Page 63 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE Tops in Telecom Infrastructure in Region: Survey

volume and technological interaction, it said. When it came to
the launch and use of 5G - the fifth-generation network, the UAE
ranked first in the Arab Region and fourth globally, according to
the Global Connectivity Index issued by Carphone Warehouse,
specialized in technology benchmarking. An added achievement,
the UAE came first in the Middle East for transformation to
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), according to statistics issued
by Ripe NCC, Akamai Technologies, and Google. The transition
to IPv6 helped Internet service providers deliver better services
and significantly impacted implementing 5G technologies for
mobile phone networks and digital transformation. The IPv6 was
critical due to the shortage of Internet protocols and the inability
of IPv4 to meet the growing demand in light of the internet's rapid
growth. In the ODIN report issued by the Open Data Watch, which
included 187 countries, the UAE ranked 16th globally, leaping
51 places at once, compared to 2018. In this indicator, the UAE
outperformed countries such as the USA, Korea, Switzerland,
France, Spain, Japan, and the United Kingdom. According to
the report, two main factors - openness and comprehensive
coverage, classified the countries for open data sites. Hamad
Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the Telecommunications
and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, said: "The year 2020
The UAE's telecommunications infrastructure ranks first in was exceptional at all levels and full of unexpected development
the Gulf, Arab Region and Western Asia, and seventh globally and never-before challenges. There was an increased need
in the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index, according for internet services from lockdown in most countries and the
to the UN E-Government Survey 2020. In the Smart Services almost total suspension of transport movement to reliance on
Index, the UAE ranks first in the Gulf, the Arab Region and West the internet to accomplish business, education, communication,
Asia, and the eighth in the world, said a statement from the and government services. This increased demand added pressure
UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory on networks, which required the most modern infrastructure and
Authority (TDGRA). The authority said the year 2020 witnessed technologies to deal with this sudden development. “The UAE
a noticeable increase in the demand for telecommunications and affirmed its leadership in all sectors, especially in communication
Internet services. This growth is also a reflection of the sector's technology as the Telecommunications and Digital Government
readiness and the authority's resolve to move towards the future, Regulatory Authority confirmed its ability to achieve distinguished
by deploying all modern technologies in the best way possible to results. Indeed, it is a proud moment of strategic thinking
realize greater achievements at local, regional and even global and continuous development under the guidance of our wise
levels. The UN survey confirmed the UAE's determination to leadership." He added: "We were able to meet the nation's growing
provide services that meet the people's needs and aspirations needs during the last year and exceed expectations with the
by employing emerging and advanced technologies and readiness of the Telecommunications and Digital Government
implementing digital transformation programs like Smart Dubai, Regulatory Authority in its pursuit of excellence, which helped
Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Strategy, TRA said. During to achieve impressive results at local, regional and global levels.
2020, the UAE maintained its first place globally in mobile phone We consider these achievements a catalyst for achieving more
subscriptions index and advanced from second place to first in positive results and will help us continue efforts to reaffirm the
the world in mobile broadband Internet subscriptions index. The United Arab Emirates position in the world”. "The United Arab
UAE also ranked first in the Arab world and at the regional level Emirates is one of the leading countries in the region in the field
in the Information & Communication Technologies Index, the of digital transformation. It is supported by qualified national
Internet Access Index, and the Internet Use Index. In terms of human resources who are open to international best practices.
the overall percentage of Internet users, the UAE made progress The UAE’s teams have always been keen to develop their skills
by reaching the fifth position globally and a qualitative leap and enhance their online presence; they develop their strategies
from the 68th place in the world to the 29th position in the fixed to keep pace with the developments and prepare for the future. It
broadband subscriptions index. The UAE ranked first in the Arab is for these reasons, that the UAE achieves distinguished results
Region in the index of local Internet domain names, which uses every year," said Richard Kerby, President, Richard Kerby LLC and
the symbol (ae). These indicators measure the percentage of an expert advisor of international repute on digital transformation
domain registration in other countries and indicate movement of governments.

63 FEB-MAR 2021