Page 102 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2023

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Saudi Arabia to Benefit from New Satellite IoT Services Developed by iot

squared and OQ Technology

iot squared, an Internet of things (IoT) technology company and a
joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)
and stc Group (stc), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with OQ Technology, the world's first global satellite
telecom operator for IoT connectivity using 5G protocol. The MoU
was signed by Othman Al Dahash, Chief Executive Officer of iot
squared, and Omar Qaise, Founder and CEO of OQ Technology.
Through this partnership, OQ Technology will provide satellite IoT
connectivity services and products to iot squared and support
the technical development of its products and services. The two
partners will also collaborate to identify target markets, verticals
and applications that require satellite IoT services in the Kingdom
and provide them with the necessary solutions. Othman Al Dahash,
CEO of iot squared, said: “By helping to solve various challenges
from traffic management, energy, safety, waste, and many others, of the Earth’s land mass today is covered by cell towers. At OQ
IoT will fundamentally allow us to enhance productivity levels and Technology we are working to address this problem by enabling
quality of life, revolutionizing the way we live and work. By providing 5G-based massive machine communication all over the world
coverage and connectivity anywhere in the country, the integration using a constellation of nanosatellites which ensure a truly low
of satellite IoT services and solutions in the Kingdom will drive the latency of only a few milliseconds. “By partnering with iot squared,
adoption of IoT solutions. “Thanks to our latest partnership with we will now be able to use our shared networks, resources and
OQ Technology, not only will we leverage the company’s expertise expertise to identify new target markets and applications that
and existing products to support IoT’s technical development and require satellite IoT services in Saudi Arabia and work together
products, but together we will drive the adoption of IoT services, to identify solution requirements, while advancing the adoption
helping to achieve national digital transformation objectives, and of IoT solutions in support of the country’s digital transformation
motivating research and development across Saudi Arabia.” Omar objectives. “OQ Technology, supported by Aramco Wa’ed Ventures,
Qaise, founder and CEO of OQ Technology, said: “5G networks are has established a local presence in the Al Khobar region. Having
designed to address highly complex services, and applications started commercial services and converting its global customers
such as the support of billions of interconnected devices known pipeline into paying clients this year, the company has recently
as massive machine communication. The problem is that only 25% signed a large commercial contract in the oil and gas sector.”

FCO Examines Potential Antitrust Impediment of 1&1 by Vodafone, Vantage

Towers

Following a complaint filed by 1&1 Mobilfunk earlier this year, whether Vantage Towers’ and Vodafone’s business practices on
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO, Bundeskartellamt) is the ‘supplier side’ could be objectionable under German and
examining whether Vodafone Germany its affiliated company European competition law standards. ‘We welcome the intended
Vantage Towers may have violated German and European market entry of 1&1 as a fourth mobile network operator in
competition law by impeding 1&1’s options for co-using radio Germany from a competition perspective. It is clear that to develop
masts. With the aim of becoming Germany’s fourth mobile network its own mobile phone network a company has to make high
operator (MNO), 1&1 signed an agreement with Vantage Towers on investments and take entrepreneurial risks when taking such a
the shared use of a large number of radio masts in spring of 2021, step,’ said Andreas Mundt, President of the FCO, adding: ‘It is a key
but the provision of the agreed locations was massively delayed task of competition law to set fair rules of play for companies’
during 2022 and continues to be affected. Vantage Towers is business practices. Powerful and dominant companies must not
Vodafone Group’s former radio mast division, which was listed as unfairly impede other companies. We will therefore scrutinize
a stock company in March 2021. Vodafone initially remained the whether there are sound reasons for a delay in the provision of
majority shareholder of Vantage Towers after flotation. Vantage antenna locations for 1&1.’ Irrespective of the FCO’s proceeding,
Towers markets and manages Vodafone Group’s outsourced the Federal Netowk Agency (FNA, Bundesnetzagentur) is currently
portfolio of existing base station sites. The locations continue to examining whether 1&1 should be fined for failing to meet its
be used by Vodafone as the main tenant, however Vantage Towers’ obligation resulting from its purchase of frequencies at auction in
business model in principle also involves renting out surfaces for 2019 to commission 1,000 5G base stations within the specified
antenna installations to other MNOs. As such, the FCO will examine period.
102 MAY-JUNE 2023