Page 12 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

MEMBERS NEWS

stc: 3 Governmental Entities Use 4,765 Critical
Communication Devices at the Holy Places

The number of critical communications devices used by by providing a distinctive package of “critical communications”
Ministries of “Health” and “Hajj and Umrah” and Water Company dedicated to emergency and sensitive services to secure providing
for communication on the Holy Places amounted to 4,765 devices the best services to the relevant sectors. stc affiliate also provides
designated for emergency and sensitive services. Specialized coverage networks for Tetra services as well as (press and talk)
Company indicated that it dedicated all its technical and human service, which is the next generation of critical communications
capabilities to serve the Pilgrims and ensure the success of the for facilities that require immediate communication with reliability
pilgrimage season, under the current extraordinary circumstances, and safety through broadband technology, and other services
in Makkah region. stc constructed, developed and expanded
several sites, alongside with the Holy Places. It established other
networks in critical areas of the Kingdom, e.g. most airports and
ports of the Kingdom and the Industrial Zone. There is a plan to
cover all major cities and critical regions in the Kingdom. Critical
communications can accommodate huge working groups, in
addition to its high security and high encryption level for calls,
and its 99.99% dynamic operation in emergencies. Ordinary
communication networks are not able to handle call traffic in
emergencies, especially in crowded places, such as the Holy
Places, where more than 2 million communication users meet in
one place.

Batelco Net Profit Rises 6% in H1 2020

Bahraini telecoms group Batelco has announced its financial
results for the six months ending 30 June 2020, reporting a
6% increase in net profit to BHD35.9 million (USD94.7 million).
Revenues during the period decreased 6% year-on-year to
BHD189.8 million, impacted by the sale in May 2019 of Qualitynet,
which contributed BHD11.4 million in H1 2019. Operating profit
rose 16% to BHD47.4 million in H1 2020, while EBITDA increased
by 10% to BHD81.8 million thanks to a 16% year-on-year reduction
in operating expenses. The group notes it retains a ‘healthy’
EBITDA margin of 43%. Batelco’s total subscriber base stood
at 3.7 million at the end of June, down from 4.0 million twelve
months earlier, with international operations contributing 53% of
revenues and 48% of EBITDA, compared with 57% and 55% in H1
2019. Batelco CEO Mikkel Vinter commented: ‘We are proud of
the strong financial results of the first six months during these
challenging times which is a result of the dedicated efforts and
operational efficiency of the company. This reflects the dedicated early in the year to remain focused and positive in order to execute
efforts that the entire Batelco team has put in. We adapted quickly our corporate strategy plans and deliver on our promises to the
to face the COVID-19 situation and have been committed since Board of Directors.’

12 AUGUST 2020