators are seriously concerned about the way the industry has been operating and is devising a clear blueprint in a bid to clamp it out. Mathias Moulin, director for the Protection of Rights and Sanctions at French data protection watchdog CNIL, expressed his reservations about the way the sector currently operates and has insisted that many brokers are being disingenuous in relation to how they’re processing the personal data of consumers. Moulin said, “They are all processing personal data, and there is absolutely no doubt about that. They all try to say that it’s anonymous to lower the pressure from the public, but that’s not true. They know that and we know that.” Much of the focus in relation to data protection and violations has focused on large tech companies like Facebook. However, regulators and policymakers from the UK, France and Ireland are also examining the data-mining industry in an effort to uncover how these less established or recognized brokers are flourishing in the current climate. As aforementioned above, Privacy International has been a leading advocate for regulation and changes in data and one of the seven brokers it asked the European regulators to investigate was US multinational, Oracle. It accused the software

Denham said, “We’re concerned about whether or not their practices are compliant with the laws. We’re looking at how they conduct their business and their general compliance with GDPR. There certainly does appear to be a dynamic tension between the way businesses are conducted and the principles in the GDPR.” Jeffrey Chester, who is an executive director of the center for Digital Democracy in Washington, has said that the advent of this new digital revolution means that all users are invisibly attached to a living, breathing database that tracks their every move. According to Chester, the rapid growth of smartphone adoption has inevitably led to an exponential increase in online data, which in turn has created a new species of data harvesters, which he calls ‘privacy death-stars’. Chester said, “The explosive growth of online data has led to the emergence of the super data broker – the privacy death-stars such as Oracle, Nielsen and Salesforce that provide one-stop shopping for hundreds of different data points which can be added into a single person’s file.” There has been an outpouring of criticism towards data brokers in relation to how they mislead people by claiming data are truly anonymous. Moulin from CNIL added, “None of these actors are processing anonymous data, they are processing personal data. Data on location is very sensitive with data on location you can identify a real person.” Other regulators say businesses may fall foul of GDPR if sensitive data can be inferred from these audience categories. The European rules insist on higher standards for any data revealing demographics such as racial or ethnic

origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership. One senior official at one prominent European data protection regulator said, “We will be asking organizations to justify if they have names that suggest a special category of data.” John Mitchison, head of Policy and Compliance at the Data & Marketing Association, the trade body for datadriven businesses, said that many data broking entities have already started to make changes to its fundamental day to day operations in order to fall into place of what is required for GDPR. He said, “When GDPR came in, people were forced to look at the legislation and realized the tech they were using was right at the boundary and limit of the existing law.” What has become clear is that there has been a sharp awakening from users in our digital-driven society that there are perils associated with us becoming dependent on internet-connected devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. Our personal information should be important to us, but for far too long there was a carefree attitude from the majority of users globally in relation to us sharing our information online. Coupled with the fact that there were data brokers hoovering and harvesting all of this data up in order to sell to companies has unsurprisingly caused a reaction, especially when that data was taken without consent and used to determine the outcome of democratic elections. Data brokering was previously a relatively unregulated industry, but European regulators are clamping down and are ensuring they comply with the strict guidelines of GDPR. Technology is fantastic and can transform our lives, but it’s important to ensure that it is not used against us, and the sweeping GDPR regulations in Europe have started a conversation that really should have happened years ago. Data is the new oil, but how our data is shared should be determined by us and not companies.

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INTERVIEW

he Finnish ICT leader has formulated a coherent strategy in relation to smart cities in an effort to position itself as a major player in the smart cities ecosystem. At the 11th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, we managed to secure an exclusive interview with the head of Global Smart City Solutions at Nokia, Dr. Muneer Zuhdi. In a brilliant interview, the Nokia executive predicted which technologies he feels will propel the entire smart city movement on a global scale, highlighted his own roles and responsibilities at the Finnish vendor, explained what differentiates Nokia from its competitors, and outlined his objectives and goals for 2019.

“A smart city is not a destination, it is a journey that requires constant evolution” – Dr. Muneer Zuhdi, head of Global Smart City Solutions at Nokia Nokia is one of the world’s leading telecommunication vendors and it has adopted a progressive approach to a new industry vertical that has emerged in the last number of years, which is the development of smart cities on a global scale.

At the conference, you were on a panel that focused on the future of smart cities and the technologies that are driving its development. Can you outline to us some of the key viewpoints that you took away from the discussion? One of the main takeaways that I took from the panel discussion we had was regarding the importance of having smart city services delivered to residents and citizens. It was illustrated throughout the discussion how every city is very unique in terms of the challenges it faces and in terms of the use cases that are applicable. In addition to this, it is important to note some of the challenges cities face in terms of implementing and deploying smart city services, and to forge the right partnerships and create the right ecosystem to facilitate all of this. It’s also critically important that the services are delivered in a secure way so that the data privacy is ensured. Another key point is the overall infrastructure that is required to stitch all these key elements together under one platform that fundamentally

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INTERVIEW

enables cities to deliver innovative applications and services to the citizens and visitors to the city. During the panel, you highlighted that every city is unique in terms of what it needs to become a smart city. However, which technologies in your opinion are absolutely fundamental in terms of developing smart cities? In general, I don’t think we can start with the technology. First, we have to start with the business outcome, and establish the desired result. Cites should be enabled to solve human needs, and every city has its own unique challenges in this regard. However, when you look at all the possible requirements, applications and use cases that can add value in a city, you’ll find that the requirements are actually very diverse. It’s very hard to find a solution that can cater to massive connectivity, ultra-fast broadband, low-latency and reliability, but this is where the importance of 5G comes. 5G is one platform, one network and one infrastructure that can enable the delivery of all these different applications with all the requirements they have that are uniquely different. So, one platform and one network that can support all of this is 5G, and the game-changer might well be network slicing which enables the smart city players to have an optimized delivery for the services. Can you outline to us what your primary roles and responsibilities are as head of Global Smart City Solutions at Nokia? As the head of the smart city solutions globally for Nokia, I look into all of the different elements that go into the end-to-end solution for smart cities. Whether it’s based on the internet of things (IoT) technology, or artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, we can deliver technology as needed to solve challenges of our customers. With our solutions, we enable them to deliver new and innovative applications and services to make cities smarter, more sustainable and safe.

Nokia has been a pioneering influencer in the telecommunications ecosystem for decades. What do you think it is that differentiates Nokia from other vendors? What really differentiates Nokia from other vendors is its ability to deliver end-to-end solutions. Because smart city players can’t have aggregated solutions, they can’t just stitch different blocks from different sources, otherwise they will have different silos. And if they approach it this way then they will inevitably end up with some flaws. Ultimately, this will result in their cost not being optimized, and they won’t have the end-to-end visibility to know what exactly is happening in their network. When we talk about end-to-end and the introduction of 5G, the importance of having all the right elements is critical in terms of enabling the best end-to-end solution. I think Nokia might be the only vendor in the world that can offer an end-to-end solution in every market globally. A smart city is not a destination, it’s a journey. It’s a continuous evolution, so there cannot be a traditional standard customer-vendor

relationship. Nokia is strategically well-positioned to be a major player in this smart city journey, and partners are important in the ecosystem. What are your primary objectives and goals are for 2019? Our primary focus is to continue to work closely with our customers and partners on addressing their challenges. We’re also working in partnership with our customers on the commencement of the rollout of 5G. In addition to this, we’re going to continue to work on all our platforms and the management of IoT devices, and end-to-end security which is extremely important. What is it about the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit that differentiates the event from other conferences? The summit was able to bring the right people and the right speakers to touch upon the hot topics, major talking points and some of the challenges that the ICT industry is facing today. It provided us with the opportunities to share different viewpoints and perspectives from different operators, vendors, consultants and various other companies that cover the entire value chain of the industry.

FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

Overcoming challenges with smart solutions is what smart cities are all about UAE operator du has always been at the forefront of the country’s technological development with the revolutionary solutions and services that it offers to its customers. Lately, du has been very active in the area of smart cities given the efforts deployed in Dubai to make it a leading smart city. In this context, it has chosen to take part in the 2nd edition of Smart Cities World Forums ‘Building the SMART Future’ conference as the Smart ICT Partner. At the event, we spoke to Jihad Tayara, VP ICT Business Development, EITC, to know more about the operator’s participation in the event.

n the interview, Jihad Tayara expressed how proud du was to be a partner of the largest ICT event in the region where high level industry leaders meet to discuss the most trending topics and their impact on the telecommunications and ICT industry. “We are very happy and proud to participate in this event as the Smart ICT partner,” he said. “It’s one of the best networking events that take place in the UAE and the region. The most impressive thing about it is that

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it is transforming from a traditional telco event to an ICT and smart city event. Most of the breakthrough technologies are being represented and discussed which is something to look forward to.” As part of du’s participation, Jihad Tayara was a panelist on the panel entitled ‘Characteristics of leading smart cities’. The panel mainly tackled how advanced technologies are key enablers of smart cities and the role operators are playing to accelerate the establishment of smart cities in the region. During the panel discussion, it was clear that every panelist had its own definition and perception of a smart city. For du’s VP, a city is smart when smart solutions are deployed to overcome the challenges residents are facing. “It is impossible to have a single definition of a smart city. Solving the problems that occur in a city in a smart way is, in my opinion, what makes the city a smart one. Dubai’s definition of a smart city is happiness which is the best target one could aim for.” Du has been endeavoring to be one of the key players in Dubai’s smart city journey. According to Tayara, technology is the only means to translate Dubai’s smart city vision into reality. “In order to achieve this goal, we are using technology to transform the city into a smart city, thus leading to the happiness of residents,” he said. “In Dubai, we are building a smart city platform to integrate all government entities. This platform is the digital enabler of all governmental organizations and gathers all the data from every single Dubai government department,” Tayara continues to explain more how du is striving to drive smart cities’ development and Dubai’s journey in particular. “We’re involved in many other initiatives at the level of IoT. We’re

INTERVIEW

developing the largest and smartest IoT deployment in the UAE in partnership with Injazat, which is an initiative by the Ministry of Interior. In addition, we’re building the smartest district in the region in Dubai Silicon Park where we’re developing more than 25 smart services across the district.”

“At GITEX 2018, we announced a blockchain platform as a service offered to the community in the UAE and that can be utilized as a subscription-based service. We are also working on services on top of this platform that will have a key role in the smart city transformation as well,” he said.

According to du’s executive, a smart city is not about a central project, it’s about a multitude of initiatives that will lead to the transformation into a smart city, which is why du has launched numerous initiatives in this regard and aims to launch more in the future.

Whether Blockchain’s adoption will increase in the Middle East or not, Tayara explained, “There’s not as much hype around Blockchain today as there was a couple of years ago. People are now seizing the real opportunities presented by this technology.

On Blockchain, Jihad Tayara was confident that the technology’s deployment will rise in the years to come because of the real opportunities it provides which are nowhere near digital currencies that first created all the hype around Blockchain.

Blockchain projects that will make an impact on the society and organizations are the ones that are surfacing and being deployed. Therefore, I project growth in terms of Blockchain which is no longer linked to the bitcoin and digital currencies that were creating all the hype around it.”

In this context, du had signed a MoU with Consensys during GITEX 2018 to build the first Blockchain Platform as a Service in UAE (BPaaS). BPaaS represents the outcome of du’s initiative to meet and support the UAE blockchain strategy that was launched in April 2018, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. The strategy aims to capitalize on the blockchain technology to transform government transactions into the blockchain platform by 2021. BPaaS offers a shared environment for du clients to host their blockchainbased POCs and production systems. BPaaS offers an easy way to explore new technology and how it can be used to help businesses access and develop blockchainbased applications. They can then focus on the business use case itself as it plays across all the industries including government, financial services, insurance, supply chain, healthcare, education and transportation to name a few.

We are using technology to transform the city into a smart city

FEBRUARY 2019

OPINIONS

Major trends driving 5G innovation in the Middle East: The 5G future begins now

As technology continues to be part of our every day, in 2019, we enter a cautious, early adoption phase of this next generation of wireless technology. A small number of users will get a first taste of 5G in specific geographic locations, using specific applications, none of which are ubiquitous or cost-optimized.

ounds glum? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not. 5G is here (albeit in small doses)! All the hype and irrational exuberance of a few years ago is turning into initial pilot deployments. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting time, especially for those of us in the trenches of 5G development. Here are some of the major trends driving 5G innovations today. Private networks look enticing for new markets Mobile network operators spend a lot of time waiting for others â&#x20AC;&#x201C; waiting for power companies to bring electricity to new sites, municipal planners to approve small cell locations, and in some cases, backhaul providers to hook up metro cells. These inhibitions on agile deployment increase operator interest in indoor private networks where site access, power and backhaul already exist. 5G is an enabler for service providers and neutral hosts to deploy private networks with highly reliable indoor wireless. Private networks could give neutral hosts stronger plays in key vertical markets such as business enterprise, healthcare and manufacturing. For example, a business might utilize a private network offering from a neutral host for a totally wireless office space

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that offers higher quality and more reliability than WiFi. No longer tethered to desk phones and LAN cabling, employees’ mobile devices would join the company’s wireless LAN as they enter the building, which is the same network their laptops run on. The enterprise saves on infrastructure costs while enabling wireless location and tracking services. When employees leave work their mobile device snaps back onto the outside cellular network, provided by the same operator. The wireless operators or neutral hosts would host and manage these like an IT infrastructure, providing much more scale than traditional telecom networks’ that said, private networks are one of the leading visions for 5G. Enhanced mobile (and fixed wireless) broadband Future visions aside, mobile broadband is fundamentally what the wireless industry is all about. Enhanced mobile broadband is about making it even better. In 4G, LTE laid the foundation for exceptional mobile data speeds, and its LTE Advanced-Pro evolution will continue to be the workhorse of the industry, even as 5G emerges. We will continue to see investment in LTE for many years with 4G and 5G co-existing in the future. We will also continue to see more and more new spectrum open up to enable continued mobile broadband growth. But 5G will enable service providers to keep up with the intense subscriber demand for more wireless bandwidth by adding capacity to their networks. Technologically, achieving 5G performances requires providers to eliminate network bottlenecks by adding more small cells, more fiber and mobile edge computing to their networks. The industry has been most successful with deploying and utilizing more fiber. Many operators worldwide are committed to a fiber-heavy and fiber-deep future. The deployment of outdoor small cells is proving more challenging due to zoning delays. But these metro cell

OPINIONS deployments are increasing despite these issues, and we expect them to continue accelerating in urban and suburban areas, with the goal of bringing the fiber hop-off point as close to the user as possible. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a bit of a laggard. This model envisions computing resources being brought out from central offices to Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) hubs closer to or at cell sites. What is occurring first is the actual build of the C-RAN hubs and centralizing of some radio capabilities. The next step will be an upgrade to MEC with more radio functions virtualized, which are a few years away. Fixed wireless access, however, has emerged as among the first 5G applications to be deployed. FWA enables wireless carriers to compete for more shares in the residential broadband market. 5G speeds are fast enough that FWA can be used for streaming home internet traffic, including over-the-top video. So, in addition to going to a traditional cable TV provider, you could have the choice to go to a wireless provider for home internet and television plus wireless voice services. The first commercial services of FWA are becoming available in countries around the globe, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the US. We expect it will take until 2020 or so for widespread deployment of mobile and fixed 5G broadband, with the technologies hitting maturity around 2025. Open interfaces will enable more 5G innovation Operators are also beginning to show preference for more open networks where they can have more flexibility to launch unique types of services. When we start talking about developing new markets with private networks or the internet of things (IoT), we also need more innovators in a more empowered ecosystem. We no longer can rely on just a few large players in wireless. We need small- and medium-sized companies to go after these vertical markets. Open RAN is the way to get there. Open RAN is the mobile

industry’s equivalent of open source. The way we can take chipsets to build a multitude of different devices is the same way we need open RAN interfaces and building blocks to create a multitude of networks. Open RAN will enable a service creation environment that can help realize the more advanced 5G use cases. IoT platforms for a healthcare system, or autonomous robots for a manufacturing facility, or a fully wireless and connected smart city require a multitude of innovators across industries, which open interfaces make possible. The ORAN Alliance, which promotes Open RAN standards, is making significant headway in realizing this vision. One of its key principles is to lead the industry toward open, interoperable interfaces, RAN virtualization and big data-enabled RAN intelligence. The future of 5G will be more open and innovative if we are to realize the truly remarkable applications envisioned. The wireless future is limitless The most newsworthy stories in wireless today are all about 5G. Technology analysts estimate that over 10 years 5G connectivity will boost the GCC economy by $269 billion (Dh987.23bn) with cheaper, faster internet access and the IoT. Major sectors such as healthcare, transport, agriculture and finance are expected to win big from 5G rollout in the coming year. When it comes to connecting devices to the network, wireless has obviously won. Now we need to see how far 5G can take it. As fixed wireless access penetrates residential markets, and open interfaces in 5G networks promise to make new vertical markets more accessible, the possibilities are endless. This year we will see the first glimpses of 5G. But what might come in years following is more, better and faster. The 5G future continues to shine brightly ahead. By Femi Oshiga, vice president of Service Providers, Middle East and Africa, CommScope

FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

Michael Yeung, head of Engineering for Elastic Services Controller at Cisco

Cisco will continue to innovate in preparation for next generation technologies US multinational conglomerate Cisco is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of networking hardware and telecommunications equipment. The technology thought-leader is considered by many within the ICT industry to be a global leader and pioneer in championing and developing new innovative products and solutions.

elecom Review managed to secure an exclusive interview with Michael Yeung, head of Engineering for Elastic Services Controller at Cisco, at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit. The Cisco executive delivered a detailed and fascinating keynote presentation which focused on automation at the 2-day conference which was held from December 10-11 at The Meydan Hotel in Dubai. In an excellent and engaging interview, Yeung outlined the challenge he faces in terms of convincing communications service providers to embark upon digital transformation, noting that while some are aggressive, others remain conservative.

