STC rolls-out offer for international calls (Saudi Arabia)
STC has introduced Sawa International, offering international calls to selected countries from US$0.14 per minute.
The company claims this is the cheapest international fare for prepaid cards in the country.
Under the new offer, STC customers can make discounted calls to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and Philippines for US$0.14 per minute, while calls to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon and Nepal cost US$0.18 per minute.
Calls to Kuwait and UAE cost US$0.23 per minute. The discounted rate for calls to Morocco, Algeria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea is 102 halls per minute and calls to Somalia are US$0.34 per minute.
STC announced that this offer is available to all Sawa and Lana customers for one month starting 13 May.
Somalia to start taxing its mobile phone networks
Information, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Abdulkareem Jama has stated that the Somalia government is planning to start regulating its ultra-free market mobile phone networks and applying taxes to the phone companies to boost growth and investment.
According to Jama, the government has drafted rules for managing mobile-phone frequencies, phone numbers and interconnection agreements. The Finance Ministry is formulating details of the taxes, although a timeline for the passing of the necessary laws is still unclear.
The country’s mobile phone networks have been cited in various reports of an example of laissez faire business where mobile networks were set up by entrepreneurs without any government intervention or regulation. Their regulatory-light approach is about to be shaken up.
4th license awarded to ETC in Congo
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Equateur Telecom Congo (ETC), a subsidiary company of Bahrain-based Bintel has been awarded the fourth mobile operating license in the Republic of Congo.
The other three license holders in the country are Zain Congo with a market share of 49.7%, MTN Congo with 41.9% and Warid Congo with 8.5%. .
ETC is already operating in Gabon, Central African Republic and Somalia. According to Thierry Lezin Moungalla, Congo’s minister for post and telecommunications, the new business will help develop Congo’s economy
Mobily slashes international call tariff to 66 halalas/min (Saudi Arabia)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobily announced on Saturday that subscribers to Mobily’s prepaid and postpaid services can enjoy nightly international calls.
As of Saturday and until 3 August 2009, international calls made between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM the following morning will be charged at this rate. The offer is not valid for subscribers of the Rehal visitor’s plan.
The rate works for all countries except Ethiopia, Somalia, Lichtenstein, Afghanistan, Sao Tome and Principe.
On the other hand, Bayanat Al-Oula, Mobily’s data arm, launched a new speed for its hugely popular WiMax service. With 512 kilobits per second, users now have a much broader choice of speeds.
With the new speed, Bayanat launched a new promotion in which subscribers can get a WiFi modem plus three months. This is perfectly suitable for those who seek fast browsing and downloads.
Middle East mobile subscription rates set to hit 15 % growth in 2009
The Middle East region represents one of the world’s fastest growing mobile subscription markets with a 47% year-over-year increase in 2008, even as the world economy struggles and slows, according to figures from Informa Telecoms & Media at this year’s GSM 3G Middle East Conference in Dubai.
Globally, subscription growth of 11.7% is still expected for 2009, driven by increasingly mobile and growing populations, but the economies of Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East will be the engine for this growth, with a regional forecast of more than 15% subscription growth for the next year. In contrast, growth of just below 5% is expected in Western Europe and 5.6% in North America in 2009.
Mobile penetration in Arab countries reached 56% at end of the second half of 2008, although this figure is much higher across GCC markets, with the more mature markets expected to see a surge in wireless broadband usage as operators look to develop their networks and drive an increase in data traffic levels in 2009. Some of the most dynamic economies in the Gulf are already seeing a surge in the use of Wi-max and broadband technology.
The new data was unveiled by Abdulaziz Fakhroo, Chairman of GSM Arab World, the regional representative body of the wireless industry representing mobile operators in 22 Arab countries and 199 million customers, as part of his welcoming address entitled “GSM/3G Status and Future Opportunities in Arab Countries.”
“The region is still seeing growth rates in mobile subscriber numbers that are higher than the economies of Europe and the Americas, and this lead seems set to widen in 2009. With each new generation of broadband technology, the nations of the Arab world are enjoying an increasing range of social and economic benefits that are enabling people to benefit from the good times and be resilient in the more challenging ones,” said Engineer Fakhroo.
