TT_Jan16

TECH
BEYOND
THINK
TECH
BEYOND
THINK
January 2016
TELETIMES MEDIA LLC.
INTERNATIONAL
The latest in telecoms, sat-comms and ICT sectors of the Middle East, Asia and Africa
Issue 121
January
2016
Enabling better
business through
Information
3514
The Internet
of Things –
Are We There Yet?
11
Ooredoo Qatar
& Nokia boost
network to 375mbps

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January 20160111
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Ooredoo Qatar and Nokia boost network
up to 375mbps
Waleed Al Sayed, CEO - Ooredoo Qatar
When you want to innovate, think beyond tech!
Joy Tan, President of Global Media
& Communications - Huawei Technologies
11
08
Huawei sets the bar to drive
ICT innovation for smarter energy
19
Huawei latest ICT innovations to build a better
connected KSA at Huawei Day 2015
21
DSG showcases capabilities of Unified Government
Disaster Recovery Site & Cloud One services
27
ITU, UN Women celebrate outstanding projects
and leaders using ICTs to transform women’s lives
39
Reports
Kymeta & Intelsat complete industry-first mobility
tests for next generation antenna technology
Intelsat 29e in preparations for Jan 27th
launch on Ariane 5
29
29
Ericsson and Inmarsat sign a strategic agreement
that will transform the future of the connected ship
31
Inmarsat and Turksat partnered to focus
on defense and aviation sector
32
Speedcast expands in the americas with the
Acquisition of Newcom international
33
Satellite Communications
Ooredoo & Qatar Airways join hands
for on-board Wi-Fi
13
STC announces the successful demonstration of
a new 4.5G for the first time in the EMENA region
22
Zain kicks-off 5th Technology Conference in Bahrain43
PCCW Global wins Best Broadband Access and
Best Wholesale Service Provider Awards
42
du lauded with two prestigious awards
at 2nd ME Call Centre Summit
47
Telecommunications
INTERNATIONAL
teletimes

Bakutel- A clear indicator of the programmes for development within Azerbaijan’s ICT industry 15
Etisalat teams up with Thuraya Telecommunications to launch ‘AnA Emarati’
“At Intelsat, we are pursuing innovation in both
satellite technology and ground systems”
Stephen Spengler,
Chief Executive Officer - Intelsat 29
30
Enabling better business
through Information
Raed Yousef Ali Abdel Fattah
CIO – PTCL (Etisalat Group) 35
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INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
7January 2016
Welcome to the latest edition of
Teletimes International.
First of all, I would like to wish a
very happy new year to all our
readers and partners on behalf of
Teletimes. I hope that you all have
had a wonderful year-end and
that the new year brings success
and joy to everyone in the industry.
We at Teletimes are committed
to maintaining this publication
as your first choice for news and
insights on the latest trends and
innovations in the communications
sector and are looking forward
to an exciting year with more
participation from industry
members themselves which should
help us achieving our aim.
We have always emphasized
on the importance of feedback
from our readers, contributors
and partners. Based on this
feedback, we have made some
major changes in how we present
Teletimes to you. This release of
new branding and magazine style
which is being done in line with the
New Year should give Teletimes
a new look, but we assure you
that the content should remain
strictly industry-focused, themed
around unbiased, informative and
interesting news/insights. We are
committed to maintain Teletimes
as the premier publication for
executives in the communications
industry as we have been doing
for over a decade now.
While we are on the subject of
innovation and creativity, you will
find an interesting piece featured
in this edition titled “When you
want to innovate, think beyond
tech” by Joy Tan, President of
Global Media & Communications
– Huawei. I personally see it as
good “food-for-thought” for
business leaders and managers.
While technological innovation
should remain a catalyst in
business development (especially
considering the Information age
we are in), I still believe that
innovation in business processes
should remain the key driver of
growth and expansion in the
coming years, atleast for SMEs.
Another interesting piece you
will find in this edition on a similar
subject is an exclusive interview
with Mr. Raed Yousef Ali Abdal
Fattah, CIO, PTCL (Etisalat Group)
who talks about the growing role
of CIOs in the ongoing Information
Age and how Information (Big
Data) can enable better business
with more opportunities across
business horizons.
As always you should also find
in this edition the latest news
and insights on key industry
players such as Ooredoo, STC,
Etisalat, Huawei, Ericsson, Intelsat,
Speedcast, Thuraya, Inmarsat and
many more.
Please enjoy reading this edition of
Teletimes International.
Your feedback is welcome on
info@teletimesinternational.com
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Dear Reader
Scan to download PDF version
Follow @TeletimesIntl on Twitter

8 January 2016
When you want to innovate,
think beyond tech!
Joy Tan
President of Global Media & Communications
Huawei Technologies
Why do leaders always talk about
innovation?
It’s simple, really. Innovation has a
multiplier effect. It amplifies talent,
time, capital, and other assets.
Every company, and every
country, wants to be more
innovative.
Innovative technology tends to grab
the spotlight. And it’s true that Big
Data, cloud computing, and other
technologies are changing how we
live and work.
But business models can be
innovative, too; so can regulations.
Leaders who want to innovate must
consider these aspects of innovation.
New business models are emerging
every day. A recent piece in the
Harvard Business Review quotes
popular author Michael Lewis as
saying that the term business
model simply describes
“how a company plans to make
money.”
But HBR also points out that business
models are actually focused on
the assumptions about what makes
a business work. “Sooner or later,”
the author says, “some assumption
you have about what’s critical to
your company will turn out to be no
longer true.”
Automakers, for example, might
assume that a company that owns
no cars, such as Uber, will not pose a
competitive threat.
Keeping up with the Ubers
Many long-held assumptions about
business are shifting. To keep up,
we may need to update some of
our fundamental ideas about
business. For example, concepts
such as the value chain are being
overhauled.
“Increasingly, value is being created
not only within firms, but in the rich
interactions between them,” says a
report by Deloitte. Value chains are
starting to look more like value
webs, where any party in the
ecosystem can collaborate to
create new value. Cases in point:
Uber and Airbnb, stars of the
sharing economy, where consumers
can be suppliers as well as
customers.
Stefan Gross-Selbeck, a consultant
with BGC Digital Ventures, believes
that disruption comes less from
technology itself than from
companies using technology to
“take one part of the value chain,
redefine it, and on that basis,
rebuild the business architecture
of entire industries.”
That’s business model innovation,
and it’s just as important as lab-
based R&D.
The Regulator’s Dilemma
Equally important is regulatory
innovation. The right regulatory
frameworks encourage companies
to invest in new technologies, and
permit new business models to
emerge. For example, nationwide
broadband is what has allowed the
explosion of e-commerce in China.
Last year, an online shopping event
invented by Alibaba generated
USD9.3 billion in sales in just one day.
Big Data, cloud
computing, and
other technologies
are changing how
we live and
work. But business
models can be
innovative, too
Value chains
are starting to
look more like
value webs, where
any party in the
ecosystem can
collaborate to create
new value
FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
9January 2016
Such volume would be impossible
without the high capacity
of China’s broadband network.
Maybe that’s why, as of
mid-2015, 148 countries had
adopted a national broadband
plan.
Regulators should also find new
ways to allocate radio spectrum -
a vital part of digital infrastructure
because it’s the basis for ultra
high-speed mobile broadband.
Many countries will need to
increase by 50% to 100% over the
next five years, the rough timeline
for commercial roll-out of 5G
mobile technology. 5G will usher
in a host of new digital services
and business models – but only if
there’s enough spectrum available
and it’s not prohibitively expensive.
Regulators determine whether
those conditions are met.
When digital technology emerges
quickly, regulations may have a hard
time keeping up. As Deloitte’s report
notes, some innovative
start-ups reach scale so quickly
that they may already be serving
millions of customers by the time
regulators start giving them serious
consideration. “The dilemma
for regulators,” say the report’s
authors, “is to strike a balance by
enacting policies that protect the
public interest while remaining
flexible enough to keep pace with
innovation.” To sum up: In the digital
era, technology is one key to
unlocking the power of
innovation.
That’s why Huawei re-invests at least
10% of our annual sales revenue
into R&D. But business models and
regulatory frameworks can be
innovative, too – and must be,
if the benefits of innovation are
to be fully realized.
Regulators should also find new
ways to allocate radio spectrum -
a vital part of digital infrastructure
because it’s the basis for
ultra high-speed mobile broadband

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
11January 2016
Ooredoo Qatar and Nokia Networks
announced the launch of LTE-
Advanced (LTE-A) three-band
carrier aggregation technology
on the Ooredoo Supernet. Nokia
technology enables the operator to
provide higher data speeds of up to
375 Mbps to its customers.
The higher speeds are already
available in several high-traffic areas
of Doha, including West Bay, the
Corniche and Katara Cultural Village.
With this new technology, people
using Category 9 (CAT 9) capable
handsets can benefit from data
intensive services, including ultra
high-definition video download, and
upcoming trends, including virtual
reality.
Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive
Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said:
“We’re aiming to further improve
the broadband experience for
our customers with faster data
speeds and an excellent network
performance. Nokia Networks is
helping us to meet these goals
and we look forward to deploying
the latest technical achievements
as we continue to enhance our
world-class network.”
Bernard Najm, Vice President and
Head of Middle East and Africa,
Nokia Networks, said: “We’re
happy to support Ooredoo Qatar
in its mission to provide top-quality
services to its customers. After we
successfully demonstrated 600 Mbps
CAT-11 speeds in October, we have
now helped Ooredoo launch the
three-band carrier aggregation
technology to deliver higher data
throughput with superior reliability.”
This investment has been designed
as part of Ooredoo’s ongoing
Supernet investment to provide the
best possible Internet experience for
customers, with higher speeds and
superior performance on all 3G, 4G
and 4G+ devices.
Ooredoo and Nokia Networks have a
long history of working together, and
the companies recently announced
they will partner to deploy small cells
in popular network hotspots across
the country to enhance Ooredoo’s
3G and 4G network.
In October 2015, Ooredoo, Nokia
Networks and NETGEAR collaborated
on a first-of-its-kind speed test
using LTE-Advanced CAT-11 on the
Ooredoo Supernet, achieving a
peak data rate of 590 Mbps – the
first time this speed was reached in
tests in Qatar and the whole GCC
region. The speed was achieved
by aggregating 60MHz of spectrum
across three bands and applying
256 QAM higher order modulation,
touching a milestone in speed and
performance of Ooredoo’s network.
This latest upgrade was designed
to provide a better customer
experience on the Ooredoo network,
as well as contribute to the Qatar
National Vision’s aim to boost the
knowledge-based economy, by
enabling a host of new customers
access to the financial, educational
and social services the Internet can
provide.
Ooredoo Qatar and Nokia boost network up to 375
Mbps with LTE-A three-band carrier aggregation
Ashraf Siddiqui
Waleed Al Sayed, CEO - Ooredoo Qatar
NEWS

