Editorial
Today’s market environment that operators must survive in is difficult at best. During such times, organizations such as SAMENA Telecommunications Council attempt to help create centers of knowledge and information-sharing, which can bring direct benefit to the participating operators, and to help draw additional focus on collaboration, on new ideas or, simply, on attaining basic business knowledge.

For the past few years, the GSM cellular business has been considered the talisman of success, with which the success of the telecom industry, globally, has been assessed. Business entities within the industry and outside have invested billions in order to procure new licenses in new objective markets. Additionally, existing operator groups as well as single-operator entities, having experienced market saturation in their original markets, have expanded their bases outwards.

Upcoming Activities

Convergence to Istanbul 2009
November 3,4,5 2009,
Istanbul, Turkey
Flyer

GPON Workshop
December 2009,
Crown Plaza,
Dubai, UAE.

Regional & Member News

• Du provides broadband connection on Dubai Metro through its Wi-Fi service  

• Huawei to launch 3G, WiMAX CDMA Smartphone  

• FRiENDi attracts investors  

• Alcatel-Lucent CEO says no merger talks with Huawei, ZTE  

• HM Treasury signs Fujitsu in massive new ICT transformation contract  

• Hydac chooses Cisco to unify its communications  

• Fujitsu President steps down, Chairman takes over  

• Qualcomm, MTNL enhances 3G services in India  

• Overseas operations will play bigger role in Etisalat's growth  

• Nawras first to give Oman Air Information via SMS  

• Morocco becomes full owner of Medi Telecom  

• STC unveils ‘free unique package'  

• Nokia Siemens completes network overhaul for Bezeq in Israel  

Regulatory Corner

• Regulator eases up on fixed network operator Banglaphone  

• MoC reviews licensing legislation  

• Betelco rejects TRA claims

• PTA action against illegal exchanges saved US$94million

• TRA appoints specialist ICT security advisor

• BTRC looks to 3G bidders

• Bahrain TRA proposes procedure for erection of wireless networks

• ictQATAR issues final Type Approval policy

Regional Performance

• Abilities of latest technologies (SAMENA Ranking)

• Availability of latest technologies (Global ranking of SAMENA countries)

• Laws relating to ICT (SAMENA Ranking)

• Laws relating to ICT (Global rank of SAMENA countries)

   

Top Technology Updates

• Fujitsu develops Golf-Swing analyzer featuring latest sensing technology

• Inmarsat enhances satellite IP streaming

• ZTE launches super-capacity cluster router with self-developed chips

• Alcatel-Lucent converges LTE and FTTH Technologies

• du TV+: The next generation interactive TV arrives in the middle east

• Huawei and China Mobile successfully deployed world's First ATCA-based Mobile Softswitch solution in China

Featured Articles

Open Source in Mobile
The concept of “open source in mobile” is a relatively newer one in practice, though nothing unexpected. Having developed Linux-based applications for the PC market several years ago, a shift toward creating an open source environment for mobile applications seemed inevitable. As in the case of Linux based computer applications (both PC and server based), mobile applications can too be based on an “open approach” whereby new programs can be created, adopted, copied or modified by different vendors or application designers to provide customers with a variety of customized and tailored-made mobile applications.

New Product Introduction: A Survival Tactic
Industry research evidences that the ability to rapidly introduce new products will be of utmost importance; however, operators require significant commitment for developing this new business model. Presented at the SOFNET conference, this viewpoint holds that advancing toward a content-based model requires strong top-level executive interest, focus, and time. The subscriber and the subscriber’s evolving needs have to be carefully understood, which also require a tremendous amount of time, along with network investments. The transformation of approach that the current model requires needs to heavily take into account the importance and the commitments of senior executives and industry decision makers.

Infrastructure Sharing
Elements conducive to the development of healthy competition—which is increasingly becoming services-based rather than remain facility-based—also include regulatory policy designs as well as economic incentives that can encourage telecommunications infrastructure sharing between competing players.

RF Health Corner

Radio Frequency Radiation Concerns

- - SCIENTIFIC NOTES ON RADIO FREQUENCIES

- - REPORTED HEALTH EFFECTS

- - BODIES INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE

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SAMENA Insight contains information based on data and content retrieved from sources deemed trustworthy by SAMENA.Professional discretion should be used in assessing the usefulness of this information. SAMENA publishes this newsletter in both electronic and hardcopy formats. Please contact us to learn more or to contribute.Design and content by SAMENA Market Research Team.
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