Page 18 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020
P. 18

COVID-19 VS TELECOM INDUSTRY  SAMENA TRENDS


                                     The Telecom Industry's Current

                                           Response to COVID-19





        With  roughly 20  percent  of the global   “We are operating in a time that  is both   “We also request  to lower the cost of
        population (1.5 billion people) now confined   challenging  and is  rife with  opportunities   international  bandwidth,  particularly in
        to  homes, practicing social  distancing,   … a great chance  for businesses and   markets where the international gateway is
        while the global economy faces recession   governments  to enhance  their smart   a monopoly… markets such as Kuwait and
        and a  countless  number  of lives remain   solutions,”  says  Bocar BA, CEO  and   potentially Iraq  are  responding  positively
        in  constant  peril,  the Telecom  Industry   Board Member  of the South Asia,   to  grant  operators  lower international
        has  risen  to  the challenge  to  respond  to   Middle East  and  North Africa (SAMENA)   bandwidth costs,” emphasizes BA.
        the  COVID-19 contagion.  Over the  past   Telecommunications  Council,  which is
        couple  of months, it has been proven   a  tri-regional industry  advocacy  body,   We  are  operating    in
        that  the  Information and  Communication   representing  a diverse  community of
        Technology (ICT/Telecom) community has   telecommunications  players, technology   a time  that  is both
        a crucial part role to play in these  times   providers,  specialist  firms,  and  working   challenging and is rife with
        of emergency and in, due course, to help   closely with regional regulators as well as   opportunities  …  a  great
        defeat this pandemic.                global bodies.
                                                                                    chance for businesses and
        Both the Private  Sector  —  Telecom   Operators  need to “re-prioritise network   governments  to  enhance
        Operators, Digital  Space  Players, Tech   resource  utilisation  and  increase
        Providers — and the Public Sector — Policy   international broadband capacity”, as they   their smart solutions
        Makers and Regulators  —  have taken   run 4G and 5G services to meet increasing
        a  series  of  steps  in  their  common  fight   data demands during  these  challenging   To  support  global  operators,  the
        against the new pandemic, which include   times, BA says.                International  Telecommunication  Union
        increasing  network bandwidths, scaling                                  has  also  launched  a  Global Network
        customer  relations  resources by  offering   SAMENA Council has also advised regional   Resiliency Platform.
        free upgrades, encouraging  end-users to   governments to offer operators free access
        utilize internet bandwidth intelligently, and   to extra spectrum on a provisional basis to   “It  will collect  trustworthy information
        temporarily making  additional spectrum   permit MNOs to expand their networks.  on actions that  policymakers, regulators
        resources available where most needed.                                   and other stakeholders can use to ensure
                                                                                 that their networks and services serve the
                                                                                 needs  of their country,” according to the
                                                                                 ITU’s secretary general Houlin Zhao.

                                                                                 “Time is of the essence  …  this platform
                                                                                 will give those countries, which still have
                                                                                 time  to  prepare,  an  opportunity  to  learn
                                                                                 from what is being done elsewhere – from
                                                                                 emergency  spectrum reassignments to
                                                                                 guidelines  for consumers  on responsible
                                                                                 use”.

                                                                                 In  SAMENA    Council's  observations,
                                                                                 Telecom   Operators  and  Regulators
                                                                                 are keenly ensuring access to digital
                                                                                 healthcare, digital  education,  and other
                                                                                 critical services, thus acting as  frontline
                                                                                 enablers in protecting the socio-economic
                                                                                 fabric of the fledgling digital economy and
                                                                                 the evolving global human society.







                                                                                                      18   MARCH 2020
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