12 January 2016
Ericsson and Ooredoo Group
working together for 5G development
Ericsson and Ooredoo Group have
partnered for 5G development with
the ambition of developing use
cases, requirements and deployment
scenarios for 5G technologies.
The MoU was signed by Ahmed
Yousef Al-Derbesti, COO of Ooredoo
Group and Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice
President Head of Sales of Ericsson,
in the company of top senior
executives from both companies at
Ericsson’s headquarters in Sweden.
In line with the collaboration,
Ooredoo and Ericsson will evaluate
both the performance and
applicability of potential key 5G
components in a controlled test
environment.
H.E. Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al
Thani, Group CEO, Ooredoo, says:
“Ooredoo is striving to support
our customers’ activities in an
increasingly digital, connected
world and we are determined to
be at the cutting-edge of network
technologies. We’re pleased
to partner on developing next
generation technologies with
Ericsson, a trusted partner and a
major supplier for Radio Access,
Core, Transmission, OSS and BSS.
We look forward to working towards
developing 5G technologies
together.”
Rafiah Ibrahim, President of Ericsson
Region Middle East and Africa,
says: “At Ericsson, we are looking
forward to our joint exploration of the
possibilities and opportunities that 5G
technologies will enable. We believe
that next generation networks will
have a profound impact in the future
by enabling anything and everything
to connect, bringing value across
a number of verticals in the
Networked Society. Our continued
collaboration with the Ooredoo
Group is an indication of our staunch
commitment to continue working
with them across the technology
spectrum.”
5G is the next chapter of telecom
networks designed to meet ever
advancing and increasingly
complex sets of performance
requirements. It represents a new
way of thinking in the approach
to generational changes in mobile
technology. 5G will encompass an
evolution of today’s LTE technology
and the addition of new radio
access technologies, often in
higher frequencies. 5G will impact
the entire mobile network and
associated eco-system, from devices
to radio access, IP core and into the
cloud.
Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani,
Group CEO - Ooredoo Qatar
REPORT

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
13January 2016
Ooredoo and Qatar Airways have
signed a MoU that will provide added
service of Wi-Fi on-board, ‘first of it’s
kind by Qatar’s Telecommunication
arm to any airlines’, disclosed Waleed
Al Sayed, CEO Ooredoo Qatar
while addressing the media on the
occasion signing ceremony. Akbar
Al-Baker, Group CEO, Qatar Airways
signed the MOU on behalf of Qatar’s
national flag carrier.
With the Onboard Wi-Fi service,
customers can use portable
electronic devices (PEDs) to access
emails, browse the Internet and also
send SMS/MMS via smartphones.
Under three years agreement, Wi-Fi
service on all flights of Qatar Airways
will be available by end of 2016,
however, service commenced
on certain flights effective 17th
December 2015 on the eve of
National Day celebrations of State of
Qatar.
“Qatar Airways continues to strive
to offer the very best on-board
experience for our customers, and
our cutting-edge on board Wi-
Fi service provides an incredible
connection. We are proud to work
with Ooredoo, to bring this service to
the world, Al-Baker said in his address.
Waleed Al Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo
Qatar, said: “Ooredoo strives to
ensure that customers can always
enjoy the best network wherever
they are in the world, and our
partnership with Qatar Airways takes
our commitment to connectivity to
the skies. Qatar is leading the way in
the incredible facilities being offered
to visitors and residents, and we are
pleased to extend our work with
Qatar Airways through this important
agreement.”
On-payment available service will
enable the passengers of all classes
on-board A-380, A350, B787, A319,
A320 & A330 flights to contact loved
ones on ground, however, guests
in Qatar Airways First Class cabin
on board the airline’s A380 will
enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi for the
duration of their trip. With Ooredoo’s
sponsorship, all passengers can enjoy
the first fifteen minutes of Wi-Fi for
free, after the free period, customers
will be able to continue using the Wi-
Fi service by entering their credit card
details when prompted.
The move to enable Ooredoo’s
network on board aircraft will
enable Qatar Airways to give
travellers the latest generation
of connections quickly and cost-
effectively, in a flexible and
scalable manner.
This agreement is the latest in a line
of cutting-edge initiatives between
Qatar Airways and Ooredoo, which
include an initiative by the national
airline to move both its primary and
backup data to Ooredoo’s cloud-
hosting platform.
Ooredoo & Qatar Airways
join hands for on-board Wi-Fi
Ashraf Siddiqui
(From right) Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, Group CEO of Ooredoo, Akbar Al
Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed Bin
Saud Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ooredoo, Waleed Al Sayed,
CEO Ooredoo Qatar, Yousef Abdulla Al Kubaisi, COO Ooredoo Qatar and Sheikh
Nasser Bin Hamad Al Thani, Chief New Business Officer Ooredoo at the ceremony
NEWS

14 January 2016
The Internet of Things – Are We There Yet?
The race to IoT is set to reach a climax soon, with only a few hurdles left
to overcome before widespread adoption becomes a reality
What do you think of when you
hear the term “Internet of Things”?
A beatific future in which your fridge
will tell you when you’re low on
eggs, bread, and veggies, all after
wishing you a ‘top of the morning’?
Or perhaps a wearable device that
can monitor your fitness levels, detect
any anomalies, and directly alert
your physician should any alarming
data crop up, and therefore serve a
life-saving function? Or do you see
it as an innovative concept, with
limitless potential, that won’t see any
significant, mass uptake for many,
many years to come.
To some extent this way of thinking is
understandable: in terms of intelligent
machine-based communications,
the Internet of Things (IoT) industry
is at the start of a potentially long
journey. But the pay-off, which
ranges from increased convenience
to life-saving functions to increased
revenues, makes promoting its
uptake worthwhile.
In the Middle East and Africa (MEA)
specifically, IoT and machine-to-
machine (M2M) technology is
forecasted to drive heavy business
growth in the banking, transportation,
energy, and public services sectors
through smart cities. And as per
consultancy firm Deloitte, IoT revenue
in the Middle East is set to cross USD 2
billion in 2015, with growth outpacing
the global average.
Mounting the hurdles
So what’s been holding the IoT
industry back? Well, as per the
2015 IoT Outlook Report, recently
released by Telecoms Intelligence,
which surveyed 1000 telecom and
enterprise technology professionals,
all of whom have their fingers firmly
on the pulse of the industry, 42.4%
of the respondents believe security
challenges represent the biggest
inhibitor to IoT.
“We’ve definitely observed that
ever since the concept of IoT first
surfaced, security concerns have
been the biggest hindrance to its
widespread acceptance. Basically,
to promote uptake, comprehensive
security measures have to be
injected at every level, be it device
hardware and software, network
gateway and connectivity protocols,
or the WAN, service provider or
cloud network,” commented Sherry
Zameer, Senior Vice President for
Telecommunication Solutions at
Gemalto. The digital security firm is
known for bringing trust and people
closer to smarter living environments
via secure M2M technology,
amongst others.
As per the aforementioned survey,
a further 37.2% see platform
standardisation issues as the biggest
challenge face the IoT industry.
Other major challenges include
concerns about technology and
device immaturity (29%), consumer
hesitation and trust (26.7%), and
other business priorities (24.4%).
Zameer added: “Another of the
biggest short-term problems facing
the growth of IoT is compatibility.
What would be the point of having
a slew of high-tech, useful devices,
which are unable to communicate
with each other? Therefore, a
lot of 2014 was dedicated to the
formation of standard development
organisations which will work
towards creating a standard set of
communication protocols.”
Most experts agree that the success
of IoT is highly dependent on the
development of interoperable
global standards. Fortunately, this
has prompted intense collaboration
between multiple standard
developing organisations across
territorial levels and industrial
IoT revenue in the
Middle East is set to
cross USD 2 billion
in 2015, with growth
outpacing the global
average
Sherry Zameer, SVP for Telecomunication Solutions - Gemalto
Contd. on P-48
ARTICLE

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
15January 2016
Bakutel- A clear indicator of the programmes for
development within Azerbaijan’s ICT industry
The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev,
visited the 21st Azerbaijan International Telecommunications
and Information Technologies Exhibition, Bakutel 2015.
Khalid Athar
Bakutel 2015, the Azerbaijan
international telecommunications
and IT exhibition, the largest ICT
event in the region, opened its
doors on 2 December at Baku Expo
Center. Over the years, Bakutel
has established itself as the leading
business platform for making new
contacts, creating new businesses,
and presenting new IT products
and services. Bakutel’s high status
was confirmed by the visits by
Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan. The Ministry
of Communications and High
Technologies of the Republic of
Azerbaijan has shown support for the
exhibition. Among other Azerbaijani
bodies that support the exhibition
are the National Confederation
of Entrepreneurs (Employers)
Organisations of the Azerbaijan
Republic (ASK) and the Azerbaijan
Export and Investment Promotion
Foundation (AZPROMO). The
support from international institutions
such as the UN, the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), and
accreditation from UFI, the Global
Association of the Exhibition Industry,
attests to Bakutel’s international
recognition. The organisers of
the event are Iteca Caspian and
Caspian Event Organisers (CEO).
The exhibition is one of the indicators
for the programme to develop ICT
REPORT

