Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021
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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.











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