In addition to this, he outlined his thoughts on emerging technologies and projected the impact they’re going to likely have once implemented, what differentiates Cisco from its competitors and his plans for 2019. You delivered a keynote presentation at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit entitled Automation – Vision, Strategy and Execution. Can you outline to us what was the key message you were trying to convey? My presentation at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit was centered mainly on Cisco’s thoughts around automation. I highlighted industry orchestration and virtual network functions as the main focus in my keynote on automation. The real question is how we can efficiently rollout services quicker and in a more agile way, which ultimately boils

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down the total cost of ownership and increases in service revenue. My presentation was all about how we can monetize and make it more efficient for our customers to maximize their infrastructure and resources through automation. The ICT industry is in the midst of a digital revolution. However, have you encountered resistance from telecommunications operators in relation to embracing digital transformation? It’s definitely a huge transformation for operators to embrace. We work with a lot of tier 1 service providers all over the world. We’ve noticed some SPs are a lot more aggressive than others and some are very, very conservative when faced with embracing digital transformation. It becomes even more challenging sometimes because the people you’re talking to may lose their jobs through the adoption of automation into their organization. There’s not only a huge technology evolution, but there’s also been a huge culture shift as well that comes along with the advent of these disruptive technologies. We’ve been slowly educating our customers on the impact integrating these emerging technologies can have on their existing operations and the benefits of automation, and we’re starting to see quite a big increase in adoption. Even customers that are sitting on the sidelines are beginning to realize that they better do something now before it’s too late. You’ve been in attendance for all the keynote presentations and panel discussions at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit which have examined all the current topics in the today’s ICT ecosystem, but what insights and viewpoints expressed have been the most interesting from your perspective? There was a number of interesting discussions during the summit. However, I thought the 5G use case that was centered on healthcare was amazing. It was also very interesting to hear from government officials in attendance at the event, in terms

INTERVIEW of what they expect from us as the provider of these emerging and revolutionary new technologies. The focus on smart cities was also insightful, but what I took from the overall conference was that the technology is just one side of it. What I gathered from all the presentations and discussion was that the mindsets of leaders and governments are actually more important than the technology itself, because at the end of the day, technology is just an enabler. With every transformation there’s regulation, so governance is hugely important. Cisco is a global leader and pioneer in the ICT industry. However, in your expert opinion, what is it that differentiates Cisco from its competitors? Cisco is hungry for innovation. You can see that we do our own innovation, and if we don’t do enough of it then we go and buy our innovation! We’re always trying to innovate, and I really think at the end of the day what we can bring to the table is unrivalled. We’re looking to disrupt the next generation of technologies, whether it’s automation or analytics, and that’s fundamentally what we’re looking to do. Can you outline to us what your primary roles and responsibilities are as head of engineering for Elastic Services Controller at Cisco? Before I joined Cisco, I worked in various different industries with a whole host of organizations ranging from startups, to SMEs and multinationals. Right before I made the move to Cisco, I was involved in a lot of technology evolution with my previous company that worked on software-based and cloud-based virtualization. When I moved to Cisco, the company fundamentally wanted to become a software-based company and drive more software revenue. Cisco is also looking to expand its operations around cloud automation. My role as head of engineering at Cisco is brilliant because I get a lot of support from my superior in terms of how we drive

our software coverage and software innovation for the overall company. There’s a lot of talk about AI, big data and 5G, but which of those emerging technologies do you think will create the most disruption in the ICT industry? I don’t think it’s going to be one technology per-se. I think it’s going to be a combination because one technology will drive the effect of the other technology which eventually creates an ecosystem. I think if we only look at one technology, then we’re going to fail, but if we look at how we use one technology to enable the other technology then we’re going to be very successful and we’re going to transform industries. You’ve attended quite a number of ICT events on a global scale, but what is it about the Telecom Review Leaders Summit that differentiates it from other conferences? This is my first time attending the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit and the experience has been fantastic. It’s also my first time visiting Dubai and it’s a terrific city. I think one of the key differentiators for this summit in comparison to other industryleading ICT events is the ability to connect with various leaders from different companies, organizations and governmental department agencies. In addition to this, the opportunity to be able to learn about a different way of thinking has also been great. My job brings me to Asia on a regular basis, and I work a lot with European and North America companies, but my exposure to the Middle East has been limited. Attending and being able to be present here at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit has been a very good experience for me. What are your main objectives and goals for 2019? We’re going to evolve our technology more in an effort to be able to support the cloud native initiative and that’s something that we really want to do. In addition to this, we need to look at how we can bring along what we’ve built so far, and meanwhile, not completely wipe it out and leverage it for different initiatives within the cloud.

FEBRUARY 2019

OPERATORS’ NEWS

Alfa is now closer to customers with two new flagship stores As part of its expansion plan, Alfa, managed by Orascom TMT, inaugurated two new stores in Solidere, downtown Beirut, and Jbeil to better serve its customers across the Lebanese territory. Alfa had launched its expansion plan in 2018 to strengthen its presence in all regions and keep pace with technological progress, and the two newly opened stores prove the Lebanese operator’s commitment to achieving this plan. In addition, improving interaction with customers and subscribers is another

goal that Alfa aims to achieve through the opening of new stores. “We’re adopting a new concept based on a unique interactive service that our team offers to subscribers,” said Alfa CEO and Chairman, Marwan Hayek. H.E. Jamal Jarrah, Minister of Telecommunications, was present at both stores’ opening and stressed the importance of consolidating the relation with customers and subscribers. He also lauded the value that Alfa stores will add to both cities and expressed the Ministry’s support to such initiatives.

Du and Orange to provide services for Dubai’s smart city Telco du has partnered with Orange Business Services to deliver smart services at Silicon Park – Dubai’s first integrated smart city. The eagerlyanticipated smart living project within Dubai Silicon Oasis is set to provide 60 smart services with an investment of AED100 million.

solutions such as charging-docks for smart devices on the street to smart pop-up furniture and digital play tables, as well as optimally-designed bus shelters, piazzas shading and electric vehicles charging stations - all designed to boost productivity and efficiency.

The main datacentre infrastructure is already up in operation, and over a third of all services are now in various stages of implementation, according to a statement. It includes a community portal, an energy management solution, information and messaging hub and an enterprise architecture office. Upon its completion in March 2019, Silicon Park will feature smart

It will be comprised of 71,000 sq m office space, 25,000 sq m of commercial space, 46,000 sq m of residential area and the 115-key business hotel Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis. It will also feature restaurants, cafés, prayer rooms, a shopping center and an underground parking space that can

accommodate more than 2,500 cars. Farid Faraidooni, deputy CEO, ICT Solutions, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), said: “Smart city services constitute our biggest opportunity to enhance the UAE’s position as a global hub for tourism, commerce and as a happy place to live. We are already engaged with Abu Dhabi, Ajman and other emirates in building smart ecosystems in the UAE.” Muammar Al Katheeri, executive vice president of Engineering and Smart City at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, added: “Silicon Park has been conceptualized to leverage smart technology that is central to its DNA.”