16 January 2016
in Azerbaijan, allowing integration
into the global information space,
the production of national ICT
products and the creation of a
modern information communication
infrastructure. This year (2015),
the exhibition brought together
203 exhibiting companies from 21
countries – Azerbaijan, Belgium,
China, Germany, France, Japan,
Russia, Turkey, the UAE, the USA and
others. Exhibitors include leading
ICT companies, mobile operators,
communications operators, and
distributors of well-known brands
ACER, Avirtel, Azercell Telecom,
Azercosmos, Azerfon, Azqtel,
Airbus, Bakcell, BestComp Group,
CISCO, Delta Telecom, Digital
Source, HP, Huawei, IBM, LENOVO,
R.I.S.K. Company, SAP, SINAM,
Smart Systems Technology, Softline
International, Schneider, Sumgait
Technologies Park, Teleradio, Ultra
Technologies, ZTE, AVAYA, Google,
Kaspersky Lab and many more.
Bakcell was the Communications
Partner and Teletimes International
was of one the media partners and
an exhibitor as well.
The exhibition included a
dedicated business programme,
where exhibitors held a number of
seminars. One of the most important
events in the Bakutel 2015 business
programme was the signing of an
agreement between Azercosmos
and Arianespace for launching the
second telecommunications satellite
Azerspace-2. The signing took place
on 2 December at the Azercosmos
stand. Bakutel continued till 5
December.
The press conference dedicated
to the opening of Bakutel 2015,
was held at December 1st at
Trend News Agency, attended by
Elmir Velizadeh, Deputy Minister
for Communications and High
Azerbaijan; Mr Edward Strachan and
Mrs Rena Abutalibova, the organizers
of the exhibition.
At the opening ceremony on 2

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
17January 2016
December, the First Deputy Minister
Technologies and Acting Minister
Ramin Guluzadeh stressed the
importance of the Bakutel 2015
exhibition. Over the last 21 years
the exhibition has acquired a
reputation as a momentous event
in the ICT sector. Accordingly, it has
become a tool for collaboration
between professionals from many
different countries and a platform
for showcasing high-technology.
As a country, Azerbaijan is currently
experiencing high economic
growth, and the development of
the field of telecommunications is
a fundamental part of this process.
Thus, the exhibition is also able to
help identify the great challenges
faced by modern society and the
ICT industry, not only within the local
region but throughout the world,
which is further demonstrated by the
establishment of the space industry.
The Head of State started by
visiting the stand of the Ministry
Azerbaijan, where President Ilham
Aliyev was informed in detail about
the e-Government portal and
Data Centre. It was noted that
the e-Government portal, which
was launched in 2012, has brought
together more than 80 organisations.
There are currently 45 institutions
providing citizens with more than
650 e-Services, including over 220
e-Payments. 35 non-governmental
organisations are also connected
to this portal and use these services.
Over the past two years the number
of users increased tenfold and
reached 2.5 million people. In
addition, the government began
issuing e-certificates last year through
this e-Government portal.
The Azerbaijani President was also
informed about the Data Centre.
It was noted that this Data Centre,
which is the first of its kind in the
region, is based on cloud technology
and is ready for operation and that
the certification process required to
put the Data Centre into operation
has now been completed.
He was informed about the new
Google platform, called the Cultural
Institute, which covers all the
museums, exhibitions, interesting
places and attractions around the
world.
The Emirate of Dubai of the United
Arab Emirates is being presented at
the exhibition by Dubai Exports, an
agency of the Dubai Department of
Economic Development.
President Ilham Aliyev was informed
about the future plans and objectives
of Dubai Exports, which aims at

18 January 2016
development through innovation.
The President Ilham Aliyev familiarised
himself with the stand of Azercosmos.
As the only satellite operator in the
Caucasus region, JSC Azercosmos
offers high quality satellite services
for telecommunications and
geographical exploration purposes.
Following a long-term agreement
between the world’s leading satellite
service provider Intelsat and JSC
Azercosmos, the Azerspace-2
satellite, which will be available at
the orbital position of 45 degrees east
longitude, will cover the regions of
Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle
East. Azerspace-2 is the second
in a row of telecommunications
satellites that Azercosmos will
use to expand the coverage of
Azerspace-1. It will meet the growing
demand for paid TV services and
networks for government agencies
in Europe, Central and South Asia,
the Middle East and sub-Saharan
Africa. Within the framework of
Bakutel, an agreement between JSC
Azercosmos and French company
Arianespace was signed regarding
the launch into orbit of Azerspace- 2.
Based on the contract signed with
the participation of President Ilham
Aliyev, the Azerspace-2 satellite is
scheduled to be launched in 2017
from French Guiana, with the help of
the French Ariane-5 launch vehicle.
The President Ilham Aliyev also got
acquainted with the stand of the
European Grand Prix, Formula 1.
This competition, which will take
place in Baku in 2016, will once again
bring Azerbaijan to the attention of
millions of TV viewers.
The Head of State also viewed a
stand presented by SAP, which was
founded in 1972 in Germany. SAP
is a manufacturer of software and
business solutions and currently has
290,000 customers in 190 countries.
President Ilham Aliyev familiarised
himself with the stand of the
American company, CISCO Systems,
which is a global leader in the
field of network equipment, video
conferencing, IP-telephony, the
Internet of Things, wireless networks
and data centres. And finally, the
Head of State was informed about
cyber threats and their management
system. Information was provided
on the cyber attacks that are taking
place around the world in real
time, as well as the current state of
spam activity across Europe and
Azerbaijan.

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
19January 2016
Huawei sets the bar to drive
ICT innovation for smarter energy
Huawei connected with energy
leaders at the Abu Dhabi
International Petroleum Exhibition
& Conference (ADIPEC) 2015,
showcased its next generation of
smarter Digital Oilfield technologies
that can transform operations across
the sector.
Huawei recently hosted a workshop
featuring a selection of key speakers,
chief technology officers, senior
analysts and industry experts who
highlighted the importance of
innovative ICT in the oil & gas sector
and demonstrated how technology
can help organizations achieve their
business objectives.
The oil & gas sector is facing
increasing challenges such as
the current low price of oil, rising
operational risks and security threats.
The industry is also increasingly
placed under growing pressure to
move towards greater agility and
improve efficiency levels that will
ultimately help to generate higher
volumes of oil production.
Huawei believes that Middle East
energy companies can greatly
improve their processes and
drive competitiveness through
the adoption of new technology.
Showcasing its latest service
portfolio, including its digital oilfield
and intelligent pipeline solutions,
wireless refineries and big data
analytics, Huawei will demonstrate
technology innovation to drive
productivity in both onshore and off
shore scenarios.
According to Huawei, investment
at this level of ICT will allow for oil
companies to better manage
and visualize data. At the same
time, opportunities to establish a
communications infrastructure that
links their upstream, midstream and
downstream activities together are
created so that a more coherent
and unified system can detect and
isolate faults or attacks at all stages
of production life cycle.
Saleem Bitar, Vice President of
Middle East Energy & Petrochemicals
for Huawei said: “The regional oil
and gas industry is going through a
new phase of data capturing and
processing, which enables
real-time analytics for operators
and makes it easier for decision
makers to overcome current
challenges. Oil companies need
to ensure they have a secure
and reliable infrastructure, which
allows for the collaborative use of
wireless technologies, cloud, Big
Data, resilient networks, Emergency
Command Center solutions and
Unified Tele-presence services.
By having a unified ICT system,
operators will be able to intelligently
and automatically capture key
performance field, refinery and
pipeline data reducing the need for
engineers to risk spending time in the
field.”
Huawei recently announced its
dedicated ICT oil & gas ‘Innovation
Center’ based in Saudi Arabia where
it is currently working on developing
ICT programs with key regional
entities alongside its leading global
partners and alliance firms.
During the exhibition, Huawei
demonstrated its portfolio of
technology innovations which
includes its Wireless solutions,
Digital Oilfield Production
Communication systems, Emergency
Command Center (ECC),
Operations Collaborations Centers,
Intelligent Video Surveillance, Unified
Communications & Tele-presence
Services, Big & Analytical Data,
High Performance Computing
(HPC), Appliances (SAP HANA),
Micro Data Centers, Campus &
Industrial Networks and integration
with Remote Terminal Unit (RTU)
technology for SCADA and PLCs.
Huawei has a number of flagship
customers across the region in the
oil and gas sector, including Saudi
Arabia and Iraq, as well as working
on global projects in Mexico,
Kazakhstan, Pakistan and China.
Huawei believes
that Middle East
energy companies
can greatly improve
their processes and
drive competitiveness
through the adoption of
new technology
REPORT

