Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020
P. 4

EDITORIAL  SAMENA TRENDS








        The Demands of the Digital Economy







        As a pre-requisite to building a sustainable   governments  and  the  private  sector  alike
        Digital  Economy,  fulfilling  the  requirement   that  connectivity—at  end-user,  machine  to
        for increased network capacity and future-  machine,  and  industrial  levels—lies  at  the
        proofing the communications networks with   core of these aspirations
        greater  resilience  is  a  daunting  challenge
        within  the  SA-ME-NA  region,  and  various   Fostering meaningful connectivity in the age
        other  developing  regions.  While  there   of  the  digital  economy  demands  Telecom
        now is  an increased realization to  expand   Operators to exercise a multi-dimensional,
        Fiber and Cloud-based  infrastructure, and   progressive  role.  This  role  through  out
        IPv6  is  gradually  transitioning  into  the   the  current  year,  since  the  pandemic,  has
        space so far occupied by IPv4, new digital   been  well-recognized.  However,  Operators
        ecosystems,  including  IoT, are emerging,   themselves   are   facing   tremendous
        and new socio-economic use-cases of the   revenue-generation  challenges,  continued
        Internet are multiplying, digital development   regulatory  restrictions,  taxation  regimes
        requirements,  however,  are  becoming   and industry fees, all of which have a direct
        ever  more  complex.  Key  factors  that  offer   impact  on  how  far,  how  much,  and  for   Bocar A. BA
                                                                                      Chief Executive Officer & Board
        potential  solutions  revolve  around  public-  how long the Operators can continue with   Member
        private collaboration and revamping policy   their  voluntary  offerings  to  help  reduce   SAMENA Telecommunications
        and regulatory  dynamics and frameworks,   financial  hardships  for  the  end-users   Council
        which  should  become  well-adapted  to   while living up to expectations. This merits
        the  burgeoning  digitization  trends.  These   the  consideration  of  policy-makers  and
        trends  point  to  a  future  where  data  flows   regulators,  who  themselves  face  multiple
        will  be  intense  and  where  ensuring  the   challenges, to reduce financial pressures on
        sustainability  of  the  nascent  Digital   Operators  and  to  help  improve  affordable
        Economy will be a major challenge and an   access to broadband services for the end-
        opportunity.                          users, and to help expand the Fiber-based
                                              infrastructure by addressing  some  major
        SAMENA  Council  believes  that  public-  underlying  issues,  which  include  but  are
        private-people cooperation is essential for   not limited to Right of Way (ROW) issues in
        addressing the digital inclusion imperative,   the deployment of Fiber. As emerged during
        which has been highlighted repeatedly since   the  recently  held  SAMENA  Accelerator,
        the SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit and   requirements  for  higher  speeds,  better
        again, in the mostly recently held, SAMENA   bandwidth and improved security over long
        Accelerator  roundtables,  to  bringing  distances,  which  form  the  crux  of  newest
        various  industries  closer  to  the  Telecom   socio-economic activities happening in the
        Industry  in order to create new cross-  digital space have exceeded the capabilities
        industry  synergies for catalyzing a  true   of  copper.  Thus  Fiber  is  essential  and
        digital renaissance in both socio-economic   will  become  necessary  as  governments
        activity and in industrial productivity. Such   help  accelerate  5G  transformation  in  their
        productivity  will  be  central  to  building  the   respective  markets  and  pressures  mount
        region's  Digital  Economy,  and  for  which   on building cross-industry 5G collaboration
        availability  of  required  ICT  infrastructure,   efforts  to  create  viable  use-cases  and
        especially  Fiber,  is  foundational.  Already,   business models.
        there  is  consensus  and  recognition  by







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