UAE operator joins global consortium to explore future blockchain innovations Du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), is set to work alongside some of the world’s leading multinational telco firms as a member of the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) – a global consortium of leading telcos constructing the next generation of blockchain technology and innovations. In joining the CBSG, du will become a key part of the first worldwide telecom carriers’ blockchain consortium and will drive the creation of blockchain-enabled services, such as Cross-Carrier Payment

Systems (CCPS) – a blockchainbased global payment system developed by TBCASoft, a US-based blockchain technology company as well as a founding member of the CBSG Consortium. The CCPS is one of the key solutions developed by TBCASoft. It offers streamlined cross-carrier mobile payments and cross-carrier remittance through mobile wallets to end users. In the UAE, this will mean that direct transfers can occur instantly without “middlemen” or a fear of manipulation,

even for cross-border payments. This will also reduce the cost of the charges along the payment chain. Du joins the fastest growing blockchain consortium and will become part of a secured and privacy-controlled platform, with high performance and speed. As an active enabler of blockchain solutions in the UAE, du will build upon its capabilities by facilitating developments in transparency, security, real-time transactions, and data protection to address pain points across industries and to leverage blockchain solutions for its customers.

FEBRUARY 2019

OPERATORS’ NEWS

EITC announces its first blockchain solution for healthcare sector

Du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has announced its latest Blockchain Platform as a Service (BPaaS) use case by entering into a collaboration with Dhonor HealthTech – a leading national company focused on global healthcare blockchain solutions – to build the UAE’s first Patient Safety Blockchain Solution. Building on its commitment to championing innovation to create a better society for all, du’s BPaaS use case will empower and enrich lives through the country’s first patientcentric safety verification blockchain solution.

This builds on the telco’s proud legacy of delivering life-changing technological solutions and will support the nation’s progress towards achieving the UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021 in creating a paperless economy and digitally transform the country.

information, including the origin, state and viability of use for medical products. The solution is based on NFC tags standards that enable access to blockchain solution in order to verify if blood bags and pharmaceutical products are authentic across the medical supply chain.

Not only is blockchain used for data integrity over a decentralized network, but it also ensures high security and transparency of data that allows a patient-centric approach to blockchain in healthcare. This incorporates direct communication with key stakeholders, access to healthcare resources and verification of authentic medicines, which are the main drivers of the Patient Safety Blockchain solution.

Du’s BPaaS is a cloud native blockchain infrastructure that can provision private blockchain networks with a high level of customization, support multiple consensus algorithms, with monitoring, managing capabilities and smart contract capabilities which will give its users the ability to create blockchain networks, deploy and run their use cases, using intuitive UI (User interface). Without much knowledge of blockchain networks configuration and DevOps, the platform supports Etherum and Hyperledger Fabric v1.3 frameworks.

This solution is design on du’s BPaas in order to provide authenticity and compliance traceability that delivers the transparency and trust that has eluded the healthcare industry to date. With immutable data, it has the potential to give all stakeholders access to reliable

The solution therefore ensures patient’s safety and solves the problems of many patients encountering counterfeit medications and wait times for trusted blood bags.

Etisalat attains new record as first brand in ME to break $10bn barrier resulting in becoming the first Middle Eastern brand to hold such a wide portfolio. For the second consecutive year, Etisalat also retained its position as the most valuable consumer brand in the Middle East and Africa.

Etisalat received ‘The Most Valuable Portfolio Brand’ in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by Brand Finance as recognition for the company’s impressive portfolio of brands becoming the first Middle East group to break the $10 billion barrier in terms of wider portfolio value. Etisalat boasts of a portfolio of brands such as Etisalat Misr, Mobily, Ufone, Maroc Telecom, PTCL and Etisalat Afghanistan. The company has also seen an 8 percent growth since last year,

Operating in 15 countries across Asia, Middle East and Africa, Etisalat’s success can also be attributed to its continued efforts in developing its customer loyalty programs, sports sponsorship commitments and in driving the digital future to empower societies. Etisalat pioneering 5G efforts in the region and delivering one of the fastest, smartest and best-connected places on earth during the global mega Expo 2020 Dubai has attributed to its success as a brand in the region. As the premier digital and telecommunications partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Etisalat is prepared to deliver the event’s visitors and delegates 5G

connectivity that brings the Expo themes to life for the 25 million expected visitors. Several factors have attributed to the success and growth of Etisalat’s brand value mainly driven by an innovative customer service driven strategy, adapting well to a digital savvy marketplace, leading the 5G revolution and the successful launch of global brand building initiatives. Etisalat has also led digital innovation in the country with its overall strategy focused on ‘Driving the Digital Future to empower societies’ by working on several digital initiatives in digital infrastructure, entertainment and smart cities. As part of its digitization efforts for consumers, Etisalat provided an efficient personalized retail experience by amplifying the rollout of smart stores in UAE and transforming a brick and mortar retail environment to a digital experience for customers.

FEBRUARY 2019

OPERATORS’ NEWS

Etisalat Digital signs agreements to accelerate adoption of AI and blockchain in ME core technology and be able to demonstrate traction and substantial use cases.

Future Now, the innovation program of Etisalat, has signed agreements with four scale-ups to develop artificial intelligence and blockchain solutions following the successful Dubai Future Accelerators programme. The signing ceremony also marked the opening of the Future Now scale-up collaborative space for Etisalat Digital’s partners, namely Yitu Technology (China), Com IoT Technologies (UAE), 300cubits (Hong Kong) and Tradefin (USA). They were chosen based on their capability to build and launch their

As part of the fifth cohort of Dubai Future Accelerators, Etisalat Digital launched in July this year three challenges to companies across the world. Out of all the companies that applied, seven companies were selected to address these challenges. The companies had the opportunity to network with a number of key stakeholders and have access to resources and expertise. Etisalat Digital selected two companies, Yitu Technology (China) and Com IoT Technologies (UAE), for the first challenge that sought to leverage artificial intelligence for video surveillance systems and create solutions that would reduce crime rates and road congestion. To support the UAE 2021 vision of making the UAE the safest place in the world, the challenge focused on

scale-ups that could deliver solutions that would analyze behavior and predict crime-related patterns, in addition to enhancing transportation issues like congestion and accidents, and take automated decisions with the use of artificial intelligence on existing video surveillance systems. The second challenge addresses the use of blockchain to reduce the transactional costs and complexity in business processes for banks, governments and private organizations, with the goal of reducing the costs and complexity by 40 percent over five years. 300cubits (Hong Kong) was selected for this challenge. Tradefin (USA) was selected for the last challenge that was focused on the adoption of blockchain to enable exchange across various loyalty currencies and to transform a loyalty currency into a crypto currency that can be used to perform online and physical transactions.

Ooredoo Group achieves first international 5G call in the Arab region The call was originated by Sheikh Saud from Ooredoo’s headquarters in Doha, and received by Sheikh Mohammed in Ooredoo Kuwait’s headquarters. It took place using 5G CPEs connected at 5G speeds of up to 1 Gbps showcasing the incredible potential of 5G. Ooredoo Group has announced that it has successfully trialed the first international 5G call in the Arab world. Ooredoo’s call was between Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al-Thani, chief executive officer, Ooredoo Group and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, chief executive officer, Ooredoo Kuwait. Also present were senior representatives from Ooredoo Group, Ooredoo Qatar and Ooredoo Kuwait, in addition to respective government officials and invited media.

Ooredoo Qatar became the first operator in the world to launch a live, commercially available 5G network in May 2018 and has since worked tirelessly to ensure it will be ready for use as soon as 5G devices become commercially available. 5G is set to revolutionize mobile and fixed connectivity, with super-fast internet speeds, extreme throughput and low latency. Also, Ooredoo Kuwait had announced the launch of the trial 5G for its

customers last June 2018. The 5G trial launch came as the company prepares to release the biggest network of the revolutionary internet of the future across Kuwait in 2019. This comes in tandem with Ooredoo Group’s plans to roll out 5G across its markets, following the launch of the new high capacity technology in Doha. Detailed 5G network testing is now underway across both the Qatar and Kuwait 5G networks, and plenty of the incredible possibilities of 5G have already been showcased by Ooredoo, including a driverless aerial taxi, 5G broadband in a moving vehicle and never-before-seen gaming quality. With this announcement, Ooredoo joins major global telco players in successfully trialing 5G calls.

FEBRUARY 2019

OPERATORS’ NEWS

Zain and Huawei offer cloud services in Kuwait summit held in Shanghai, China, where Zain Group executive management met counterparts from Huawei to discuss a range of topics related to establishing additional areas of potential cooperation.