20 January 2016
Huawei drives Agile Network Innovation unveiling
its latest in SDN-ready solutions at Huawei
Network Congress Middle East 2015
To better compete in today’s digital
economy, Huawei has unveiled its
Agile Distributed WiFi solution along
with its Advanced Persistent Threat
(APT) Protection solution. The launch
marks the latest solutions under
the Agile Network 3.0 concept,
announced globally earlier this year
and is set to give users drastically
faster and uninterrupted network
connectivity that will provide an
overall, much more enjoyable
and seamless experience. With
the integration of the latest APT
Protection solution, businesses will
also be able to securely embrace
the future mode of Software-Defined-
Networking (SDN), protecting their
infrastructure even against the most
sophisticated cyber threats today.
The launch was hosted at the
regional edition of Huawei Network
Congress Middle East 2015 and
included key notes from network
industry experts across the value-
chain eco-system including
representatives from Huawei’s global
and regional team, its alliance and
go-to-market partners that included
Intel and Alpha Data’s 4Sight in
addition to its end-users.
At the event, Huawei highlighted
its commitment to enabling
businesses with the development
and application of Agile Network
innovation through showcasing the
latest phase of its Agile Network
3.0 architecture. Embracing the
Software-Defined-Networking
(SDN) era, Agile Network 3.0
explores unprecedented business
opportunities for its business partners
and end-users.
While the concept encompasses five
Agile groups that include the Agile
Campus, Agile Data Centers (Cloud
Fabric), Agile WAN, Agile Branch and
Agile IoT, the event shed light on the
latest solutions in the Campus and
Data Center arenas.
Faisal Ameer Malik, Chief Technology
Officer at Huawei, Enterprise, Middle
East said: “Network infrastructure is
the backbone to the advancement
of business innovation for Middle
East enterprises.” He added: “As
connectivity between people
and machines become more
prevalent through the Internet of
Things (IoT), CIOs will continue to
leverage emerging technology
to demonstrate its critical role in
the growth and survival of their
organizations.”
Network developments in mobile
connectivity continue to evolve
as demands to ensure that users
can access a network that is highly
secured and has superior signal
coverage when roaming. Be it wired
or wireless connectivity, organizations
across industries require a mobile
solution that keeps their data safe
from security vulnerabilities yet can
still allow their employees to stay
connected to the business with
minimal disruption.
Boosting User-Experience
Connectivity:
Huawei’s Agile Distributed WiFi forms
part of the Agile Campus family
and is designed with an innovative
‘distributed’ architecture that ensures
seamless network coverage in
challenging scenarios where WiFi for
instance, may be needed to enable
users with connectivity in buildings
with multiple rooms or offices. From a
hotel with hundreds of guest rooms, a
hospital with patient wards to schools
with dozens of classrooms, Huawei’s
Agile Distributed WiFi provides
even the most demanding users an
experience that will allow them to
stream, send and receive heavy files
from high-resolution images to videos
while on the move.
Huawei’s Agile Mobile solution
was also showcased at the ICT
provider’s event, introducing LTE (4G)
connectivity to businesses in campus
scenarios and is based on a solution
that converges campus networks
with WiFi.
Securing the Agile Network against
the most sophisticated threats:
Agile Network 3.0 also welcomes the
latest APT Protection solution that
effectively secures networks against
Advanced Persistent Threats (APT).
As the world becomes ever more
connected digitally, businesses need
to ensure the safety of mission critical
assets that may remain undetected
by traditional security solutions.
Ideal for industries in banking
& finance, critical government
agencies and Internet Service
Providers (ISPs), Huawei’s APT
Protection solution accurately
detects, alerts and pro-actively
provides a defence-wall against
even the most sophisticated
cyber attacks – reducing the risk
of information leak and ensuring
business continuity.
REPORT

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
21January 2016
Huawei latest ICT innovations to build a better
connected KSA at Huawei Day 2015
As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
continues to invest in the
development of its country-wide
ICT infrastructure, Huawei has
showcased its latest advanced
technologies that enhance big data
and cloud computing capabilities,
at its special event ‘Huawei Day’,
which took place in Riyadh, KSA.
The summit, which welcomed senior
leaders and CIOS from Municipalities
and Higher Education institutions,
was hosted in conjunction with IDC
(International Data Corporation),
the premier provider of market
intelligence and advisory services
for the IT, telecommunications and
consumer technology markets
worldwide.
In recent years, the Government
in Saudi Arabia has significantly
increased investment, for the
development of its ICT infrastructure,
with a view of improving its municipal
and education services across the
country.
According to IDC, the outsourcing,
managed services, and datacenter
services market in Saudi Arabia is
expected to total $570.6 million in
2015, up 16.2 per cent year on year.
The cloud market is expected to
perform strongly, spurred by
the growing maturity of the
Saudi ICT market and the increase
in the number of companies
using cloud services.
In particular, the Kingdom has
recently also focused on enhancing
its educational system by introducing
new digital learning programs,
research and development
initiatives, and building numerous
schools and universities. With the
emergence of BYOD, connected
learning, cloud services, software
defined networking and big data
the management of academic
technology to support teaching and
learning has become increasingly
challenging.
To help address the requirements
of a more digitally innovative KSA,
Huawei showcased its OceanStor
18000 V3, a high-end storage
product which is usually used for
core applications data storage.
Huawei also presented its eIMS
platform, a convergent and open
cloud communications solution.
“With these versatile, agile and
secure innovative solutions Huawei
will provide further proof of its
enormous worth to the public sector
and educational organizations
within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This country is still in the throes of a
massive technological shift and the
ICT sector is constantly growing.
Huawei is playing a vital role in
ensuring this technology is safe
and effective, and is helping many
organizations implement virtual and
cloud-based networking solutions,”
says Ramadan Ding, CEO
of Huawei KSA.
Huawei Day was split into a morning
open session and an afternoon
summit both of which were
moderated by experts from IDC.
During the summit two sessions,
targeting government and higher
education, were hosted separately
to cater to the fast growth of
both sectors. ICT trends in the
KSA market was discussed in
detail on the day including
topics such as ‘big data’ and the
‘convergence of unified platforms’
- areas in which Huawei offers
unparalleled expertise.
Ramadan Ding, CEO - Huawei KSA
REPORT

22 January 2016
STC announces the successful demonstration of
a new 4.5G for the first time in the EMENA region
As part of the Telecom-Tech Expo 2015 in Riyadh, STC announces the success of the first 4.5G (TDD+) trial with
Huawei. This technology was able to achieve new thresholds of user throughputs.
Saudi Telecom Company has
announced that it has successfully
demonstrated the latest 4.5G
(LTE TDD+) Technologies with Huawei,
achieving unprecedented network
throughputs.
This remarkable achievement
will enable STC network to deliver
the fastest LTE data rates in the
Middle East, Europe and North Africa.
STC proved, for the first time, that
its network will be capable of
delivering tremendously higher user
throughput, exceeding 1.5 Gbps,
as part of its (4.5G-LTE) network
development. This achievement
demonstrates STC’s high-tech
network capabilities, following its
first LTE-Advance announcement in
January 2014. Now, and as a new
milestone, STC once again presents
the first successful 4.5G (TDD+) trial
delivering network speeds that have
not been possible until now.
Eng. Nasser Al Nasser, SVP for
Technology & Operations, STC
said: “It is great to witness such
outstanding achievements
accomplished in cooperation with
Huawei, one of our closest strategy
partners. This exceptional milestone
will have great positive implications
on network capabilities and the
service experience enjoyed by our
deserving customer. We look
forward to realizing the real value
of this achievement in the STC
network and as a direct benefit to
the User. These remarkable
successes and achievements will
ensure STC’s position as a leader
in technology in the Middle East
and beyond. This will also open the
way for the network market to seek
even higher throughputs and better
service”.
Lebara Mobile KSA, the virtual
mobile operator in Saudi Arabia, has
announced signing an agreement
with Huawei to supply Lebara Mobile
KSA with its own virtual platform in the
Kingdom which will enable Lebara
KSA to provide added-value services
to customers around the region.
The new platform will empower
Lebara Mobile KSA to become
a Mobile Virtual Network Enabler
(MVNE), enhancing its position in the
telecom sector and being able to
provide new additional services to
other telecom operators in KSA and
across the region.
The latest agreement was signed
during a press conference attended
by Mr. Fadi Kawar, CEO of Lebara
Mobile KSA, and Mr. Ramadan Ding,
CEO of Huawei Saudi Arabia.
Fadi Kawar, CEO of Lebara Mobile
KSA, commented: “Deploying this
new platform is a significant step
in augmenting the infrastructure
of Lebara so that we can provide
more advanced offerings and
higher customer service based
on transparency, simplicity and
quality with competitive and
unprecedented rates.”
“Working with many MVNOs globally,
we know how important it is for them
to improve customer experiences,
differentiate from competitors, and
move into the new digital era while
running a healthy and sustainable
business. We look forward to
supporting Lebara Mobile KSA on
this latest business transformation
and opening up new opportunities
for Saudi’s thriving telecom market,”
says Ramadan Ding, CEO of Huawei
Saudi Arabia.
Huawei Saudi Arabia has worked
with many of the Kingdom’s top
telecom operators through an
established end-to-end solutions
portfolio that gives customers
competitive advantages in telecom
and enterprise networks, devices and
cloud computing.
Lebara Mobile and Huawei partner
to enhance mobile service experiences
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
23January 2016
Alex Wang (left) , Vice President of Marketing Operation, Huawei Wireless,
receives awards from Clement Teo, Senior Analyst, Asia Pacific, Forrester.
Huawei bags a ‘Hat-Trick’ at the 2015
Telecom Asia Readers’ Choice & Innovation Awards
Huawei has been honored with the
5G Innovation of the Year, Fixed
Broadband Project of the Year
and Wireless Network Project of the
Year awards at the 2015 Telecom
Asia Readers’ Choice & Innovation
Awards. The awards ceremony was
held in December in Singapore.
Winning the 5G Innovation of the
Year was Huawei’s 5G Unified Air
Interface (UAI) which was revealed
at Mobile World Congress 2015.
Key technology components of 5G
new air interface included a new
waveform technology Filtered-OFDM
(Filtered-Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiplexing), a new multiple
access technology SCMA (Sparse
Code Multiple Access), a new
channel code Polar Code, the full-
duplex mode and massive MIMO
(Multiple-antenna) technology, and
etc. The UAI design can effectively
improve spectral efficiency,
increase connectivity, and reduce
latency, thus facilitating the
deployment of customized scenarios
applied to the Internet-of-Things
(IoT) and for high bandwidth-
consuming scenarios such
as virtual reality.
The Wireless Network Project of the
Year award was won by Cloudified
VoLTE Solution and Mobile Network
Architecture, together for Huawei
and China Mobile. Leading
innovation in the VoLTE space,
Huawei VoLTE solution in leading
technology, easy deployment, and
new services beyond voice will
enhance the user communication
experience and enable provision
of services such as crystal-clear
voice and real-time HD video
communication services which can
generate more fresh revenue for
operators. Furthermore, operators
can expand services and grow users
by opening their network capabilities
and building a cross-industry
ecosystem, making for innovation of
their business model.
The third award, giving Huawei the
‘Hat Trick’, was the Fixed Broadband
Project of the Year. It went to the
world’s first 10Gbps Fiber-To-The-
Home (FTTH) access, a partnership
between HKT and Huawei. Through
Huawei XG-PON (also known as
10G-GPON) solution, users in Hong
Kong can enjoy unparalleled
broadband experience in the era of
10Gbps broadband access service.
In addition to being ideal for high
quality multimedia content, the
high-speed Internet connection
will facilitate instant sharing or
information storage through cloud-
based networks. Users will be able to
upload and download thousands of
photos and videos from the Internet
as fast as accessing a local hard
disk which dramatically enhances
customer experience.
“We are honoured to receive these
prestigious awards , “ said Lim Chee
Siong , CMO of Huawei’s Southern
Pacific Region. “These recognitions
are testimony to our dedication to
innovating around the needs of
customers and continuously
pushing the boundaries of ICT.
Customers and partners have
always been Huawei’s drive to
deliver the best products, solutions
and services. Moving forward, we
will continue to innovate and align
our business strategy to be in the
best position to help our customers
realize the digital and ICT
transformation.”
“Huawei impressed the readers
with this innovative solution that
delivers improved efficiencies on
the sub-6GHz band, and backed up
that claim with results from a large-
scale field test with NTT DoCoMo,”
said John Tanner , Editor-in-Chief,
Telecom Asia.
The Readers’ Choice and Innovation
Awards are held to recognize
the technology innovations and
contributions to the industry of top
telecom vendors operating in the
Asia Pacific.
NEWS

