Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Data Flows and Regional Data Policy Considerations

Data flows are a reality of our times. With the network virtualization and cloudification,
global internet penetration rate standing at especially in the 5G environment, offers.
about 60%, the magnitude of the importance Thus one of the greatest issues the current
and the need for free data flows can be data management policies continue to
easily deciphered. Industry 4.0 is truly trigger, is the inefficiency and duplication
in play, for end-to-end digitalization and in investments that each multi-network
integration into the evolving and expanding Operator has to make on a country-per-
digital ecosystem are accelerating before country basis; an undertaking that could
our eyes. be much more effectively and meaningfully
carried out with better cross-border data
As 5G infrastructure gets deployed in the access and flows. It is already well-known
region and as cloudification speeds up, that free flows of data reduce transaction
causing communications networks to costs and the constraints of distance,
become increased integrated and merged, and can immensely increase network
data generation and flows will only efficiencies; which results in multiple
increase. By default, 5G means more data, benefits, including better customer digital Bocar A. BA
Chief Executive Officer
more cloud applications, and resultantly, experience and progress in the development & Board Member
more data flows. The impact of data flows of the region’s IoT ecosystem – a matter SAMENA Telecommunications
is multifold, ranging from international discussed during the SAMENA Council’s Council
trade to economic opportunities at a local SALT 2021 meeting.
level; from national security to citizen
data privacy; and from digital economy This year, 5G technology in the region will classes of data across the region. One
to financial inclusion at the microlevel. mature, supported by cloud infrastructure, of the ways to improve the enabling
SAMENA Council brought the economics new intra-industry and cross-industry regulatory environment would be to
of data flows in countries to discussion synergies. This will cause ever new 5G adopt regulatory sandboxes in
in its Beyond Connectivity 2017 industry applications and services to surface, understanding data management and
conference, where it was established that triggering data avalanches. Therefore, to free flow requirements for data. In doing
the data flows give competition advantages tackle the prevailing data management so, the goal should be to agree on
to societies and catalyze innovations in challenge in most countries of the SA-ME- common principles, such as of privacy
digital services, creating better possibilities NA region, and for the region to become and data-related risk management, and
and new opportunities via digitalization. competitive vis-à-vis other regions’ data to achieve legitimate regulatory goals
management and data protection regulatory without compromising economic
In this part of the world, off-shoring of approaches, decision-makers should make growth and network business
data has been so far difficult to achieve, incremental changes to data policies to help efficiencies that are fostered by free
preventing aggregation across markets and boost data flows across the region, and flow of data across borders.
allowing multi-network regional Telecom introduce common frameworks or
Operators from taking full advantages that standardization measures for different

4 JANUARY 2022