Fakhroo, who is Divisional Manager, Wireless Networks, at Qtel, commented on the current status of 3G technology and the future opportunities to be found in Arab countries. Key trends emerging in the market include a shift from voice to increased data usage; increases in customer-driven content, products and services; and a striking decrease in the “digital divide” in the Arab world.
In particular, he noted that – in spite of the slowing economies – mobile broadband technologies are likely to increase in importance in 2009, because of the benefits delivered for the knowledge economies of nations, which are becoming more valuable as commodity prices fall.
Fakhroo noted that regionally, Arab countries have been able to realize significant value by supporting the growth of their knowledge economies.
Now in its 13th year, the GSM 3G Middle East Conference is the Middle East’s leading communications conference and exhibition. The conference brings together 2,500 telecom decision makers from across the whole communications value chain – mobile and fixed line operators, internet service providers, regulators, investors, telecoms solution vendors, content providers and more, 160 exhibitors and 65 expert speakers for agenda setting and strategic debate.
Fakhroo concluded, “I am delighted to represent Qtel at this prestigious and important conference, especially since Qtel was the first telecom operator to bring 2G services to the Middle East in 1994. This year’s theme, “Towards a Broadband World” is highly appropriate. The conference’s appeal is now truly global as the telecom companies of the Middle East expand beyond the region and into new emerging markets.”
About GSM Arab World
GSM Arab World (GSMAW) is the Arab interest group of the GSM Association, the premier global body behind the world’s leading wireless communications standard. GSM Arab World represents mobile operators in 20 countries in the Arab region and serves around 199 million customers.
GSM Arab World is the public face of mobile operators and the key representative forum for the wireless industry in the Arab region. GSM AW promotes and facilitates GSM development within the region, seeks to enhance investments in network infrastructure and aims to drive innovation, growth and expand consumer choice. GMA Arab World endeavors to promote the benefits that mobile communications bring to the society and economy of countries in the Arab region and how they impacts the lives of the vast majority of citizens.
GSM Arab World represents the interest of mobile operators in the following countries:
Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros,Djbouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and
Yemen.
About GSM Association
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the operator-led trade association representing the global mobile industry. Encompassing technical, commercial and public policy initiatives, the GSMA focuses on ensuring wireless services work globally, thereby enhancing the value of mobile services to individual customers and national economies while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.
About Qtel
Qatar Telecom (Qtel) is the telecommunications service provider licensed by the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) to provide both fixed and mobile telecommunications services in the state of Qatar. We have a presence in 16 countries and we are committed to expansion both in the MENA region and South East Asia. Our vision is to be among the top 20 telecommunications companies in the world by 2020.
For more information, please visit www.qtel.com.qa
Kenya’s Mobile Market (Kenya)
Kenya is among the rapidly growing mobile markets in Africa. With Mobile Operators like Safricom (Vodafone, Telekom), Zain, Econet Wireless, Safaricom has the largest number of subscribers. This can be attributed to it’s many tarrifs which give Kenyanans the opportunity to select the most convenient tarrif depending on one’s requirement.The continent’s bull market is being driven in part by a growing African middle class seeking new investment opportunities. And with the U.S. economy wobbling, American and European investment funds are taking an increased interest in Africa, buying bargain-priced shares of undiscovered companies. At the end of 2007 there were 280.7 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa, representing a penetration rate of 30.4%. Even more interesting, when you look at the major African markets, is to see the huge growth potential for areas that are already very profitable.
Growth rate in Africa has been remarkable over the last couple of years and is forecasted to continue for the next 3-5 years. Major drivers include:
* Pre-paid offerings
* Continued liberalization of the telcom sector
* Low penetration rates
* Expected uptake of 3G services
Growth inhibitors include:
* Taxation – especially in East Africa
* Low income across the continent hampers growth
* Widespread illiteracy decreases the growth of value added services, even SMS
* Unreliable electricity supplies
* Corruption
Interesting Facts
* Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt are the fastest growing markets
* Africa has become the fastest growing mobile market in the world with mobile penetration in the region ranging from 100% to 30%
* Pre-paid subscriptions account for nearly 95 percent of total mobile subscriptions in the region
* Most of the mobile operators are home-grown. In 2005, the continent’s seven largest investors controlled 53% of the African mobile market
* Across most of Africa, SMS is likely to be the only non-voice value-added service to gain mass market popularity in the immediate future
* East Africans pay taxes of between 25% and 30% on mobile phone services, compared with an average of 17% across Africa
* African states with less than 600,000 subscribers and includes Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros (Union of the), Djibouti, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia (The), Lesotho, Liberia, Mayotte, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, Swaziland and Rwanda.