24 January 2016
Huawei urges IT Industry to offer better technical
training for Middle East channel partners
Crowds throng Huawei’s latest roadshows
across the UAE
Huawei recently held a Huawei
Certified Internetwork Expert
(HCIE) panel discussion and an
award ceremony highlighting the
importance of Huawei’s HCIE.
Huawei has also awarded Visiontech,
one of the company’s regional
channel partners, as it became the
first company to complete the HCIE
certification.
The HCIE certification ultimately
acknowledges the skills of an ICT
engineer to construct, optimize,
and manage complex large and
medium-sized enterprise networks.
The program was unveiled last year
and has seen increased traction
in the Middle East in 2015 as the
certification no longer needs to be
taken in Huawei’s home market of
China and is now available locally
for regional partners.
The HCIE certification is an
opportunity for channel
partners to certify their service
qualifications and capabilities.
Eric Dai, Vice President Service,
Enterprise Business Group, Huawei
Middle East said: “Huawei’s
certification of regional channel
partners is extremely important to
the company. This being the first
HCIE certification for a channel
partner in the Middle East makes it a
particularly important milestone for
our enterprise business group.
It bears testimony to the fact
Visiontech is held in the highest
regard by Huawei, and our
commitment to bringing the value of
innovation to more customers across
the region.”
Huawei Consumer Business Group
has showcased their latest devices
the Mate S smartphone and Huawei
Watch in an interactive roadshow
launched at select shopping malls
across the UAE.
The roadshow was inspired
by the opulence and style of
luxury fashion with a sophisticated
design. It gives shoppers the chance
to experience and engage with
the innovative devices, learn
more about the Huawei
brand, win smartphones and
the latest Huawei watch by
participating in competitions
held daily.
Sandeep Saihgal, VP, Huawei
Consumer Business Group ME, said:
“When planning this distinctive road
show, it was inevitable that we were
going to incorporate fashion and
style with technology and innovation.
It is what we strive to do at Huawei
with our products, devices and brand
communications. We hope more and
more visitors will take the opportunity
to get educated on Huawei’s latest
technologies, flagship devices and
vision. With this unique showcase, we
have also fused elements of fashion,
entertainment, fitness and several
others that would appeal to resident
families, friends and visiting tourists to
the UAE.”
Sandeep Saihgal, VP Consumer
Business Group - Huawei ME
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
25January 2016
Jordanian delegation visits DSG’s headquarters
and briefed on DSG and Dubai Land services
A government delegation from
Jordan’s Ministry of Communications
and Information Technology and
Department of Lands & Survey
recently visited the headquarters
of Dubai Smart Government
Establishment (DSG), where it was
briefed on the experiences of both
DSG and Dubai Land Department
and the latest smart government
services innovated by DSG to all
categories of the society for Dubai
to become the smartest city in the
world.
The delegation was received by H.E.
Wesam Al Abbas Lootah, CEO of
DSG, and Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO
of Emirates for Real Estate Solutions
of Dubai Land Department. The
delegates exchanged views on
their experience with transformation
into smart government. Mr. Lootah
discussed with them the challenges
and future plans, wishing them all
success and assuring them that
DSG would provide them with
the necessary support for them to
get familiar with and benefit from
Dubai Government’s successful
experiences.
Underlining the importance of smart
government services provided
by DSG, Lootah said: “We strive
to provide the best government
services that would meet the needs
of customers, who top our priorities as
per DSG’s strategy, in consolidation
of the approach of the connected
and integrated government that
brings satisfaction and happiness to
the public.”
He added: “We are always pleased
to respond to the invitations coming
from the brotherly Arab countries
to convey the smart transformation
experiences that we gained from
keeping pace with the world’s
best practices and to provide all
government services on customers’
smart devices with the aim of
supporting our Arab brothers in
their processes of development
and enabling them to surmount the
challenges that they might face
while implementing strategic plans
and projects.”
The delegation was given a
presentation on DSG’s strategic
plan 2014-2017, which was
formulated in line with the initiative of
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President
and Prime Minister of the UAE
and Ruler of Dubai, and in
implementation of the directives of
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown
Prince of Dubai and Chairman of
Dubai Executive Council, with the
aim of ensuring the efficiency of
smart transformation, applying the
best practices and providing the
government entities with modern
smart enablers to reflect the
mechanism of work as a connected
and collaborative government for
meeting the needs and happiness
of customers.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of
Dubai Executive Council
REPORT

26 January 2016
DEWA organises workshops for government
bodies about smart applications
Dubai Electricity and Water
Authority (DEWA) has organised
a series of workshops for Dubai
Municipality, Dubai Police, and
RTA staff to introduce them to new
services featured within the DEWA
application, which is available on
smart devices. The application
enables clients to send remarks and
comments regarding any faults
that may occur within DEWA’s
locations, improving cooperation
and teamwork between different
government organisations. The
workshops also support the Smart
City initiative, launched by HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister
of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to
transform Dubai to the smartest city
in the world.
The workshops were held in the head
offices of Dubai Municipality, the
Criminal Investigation Department,
and the RTA. The lecturers included
Atef Al Qawaqneh from DEWA’s
Asset Management department of
the Distribution Power division, who
gave a presentation on the mobile
app and explained how each
respective organisation benefits
from it. The discussion led to an influx
of innovative ideas, and created
a platform in which individuals
could exchange observations and
thoughts towards the betterment
of the application and its services
to the benefit of stakeholders. “The
wise directives of His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister
of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, are
what inspire DEWA’s ambitious ideas,
along with the UAE’s vision for 2021
to become the greatest country
in the world. DEWA organised the
workshops in cooperation with Dubai
Municipality, Dubai Police and RTA,
to show the unified responsibility and
commitment towards our country,
and serve it in the best way possible,”
said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer,
MD & CEO of DEWA.
“They also mirror DEWA’s efforts to
enhance sustainable development
within Dubai, as well as enhance its
position as an global hub for smart
government services, providing the
highest quality services for its citizens
and residents at an international
standard. DEWA makes every
possible effort to accommodate
and initiate teamwork to improve
processes, simplify procedures, and
improve services.”
The response from other government
bodies has helped DEWA to
manage change and provide smart
government services on a 24-7 basis,
to meet the needs of customers and
provide them with the means to
make comments and suggestions in
a user-friendly environment.
“This new government service is a
positive step towards transformation
in a smarter direction. It adopts the
use of new and modern services
through the implementation of a
modern application,” said Rashid Bin
Humaidan, Executive Vice President
of Distribution Power of DEWA.
In DEWA, we are committed to
providing the most up to date smart
services for different government
organisations, customers, companies,
consultants, suppliers, and job-
seekers, to make life easier for all our
stakeholders.
DEWA’s smart application allows
government organisations to share
observations and remarks regarding
DEWA’s services andit allows them
to be able to share photos from an
exact location via global positioning
system (GPS). This facilitates
problem-solving at a faster rate. The
application allows Dubai Municipality
to provide remarks in relation to
matters such as illegal connection
to electricity and water, to protect
public property and resources.
The app allows the RTA to share
observations about electricity stations
across Dubai, which speeds up the
process of fixing any problems.
All DEWA’s services have been
made available via the application,
supported by both iOS and Android
platforms for mobile phones. It can
also be used on other platforms,
such as BlackBerry, Windows,
smart watches, Samsung home
applications, and Etisalat’s eLife.
Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO - DEWA
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
27January 2016
Dubai Smart Government showcases
capabilities of Unified Government
Disaster Recovery Site & Cloud One services
Dubai Smart Government
Establishment (DSG) recently
organized a visit for Dubai
government delegates to its Unified
Government Disaster Recovery
Site (UGDRS) and Cloud One
services, which is being managed
in a secure location in Jebel Ali,
Dubai in partnership with Etisalat.
The DSG team were led by H.E
Wesam Al Abbas Lootah, CEO of
DSG and Matar Al Humairi, Director
of Infrastructure Management
Department at DSG.
The delegation was given an
overview of the facilities by Ahmed
Al Hammadi, Director of Digital
Solutions at Etisalat. This was followed
by a presentation on the UGDRS
and Cloud One services by Matar
Al Humairi, Director of Infrastructure
Management Department at DSG.
The delegates were then taken on
a tour of the facilities to inspect
its command and control centre,
security, backup power, cooling
and environmental solutions which
has made it the largest green data
centre campus in the Middle East
that has been certified as Tier III and
awarded with LEED Gold Certified by
USGBC and the ISO 27001.
H.E Wesam Al Abbas Lootah, CEO of
DSG said: We launched the UGDRS in
September 2014, in implementation
of the decision issued by HH Sheikh
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai
and Chairman of the Executive
Council, on Dubai Government’s
information security, which is aimed
at devising an integrated strategy
for protecting Dubai government’s
information and information systems
in a secure and reliable environment
to ensure business continuity.”
Lootah continued: ‘Our recent visit
was to share the capabilities of the
UGDRS and Cloud One with our key
stakeholders in Dubai government
and show them the capabilities
of having a secure government
information security environment
that will ensure service continuity
and contribute to the sustainable
development of Dubai as the world’s
smartest city. Our data is already
backed up here and we are pleased
that some of our partners in Dubai
government are already using the
datacentre. We are confident that
more partners will move their data
to this world-class centre, which
provides best in class practices and
standards and leads to immense
costs savings, when compared to
government entities trying to create
their own data centres.”
In his presentation, Matar Al
Humairi, Director of Infrastructure
Department at DSG, emphasized
the cost saving benefits of having a
unified UGDRS in a single location.
An in-depth feasibility study was
made before choosing the UGDRS
including identifying the location
and operational costs. The study,
included gathering the required
basic information through site visits
and workshops with government
partners, studying the specifications
and design of the UGDRS for using
cloud computing, shared network
infrastructure, return on investment
and alternative solutions for disaster
recovery.
Mr. Humairi also presented the
Cloud One services of DSG to
provide infrastructure as a service
(IaaS) at the same location,
allowing Dubai Government
entities to migrate their services
onto a robust, flexible infrastructure
based on a modern hybrid cloud
architecture.
Dubai Government’s information security
is aimed at devising an integrated strategy
for protecting government’s information and
information systems in a secure and reliable
environment to ensure business continuity
NEWS

