Page 144 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Turkey to Europe. Thus, making it easy for the movement of which Citra is working on according to its strategy and how to
infrastructure from east to west, showing that the environment benefit from it. Al-Ozainah quoted Huawei officials as praising
is in the process of signing an agreement that is “very close” with the telecommunications and information technology sector in
the Iraqi Ministry of Communications, as well as the presence of Kuwait, especially regarding the provision and use of 5G networks,
a strategy in the environment to build A free zone for the country. stressing that Kuwait is the second largest in the use of this
He stressed the establishment of a national center for information service after South Korea. Moreover, among the topics discussed
and evidence in accordance with international standards, which were the mechanism of deploying 5G networks in Kuwait as well
includes government agencies, institutions and government as optical fibers, especially in areas where there are no fiber-
ministries besides the private sector, stressing the urgent need for optic extensions, as part of the plan set by Citra in cooperation
Kuwait to have such an important center. As for his participation with mobile operators in Kuwait. In addition, on July 2018, Citra
in the conference (Huawei Connect 2019), Al-Ozainah stated signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to
that his participation and the accompanying delegation came at implement the country’s Smart City Strategy, which is divided into
the invitation of the International Chinese Company (Huawei) to four phases: Smart Infrastructure Network, Equipment Security,
identify aspects of joint cooperation in various fields, especially in Virtual Networks, and Digital Transformation of Various Industries
the technologies of 5G networks and their applications, artificial and Centralized City Management. Kuwait participated in this
intelligence and smart cities. Al-Ozainah added that during his conference with a delegation headed by Chairman and CEO Eng.
visit to Shanghai, he held several meetings with several officials Salim Al-Ozainah and included the Board of Directors of Citra,
and leaders of Huawei and discussed ways of cooperation Waleed AlQallaf, Saud Alzaid and Ahmad Ibrahim, in addition to
in the fields of research, development and application with the Consul General of the State of Kuwait in the northern city of
Citra, representing Kuwait. He explained that he reviewed the Shanghai Meshal Al-Shemali.
regional communications corridor project with Huawei officials, (September 20, 2019) citra.gov.kw

Lebanon

TRA Legal Affairs Manager Mr. Elias Chedid and TRA Consumer in coordination with the UNDP and OECD and aimed at presenting
Affairs and Public Consultations Manager Ms. Corine Feghaly the importance of the law on the right of access to information
participated on September 16th, 2019 in the workshop on “The for Lebanon, its relationship with the National Anti-corruption
role of Information Officers in Enforcing the Rights of Access to strategy and its importance in the field of open government and
Information Law” that was held at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel under supporting the achievement of the sustainable development
the patronage of the Minister of State For Administrative Reform goals.
(OMSAR) H.E. May Chidiac. This event was organized by OMSAR (September 18, 2019) tra.gov.lb

Nepal

Nepali Telecom operators added a significant mobile subscribers and WLL services were found to decline. It is only due to people’s
in the last FY 2075/76, with Ntc adding the highest number of new preference for mobile instead of Landline phones. Nepal Telecom
subscribers. According to the NTA report, a total no of 30 lakhs led the mobile subscriber rise with the addition of 27 lakhs (2.7
(3 million) mobile subscribers was added in the last FY. Whereas million) new customers in the last Fiscal year. Ncell followed Ntc
the Ashad end last year showed the no of mobile subscribers to growth with the addition of 1 lakh and 23 thousand (0.1 million)
be 3 crores 75 lakhs (37.5 million). The total number of mobile customers only. Similarly, Smart Telecom saw an addition of 2
users in Ashad 2076 reached 4 crores and 6 lakhs (40.6 million). lakh customers (0.2 million) in that period. Among the six telecom
As two of the telecom operators report were not included in the operators, only three have significant market share. While UTL,
latest NTA report, we have omitted their subscriber number as a Nepal Satellite Telecom, and CG Telecom are there for namesake
whole. Those two telecom operators are UTL and Nepal Satellite only. After the scrapping of the mobile license of Nepal Satellite
whose mobile network are not operational. Recently Supreme Telecom (Hello Mobile), the total number of telecom operator will
Court has also approved the NTA’s decision to scrap the Nepal be only 5. The total teledensity shoots up from 133.83% to 140.25%
Satellite Mobile License. The total telecom subscribers base in in that period, of course, the major contributor being GSM mobile
Nepal at the end of Ashad 2076 reached 4 crore and 13 lakhs technology/service. Regarding the broadband penetration, it went
(41.3 million) now. That means only 7 to 8 lakhs users are non- up from 51.1 % to 65.87 %, in which mobile broadband contributes
mobile which includes PSTN, WLL, VSAT and GMPCS. While no around 85% of the total broadband users.
of mobile users went up, the fixed-line telephone like the PSTN (September 18, 2019) nepalitelecom.com
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