Page 48 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

CMI Invests to Drive the Development of the

Digital Economy in MEA

5G networks will account for nearly a fifth of mobile connections
in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) by 2025, and almost half
of connections in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states,
according to the GSMA. With the backing of China Mobile, China
Mobile International (CMI) remains committed to the region,
providing global network resources and integrated solutions to
help carriers and businesses tap into the opportunities that 5G will
bring. As one of the industry leaders, CMI is connecting the world
and driving global adoption of 5G. Its extensive global infrastructure
supports customers in MEA with reliable, scalable and resilient
network resources. The 45,000-km 2Africa submarine cable is
an ambitious project to interconnect Africa, Europe (eastward via cables and 23 terrestrial cables in which CMI has directly invested,
Egypt) and Asia (via Saudi Arabia). It was announced by CMI and such as the 20,000-km undersea SMW-5 cable between Egypt
other partners in May 2020, with 26 out of a total of 46 landings and Singapore. In addition, more than 30 of CMI’s 232 Points of
completed by February 2023. When 2Africa goes live in 2024, it Presence (PoPs) are located in the Middle East and major African
will deliver more than the total combined capacity of all subsea countries, including UAE, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. Together
cables currently serving Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180 with CMI’s 80 plus cloud connect PoPs, this creates a strong global
Terabits per second (Tbps). The only Chinese company investing network that provides direct internet access and internet transit
in the project, CMI is committed to the further growth of 4G in MEA services for MEA at lower cost. On March 7, 2023, CMI announced
and the continued roll-out of 5G and fixed broadband services. Its the successful launch of its Oman Muscat MC1 PoP. CMI’s second
mission is to help bring connectivity to underserved and rural areas PoP in Oman, it is located within the carrier-neutral Equinix MC1
across the region while enhancing network resilience and global data center in Barka. This data center is also a landing station
connectivity to benefit businesses and individuals throughout MEA. for multiple submarine cable systems, reinforcing the country’s
As a gateway to international connectivity, the 2Africa cable will also importance as a network hub bridging Asia, Africa and Europe.
help to drive the upgrade and expansion of telecommunications In coming years, the Middle East will benefit hugely from the
networks in the region. It will offer customers seamless links introduction of developments like smart city technologies, digital
between Africa and Europe, further interconnecting with CMI’s financial services and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). CMI continues
SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW-5) and Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) subsea to work with partners like Zain KSA, Etisalat Egypt and Master
cable resources to extend connectivity to Asia. This will support Power Technologies etc. in driving the development and adoption
the development of a thriving internet ecosystem, especially for of 5G, IoT and IDC solutions to boost digital transformation
underserved communities across Africa. 2Africa is an important and advance the region. With telecom operators and solutions
milestone in CMI’s global development strategy. Offering ample providers in MEA building the infrastructure and solutions to make
capacity and faster transmission will allow CMI to help the nations innovations possible for consumers, business and industry, CMI is
of MEA to further develop their digital economy today and in the delighted and dedicated to working with partners across the region
future. CMI continues to enhance regional telecom infrastructure in to help nurture the ecosystem for a smarter and more connected
MEA by investing in network resources and expanding its footprint future. Our investments in collaboration and infrastructure in MEA
to better serve local customers and support business development. underscore the region’s importance to CMI’s vision of a digitalized
CMI currently has 80 submarine and terrestrial cables that provide future where the global information civilization is an empowering
total network capacity of over 123T. These include 15 submarine reality for all.

Mobile Number Portability is Widely Implemented
in The Americas, Whereas Fixed Portability is not

Available in Four of the Eleven Countries Studied

All the countries covered in Cullen International’s benchmark on routing solution to manage the portability process. Fixed number
number portability regimes have implemented mobile number portability is available in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico,
portability. All surveyed countries use a centralized database Peru, and the United States. Chile and Canada implemented a
managed by an independent database administrator with a direct complete portability, meaning that a subscriber can port numbers

48 MAY-JUNE 2023