28 January 2016
Sage registers strong growth in
Saudi Arabia SAR 22.6bn IT industry
Sage Middle East, provider of
business management solutions has
seen phenomenal growth in Saudi’s
AED SAR 22.6 bn valued IT services
and software sales sector. Growth
in sales of Sage products over the
past two years is unprecedented,
indicating and reflecting changing
requirements for IT products in Saudi
Arabia.
Due to the Saudi government’s
economic diversification plans and
existing strong macroeconomic
factors there is growth in multiple
industries. The IT industry, a
beneficiary of these policies and
industry growth, is also recording
robust growth. Speaking on the
advantages of operating in Saudi’s
conducive environment for business
growth, Mr. Keith Fenner—Chief
Sales Officer, Sage X3 International,
Executive Director and Head of
Sage Middle East—said, “Regardless
of the company size or scope,
Sage’s reputation, brand and brand
awareness has grown remarkably. At
present over 300 companies in Saudi
Arabia use Sage products.”
Sage’s success in Saudi Arabia is a
reflection of shifting business attitudes
on ERP and other software solutions.
In the past, it was commonplace
for companies to buy massive and
overloaded solutions of which only
about 40% of the entire system was
utilized. This trend has given way to
a preference for agile products that
cost less but provide better value-for-
money and 100% system utilization.
Agile software products are cloud-
based, implemented on the client’s
premises, and offer real mobility with
access from anywhere in the world;
all of these functionalities increase
performance and productivity.
To complement sales of Sage
products in Saudi Arabia, and to
support brand awareness, Sage has
held multiple events inviting senior
level management and government
personnel. The recently concluded
events in Riyadh and Al Khobar
on disruptive technologies mainly
focusing on Industry 4.0 initiatives,
drew recorded participation of senior
level representatives from various
reputed companies. Each of the
events held in Saudi Arabia has seen
increasing participation which Sage
plans to reciprocate by holding more
engaging events in the future.
The Arabization and localization
of Sage products is an indicator of
the company’s commitment and
sensitivity to client requirements
in Saudi. The localization of Sage
products has resulted in clients
implementing and integrating Sage
50, Sage 300, Sage X3 and in some
cases Sage CRM, and Sage HRM
systems into their workspace. “With
the launch of HRM, Sage is one of
the first software vendors to have
full Business management solutions,
full CRM and full HRM solutions that
is fully Arabized and localized in the
KSA market,” elaborated Mr. Fenner
Sage products reach the Saudi
market through a distributary
partnership between Interkey
and KBW Investments in Saudi
Arabia, and cut across all industries
including manufacturing and
distribution, services and financial
services. However, Sage taking
into consideration its experience in
the manufacturing and distribution
sectors, has earmarked these key
industries for aggressive future
expansion.
Keith Fenner—Chief Sales Officer, Sage
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
29January 2016
Intelsat 29e in preparations for Jan 27th launch on Ariane 5
Kymeta and Intelsat complete industry-first mobility
tests for next generation antenna technology
Intelsat has announced that the first
of the Intelsat EpicNG series of High
Throughput Satellites, Intelsat 29e,
arrived at the Guiana Space Center
in Kourou, French Guiana, where it
will undergo final preparations before
its scheduled launch on an Ariane 5
rocket on the 27th of January, 2016.
Manufactured by Boeing and
equipped with the most advanced
digital payload on a commercial
spacecraft, Intelsat 29e will bring High
Throughput capacity in both C- and
Ku-band to North and Latin America
and the North Atlantic region, and
is designed to be fully interoperable
with the already deployed Intelsat
satellite fleet.
Intelsat EpicNG features an
exceptionally flexible high throughput
payload design that is backward
compatible with already deployed
user networks globally. It has an
open architecture built to address
an expected $3 billion incremental
increase in revenue opportunities
related to an increase in demand
by the year 2020 for satellite-based
infrastructure in the enterprise,
wireless infrastructure, aeronautical
and maritime mobility, government
and Internet of Things sectors.
Kymeta Corporation and Intelsat
have successfully completed initial
testing of the mobility performance
of Kymeta’s flat-panel antennas on
Intelsat’s global satellite network
for both maritime and automotive
applications. Kymeta and Intelsat
are the first companies to meet this
significant milestone with a flat panel,
software-based antenna.
In the automotive portion of the
test, the team embedded Kymeta’s
flat-panel antenna into the roof of
an automobile and over the course
of 8,000 miles, proved that the
company’s mTenna™ technology
was able to automatically acquire
and track satellite signals while on
the move. The Ku-band antenna
was able to both transmit and
receive signals with Intelsat satellites.
It is designed for Intelsat’s current
satellites and its next generation high
throughput satellites, Intelsat EpicNG,
the first of which is expected to
launch on January 27, 2016.
“We’re excited about these
significant milestones and what
they mean for our customers,” said,
Dr. Nathan Kundtz, Chief Executive
Officer of Kymeta. “In partnership
with Intelsat, we’re ushering in
a new generation of mobile
communications that is lower cost
and higher bandwidth.”
Kymeta’s flat panel, software-
based antennas simplify the
access to Intelsat’s satellite fleet by
removing the need for mechanical
components and by using software
to electronically point, steer and
acquire the satellite signal. This
allows for both the rapid setup
and installation of the hardware, in
addition to the improved ability to
acquire and track satellite signal.
“At Intelsat, we are pursuing
innovation in both satellite
technology and ground systems
to enable simpler access to our
services,” stated Stephen Spengler,
Chief Executive Officer of Intelsat.
“Our partnership with Kymeta will
help ensure that our customers
have much easier and more cost
effective access to our fleet to
leverage the power and higher
performance of our satellites to
solve their complex connectivity
issues.”
Stephen Spengler,
Chief Executive Officer - Intelsat
Dr. Nathan Kundtz,
Chief Executive Officer - Kymeta
NEWS

30 January 2016
Etisalat teams up with Thuraya
Telecommunications to launch ‘AnA Emarati’
package for mobile communications via Satellite
The world’s first satellite voice package
Etisalat has announced its new
‘AnA Emarati’ mobile proposition –
the first of its kind globally - offering
Etisalat’s mobile post-paid customers
a unique bundle of Thuraya
Telecommunication’s satellite-
enabled calling minutes and SMS
from anywhere in the world.
The new mobile bundle is designed
to meet the demands of adventure
loving customers who spend their
time outdoors in the desert or at
sea. It provides them with a highly
affordable alternate connectivity
solution in remote locations,
offering them the peace of mind of
staying in touch with their family and
friends.
Etisalat has partnered with Thuraya
Telecommunications, allowing
existing post-paid mobile customers
to benefit from the satellite
communication privilege.
Customers opting for the Ana Emarati
mobile post-paid satellite bundles
can continue placing both GSM
and satellite calls using their same,
existing mobile number and phone.
They benefit from an additional free
SIM card with the same number to
be inserted in the satellite Hotspot
device.
Khaled El Khouly, Chief Consumer
Officer at Etisalat, said, “Etisalat
has always been at the forefront
in providing advanced and fast-
speed connectivity across the UAE’s
populated regions.
Now, with our new integrated
plan – the first in the world, and
in partnership with Thuraya
Telecommunications, we have
the UAE’s adventure lovers
covered or anyone else for that
matter, when they head out in
any location with limited GSM
connectivity.
Bilal El-Hamoui, Chief
Commercial Officer at Thuraya
Telecommunications Company,
said, “This is a really creative and
original approach, and we are
pleased to work with Etisalat on the
launch of the Thuraya SatSleeve
Hotspot.
The SatSleeve Hotspot is a creative
and important new device for the
consumer market that offers fast,
simple connectivity on-the-move, in
remote areas normally beyond the
reach of smartphones, or in urban
areas where terrestrial networks have
become unavailable or unreliable.
The innovative SatSleeve Hotspot
also comes with an added safety
feature: a programmable SOS button
that works even if your smartphone
isn’t connected. This convenient
function lets customers call a
predefined number of their choice in
times of emergency.”
Khaled El Khouly Bilal El-Hamoui
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
31January 2016
Ericsson and Inmarsat sign a strategic agreement
that will transform the future of the connected ship
Inmarsat and Ericsson have signed
a strategic maritime agreement
that is intended to facilitate the
sharing of cargo, logistics and vessel
operational data to help streamline
the maritime supply chain.
The two companies will jointly
develop services, solutions and
applications to drive industry
standards for satellite connectivity
and application integration in the
maritime industry.
As a first step, Ericsson has signed
a distribution contract to offer
XpressLink, Inmarsat’s combined
L-band and Ku-band VSAT network
for the maritime market.
XpressLink offers an easy upgrade
path to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress
service, powered by the new
Global Xpress constellation, when it
becomes available in the coming
months. It is intended that the
distribution agreement with Ericsson
will be extended to Fleet Xpress at
that time.
The new strategic relationship will
also pave the way for integration
between Ericsson’s Maritime ICT
Cloud and global connectivity
delivered over Inmarsat’s satellite
communications network, including
both Ka and L-band.
Ericsson’s Maritime ICT Cloud is
an end-to-end managed cloud
solution that connects vessels at
sea to shore-based operations
including maintenance service
providers, customer support centers,
fleet/transportation partners, port
operations and authorities.
Enabled by Inmarsat, the Maritime
ICT Cloud will ensure that trucks will
spend less idle time at ports, cargo
will spend less time in transit, and
producers will be better able to plan
their shipments.
An example of how the strategic
cooperation agreement works in
practice was highlighted with the
recent announcement of a contract
between Ericsson and U-Ming
Marine, a leading shipping company
specializing in the transportation
of cement, dry commodities and
industrial raw materials. Ericsson will
provide U-Ming Marine with end-to-
end connected vessel and voyage
optimization solutions, including
satellite connectivity from Inmarsat.
Ronald Spithout, President Inmarsat
Maritime, says: “With Fleet Xpress,
the world’s first mobile hybrid Ka/L-
band high-speed broadband service,
embedded in and enabling world-
class solutions from Ericsson, we are
re-defining maritime connectivity.
This transformational agreement
will open up opportunities for vessel
operators and managers to capture
intelligent data immediately.
“Everyone is talking about ‘big data’,
but eventually it is the deployment
of applications onboard and
the end-to-end management of
integrated intelligence, that will
ultimately change the way the
maritime industry operates; making it
more efficient, greener and unlocking
greater value. We are happy that
the reliability of the Inmarsat
constellation of satellites and
operational standards are recognized
as the best fit in the Ericsson roadmap
of integrated services.”
John Taxgaard, Head of Maritime
at Ericsson, says: “Ericsson believes
that the Internet of Things has the
potential to generate tremendous
value for the maritime industry.
Partnering with the leading
provider of global mobile satellite
communications services is the
best means of helping the maritime
industry to realize this value.
Together with Inmarsat we will
jointly develop fully integrated
services, solutions and applications,
and work toward establishing
maritime industry standards for
satellite connectivity and application
integration.”
John Taxgaard
Head Maritime - Ericsson
Ronald Spithout
President Maritime - Inmarsat
Ericsson’s Maritime ICT Cloud is an
end-to-end managed cloud solution that
connects vessels at sea to shore-based operations
including maintenance service providers, customer
support centers, fleet/transportation partners,
port operations and authorities
REPORT

