Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

We expect the National anticipating future needs. This is achieved Arabia’s booming gaming sector. It is
by optimizing legacy spectrum, fostering
our responsibility to encourage healthy
Spectrum Strategy to commercial and innovative uses, and competition among telecom operators
have significant impact safeguarding national access. and provide the best experience for
and contribute to Vision Pillar B aims to “Empower a ‘Smart’ gamers, raise the level of transparency
in the market, and enable investment by
2030, including a sizeable Spectrum” in order to meet the demand providing key data and indicators on the
contribution to the captured in Pillar A by enhancing our sector’s performance. The Game Mode
portfolio of spectrum management tools
initiative ticks all of these boxes.
economy (direct GDP and services, including developing adaptive
contribution of around regulatory mechanisms, facilitating We also launched a quarterly award for
SAR 500 million annually wireless access and investments, as the internet service provider with the best
as
well
response time (lowest latency) for video
market-oriented
embracing
and about 20% increase approaches. gaming, a key indicator of the network’s
in spectrum enabled GDP The key enabling goal to this two-pronged performance. In addition, the commission
will start the publication of quarterly
by 2025), additional non- approach is to “Build the Foundation” and reports comparing response times among
oil revenue up to SAR 18- ensure the organizational capabilities, service providers across some of the most
popular video games in the Kingdom, thus
tools, and spectrum ecosystem are
36 billion per annum, all prepared to fulfill their strategic objectives. enhancing transparency and competition.
facilitated by a doubling of We expect the National Spectrum Strategy
the spectrum allocated to to have significant impact and contribute Q. What are CITC's plans for the future
to Vision 2030, including a sizeable
to help position Saudi Arabia as a global
commercial and innovative contribution to the economy (direct GDP leader in the ICT sector?
uses. contribution of around SAR 500 million A. With our vision of a “connected nation
annually and about 20% increase in for a thriving digital economy”, CITC is well
spectrum enabled GDP by 2025), additional along the path of transforming itself from
Thirdly, we recognize that the traditional non-oil revenue up to SAR 18-36 billion per a traditional telecom regulator to a digital
communications sector is an enabler of annum, all facilitated by a doubling of the regulator. We are stepping up to meet the
the digitalization of the wider economy. spectrum allocated to commercial and International Communication Union (ITU)
Emerging technologies and processes, innovative uses. These outcomes will help 5th-generation regulation requirements,
such as quantum computing, IoT, drive the growth of Saudi Arabia’s digital reserved for the world’s most advanced
blockchain, AI, cloud and fintech all rely on economy and position us among the and high-performing ICT regulators. This
robust telecom infrastructure and we must world’s top 20 ICT nations by 2030. transformation will be measured by our
work with regulatory bodies from other success in helping Saudi Arabia to attain
sectors, government ministries and local Q. CITC has recently launched the "Game its objective of being among the top 20
and international private enterprises to Mode" initiative. Please share with us the countries for the telecommunications
ensure that Saudi Arabia is at the forefront significance of this initiative? and information technology sector by
of the digital revolution. A. The ‘Game Mode’ initiative was 2030, improving the national ICT sector’s
launched with the aim of enhancing Saudi performance and contribution to GDP.
Q. How much spectrum will CITC be
releasing for commercial and innovative With our vision of a “connected nation for a thriving digital
use over the next few years, and how does
this accelerate efforts to fulfil national ICT economy”, CITC is well along the path of transforming
plans? itself from a traditional telecom regulator to a digital
A. Saudi Arabia’s National Spectrum regulator. We are stepping up to meet the International
Strategy 2025 is structured along two
main pillars supported by a foundational Communication Union (ITU) 5th-generation regulation
enabler. The first pillar (Pillar A) aims to requirements, reserved for the world’s most advanced and
“Unlock the Future” by acting on current
spectrum demand and proactively high-performing ICT regulators.

6 FEB-MAR 2021