Zain Group, the leading mobile telecom innovator in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has been selected by Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, to become a strategic partner in the offering of HUAWEI CLOUD services in Kuwait and across the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two companies was signed during a two-day strategy

The agreement will see HUAWEI CLOUD services initially launched in Kuwait and across Middle East, with a wide range of new offerings being made available to businesses and consumers alike. Commenting on the entering the public cloud MoU with Huawei, Zain Group vice-chairman and CEO Bader Al-Kharafi, said, “This agreement bolsters Zain’s efforts in playing a key role in the ‘New Kuwait 2035’ national development plan as the deployment of public cloud services unlocks many opportunities for driving business growth and efficiency, as well as stimulating competition and innovation. It also enhances our

ambitions of becoming the operator of choice for governments and enterprises of all sizes across our footprint.” Charles Yang, president of Huawei Middle East, commented, “Public cloud is the cornerstone of digital transformation. I look forward to promoting HUAWEI CLOUD across the MENA with Zain.” Zain and Huawei discussed other topics during their summit in Shanghai, including each company’s respective technology roadmap given the introduction of 5G in the MENA region as early as next year. The companies assessed the expected business cases for 5G in the region, including its impact on IoT, mobility, connectivity, healthcare, government and other essential sectors. Zain is on track to have its operations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will be the first to launch 5G commercially.

EITC announces resignation of its CFO a smooth handover of responsibilities and to supervise the full year 2018 financial results. Mohamed Al Hussaini, Chairman, EITC, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Amer Kazim for the substantial contribution he has made to the company. Amer has been instrumental in driving an important phase of growth for EITC through proven financial governance capabilities. We wish him well in his future career and appreciate his dedication and efforts.”

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) today announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, Amer Kazim, who is leaving to take up a position

with a Dubai government-owned organization. Amer Kazim will remain with EITC till the end of the first quarter of 2019 to ensure

Osman Sultan, CEO, EITC added, “Since joining EITC five years ago, Amer Kazim has been a valued member of the senior management team and a key contributor to the execution of the company’s strategy. His strong financial acumen has meant that he has been fundamental to the continued successful delivery of shareholder value creation. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Amer and I wish him every success in the years to come.”

INTERVIEW

FEBRUARY 2019

digital transformation aspirations. Telecom Review managed to secure an exclusive interview with Jad El Mir, principal with Strategy& Middle East and a member of the Telecommunications, Media, Technology and Digital practice during the Digital Transformation Middle East conference in Dubai. In a brilliant interview, El Mir stated that it was imperative for operators to extract value from their core telecom business to invest into new growth industries and hence create multicore businesses. In addition to this, he has called on operators to be focused in relation to which new growth areas they invest in - and explained what differentiates Strategy& from other rival consultancy firms in the Middle East region.

Operators need to become a one-stop shop to meet evolving demands of customers - Strategy& The telecommunications landscape has changed dramatically over the years, and as a consequence, operators have seen their traditional revenue models decimated by the rise of OTTs such as Skype, Facebook and WhatsApp. We’re now living in a digital economy and operators have recognized that they need to embrace digital transformation in an effort to survive.

perators still have a number of huge advantages at their disposal, and if they can devise a blueprint and plan strategically

tailored to their market and customer needs then they can redress the slide in their operating profit. Global strategy consulting business Strategy&, part of the PwC network, is helping operators achieve their

Telecommunication operators have seen their traditional business models decimated by the emergence of OTTs. However, can you tell us how its current performance is eroding overall shareholder returns, and what operators need to do to redress this trend? We can see that most telecommunication operators have been under pressure for a number of years. If you look at their financials globally and in the MENA region, you can see that revenues are decreasing. This is unsurprisingly putting a lot of pressure on their margins, so although they’re going through a lot of cost optimization in an effort to be able to reduce the effect of top line decreases in their margins, their margins are still squeezed. In addition to this, you’ve got the growing demands from customers, be it consumers or enterprises that operators are serving. They’re asking for more and their needs are always evolving - and that ultimately means that operators have to sustain quite a significant CAPEX investment. Everyone is thinking, how do we make sure that we return to a growth mode in order to protect our shareholders returns? If you look and examine the strategies of most operators globally, they’re looking at how they can

FEBRUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

extract more value from their core business and free up cash to invest in new growth industries. There are a lot of examples on how operators are extracting more value from their core telecom business: managing value up through monetization programs, becoming leaner, and pursuing scale and scope. The most important aspect for operators is that they’re generating this value which is freeing up capital for them to invest in new growth areas. By investing in these new verticals and growth areas their aim is to create a multi-core business.

they have the biggest capabilities to become a one-stop shop. Naturally they’re the ones that everyone would think of first. This requires a lot of work from their side in order to build the capabilities that are required to be able to deliver a really digital experience for the customer that is in-sync with what large digital ventures are offering. Operators need to be able to combine all these different products into one ecosystem which they can then go with to their customers, be it enterprises or consumers.

In your expert opinion, what growth areas do you think operators should focus on and invest in as part of their efforts to generate new revenues and business models? There are a lot of areas and industries that operators can tap into and this will depend on their right to win assessment. The objective here is not to go after everything. Operators need to be focused. They need to select one or two areas which they believe will provide the most returns for them, and this is dependent on the needs of markets they’re currently serving and their current capabilities.

Telco’s have a competitive advantage to diversify and, hence, create an ecosystem of digital services. They have relationship with a large customer base and they can leverage customer data to better target and enable new models. They’re trusted brands, their services can be a natural complement to new services and they mostly have the scale that is required to launch successful digital businesses.

Operators need to look at whether or not these industries have already been disrupted in these markets or not, and whether they can leverage their capabilities to get into these industries. Naturally, IT services are the closet to the core telco business, and this is where you see a lot of the telcos venturing or expanding their portfolio by getting into select IT services. You can also see a lot of operators going after one or two other big industries, such as banking, healthcare and media. So these are some examples, but again, what is important is that operators are focused and avoid attempting to go after everything. Consumer demands have changed and they’ve become much more digitalized and sophisticated. With that in mind, how important is it for operators to become a one-stopshop that provides these digital experiences for its customers? It is very important for them because

There is a general consensus amongst operators that they didn’t monetize the opportunities in 3G or 4G in the way they would have imagined. What do operators need to do differently with 5G? There has been a lot of discussion on this topic regarding 5G. Most of the operators are trying to see what the different use cases are through 5G. Operators will then invest heavily to address their prioritized use cases that they have determined will provide a return on investment. Operators don’t want to invest just for the sake of it. They want to establish which use cases will work for them. When they decide on what use cases they want to deliver through this technology, 5G will be able to support it. Can you outline to us what your primary roles and responsibilities are as a principal in the Telecommunications, Media, Technology and Digital practice at Strategy&? Strategy& is a global strategy consulting business, and I’m a principal in the telecom, media, technology and digital practice. I work

closely with telecom operators and digital players in the Middle East on large strategic and transformation projects across their full business value chain. In your role, you have to educate operators on why they need to embrace digital transformation. Has there been resistance to digital transformation from operators? No, not at all. All operators are aiming to transform and digitize their business, and they’ve all realized that it is a key component of their strategy. Digital transformation is on the top of the agenda for CEOs. There has been no resistance at all. However, different operators are at different maturity levels in relation to their digital transformation objectives, but everyone collectively realizes this is a key mandate for them in order to provide the services their clients expect them to be able to deliver. What is that differentiates Strategy& from its competitors, and why should operators choose Strategy& to help them deliver on their digital transformation goals? What differentiates us as Strategy& is that we deliver strategy, made real. We are the only at-scale strategy business within a global network that takes a bold and pragmatic approach to strategy. We don’t just talk strategy. We help our clients execute their goals and objectives by working with them hand in hand. We’re realistic with our clients and devise a tailored plan and strategy which is based on things that can be delivered. We work closely with them to make sure that the strategy we recommend is executable and drives results. Can you tell us what your objectives and goals are for 2019? Our plan for the next 12 months is to continue to provide support to operators in all of their strategic business needs and strategic decisions. It is our objective to work with them in their efforts to achieve their vision, and we need to help them deliver on that – and this is something we will be fully focused on.

FEBRUARY 2019

ICT FEATURE

the foundations for an agreement this year that could be approved and enter into force in 2020,” he said. The prediction comes a year after the scheme looked doomed as member countries failed to agree a text presented to the G20. At the time, “we didn’t think we could do it this year,” acknowledged Gurria, who believes that “a space for consensus could now open up.” The tax proposal would likely hit the sales of digital companies, instead of profits, which the tech companies tend to bank in the most tax-friendly jurisdiction. Faced with the difficulties of reaching an agreement within the OECD and even the EU, countries such as Britain, France and Spain have announced their intention to unilaterally tax the giants.

Are economies ready for digital taxes? The term ‘digital’ has changed everything the moment it emerged and has become somehow a label. Coupled with different other factors, the world has found itself amid a whole new era built on digital transformation, digital currencies and digital economies. The change that occurred had a significant impact on consumers’ behavior, business operations, government systems, and of course, finance. This is when the concept of a digital tax was born.

