Page 53 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Tunisia to Launch SMS Disaster Alert System

The Government of Tunisia is collaborating and property damage. In response to This is why we have put at their disposal
with the country’s mobile operators to such events, the new service will use an all our direct and targeted means of
develop an SMS-based early warning SMS alert mechanism to provide instant communication, and why we have joined
system to alert citizens at risk of major targeted information before and during forces with the Ministry of Technologies,
natural disasters. The new service forms major natural disasters, improving disaster Communication and Digital Economy, the
part of the launch of the GSMA’s ‘We Care’ preparedness and response. When a major Ministry of the Interior and all the various
initiative in Tunisia by local operators risk is identified, the Ministry of Interior stakeholders to support this We Care
Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom, will send notifications to the mobile project,” Mansoor Rashid Al Khater, CEO,
marking the first launch of We Care in operators based on recommendations Ooredoo Tunisia said. Through the GSMA’s
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the National or Regional Natural We Care initiative, operators around the
region. The initiative is a collaboration Disaster Committees. These notifications world are taking steps to ensure their
with the Tunisian Ministry of Interior and will include the content of the alert to be customers can enjoy the transformative
the Tunisian Ministry of Technologies of broadcast and the location of the area benefits of mobile technology in a safe and
Communication and Digital Economy. concerned. The operators will then send reliable environment. These in-country
“The GSMA is delighted to be working an appropriate SMS alert to citizens projects support the mobile industry’s
in collaboration with the Tunisian in the affected areas. The service is commitment to the SDGs, allowing
government and the country’s mobile expected to be in place before the next operators to drive impact at a local level.
ecosystem on the successful launch of ‘We rainy season of 2020, likely to begin in Driven by operators, together with the
Care’ in Tunisia. The new SMS alert system September. “Our citizens are increasingly GSMA, We Care initiatives address ten
is a great demonstration of how industry demanding reliable, accurate and timely key areas: digital inclusion; children and
players can work together to enable information during the floods. This is why mobile; environmental care; disaster
mobile technology to play a vital role in it is essential for us to have a public alert response; SMS spam control; mobile
protecting citizens,” said Jawad Abbassi, system based on digital solutions that privacy; mobile and health; infrastructure
Head of MENA region, GSMA. Tunisia will be accessible to everyone,” said His deployment; contribution to public safety;
regularly suffers from flooding disasters, Excellency Mohamed Anouar Maarouf, and handset theft. “Orange Tunisia is
often following torrential rains, which in Minister of Communication Technologies committed to doing everything we can to
some cases causes loss of life, as well as and the Digital Economy. In 2016 the ensure a safe environment for our Tunisian
serious material damage. In September mobile industry became one of the first customers. The launch of the new SMS
2018, severe weather in Tunisia’s Cap sectors in the world to commit to the UN alert system could potentially save lives in
Bon peninsula caused human casualties Sustainable Development Goals. Since the event of a disaster, so we are working
then around 400 million new people have with the government to implement it as
started using mobile and more than 860 soon as possible,” said Thierry Millet, CEO,
million have started accessing mobile Orange Tunisia. The first We Care initiative
internet services. “The health and safety was launched in February 2014. To date,
of our customers and all Tunisian citizens there are 30 We Care projects running in 21
is one of the top priorities for a socially markets worldwide, in collaboration with
responsible operator such as Ooredoo. 70 mobile operators.

OFT Signs Deal to Lease Mobile Towers of Oman Tower Company

Oman Future Telecommunications license in October 2017 and went on to for the second half of 2020. Founded in
(OFT), the Sultanate’s third mobile sign a strategic partnership agreement February 2018, Oman Tower Company is
network operator (MNO) licensee, with Vodafone Group in September 2019. responsible for building, operating and
has signed an agreement to lease the Under the 15-year non-equity agreement, leasing telecoms towers and associated
mobile communication towers of Oman Vodafone and OFT will work together to roll infrastructure to be used by licensed
Tower Company to enable it to launch out a new network and develop a number operators on an open access basis.
wireless services in the country. The OFT of new services using the Vodafone brand
consortium secured Oman’s third MNO in Oman. A commercial launch planned

53 JANUARY 2020