Page 68 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

TeleYemen Launches Wholesale SMS Services in Yemen with Support from

telXira

TeleYemen, the exclusive provider of
international telecommunications for
Yemen, has launched wholesale SMS
services with the support from telXira,
a global business messaging provider
based in Switzerland. The launch enables
organizations and service providers
to deliver world-class wholesale SMS
services across Yemen with a simple
and seamless experience. telXira has
supported the TeleYemen team through
the development of its SMS offering,
from platform deployment to service
delivery. The end-to-end SMS platform
will support the long-term growth of
TeleYemen’s SMS services and enable
the company to innovate and evolve with has been the sole licensed provider of the a solution that combines the power of
new products and features. “The launch international telecommunication services our platform with the knowledge and
of our SMS services is a true milestone in Yemen since 1972. In 2004, TeleYemen experience to make business messaging
for TeleYemen and telXira has played a became a 100% fully state-owned entity successful for TeleYemen. We are proud to
critical role in making our vision a reality. with 75% of shares owned by PTC and 25% support TeleYemen and play a key role in
By incorporating business messaging owned by the Yemeni Post & Post Saving evolving the communications landscape
into our offerings, we’re helping local Corporation. TeleYemen is committed to for businesses in the country.” telXira
businesses reach wider audiences and continuously developing its International makes it simple, efficient and easy to meet
broaden their communications with new Telecoms Gateway to cope with the customers’ business goals with business
success rates,” said Rasheed Almohallel, growing demands of international voice messaging. Whether it is indirectly via
Tariff and Traffic Officer at TeleYemen. and data services. “It has been great to be service provider partners or directly to
“The telXira team provided excellent part of TeleYemen’s journey and deliver enterprises, telXira provides the insights
support end-to-end and have helped to an SMS platform that will transform its and guidance to get started in business
make the rollout of our SMS services business and support its customers messaging and an intuitive platform
seamless. This is the next evolution of across the country,” said Ellen Velickovska, for optimizing and growing business
our business and I’m looking forward to Managing Director at telXira. “We took messaging in the long-term.
seeing what the future brings.” TeleYemen time to listen, understand, and provide

Kenya’s Mobile Termination Rate Debate Hots Up

The Consumers Federation of Kenya per minute from the current Sh0.99 per does well out of a higher MTR. The smaller
(Cofek) and two of the country’s operators, minute (one shilling is just under one US operators, by contrast, favor the cut as
Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya, have cent at present rates). The current rate their users are likely to spend more time
joined in the controversy over a case has been in place since 2015. Safaricom on other networks than their own. The CA’s
involving mobile termination rates (MTR) argues that the CA’s model uses a view, with which consumer group Cofek
– the charges levied by a mobile service benchmarking methodology as opposed presumably agrees, is that the cut will
provider on other telecommunications to long-run incremental costing, which, have a positive impact on both consumers
service providers for terminating calls in it suggests, is the preferred model in and operators and that, if charges across
its network. Business Daily reports that determining MTR. Airtel and Telkom have networks come down, there will be less
the country’s leading operator, Safaricom, been criticizing Safaricom for allegedly need for consumers to own multiple SIM
has petitioned the Communications only being interested in protecting its cards. However, the cuts – expected to be
and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal to revenues. Indeed, Safaricom argues that implemented from the start of this year –
block the decision by the regulator, the the move to cut the charges will adversely will now have to wait until the appeal is
Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), affect its revenues. Safaricom, with a heard and determined.
to cut mobile termination rates to Sh0.12 dominant position in the voice market,

68 JANUARY 2022