ECD SecretaryGeneral Angel Gurria said at the World Economic Forum held in January 2019 that he hopes to lay the foundations this year for an international tax on digital giants that could come into force in 2020.

The possibility of an international deal to tax US tech giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook is sensitive, as countries threaten to go it alone and Europe is divided on the issue. “It is possible,” the head of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) told AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “I believe that the conditions exist to lay

In Davos, Google vice president Ruth Porat supported the negotiations overseen by the Paris-based OECD, which groups advanced economies. “We are very frank; we support the OECD initiative,” she said. In 2018, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its interim report on the tax challenges arising from digitalization, which is a follow-up to the 2015 report on addressing the tax challenges of the digital economy. In the reports, the OECD acknowledges the importance of taking into account the shift in world economies and the ensuing need to adapt the rules accordingly, including taxation rules. The Organization, which groups major world economies, is working on a proposal for a new international scheme that would regulate taxation on tech firms. Digital taxation: The case of the Middle East Several countries in the Middle East and in the GCC in particular have introduced in recent years VAT. Most recently, the UAE introduced a value added tax (VAT) of 5% on January 1, 2018, after publishing the Federal VAT Law in August 2017 establishing the domestic rules applying for VAT in the UAE. The standard VAT rate of 5% is applied to goods and services, including the services offered by telecom companies.

FEBRUARY 2019

According to the Federal Tax Authority of UAE, VAT is a tax on the consumption or use of goods and services levied at points of sale in the UAE, including the telecom sector. VAT is levied at each stage of the supply chain. In general, the final consumer is the one who bears the cost of this tax, while businesses, including telecom companies, collect and calculate the tax, as a tax collector for the Federal Tax Authority. The tax was applied on prepaid and postpaid services purchased from telecom operators. In the UAE, just like in any other country in the world, telcos are bearing the burden of increased data demand due to the increase of OTT services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Netflix and YouTube on mobile devices. This increased demand causes congestion in the network, compelling mobile operators to invest in network capacity enhancement, increasing their financial burden, while their text and voice profits get reduced. OTTs were able to escape from the VAT while burdening the infrastructure of telcos who are actually subject to the VAT. Technically, operators had to add a 5% VAT on all their services while consumers were able to benefit from OTT services for free and without any increase in tariffs. This certainly puts into question the fairness and integrity of tax systems, with global online service providers being seen to gain a competitive advantage over enterprises that operate at a domestic level. Europe leads global digital taxation efforts Europe has lead the way in terms of digital taxation with its so-called “GAFA tax” - named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon - to ensure the global internet giants pay a fair share of taxes on their huge business operations in Europe. “We are working on a tax that would affect internet service companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros ($850 million) and 25 million euros in France,” Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced. “If these two criteria are not met, the taxes will not be imposed.”

ICT FEATURE The low tax rates paid by US tech giants in Europe has repeatedly caused anger among voters in many European countries but the 28-member bloc is divided on how to tackle the issue. Ireland, which hosts the European headquarters of several US tech giants, leads a small group of otherwise mostly Nordic countries that argue a new tax could lead to reprisals against European companies and stoke anger in the US. France and Germany had agreed to introduce a new joint measure in 2021, which would give the Paris-based OECD time to work on a new global solution. Policymakers across the world have had difficulty in taxing the US-based giants who dominate their sectors internationally, but who often route their revenues and profits via low-tax jurisdictions to reduce their liabilities. Countries such as France have sought to introduce the digital tax due to domestic budget concerns and with the aim of generation new revenue streams. Some other EU member states such as Britain, Spain and Italy are also working on national versions of a digital tax, with Singapore and India also planning their own schemes. Austria is also among the first EU countries calling for the tax. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz vowed to press ahead with a tax on large internet and technology companies, following France’s example, as the European Union struggles to finalize a new EU-wide levy. “It is only fair that internet giants in Europe pay a proper amount of tax,” Kurz said. “In addition to an EU-wide move, we’ll also act on a national level. We will introduce a digital tax in Austria.” Kurz said that EU member states “agree in principle that there is a need for such a tax.” He said the tax would come into force soon as part of the government’s planned tax reforms in 2020. “The aim is clear - to tax companies that generate huge profits online, but pay hardly any tax on them, such as Facebook or Amazon,” Kurz said. Under EU law, US technology titans can choose to report their income in any member state, prompting them to pick low-tax nations like Ireland,

the Netherlands or Luxembourg. Such firms, on average, pay a nine percent levy, compared to 23 percent for other businesses, according to Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner. However, fears of retaliation by the US president have blunted Germany’s ambition for a European digital tax, with Paris and Berlin now proposing a scaled down version. “Until now, there has lacked a clear commitment by the Germans,” said EU economics affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici. “There’s an elephant in the room: the fear of trade reprisals by the Trump administration that might consider a tax as a protectionist measure against US high tech giants,” he told reporters. Germany especially fears damaging tariff hikes on vehicle exports to the US. The digital tax initially aimed to cover a wide swathe of the digital economy, potentially capturing companies such as Amazon, AirBnB and Trip Advisor. In the watered-down proposal, the scope of the tax would be largely limited to ads on Google and Facebook, which dominate the online advertising market in Europe and around the world. The tax would only come into force in 2021 if a plan for a global solution being negotiated at the OECD is not agreed before then. However, it seems that achieving a global consensus on tax reform in the digital age is quite difficult, especially that many countries are actually benefitting from tax havens. With digitalization, governments across the world are losing increasing portions of their tax revenue. It may be hard to reach a common agreement on taxation reforms in digital economies, but eventually, that might the only solution. Digitalization continues to be an important enabler of global economic growth, therefore, every regulating system should seek that enabling aspect. Policies related to taxation of the digitalized economy should seek to promote, and not hinder, economic growth and cross-border trade and investment. That is where every effort deployed should be oriented.

FEBRUARY 2019

VENDORS’ NEWS

Chinese vendor announces plans for 5G smartphone in 2019 Embattled Chinese telecommunications vendor ZTE, has announced ambitious plans for 2019, by formally revealing its plans to introduce a 5G smartphone to the market in the first half of 2019. ZTE has been under intense scrutiny in the United States, and was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy in 2018 following draconian measures imposed by the US Department of Commerce. US President Donald Trump intervened after Chinese President Xi Jinping pleaded with the United States for a more lenient punishment for ZTE after it was found

guilty of violating trade sanctions with Iran and North Korea. ZTE has since resumed full operations in the US. Its share price on the New York Stock Exchange has soared, and it looks like it is finally getting back on track after a tumultuous few months. This has been further evidenced by the announcement of its new 5G smartphone. The handset with next-gen connectivity will be announced in H1 2019 to boost sales in the second part of the year. ZTE has already completed multiple 5G tests, including

calls, internet browsing and WeChat messages. It passed all applicable scenarios with flying colors, receiving a green light from Chinese authorities to continue with its 5G development. The new flagship device will be likely under the Axon moniker as a followup of the Axon 9 Pro, showcased at IFA 2018. Due to the more powerful chipset that will power the phone, AI camera features, ultra-low latency for VR/AR is expected to arrive. ZTE is expected to officially unveil the devices at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Ericsson and Qualcomm complete 5G data call on 2.6 GHz band the Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements.

Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, have achieved a non-standalone (NSA) 5G New Radio (NR) data call on 2.6 GHz, adding a new frequency band to those successfully tested for commercial deployment. The bi-directional downlink and uplink data call was made at the Ericsson Lab in Kista, Sweden, last December 20. It brings a new sub-6 frequency band one step closer to commercial rollout. This latest Interoperability Development Testing (IoDT) data call is compliant with the 3GPP Rel-15 “early drop” specification that was frozen in March 2018 but further stabilized in September, and which

is the basis for commercial launches expected in the first half of 2019. Per Narvinger, head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson: “Together with Qualcomm Technologies, Ericsson continues to make strides on commercial 5G readiness by continuously performing interoperability tests on 5G NR networks on different spectrum bands. We’re offering our customers flexible deployment options as they gear up for commercial 5G services.” The lab demonstration used Ericsson’s commercially available 5G hardware – including its 5G NR radio AIR 6488 and RAN Compute products – together with Qualcomm Technologies’ mobile smartphone form-factor test device powered by

Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., says: “Qualcomm Technologies is excited to continue working with Ericsson on 5G technology adoption and drive worldwide 5G launches this year. We are committed to helping ensure consumers get 5G devices and experiences in their hands starting in the first half of 2019.” Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson completed similar IoDTs on 28 GHz and 39 GHz millimeter wave bands, as well as on 3.5GHz band based on the September specifications. Ericsson is steadfastly working with key ecosystem partners for network and device IoDT based on 3GPPcompliant solutions on mmWave, 3.5 GHz and now 2.6 GHz bands. The capabilities of 5G extend far beyond previous generations of mobile communication. Examples of these capabilities are very high data rates, very low latency and energy efficiency. Access to new spectrum bands is one of the key elements to increase capacity and data rates.