32 January 2016
Inmarsat and Turksat partnered to focus
on defense and aviation sector
Inmarsat certifies new Quicklink software to
deliver broadcast-quality live video worldwide
Inmarsat and Turksat, the have
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to explore
opportunities through the formation
of a strategic partnership, initially
focussed on the defence and
aviation sectors.
Under the MoU, Inmarsat would be
the preferred mobile satellite com-
munications provider for Turksat. As
an existing provider of VSAT services
to the Turkish government and
commercial sector, the addition of
Inmarsat’s portfolio of services will sig-
nificantly enhance Turksat’s offering.
Turksat’s strong links across the Cau-
cuses and Central Asia will enable
Inmarsat to increase its penetration in
this region of the world.
Rupert Pearce, CEO, Inmarsat said:
“This is an excellent opportunity for
both companies to explore new
opportunities. We value all of our
partnerships and hope to develop a
long-lasting and mutually beneficial
strategic partnership with Turksat in
the coming months.”
Ensar GÜL, CEO, Turksat said: “We
hope that with this MOU, Turksat and
Inmarsat’s partnership programme
will develop a long-term fruitful
cooperation. The main objective
of this partnership is to broaden
product and service portfolio of both
companies.”
Inmarsat announced that the
Quicklink Windows Bonded Live
Software is ‘ready to use’ over its
global fleet of L-band satellites.
The software, from Quicklink Video
Distribution Services Ltd., is designed
to enable broadcasters and other
media industry professionals to
compress and transmit live video
over the Windows® Live platform.
The solution reduces the amount
of equipment broadcasters need
to carry, and is designed to work
with multiple communications
technologies, such as satellite, ADSL
or cellular services, bonding them
together to achieve the most stable
connection possible. It also provides
the option of encoding using the
High Efficiency Video Codec
(HEVC) H.265, which affords the
same streaming quality as the
previous H.264 codec, but uses
almost half the bandwidth to
transmit.
The Quicklink Windows Bonded
Live Software has been certified as
‘Inmarsat-ready” through Inmarsat’s
Certified Application Provider (CAP)
programme, a key component of
Inmarsat’s open technology strategy
through the CAP programme,
Inmarsat works with solutions
providers to ensure that their
products are not only compatible
with our network, but provide
our network users with effective,
customer focused solutions that
offer genuine business benefits,
whether they’re using Inmarsat’s
network for voice, broadband,
machine to machine connectivity or
all three.
“We are pleased to certify the
Quicklink Windows Bonded
Live Software under the CAP
programme,” said Nadeem Khan,
Head of Applications Enablement,
Inmarsat Enterprise. “Working with
talented developers and industry
experts like Quicklink, and pairing
their solution with our award-winning
network means that we can offer
our customers tailored, end-to-
end communications solutions that
can effectively meet their every
communication challenge.”
Nadeem Khan
Applications Head - Inmarsat Enterprise
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
33January 2016
Speedcast expands in the americas with the
Acquisition of Newcom international
SpeedCast International Limited has
signed a definitive agreement for the
acquisition of NewCom International
a leading satellite communications
service provider specializing in
the South and Central American
regions. The acquisition opens a
new growth frontier for SpeedCast
in a region where satellite is widely
used and SpeedCast did not have a
direct presence. The acquisition will
strengthen SpeedCast’s capabilities
to serve and support its customers
globally, including in the important
and growing South American market.
NewCom has over 25 years
of experience providing
integrated satellite and terrestrial
communications and engineering
solutions throughout the South
and Central American regions, the
Caribbean, Mexico and Africa,
where it has been leading the way
and has built a reputation for the
quality and innovation of its services.
Based in Miami, Florida, USA,
NewCom has two state-of-the-
art teleports in Miami, Florida and
Lima, Peru, which provide strategic
infrastructure to service its customer
base throughout the Americas.
With NewCom’s acquisition,
SpeedCast establishes a strong
presence in South and Central
America, where SpeedCast did not
have an established direct presence,
which is an important region for all
of the Group’s existing verticals and
for a number of existing SpeedCast
customers.
The acquisition will benefit
SpeedCast’s existing customer
base across multiple verticals, as
SpeedCast leverages NewCom’s
infrastructure and local presence
to gain in operational flexibility and
redundancy and enhance its support
and logistics capabilities.
“I am thrilled to see NewCom joining
the SpeedCast group as it is a
well-recognized organization with
a strong market position in South
and Central America, a major and
growing region for satellite services.
NewCom fills a gap in our capabilities
and we can now state that we are
truly global and capable of serving
our customers wherever they are.”
said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of
SpeedCast. “There is a real growth
opportunity for SpeedCast in the
Americas that we will now be able
to better realize. With NewCom’s
infrastructure, local presence,
relationships and experience,
combined with SpeedCast’s
strengths, we are well positioned
to deliver innovative and value
creating solutions to customers in the
Americas.”
Pierre-Jean Beylier,
CEO - SpeedCast
Ooredoo chooses Eutelsat to launch
broadband services in Qatar
Eutelsat Communications has
announced a distribution agreement
between its Eutelsat Broadband
subsidiary and Ooredoo, Qatar’s
leading communications company,
to deliver an enhanced VSAT service
for businesses called “VSAT Internet”.
The new service will be based on the
high-performance KA-SAT satellite
dedicated to broadband services.
By selecting the KA-SAT infrastructure,
Ooredoo has chosen the fastest
and highest-quality satellite
broadband service in the Middle
East. Ooredoo’s “VSAT Internet” will
deliver a reliable and competitively-
priced solution that compares to
terrestrial broadband, with download
speeds up to 22 Mbps and upload
speeds up to 6 Mbps. Through this
service, Ooredoo aims to deliver
communications support for a wide
range of applications such as point-
of-sale transactions, data processing,
reservation systems and high-speed
Internet access, ensuring business
continuity.
Ooredoo’s new service is particularly
useful for businesses in remote
locations operating notably in desert
and coastal waters. It provides
immediate access and the benefits
of a flexible connectivity model
with on-demand volume booster,
and a secure system with a 24/7
command control centre (CCC) for
constant monitoring. It is designed
to deliver tailored communication
for businesses operating in sectors
such as construction, hospitality,
manufacturing, tourism and
agriculture as well as government
agencies and news agencies.
NEWS

