Page 14 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

digital transformation • Consolidation of infrastructure is group and determine what each needs
• For sustainable ICT development and increasingly discussed and applied and where to build the partnership
digital transformation, regulation needs across all spheres of networks, such as • In the emerging world of metaverse,
to support optimal use of infrastructure BS consolidation, cell site consolidation, interoperability and standards are key
and must match investment capacity data center consolidation, etc. to connecting different metaverse
• Regulators must become enablers of • With AI application on the rise, it worlds.
the Digital Economy is important to regulate it, as AI is • To meet universal connectivity goals,
• Changes need to be bold, including being used on data and users need regulators need to step in here and
incentive packages to operators to to understand this before open data- provide incentives for partnerships
further digital development and provide sharing between platforms runs wild. between Satellite and Telecom
certainty and stability as a precondition While we have an understanding on operators. Space-based cellular
for investment how to leverage AI, its unintended connectivity may materialize in the near
• Consumers, Technology, Service consequences can pose major risks. future.
providers, tech providers – these pillars • Financial sector is a major enabler • The diversity and complexity of choices
need to be aligned to ensure that the of sustainable ICT development, that each regulator faces in the Middle
right foundation and incentives to especially in the 57 least developing East, was apparent in the perspectives
invest are in place countries, considering huge untapped shared by the various panelists, even
• Countries’ aspirations to be first and potentially continues to be hindered due given the relative level of maturity we
best at everything have to be grounded to digital service affordability issues. are fortunate to be enjoying. What also
in what is available and possible in • Regarding resources required for surfaced was the need for a shared
terms of capacity and included in future countries, need at least 2 GHz per consensus and the leading role which
planning country for 5G and this needs to be governments, acting through the
• Much pressure is created on harmonized regulators, have as a responsibility in
infrastructure providers from hypes • For partnerships, including on shaping that consensus
around different technologies and sustainability initiatives, we need to
applications such as AI assess each different stakeholder

14 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023