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FEBRUARY 2019

VENDORS’ NEWS

Huawei launches datacenter switch built specifically for AI era which is becoming a key bottleneck of the AI commercial process.

Chinese telecommunication vendor Huawei has unveiled the industry’s first datacenter switch built for the artificial intelligence (AI) era, which has been named as the ‘CloudEngine 16800’, at its network product launch event for Spring 2019 themed “A CloudEngine Built for the AI Era”. Huawei defines three characteristics of datacenter switches in the AI era: embedded AI chip, 48-port 400GE line card per slot, the capability to evolve to the autonomous driving network, and innovatively incorporates AI technologies into datacenter switches. The pervasive use of AI will help customers accelerate intelligent transformation. With the advent of the AI era, the AI computing power is affected by the performance of datacenter networks,

On a traditional ethernet, the AI computing power of datacenters can only reach up to 50 percent due to a packet loss rate of 1/1000. At the same time, the industry expects that the annual volume of data worldwide will increase from 10 zettabytes in 2018 to 180 zettabytes (180 billion terabytes) in 2025. Existing 100GE datacenter networks will be unable to handle the predicted data flood. In addition, traditional manual O&M methods will be unable to meet requirements as the number of datacenter servers continues to increase and the computing network, storage network and data network become converged. It is therefore imperative that innovative technologies be developed and introduced to improve the intelligent O&M capability. The CloudEngine 16800, the first datacenter switch in the industry to leverage the power of an embedded high performance AI chip, uses the innovative iLossless algorithm to implement autosensing and auto-optimization of the

traffic model, thereby realizing lower latency and higher throughput based on zero packet loss. The CloudEngine 16800 overcomes the computing power limitations caused by packet loss on the traditional ethernet, increasing the AI computing power from 50 percent to 100 percent and improving the data storage Input/Output Operations Per-Second (IOPS) by 30 percent. It’s the industry’s highest density 48-port 400GE line card per slot, meeting the requirements for 5-fold traffic growth in the AI era. The CloudEngine 16800 boasts an upgraded hardware switching platform, and with its orthogonal architecture, overcomes multiple technical challenges such as high speed signal transmission, heat dissipation and power supply. It provides the industry’s highest density 48-port 400GE line card per slot and the industry’s largest 768-port 400GE switching capacity (five times the industry average), meeting the traffic multiplication requirements in the AI era. In addition, the power consumption per bit is reduced by 50%, ensuring greener operation.

Ericsson beats expectations in Q4 Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson has surprised analysts with reduced losses in Q4 driven by the increase of sales revenues and costs reduction. Sales as reported increased by 10% year on year and sales adjusted for comparable units and currency increased by 4%. Costs related to revised Business Support Systems (BSS) strategy impacted Digital Services operating income in Q4. Sales have gradually improved during 2018, resulting in full-year organic sales growth for the first time since 2013. This is partly due to an improved market, but also driven by market share gains in Networks as a result of a more competitive radio product portfolio. Networks sales adjusted for comparable units and currency grew by 6% year on year and digital services sales adjusted for comparable units and currency grew by 5% year on year.

Gross margin was 25.7% (21.6%). Gross margin, excluding restructuring charges and other costs related to revised BSS strategy, improved to 36.3%, supported by cost reductions, the ramp-up of Ericsson Radio System (ERS) and the contract review in Managed Services. Operating margin was -2.9% (-33.3%).

costs related to revised BSS strategy, was SEK -0.6 b.

Operating margin, excluding restructuring charges and other costs related to revised BSS strategy, was 8.7%.

Commenting on the results, Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, said, “Our focused strategy has yielded clear results. Ericsson is today a stronger company. Increased investments in R&D for future growth, managed services contract reviews, combined with efficient cost control have proven to be successful, with improved competitiveness and profitability as a result. As the industry moves to 5G and IoT, we will now take the next step, focusing on profitable growth in a selective and disciplined way.”

Networks operating margin excluding restructuring charges was 17.5% (8.6%). The increase was driven by cost reductions, the ERS ramp-up and reversal of provisions for impairment losses on trade receivables, partly offset by increased investments in R&D. Digital Services operating income, excluding restructuring charges and

Managed Services operating margin excluding restructuring charges increased to 5.2% (-13.0%). The review of all 42 low-performing customer contracts has been completed.

FEBRUARY 2019

VENDORS’ NEWS

Major technological breakthroughs crown Huawei world’s 5G leader

At a 5G launch event in Beijing that doubled up as a pre-briefing for the MWC Barcelona 2019, Huawei officially launched its 5G multi-mode chipset Balong 5000 – along with the first commercial 5G device powered by it, the Huawei 5G CPE Pro. Together, these two new products provide the world’s fastest wireless connections for your smartphone, your home, the office and on the go. Huawei also launched world’s first core chip specifically designed for 5G basestations, Huawei TIANGANG.

The innovative chip will support simplified 5G networks and largescale 5G network deployment all over the world. To date, the company has won 30 commercial 5G contracts and shipped over 25,000 5G basestations globally.

that supports vehicle to everything (V2X) communications, providing lowlatency and highly reliable solutions for connected vehicles. Huawei’s 5G smartphones powered by Balong 5000 will be released at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Balong 5000 is the first chipset to perform to industry benchmarks for peak 5G download speeds. At Sub-6 GHz (low-frequency bands, the main spectrum used for 5G), Balong 5000 can achieve download speeds up to 4.6 Gbps. On mmWave spectrum (highfrequency bands used as extended spectrum for 5G), Balong 5000 can achieve download speeds up to 6.5 Gbps – 10 times faster than top 4G LTE speeds on the market today.

At the 5G event, Huawei also launched the industry’s first 5G core chip, Huawei TIANGANG, with breakthroughs in integration, computing power and spectral bandwidth. This chip is highly integrated, which means it can support large-scale integration of active power amplifiers (PAs) and passive antenna arrays into very small antennas. It also boasts super high computing capacity, with a 2.5-fold increase over previous chips. Using the latest algorithms and beamforming technology, a single chip can control up to 64 channels, which is the industry’s highest standard. This chip also supports the 200 MHz high spectral bandwidth, getting ready for future network deployment.

Balong 5000 is also the world’s first chipset that supports both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network architectures for 5G. It is also the world’s first multi-mode chipset

Nokia coy about 2019 growth despite strong Q4 profits The performance of Nokia’s networks division, which represents 90 percent of its revenues, proved particularly strong in the final quarter of 2018. Net sales for the division were 6.2 billion euros for the period, a year on year increase of seven percent, compared to a three percent increase for the group as a whole. Nokia Networks also reported 30 percent year on year growth in its quarterly operating profit, up to 841 million euros. Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia published better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, but revised downward its forecast for its networks business in early 2019.

Its adjusted operating profit for the quarter was 1.12 billion euros, an increase of 12 percent on the previous year and surpassing analysts’ predictions of 1.0 billion euros.

Nokia reported a profit of 193 million euros ($221 million) for OctoberDecember last year, marking a strong end to an otherwise challenging year, and a notable improvement on the same quarter a year earlier, when the firm posted a loss of 386 million euros.

Nokia’s outlook for 2020 remains “clearly positive,” the firm said, due to strong market conditions driven by the growth of 5G. However, Nokia forecast a “soft first half” of 2019 due to the staggered timetabling of its 5G rollout projects.

Despite a 30 percent decrease in earnings per share over 2018 compared to the previous year, Nokia announced a dividend of 0.20 euros per share for the year, up from 0.19 in 2017. Nokia reported having reached its cost savings target of 1.2 billion euros between 2016 and 2018, in part by consolidating with Alcatel-Lucent, which Nokia acquired in 2016. In October, the company announced a further 700 million euros of savings by 2020, of which 500 million are expected to come from operating expenses.

