Page 21 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

Connect 2030 Agenda and the notions of “Meaningful Connectivity” and “Universal Poll 2: Region-wide Understanding of
Digital Access" are, in fact, cornerstones of the new digitalized modern economy; the Digital Economy
they all are part of the same puzzle.
What is your understanding of the greatest
SAMENA Council highly values and cherishes that key concerned stakeholders, challenge to the Digital Economy?
Honorable Ministers and Regulators, Representative of the League of the Arab Insufficient infrastructure
States, Private-sector decision-makers and digital space players, and esteemed 36%
representatives from global bodies of renown and impact joined together to take Lack of business models
part in the SAMENA Accelerator. Such deliberations, and the many that may be 57%
catalyzed as a result of the SAMENA Accelerator, have underpinned the realization Too much regulation
that Digital Economy must be made sustainable and must include everyone; no one 7%
must be left behind.
What is the foremost role do you wish the
Some of SAMENA Council's recommendations to address various infrastructure- governments to play in accelerating the
level and sustainability-level issues with respect to accelerating the region's Digital Digital Economy?
Economy these issues are as follows: Be the first to adopt and spearhead digital
initiatives
1. Optimize approval/permit processes in terms of how documentation is submitted; 43%
define and strictly comply with the timeline in which the approval process is Enabling the stakeholders to work together
completed; and frame a policy that should automatically grant in-building Right- 21%
of-Way to concerned stakeholders. These measures will allow predictability and Play a direct role in funding/financing
investor confidence. infrastructure
2. Infrastructure-sharing models, depending on the dynamics of the regional 7%
markets, can benefit consumers by increasing competition, lowering prices, Revising regulatory and financial policies that expedite
confidence building among the players to invest more
and raising service quality. The private sector has already embraced this model; 29%
further expansion, however, requires targeted policies that promote competition
and facilitate sharing, especially in hard-to-cover areas, which are non- What responsibility of the Private Sector
economical or constitute complex geographies.
3. By reducing redundancy, infrastructure-sharing spreads the cost of network do you view to be of topmost importance
in developing the Digital Economy?
expansion across multiple market participants and can generate significant
CAPEX savings for Telecom Operators. To this effect, Policymakers and regulators Build cross-industry collaborations to build new use-
cases of digital technologies
from other sectors/industries should collaborate on make existing infrastructure 50%
such as electricity poles, waterways, and waste water systems, gas and district Incubate ICT talent
heating lines, roads and railways, etc., available to Fiber investors for mutual use 14%
in the long run.
4. Because it is critical to see the Private Sector through a new lens as a key enabler Proactively support government ICT visions; help
define implementable action plans
of national transformation and not just as a revenue source, it is pertinent that an 36%
enabling environment be created, comprising, for example, tax relief incentives,
reduced license fees, among other regulatory, legal, and financial incentives Do you view the following definition of the
and supportive measures. Of course, such an enabling environment will not term “Digital Economy” to be complete:
only cater to the Fiber deployment but to infrastructure investment and digital “The digital economy incorporates
development, in general. all economic activities reliant on, or
5. For cutting-edge technology applications, especially fixed network technologies, significantly enhanced by the use of digital
the governments must show determination to simulate private sector investment inputs, including digital technologies,
via public funding and subsidies, if and when possible, so as to effectively digital infrastructure, digital services,
facilitate large-scale network deployment. SAMENA Council is dedicatedly and data; it refers to all producers and
collaborating within the UN Broadband Commission to help develop 21 Century consumers, including government, that
Funding Models, which could address ICT infrastructure gaps, including of Fiber, are utilizing these digital inputs in their
and which may play an important complementary role in the initiatives taken by economic activities”.
the Governments. I don’t know
6. Lastly, it is important for the Private Sector to work in close collaboration with 7%
the Public Sector, to drive common understanding on the flexibility, scalability, Adopt infrastructure-sharing
and asset potential of Fiber networks. This alignment will support our efforts in 14%
building a sustainable digital economy, which will rely not only on connectivity
infrastructure, but also on capacity-building and ICT Talent development No, incomplete
21%
initiatives, to help realize digitization-driven socio-economic impact from urban
areas to the last mile throughout the SA-ME-NA region. Yes, complete 57%

21 NOVEMBER 2020