Page 15 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

fixed networks; a challenge for emerging
countries. It must also be kept in mind that
bringing connectivity to people is not an
end in itself and what actually is at stake
here is the ability to be able to develop and
provide efficient healthcare, education and
other citizen-centric services that improve
the quality of life of nations. Moreover, it
has to be ensured that countries create
and protect healthy large as well as small
and medium business ecosystems, in
order to materialize financial inclusion for
every member of the society.

SAMENA Accelerator has drawn attention
to three-pronged policies that should
be in play to meet the national digital
SA-ME-NA region to transform countries and multi-stakeholder engagement for transformation and digital-based socio-
according to their current state of digital the Digital Communications Industry as economic goals: One, policies that boost
development as well as their aspirations well as for other industries. Indeed, such connectivity and lead by example; second,
for the future. approach and collaborative mindsets policies that bridge connectivity divides;
are what will help design and implement and, third, policies that create enabling
Bocar BA, CEO and Board Member evidence-based digital policies, which environments for business sustainability,
of SAMENA Council, expressing his can tackle the multitude of challenges investments and innovation. Acting
observations on the level of steemed and unearth new opportunities for the upon such policies can allow developing
participation and thought-leadership countries and the region." countries to leap forward in shorter time
from of Ministers, Regulators, CEOs, and
other Private Sector Leaders, stated that: The SAMENA Accelerator roundtables have delved into
"Following deliberations and exchange of
insights during the SAMENA Accelerator, enabling the sustainable Digital Economy imperative from
SAMENA Council views the need to multiple key enabling environment perspectives, including
accelerate ICT infrastructure expansion,
particularly Fiber deployment, migration the need to address Fiber deployment challenges and seeing
from legacy copper networks to Fiber, and the Private Sector's role in new lens, and to corroborate
to future-proof connectivity and resilience
in communications networks as a top the urgency with which the right policies and governance
priority." frameworks should be expedited in the SA-ME-NA region
to transform countries according to their current state of
He further stated that "As we build the right
infrastructure, we must bear in mind that digital development as well as their aspirations for the
sustainability and inclusion are the key future.
principles for building successful digital
economies. It is truly through collaboration
and by fostering inclusion and participation The COVID-19 pandemic has shown frames in the post-Covid era than would
of everyone that we can ensure that we how connectivity, more than ever before have been possible otherwise. SAMENA
will take into account different needs and realized, is essential for inclusive Accelerator has also delineated that
issues into consideration. In many ways, digital transformation. However, while Digital Economy provides tremendous
we have succeeded in doing so during the connectivity provides the key link between opportunities for rethinking socio-
SAMENA Accelerator. SAMENA Council the emerging and new technologies, economics, for nation-building, and for
is pleased to acknowledge the enabling new digital services and applications of overcoming developmental challenges.
support expressed by the Policymakers, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial However, it is critical that the Digital
which we have observed during the keynote Intelligence (AI), among others, the Economy be managed well, as it demands
messages from the Excellencies who resulting hyper-connectedness generates societal and business continuity and it
participated in the SAMENA Accelerator a huge amount of data that needs rests on creating and sustaining value.
roundtables. Such policy-level support is to be transported via networks. This
fundamental to catalyzing cooperation demands extension of more Fiber into

15 NOVEMBER 2020