Page 18 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

COVID-19 VS TELECOM INDUSTRY SAMENA TRENDS

The Telecom Industry's Current

Response to COVID-19

With roughly 20 percent of the global “We are operating in a time that is both “We also request to lower the cost of
population (1.5 billion people) now confined challenging and is rife with opportunities international bandwidth, particularly in
to homes, practicing social distancing, … a great chance for businesses and markets where the international gateway is
while the global economy faces recession governments to enhance their smart a monopoly… markets such as Kuwait and
and a countless number of lives remain solutions,” says Bocar BA, CEO and potentially Iraq are responding positively
in constant peril, the Telecom Industry Board Member of the South Asia, to grant operators lower international
has risen to the challenge to respond to Middle East and North Africa (SAMENA) bandwidth costs,” emphasizes BA.
the COVID-19 contagion. Over the past Telecommunications Council, which is
couple of months, it has been proven a tri-regional industry advocacy body, We are operating in
that the Information and Communication representing a diverse community of
Technology (ICT/Telecom) community has telecommunications players, technology a time that is both
a crucial part role to play in these times providers, specialist firms, and working challenging and is rife with
of emergency and in, due course, to help closely with regional regulators as well as opportunities … a great
defeat this pandemic. global bodies.
chance for businesses and
Both the Private Sector — Telecom Operators need to “re-prioritise network governments to enhance
Operators, Digital Space Players, Tech resource utilisation and increase
Providers — and the Public Sector — Policy international broadband capacity”, as they their smart solutions
Makers and Regulators — have taken run 4G and 5G services to meet increasing
a series of steps in their common fight data demands during these challenging To support global operators, the
against the new pandemic, which include times, BA says. International Telecommunication Union
increasing network bandwidths, scaling has also launched a Global Network
customer relations resources by offering SAMENA Council has also advised regional Resiliency Platform.
free upgrades, encouraging end-users to governments to offer operators free access
utilize internet bandwidth intelligently, and to extra spectrum on a provisional basis to “It will collect trustworthy information
temporarily making additional spectrum permit MNOs to expand their networks. on actions that policymakers, regulators
resources available where most needed. and other stakeholders can use to ensure
that their networks and services serve the
needs of their country,” according to the
ITU’s secretary general Houlin Zhao.

“Time is of the essence … this platform
will give those countries, which still have
time to prepare, an opportunity to learn
from what is being done elsewhere – from
emergency spectrum reassignments to
guidelines for consumers on responsible
use”.

In SAMENA Council's observations,
Telecom Operators and Regulators
are keenly ensuring access to digital
healthcare, digital education, and other
critical services, thus acting as frontline
enablers in protecting the socio-economic
fabric of the fledgling digital economy and
the evolving global human society.

18 MARCH 2020