Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Enabling Digital Services to Overcome the COVID-19 Crisis

Digitization had been in progress for several technology to make it possible to work
years, but, in many ways, COVID-19 has but that businesses, and many functions
accelerated it, with remote learning, remote of society and family life, can continue to
health monitoring, remote financial activities, remain active almost naturally and routinely
and business happening almost-as-usual, as possible. This goes on to further prove
relying on extensive network capabilities and that the presence of digital infrastructure and
digital infrastructure. In efforts to keep pace availability of digital services are critical to
with high data traffic, Telecom Operators, our operation as a society, and that data may
among other initiatives taken to improve just now be the sixth ocean of the world, full
customer experience and reduce financial of resources and mysteries.
burdens on customers via new data offerings
and cost-savings, have also made software- The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced the role
powered network virtualization a priority step of and the need for data centers and cross-
in mitigating high data influxes. This may border data flows; and cloud has become Bocar A. BA
well point to a new trend among Operators among the key defining variables in the current Chief Executive Officer & Board
to extensively virtualize network functions to communication and flexibility equation. As Member
address data demands, and proceed ahead in our Industry and other industries, effectively SAMENA Telecommunications
building fifth-generation networks. exploiting the power of ICTs, reset themselves Council
on paths of growth and sustainability,
In the prevailing situation we are gradually numerous shared challenges in the new
learning to live through, the way we now journey into the world of digital connectivity
access and use the Internet has dramatically and data will emerge. The pandemic currently
changed. Streaming content services, the use in play will continue for some time, and its
of social media outlets to stay informed of implications may sustain for even longer.
changes in the environs, video conferencing
to deliver academic instruction and to Therefore, the current health situation
remain connected on business matters, demands that new data-centric strategies
have skyrocketed as we "stay home, to be adopted to accommodate expected
stay safe". Data traffic implications due to data influxes in the coming months. Aided
these trends are thus significant and vividly by new collaboration-minded approaches
evidence the expectations that Telecom and revamped decision-making cultures,
Operators are striving to fulfill. In a matter from which objectives such as Resilient
of months, the data-usage landscape as Connectivity, Affordable Access, and Safe
abruptly transformed, leaving lesser room for Use of Online Services can be achieved,
business-as-usual. the Industry and Telecom Operators could
be better-equipped to create a new digital
One thing is clear: the Coronavirus crisis renaissance post COVID-19.
has proven that not only do we have the

4 APRIL 2020