FEBRUARY 2019

ICT FEATURE

How can highcapacity microwave drive 5G deployment? With 5G bringing in new possibilities for operators across the globe, a higher capacity microwave backhaul becomes even more important to ensure high-quality mobile broadband. This year’s Ericsson Microwave Outlook report discusses how this demand can be met with advanced microwave technology, spectrum, combination with fiber and machine intelligence.

ith 5G fast becoming a reality, microwave is also evolving as service providers require new solutions to meet rising demands for capacity in a costefficient way. The latest microwave technology offers wider channels, higher modulations and higher frequency spectrum and multi-band solutions. Microwave radios are equipped to meet future requirements set out by more advanced radio access networks. Hans Mähler, head of Microwave Systems at Ericsson, says, “Service providers have the option of deploying varying amounts of new radio (NR) spectrum and advanced radio features.

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FEBRUARY 2019

That will increase the spread of needed backhaul capacity in a 5G network. We also see an ongoing shift in backhaul to future-proof frequency bands to support the introduction of 5G.” Mähler adds that the combination of fiber and microwave solutions remains a winning backhaul strategy for evolving 4G and developing 5G networks. “Microwave backhaul is a costefficient way to handle backhaul needs for LTE and 5G. Advanced microwave offers higher capacity and performance levels that to date was only believed possible for fiber solutions. Fiber is not the only option for building transport networks for 5G,” Mähler says. Globally, 40 percent of backhaul connections are expected to be based on microwave by 2023, corresponding to 65 percent when excluding China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. The North East Asian market has grown disproportionately with large 4G/LTE deployments, and in combination with a high fiber penetration has influenced the global share. In the coming years, new sites will, to a large extent, come from 4G/LTE coverage expansions in regions that heavily rely on microwave. Initial 5G deployments will mainly be built on existing grids and in regions that rely of fiber. Together, the share of fiber and microwave is expected to remain stable the coming years. According to Ericsson’s Microwave Outlook report, the main capacity drivers in 5G NR will be the availability of larger amounts of access spectrum, the higher usage of advanced radio access network (RAN) coordination services and the more advanced radio features like multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO). Variations in 5G backhaul capacity requirements are expected to increase, as operators choose to deploy with very different amounts of NR spectrum and advanced radio features, in order to meet consumer data demands in each location. Exactly when and how to launch 5G, will be decided nationally for each

ICT FEATURE operator, but operators have already now begun to prefer the use of other future-proof frequency bands, at installations of new microwave backhaul equipment. What they will have in common is the importance in securing spectrum not only for access but also for backhaul. Looking at microwave networks from above is not only a magnificent view, it also gives insight into future opportunities for a more efficient use of spectrum. The emerging multiband booster concept represents a paradigm shift toward a much more efficient use of diverse backhaul spectrum assets. This will unleash the use of E-band to provide transport for 5G in much wider geographical areas currently served using 15, 18 and 23GHz bands for backhaul. With the introduction of 5G, the interest in E-band is high, as it already provides up to 10Gbps for even the most extreme dense urban sites. But capacities are constantly growing in all parts of the network, from urban to rural areas. So, the next major threshold to reach is 10Gbps everywhere.

Furthermore, machine intelligence offers techniques that leverage the expertise of microwave planners and engineers, allowing for management of larger, more complex and efficient microwave networks. Based on structured digitized data, such as product documentation, network information, expert knowledge and contextual knowledge, machine learning software can build models, rules and procedures (Figure 17). Adding AI techniques such as reasoning and planning to machine learning enables the creation of intelligent applications we refer to as machine intelligence (MI). MI applications need to support the technicians in the decisionmaking process and can be used as standalone applications or as enhancements of SDN solutions. MI has taken significant steps over the last decade. It offers techniques that leverage the expertise of microwave planners and engineers, allowing for management of larger, more complex and efficient microwave networks. It is allowing systems to expand in size and complexity while improving productivity.

According to Ericsson, the foundation for achieving 10Gbps is starting with sufficient spectrum. Then depending on hop length, climate, availability targets and channel availability, different configurations and frequency bands can be identified. Antenna configuration, capex and opex costs must also be considered. 5G NR will bring a new backhaul option called integrated access and backhaul or self-backhauling, which will enable faster, more flexible and very dense deployment of millimeter wave radio access sites at street level without the need for a denser transport network. E-band is not only becoming an essential backhaul band of high global alignment but, together with the 32 GHz band, will help aid the transition to 5G from other microwave frequencies. Operator trials such as with A1 Hrvatska in Croatia are proof of the value of E-band and multi-band as tools to increase backhaul capacities over longer distances.

With 5G fast becoming a reality, microwave is also evolving

CO-LOCATED EVENTS

1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 APRIL 2019

| DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE, UAE

SECURITY FOR DIGITAL INNOVATION The Largest cyber security exhibition & conference in Middle East, Africa and Asia.

12,000+

170+

300+

ATTENDEES ACROSS THREE CO-LOCATED SHOWS

TECH COMPANIES EXHIBITING

LECTURES & WORKSHOPS ACROSS THREE SHOWS

SPEAKERS

USD 270 million

the amount visitors reported they will spend within 12 months of the show

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FEBRUARY 2019

GLOSSARY-F-

Firewall

A physical firewall is a wall made of brick, steel, or other inflammable material that prevents the spread of a fire in a building. In computing, a firewall serves a similar purpose. It acts as a barrier between a trusted system or network and outside connections, such as the Internet. However, a computer firewall is more of a filter than a wall, allowing trusted data to flow through it.

Fabric computing

Fabric computing is a process through which a set of computing nodes and links are connected in such a way that they resemble a fabric when viewed collectively. Fabric computing is a high-performance computing system that consists of connected storage, networking and parallel processing functions interlinked with each other through high-bandwidth connections.

Facial recognition

Facial recognition is a biometric software application capable of uniquely identifying or verifying a person by comparing and analyzing patterns based on the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facial contours. Facial recognition is mostly used for security purposes, though there is increasing interest in other areas of use.

Fiber to the Curb (FTTC)

Fiber to the curb refers to the installation and use of optical fiber cable directly to curbs near homes or businesses. Fiber to the curb is designed as a replacement for plain old telephone service. Coaxial cable or another medium carries signals the short distance from the curb to the home or business.

Front-end system

A front-end system is part of an information system that is directly accessed and interacted with by the user to receive or utilize back-end capabilities of the host system. It enables users to access and request the features and services of the underlying information system. The front-end system can be a software application or the combination or hardware, software and network resources.

Function as a Service (FaaS)

Function as a service (FaaS) refers to cloud services that enable serverless app development and management. This basically means that FaaS users are able to conduct their programming (and other tasks) without the hassle of managing their own server(s). Strings of code are triggered by events on the user end, and basically outsourced to remote servers that are able to execute the intended functions.

EVENTS’ CALENDAR

MWC 2019

25 28

MWC Barcelona is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and leading-edge technology from more than 2,400 leading companies, with a highly-rated conference program assembling today’s visionaries to explore the hottest topics influencing the industry. Place: Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 2019

MARCH

CABSAT 2019 The entire content, satellite, broadcast, digital media and entertainment ecosystem will be hosted under 3 key sectors – Content Creation, Content Production & Post-Production and Content Distribution & Delivery. CABSAT 2019 is the place to be to power your growth in the digital economy.

12 14

Telecoms World Asia 2019 For 20 years, Telecoms World Asia has been an annual platform for leading international carriers, operators, authorities and suppliers to meet, learn and create fruitful business partnerships for the betterment of wholesale revenue and growth. Place: Centara Grand at Centralworld, Bangkok

Latest updates on: www.telecomreview.com

25 27

MARCH

Place: Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE

EVENTS’ CALENDAR

Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit Lebanon 2019

The 12th edition of Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit will gather ICT leaders, governments, CEOs and experts from Lebanon and abroad. Interesting topics will be discussed to shed light on the telecoms sector and its most recent trends.

MARCH

FEBRUARY 2019

Place: Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon

APRIL

GISEC 2019 In its 7th edition, GISEC has already grown to one of the world’s largest and easily outstrips other events in footfall, seniority of speakers and variety of exhibitors. With over 7,000 cyber-specific visitors, it is collocated with IoTX and Future Blockchain Summit which collectively deliver over 12,000 visitors.

01 03

Place: Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE

Seamless is the region’s leading payments and commerce technology conference and exhibition. The event has separate conference agendas covering the world of Payments, Fintech, Ecommerce, Retail and Identity. With one shared free-to-attend exhibition hosting 350 of the region’s leading technology providers.

10 11

Place: Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center, Dubai, UAE

APRIL

Seamless ME

APRIL

SmartEx 2019

10 13

Lebanon’s leading international technology exhibition will be back in April. In its last edition, SmartEx attracted thousands of local and regional business executives, presenting a wide range of Industries, looking for the latest technological innovations for their business Place: Seaside Arena, Beirut, Lebanon

Latest updates on: www.telecomreview.com