Page 74 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Pakistan and Iran to Expand ICT Cooperation

Pakistan and Iran have established a digital space for the greater benefit of concluded on the note of continuing
joint working group on information and people. During the session, both sides discussions and collaborations in different
communication technologies in line with shared the achievements of their local ICT tech fields for jointly achieving the United
the policies to expand bilateral scientific sectors and emphasized on learning from Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
and technological ties. During a two-day each other’s experiences and enhancing through the efficient use of technology.
meeting, which was held in Islamabad their connectivity efforts. The meeting
on February 6-7 between senior tech
authorities from both sides, the working
group was established as an adjunct unit of
the Iran-Pakistan Border Trade Committee.
Iran’s Deputy ICT Minister Sattar Hashemi
and Pakistan’s Federal Secretary for IT
and Telecom Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui
co-chaired the new group. “The newly-
established unit is aimed at boosting
collaboration for the development of ICT
infrastructure, regulations and space
science,” Sajjad Bonabi, the vice-chairman
of the board of Telecommunications
Infrastructure Company of Iran, said in
a tweet. According to Press Information
Department, a Pakistan-based news
website, the meeting’s discussions
revolved around exploring areas of
cooperation in the field of ICT and
creating an enabling environment for
harnessing the benefits of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution and the resulting

“Meqyas” Report Reveals the Most Improved Companies in Internet Services

Provided During the Fourth Quarter Of 2019

The Communications and Information in the Kingdom. The findings, which are Company (Zain) reached 39.9 Mbps,
Technology Commission (CITC) announced accumulated by analyzing tests made by with an improvement of 23.1%, which is
the most improved companies in Internet Internet users through the “Meqyas” smart the highest improvement rate between
services provided for users in the Kingdom device application, has also showed that all services providers in the Kingdom
during the fourth quarter of 2019, as part Saudi Telecom Company (STC) achieved compared to the previous quarter. The
of the indicators of the “Meqyas” report, the highest average pf mobile Internet “Meqyas” report was launched in 2018,
which aims to monitor the overall level download speed of 52.7 Mbps between by CITC to focus on an overview of the
of Internet service quality provided in all service providers, an improvement of fixed-line and mobile internet performance
the Kingdom on a quarterly basis. The 16.1% compared to its performance in the across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an
report findings showed an increase in previous quarter. While the average mobile effort to identify possible improvements,
the overall rate of performance of mobile Internet download speed for Etihad Etisalat improve the quality of Internet services
Internet speeds, reflecting the continuous Company (Mobily) reached 40.5 Mbps, and enhance competitiveness between
development of telecommunications and an improvement of 4.4%. Furthermore, companies providing services.
information technology infrastructure Saudi Mobile Telecommunications

74 FEBRUARY 2020