SAMENA Council CEO & Board Member, Bocar BA delivered a welcome address at the 5G Core Summit, organized by Informa Tech in collaboration with Huawei, and drew upon the Council’s observations that digital transformation, technology integration, and economic diversification are some of the key drivers of new investments in advanced mobile networks. The Summit focused on Intelligent Core trends, Network Resilience and Business Models, Operations & Maintenance, among other areas of importance to mobile operators.
In his address, Bocar BA voiced the case for drawing true value from 5G investments. BA remarked, “5G is a glaring reality; a door to new possibilities, and new ways to collaborate with both existing and emerging ecosystem partner. It thus demands new advancements and progress at the Core level. Without 5G Core, Operators, and the private sector, at large, and across all industry segments, simply cannot benefit from 5G’s major and real capabilities.”
Because 5G Core network functions are completely software-based and are designed to be cloud-native, allowing higher deployment agility and flexibility on multiple cloud infrastructures, a strong case exists for achieving 5G deployment flexibility, operational efficiency, adopting the cloud-native mindset for new applications, and thus fast-pacing digital-service innovation across the SA-ME-NA region and neighboring regions, such as Central Asia. However, it is also important that further delays in capitalizing on advanced network features, new digital services, and benefitting from 5G’s new revenue-generation streams be prevented. So far, such delays have primarily been due to the fact that most networks have not yet implemented, or have not been able to implement, advanced, intelligent 5G Core.
Through BA’s address, SAMENA Council promoted the need for opening and advancing the 5G Core, transitioning to cloud-native 5G standalone, and ensuring sustainable investment and regulatory agility. BA also deemed it critical to adopt a universal financing framework for broadband development, which SAMENA Council has helped create as a part of the work done by one of the UN Broadband Commission’s leading working groups on 21st century financing and funding. “New methods and new financial instruments have been brought to surface, and SAMENA Council is actively pursuing realization of its proposition on this frontier with relevant stakeholders, including with renowned financial institutions and investment groups”, BA stated.
Progressive digital-sector regulatory environment is fundamental to achieving scale in 5G investments and, particularly, in creating 5G-Standalone networks. Collectively, the industry should aim to eradicate unpredictability, enable cost-cutting through reduced licensing fees and reduced taxation or levies, align better with global efforts and trends, and foster the creation of a level-playing field for all players within the digital communications space.