IFC invests USD32.5m in African cable project
The World Bank’s International Finance Corp (IFC) has announced it will invest USD32.5 million in a fibre-optic cable project that will provide internet and international communication services for 21 African countries. The IFC, the private-sector arm of the World Bank that focuses on investing in emerging market economies, said the cable project should improve telecommunications access for 250 million Africans and cut costs for individuals and businesses. The project, called the East African Submarine Cable System, is to run 10,000 kilometres from the continent’s southern tip to the African horn. It will connect South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan. A further 13 countries will share the system through land links. They are Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Mohsen Khalil, IFC’s director of global information and communications technologies, said in an interview the project’s total cost will be USD235 million and said it is a cooperative effort between private and public interests designed to ensure that prices do not fall under monopoly control and rise. ‘Consumers along the east coast of Africa typically pay between USD200 and USD300 a month for internet access,’ the IFC said. ‘As a result of this project, prices for international connectivity will drop by two-thirds at the outset and the number of subscribers will triple.’ Construction is to start within weeks and the cable is scheduled to be in operation by early 2009.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Alcatel-Lucent close to starting work on EASSy cable
The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) consortium has signed an agreement with Alcatel-Lucent to undertake the implementation and construction of an undersea fibre-optic cable network. Sources close to the deal said the French infrastructure provider was awaiting financial approval from funding agencies to commence the project. ‘Financial close of the EASSy project is expected to be concluded in the coming weeks when the physical implementation and construction of the cable system will commence,’ said Sammy Kirui, chairman of the EASSy project management committee. Alcatel-Lucent won a tender to build the EASSy system on a full turnkey basis in July 2006, when the total cost of the project was estimated at USD300 million. The launch of commercial services over the planned network is scheduled for the third quarter of 2008.
The EASSy project is aimed at easing the costs of linking eastern Africa to worldwide networks, and is being developed under a USD235 million construction and maintenance agreement signed by 25 parties. The consortium includes 22 telecom operators representing 20 countries, 90% of which are African companies. The EASSy submarine network will span 9,900km, linking eight countries from Sudan to South Africa via Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique. Landings will be located in Port Sudan, Djibouti (Djibouti), Mogadishu (Somalia) Mombasa (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Toliary (Madagascar), Maputo (Mozambique) and Mtunzini (South Africa). The initial capacity will be 20Gbps with ultimate capacity of 320Gbps per fibre pair.
A special purpose holding vehicle (SPV), West Indian Ocean Cable Company Limited, has been set up to invest 40% of the equity into the EASSy project, with 60% of the investment directly committed by telecoms operators. The development finance institutions supporting the project include the International Finance Corporation, Development Bank of South Africa, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, KfW Bankengruppe and Agence Fran§aise de D©veloppement.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Kenya pursuing three cable deals
Telegeography writes…The Kenyan government is pushing ahead with three separate undersea cable deals in an effort to boost the country’s international broadband connectivity. The Ministry of Information and Communication is placing a priority on the East African Marine System (TEAMS), which offers a link to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. The Highway Africa news agency reports that under the TEAMS agreement the Kenyan government will have a 40% holding in the project, Etisalat of UAE will hold 20% and the remaining 40% will go to investors in the East African region. The government is also continuing negotiations over its part in the East Africa Submarine System (EASSy), a 9,000km cable which will connect Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania (including Zanzibar). Meanwhile, Kenya Data Network (KDN) has signed an agreement to create a link to the FLAG system; KDN will link from Mombasa and terminate in an undersea junction in international waters off the Yemen, Highway Africa reports. KDN says the link will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2008.
