Page 96 - SAMENA Trends - July-September 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Qatar

Qatar hosted the 30th meeting of the Cooperation Council for the reaffirms its commitment to ensuring consumers have access to
Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Committee for Under-Secretaries advanced, innovative and reliable telecommunications services,
of Post and Telecommunications. Chaired by Engineer Ahmad supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third Qatar
Abdulla AlMuslemani, President of Qatar’s Communications National Development Strategy 2024 – 2030, which prioritizes
Regulatory Authority (CRA), the event underscores Qatar’s improving residents’ quality of life and delivering services that
dedication to fostering regional cooperation in these critical meet global standards,” the regulator added. The decision issued
sectors. The meeting’s agenda was robust, targeting the by CRA included additional bandwidth to mobile operators in
advancement of telecommunications infrastructure and the response to the continuous increase in demand for high-speed
improvement of postal services across the Gulf states. Key mobile services due to significant growth in digital technologies
discussions included following up on decisions from previous such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G applications, cloud and edge
meetings, such as adjustments to roaming charges and the computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). GSMA Intelligence
restructuring of the Ministerial Committee for the Digital estimates Ooredoo Qatar had almost 81,000 3G connections on
Economy. Additionally, the delegates explored collaborative its network as of the end of June, while rival Vodafone Qatar had
opportunities in space technology and electronic applications. almost 10,800. This compares with total connection numbers
Engineer AlMuslemani expressed enthusiasm about hosting across all generations of 2.7 million and 2.1 million, respectively.
the meeting, noting the importance of collaboration in postal (September 3, 2024) www.rcrwireless.com
and telecommunications to keep pace with rapid technological
advancements. “We anticipate productive dialogues that will The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) in collaboration
enrich our collective experience and help propel our shared with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), announced
objectives forward,” he stated. This gathering is part of Qatar’s the commencement of the Digital Innovation Profile (DIP) for
broader efforts to enhance economic integration among GCC the State of Qatar. This initiative aims to accurately assess the
states and develop the telecommunications and postal sectors digital innovation ecosystem; a move that will help shape key
in alignment with the rapid digital transformations occurring strategies and inform national policies that accelerate Qatar’s
worldwide. The outcomes are expected to significantly contribute digital transformation. The DIP project is a comprehensive
to digital transformation and sustainable development in the analysis of Qatar’s ecosystem capacity. Crucially, the project will
region. (September 27, 2024) www.meatechwatch.com assess the country's maturity in innovation and entrepreneurship.
CRA launched this initiative by engaging key stakeholders from
The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has ordered the very beginning, ensuring that the DIP is thorough, accurate
local mobile operators to switch to high-speed Time Division and is rooted in ground realities. The workshops aim to identify
Duplex (TDD) technique in the 2.6 GHz frequency band, a move strengths, address gaps, analyze needs, and develop detailed
it says will enhance mobile network performance. The regulator recommendations for advancing Qatar’s digital economy.
further noted that this decision will support the optimal use of Commenting on the initiative, Eng. Hussain Abdulla Salatt,
the available frequency band, ensures harmonized usage across Public Relations and Communication Manager at CRA, said:
the Gulf region and will eventually improve telecom consumers “The development of the Digital Innovation Profile is a significant
experience in Qatar. “This approach adopted by CRA to switch step towards enhancing Qatar’s competitiveness in the global
using TDD technique is in line with the recommendations of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. We
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the standards are not only prepared to assess where Qatar stands in terms of
of international standardization bodies and organizations to Digital Innovation, but we are also ready to envision the future and
support both 4G and 5G technologies,” said the regulator. “The new articulate where we should go. The key recommendations from
technique provides more efficiency in terms of using the spectrum, the DIP reviews will give us a comprehensive understanding of
and greater flexibility in terms of spectrum assignment, which the challenges and opportunities within the ecosystem and help
contributes to enhancing the ability of mobile service providers us shape a future-focused, ICT-based, innovation environment.”
to offer faster services with higher quality to meet the increasing He emphasized that “by leveraging the insights gained from this
demands for telecommunications services in Qatar.” Under CRA’s project, we want to help build a sustainable, ICT-enabled economy
decision, mobile operators are required to cease all operations which is aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030, the Third National
using the current Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) technique and Development Strategy 2024-2030, and the Digital Agenda 2030”.
migrate to the new technique by March 31, 2025, and “ensure that This collaborative effort between CRA and ITU reiterates Qatar’s
their networks are ready for this transition to maintain providing commitment to fostering the growth of a robust digital economy.
distinctive high-speed data services in Qatar.” CRA also noted It is expected that the findings and recommendations from the
that each carrier will work to minimize the impact of this transition DIP will guide future policies. At a national level, the findings will
on the quality of service, with noticeable improvements expected be discerningly deployed to ensure that the State of Qatar remains
once the transition is complete. “Through these measures, CRA at the forefront of digital innovation. (August 27, 2024) www.cra.gov.qa

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