34 January 2016
Private telecom and internet companies in
Pakistan allowed entering into agreements with
neighboring countries
Aftab Raza Khan
PTA holds training for women on Android Development
In a major positive development for
Internet Infrastructure in Pakistan, the
Economic Coordination Committee
(ECC), chaired by Mr. Ishaq Dar
(Finance Minister of Pakistan) has
decided to allow private telecom
and Internet companies to enter
into agreements with counterparts
in neighboring countries for provision
of Internet services and telephone
traffic through satellite, wireless
and submarine networks. Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
will have an important role to play,
serving as the regulator on behalf of
the Pakistani government in dealing
with these cross-border Infrastructure
agreements.
The announcement came after a
regional study carried out jointly
by the Internet Society (ISOC), UN
ESCAP and Asian Development Bank
(ADB). The study focuses on Internet
infrastructure and connectivity
related issues and prospects in
ten countries in Central Asia, the
Caucuses and South Asia, including
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The briefing, hosted by PTA and ISOC,
provided an advance summary of
Pakistan related findings in the study,
pending the full report’s release. In
particular, the briefing highlighted
the potential for Pakistan to become
an Internet transit provider and hub
for Central and South Asia.
Recommendations made by
experts at the briefing emphasised
that through the adoption of
effective and enabling policies by
the government – and pursuing
agreements with neighboring
governments – Pakistan in the near
future can become an integral
part of the supply chain to these
countries. This will also allow it to
enhance its own internal Internet
bandwidth availability, and help
pave the way for greater digitization
of Pakistan’s own economy
with growth, modernization and
development in all sectors.
The decision made by ECC clearly
resonate and support these
recommendations made last month
in Islamabad. It also underpins
Pakistan’s geostrategic location as
a potential regional connectivity
hub, and the potential it has in
transitioning to a digital economy.
Pakistan Telecommunications
Authority (PTA), in collaboration with
Ministry of Information Technology
(MoIT), arranged professional
training for women on “Android
Development & Augmented Reality”
at PTA Headquarters as part of
“m-entrepreneurship for women”
program. The objective of this training
was to equip potential women
entrepreneurs with necessary mobile
application development skills.
The training also focused on
equipping participants with
marketing skills so that they can
promote and sell their apps. It aimed
at building up mobile app ‘master
trainers’ who can go back to their
respective areas and carry out
similar trainings for future mobile app
developers and entrepreneurs.
On the occasion Chairman PTA Dr.
Syed Ismail Shah and Member Legal
MoIT, Ameena Sohail, emphasized
the need for women empowerment
in Pakistan and expressed that
the potential workforce of future
women entrepreneurs can utilize their
mobile app development skills for
creating and promoting mobile apps
in Pakistan. They further said that
3G/4G technologies have not only
benefited citizens by converting a
smart phone into a smart computer,
but it has opened new horizons for
the entrepreneurship development
wherein women can equally
participate.
They said that PTA and MoIT are
working together for developing skills
in women so that they can enter
into entrepreneurial market without
facing barriers. Member (Legal)
MoIT Ameena Sohail appreciated
the efforts of PTA for conducting
such activities and desired to carry
out similar trainings for women
empowerment in future also.
Ishaq Dar - Finance Minister of Pakistan
NEWS

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
35January 2016
Raed Yousef Ali Abdel Fattah
CIO – PTCL (Etisalat Group)
Interview
Gulraiz Khalid
Enabling
better business
through
Information
Gulraiz Khalid: Today, when we are
at the peak of the Information Age,
how important is the role of CIO’s for
telecommunications operators?
Raed Yousef: Today, we are in the
middle of a dramatic change that is
affecting everything around creat-
ing an environment where we can
see disruptive innovation in between
bubbles and chaos. This change is
fast and hugely impacting the way
we think, the way we react and the
way we interact. Digital is the nucleus
of this change and digital is all about
the convergence of social media,
mobile and the web. Coupled with
Big Data & Analytics, it has changed
the face of ICT and brought new
business models to the forefront.
These models have created new
competition for Telcos and as a
result Telcos now need to reinvent
themselves in order to cope with this
situation. They need to bring new
products and services in an agile and
flexible manner. These digital ser-
vices fall in the domain of M2M, IoT,
Cloud and Big Data. They also need
to control costs and increase overall
organizational effectiveness.
A CIOs role has thus, become pivotal
in the whole scheme of things. CIOs
have to enable this new business
model in their BSS/OSS and help build
flexible and agile business through
the implementation of effective
business processes. In addition to this,
CIOs also need to contribute in de-
veloping new products and services
as M2M, IoT, Cloud and Big Data all
fall primarily within the domain of IT.
From a telecommunications point
of view, the next big thing should be
Software Defined Networks “SDN”.
There has been a popular claim that
“Software is eating everything”.
What does it mean?
It means that eventually everything
will be running on software and be
operated through software.
INTERVIEW

36 January 2016
As the network becomes increasing-
ly software defined, the role of the
CIO will expand from Information to
Networks as well.
Some companies believe that the
CTO and CIO role should be unified,
paving the way for greater synergy
and efficiency. As companies think
more about combining SDN and
NFV, the importance of unifying this
role increases as they would want
somebody who understands the con-
cepts of both Information and the
Network at the same time.
GK: How challenging is the CIO role
in the business environment today?
RY: In a fast-moving business environ-
ment, the CIO is currently making a
significant impact on behalf of the
entire organization. CIOs are in-
creasingly recognized as full-fledged
members of the senior executive
team. Successful CIOs are much
more actively engaged in setting
strategy, enabling flexibility and
change, and solving business prob-
lems, not just IT problems.
Today’s CIOs spend an impressive
55 percent of their time on activities
that spur innovation. These activities
include generating buy-in for innova-
tive plans, implementing new tech-
nologies and managing non-tech-
nology business issues. The remaining
45 percent is spent on essential,
more traditional CIO tasks related to
managing the ongoing technology
environment. This includes reducing
IT costs, mitigating enterprise risks and
leveraging automation to reduce
costs elsewhere in the business.
CIOs acknowledge that some of their
most important objectives too often
seem to clash:
How can we support the introduction
of new services while avoiding the
disruption of existing services? How
can I reduce costs while improving
services?
How will I balance the need to influ-
ence business strategy with the need
to provide top-notch IT support?
These are all questions that frequent-
ly come to the CIOs mind, and hav-
ing the right answers to each of them
is not an easy job anymore.
GK: Please tell us about some of the
latest Big Data and Analytics initia-
tives PTCL is taking today.
RY: PTCL has just recently concluded
the implementation of an Enter-
prise Data warehouse and Business
Intelligence solution. This initiative has
brought together all our sources of
data and converged it at one place.
As a result, our ability to see business
insights and performance and to
take actions in a proactive manner
has substantially increased.
We believe that Big Data and Analyt-
ics are a catalyst to the new business
model consisting of Cloud, APPS,
M2M and IoT. This can be used as a
vital component in proactive cus-
tomer care, real time offers and in a
nut shell would enhance customer
experience to a greater level.
Every telecom service provider is
searching for new ways to increase
revenues and profits during a time of
stagnant growth in the industry, but
few have demonstrated the capa-
bilities needed to make the most of
this new technology. Big data offers
a real opportunity to gain a more
complete picture of their operations
and their customers, and to further
their innovation efforts.
The operators that can incorporate
new agile strategies into their orga-
nizational DNA the fastest will gain
a real competitive advantage over
their slower rivals. In case of PTCL,
instead of looking at a business
problem to be solved and then
seeking out the data that might
solve it, we have decided to start
with the data itself and experiment
with what we have on hand so that
we can see what kinds of connec-
tions and correlations we detect.
This bottom-up method may give
us a more complete, transparent
view of customers, enabling new
and more profitable ways of
capturing and
Some companies
believe that the CTO
and CIO role should
be unified

INTERNATIONAL
teletimes
37January 2016
retaining them.
GK: With the rise in broadband
penetration and mobile data, how
will OTTs affect Voice Traffic for local
operators?
RY: Over the Top has been a
phenomenon which is affecting
operators all over the globe. The
same is happening in the local
market as well. People regularly use
these OTT voice, instant messaging
and video services instead of usual
voice communications. It is cheaper
and it has more features. Although
quality is sometimes an issue, it is
not always the priority for a normal
home customer. This trend will further
increase with the rise of broadband
penetration and smartphone
adoption in the country and will
affect not only voice but also
traditional SMS as well.
The impact of OTT players is not
just limited to telcos’ voice and
messaging services but has led to an
exponential increase in their data
traffic causing severe congestion
problems in their telecom network.
A major contributor to the increased
data traffic is the growing consumer
appetite for more video. Recent
studies show that between 2013 and
2018, mobile data traffic is expected
to rise at a compounded annual
growth rate of 61 per cent. It is
expected to grow from 1.5 exabytes
to 15.9 exabytes per month by the
end of year 2018. This will require
Telcos to invest in network capacity
enhancement measures like
spectrum, small cells, among others.
This means that the impact of OTT is
not just theoretical but is getting
duly reflected in an operator’s
financial statements as well.
GK: Many countries today are
keeping a check on the type of
data that is going through OTTs
(Skype data etc.) Do you think such
an approach towards Analytics is
effective or actually an intervention
into the privacy of users?
TT: Actually, the OTT domain is mostly
unregulated and poses a lot of
security risks. There has to be some
global regulation on the working of
OTT APPs. Monitoring and eventually
securing people is something that
requires no compromise I believe.
However, Analytics for business
purposes have to be taken in a very
different way where the privacy of
users is mandatory and critical. One
of the ways could be that you take
customer consent before analyzing
personal data, whereas, another
way could be using the anonymous
data for various types of analytics.
Social networks, online communities,
peer-to-peer file sharing and
telecommunication systems can
be modelled to provide good
insight into the social connections
of subscribers. Telecom service
providers are specifically trying to
leverage such information to improve
different areas such as marketing
effectiveness, customer experience,
product and services smart offering,
customer services, etc. The aim has
and will never be to intervene into
the privacy of users.
GK: How would you deal with OTTs
(on behalf of a telco) based on your
experience and opinion?
RY: OTT is becoming an increasing
problem for operators day by day
and there is a lot of discussion on
the subject all around the world. It
is clear that OTTs are not only taking
away users but also increasing the
need for operators to invest more
in their infrastructure so that they
can support OTT traffic. However,
I believe that OTTs are a reality of
today.
There are two basic approaches
being used - either the operators
completely block OTT or they are
open to OTTs and partner with them
somehow which in most cases
does not come out proportionally
beneficial for the operators.
There is no one-way solution to this,
and I think that partnering with
OTTs can create good synergies
and make way for progress
simultaneously for both, the operator
and the OTT.
I believe that there is a third
approach to this issue as well. If the
operator can somehow manage to
itself become an OTT on top of the
OTTs - then that is the best way to go.
For example, earlier, there were a
few channels that were using our
bandwidth to broadcast. What
we did was that we combined
these channels and created an
application for our users. If they
paid for our service, they would get
around 150 channels through IPTV,
we did not own the channels or the
The impact of OTT
is not just theoretical
but is getting duly
reflected in an
operator’s financial
statements as well

TT_Jan16

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