Page 5 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

In such scenarios, it may just be the right Opportunities brought forth by the latest could serve as a strong starting point for
time to experiment on all fronts with the digital developments and the digital countries that are "ICT Novices" or "ICT
involvement of all concerned stakeholders economy require inclusive growth, Patrons" but which aim to transform into
and capitalize on the true potential that innovation, and sustainable development. "Business Hubs", "Innovation Hubs", or
lies before us. Achieving this milestone, in turn, demands "Innovation Hubs"; to borrow some terms
that we advance the necessary ICT from the latest digital-economy study
For Operators, rebuilding market position infrastructure, develop human capital conducted by two valued Members of
in the Digital Economy and 5G is crucial for for the digital age, create awareness SAMENA Council, Huawei and Arthur. D.
business sustainability and for fostering and relevance to proliferate meaningful Little.
innovation, and thus all efforts should be digital services, and ensure everyone and
exerted toward capturing the full digital every business can afford broadband As Policy-makers and Regulators work
potential, including for enhancing profit connectivity and quality-of-service. At hard to create an enabling environment,
margins. At the same time, however, the same time, it is important to recognize comprising, for example, tax relief
realization demands that we do keep that digital economy is boosted through incentives, timely award of spectrum
in mind that in most of the SA-ME-NA businesses and businesses require at reduced license fees, among other
region and in other parts of the developing security and predictability in the market. regulatory, legal, and pertinent financial
world, many hard to reach areas where incentives and supportive measures, the
broadband connectivity has yet not Drawing upon global recommendations, Private Sector needs to work in close
arrived, do remain an untapped profit- such as from the ITU and the UN collaboration with the Public Sector to
margin area for the discerning investor. Broadband Commission — to exert support collective efforts in building a
Such clear connectivity gaps do need expeditious efforts in last-mile ICT sustainable digital economy, which will
to be filled, combined with affordability infrastructure expansion with Fiber-based rely not only on connectivity infrastructure,
and guarantees of minimum broadband networks, achieve Universal Digital Access, but also on capacity-building and ICT
speeds. In order to fill these connectivity foster productivity in the Enterprise Talent development initiatives, to help
gap, most definitely, gaps in funding and Sector, improve Government Digitization realize digitization-driven socio-economic
financing communication infrastructure processes, implement Smart City visions, impact across the SA-ME-NA region.
development first need to be filled. Globally accelerate 5G deployment with the right
speaking, connecting the next billion will level of Fiber penetration and, as a whole, Such are the demands of the Digital
be substantially more difficult than it was to build a sustainable Digital Economy — Economy.
early on when the telecom/ICT landscape
was comparatively simpler.
To recap, and as was highlighted during
this month's SAMENA Accelerator on two
different occasions, once on November 19th
and then on November 25th, sustainability
and inclusiveness are the key principles
for building successful digital economies.
It is truly through collaboration and by
fostering inclusion and participation of
everyone that we can ensure that we will
take into account different needs and
issues into consideration. As our societies
and the global economy digitalize, there
are ever more possibilities to advance
standards of living through human-centric
provision of digital services.

5 NOVEMBER 2020