MyAdhan Blog

Link: Arab telco carriers vie for African mobile markets

Several cellular service providers are expanding operations in Africa as a new mobile-phone manufacturing plant was announced in Zambia, sparking fresh hope that increasing competition will help bring down the cost of telecommunications in a swath of African countries. Luxembourg-based Millicom International Cellular and Warid Telecom of the United Arab Emirates are launching services in several countries in Africa including Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Ghana, Tanzania and Senegal, said company officials this week. Warid Telecom President Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan said the company plans investments of US$1 billion. “We aim to become the biggest mobile phone company in the countries we are operating and eventually the whole Africa,” Al Nahayan said. In Uganda, for example, the company has already invested $250 million. This includes setting up 380 base stations around the country out of a planned total investment of $400 million there.

Link: Etisalat emerges as most recognised mobile telecom operator in UAE

A major regional Mobile Syndicated Study conducted by Maktoob Research, the online research unit of Maktoob.com, reveals how customers feel about the services offered by telecom operators in the region. The report shows etisalat, with 79 per cent, has the highest brand recognition in the UAE followed by du with 60 per cent. Elsewhere, Jordan’s Umniah with 77 per cent, Egypt’s Vodafone with 76 per cent, Saudi Arabia’s Mobily with 73 per cent and UAE’s etisalat with 52 per cent have once again beat competitors to become the highest scorers in overall customer satisfaction in their own countries. The previous study had recorded satisfaction ratings of 75 per cent for Umniah, 74 per cent for Vodafone and 70 per cent for Mobily, respectively. The online study canvassed the opinions of 4,618 cellular subscribers of various nationalities, aged 18 and above, across four countries with 1,009 respondents participating from the UAE, 1,182 from Jordan, 1,264 from Egypt and 1,163 from Saudi Arabia. The study sought to obtain insight into the psychographics of mobile users, perception of mobile users with regard to brand visibility and brand personality of telecom operators, satisfaction levels with mobile services and mobile value-added services, influences on choice of mobile operators, mobile spending trends, churn trends and mobile handset preferences.

Link: Warnings issued as cybercrimes rise in Kuwait

The number of cybercrimes in Kuwait has increased at an alarming rate exposing citizens to extortion and theft, the Ministry of Interior said in a press release issued Saturday. Official Ministry Spokesperson Brigadier Mohammed Hashim Al-Sabr also disclosed results of a report prepared by the Technical Affairs Section at the General Criminal Investigation Department (GCID) which showed Kuwait is currently experiencing several cyber-related problems for the first time not only in the country but also in the Arab and Islamic region. He added most of the Internet users in the region are not aware that some of the activities they are performing in cyber space are against the law. Worried at the possible repercussions of cybercrimes in the Kuwaiti society, Al-Sabr said the Ministry decided to launch a public awareness campaign on the crimes committed in cyber space such as extortion, theft and other threats to gullible individuals. Warning the public on the number of immoral websites including sex, cultural, and marriage sites that surfaced recently in the country, Al-Sabr said these websites encourage the public to engage in immoral acts, which are against the teachings of Islamic Sharia. He stressed the need to punish the owners of these websites to protect the image of Kuwait. On social networking sites and chat rooms, Al-Sabr said people should be wary of these sites as some people exploit the identities of others for their own benefit. He also advised the public to be careful about publishing their photos on these websites as some scrupulous individuals edit these photos and use them in sexually-oriented websites. Indicating this practice is against the law, Al-Sabr pointed out it is also illegal to download private video clips through Bluetooth in mobiles. He said some people use these video clips and photos to threaten mobile users. Al-Sabr also highlighted the dangers posed by sending SMS through the Internet. “Users may take advantage of this service in threatening other people as their identities cannot be traced, unlike when they use mobile phones,” he explained.

Link: Pakistan: Operators to double check SIM purchase data with ID cards

The Ministry for Information Technology and Telecommunication has issued a policy for mobile subscriber antecedent data collection and verification by all mobile phone operators. Cellular Mobile Telecom Operators (CMTOs) will be required to double-check the data of SIM buyers by cross-referencing their antecedents with NADRA. Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr. Abdullah Riar has directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to facilitate availability of reliable data through mobile subscriber documentation and antecedent verification. IT & Telecom ministry has issued a policy for mobile subscriber antecedent data collection and verification by all mobile phone operators he told a press conference on Friday. The validation and verification of data received by operators from retail agents is critical, he said presenting salient feature of the policy. In this regard, antecedent data will be duly validated and verified by the cellular mobile telecom operators (CMTOs) by cross-referencing against NADRA CNIC database. Cross-referencing may be done through submission of batch data to NADRA (as currently done) or through IT application developed by CMTOs in collaboration with NADRA. The key objective of the policy is to balance the security and consumer convenience to address issues arising out of un-documented Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) and growth of telecom sector.All operators will be required to update the data of their existing customers within three months of issuance of the policy with help of their franchise, he said. PTA will devise necessary regulations and amended SoPs to be followed for the implementation of the policy including relevant penalty clause in case of violation, he said, adding that PTA will also continue to monitor the collection of antecedent data by franchisees and retail agents of the franchises of CMTOs through spot and random checks.

Link: Lebanon telco auction hit by delay

The Lebanese government has postponed the auction of majority stakes in two state-owned mobile phone companies until early summer, according to a cabinet statement obtained by newswire Reuters on Wednesday. The statement said the deadline for offers had also been pushed back, citing requests from bidders for more time and the delay in Lebanon’s presidential election. Lebanon is selling two-thirds of Alfa and MTC Touch and will offer the remaining shares in an initial public offering (IPO) within a further year. The initial sale is expected to raise as much $7 billion and will go to pay off some of Lebanon’s $41 billion public debt. Lebanon has been without a president since November - part of the country’s worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. The next parliamentary session to elect army chief general Michel Suleiman as president is set for February 11. The vote has been put off repeatedly because of wrangling over the shape of the new government.

Link: SMS: Our hearts are with Gaza

Palestinians throughout the West Bank are expressing solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip through SMS messaging. It is the least expensive means of communication, and does not rely on mobile phone signals not being crossed while trying to talk, nor does it require as much electricity. The intense Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza has wreaked havoc on the lives of the people, and many family members are stuck apart. For some it is their only form of communication. Popular messages include “God Protect Gaza” and “Save Our People in Gaza.” It may seem simple, but to many in the Gaza Strip this is one of the few ways of knowing that they are not living at the far edge of the earth, as the borders have remained closed and they go without proper medicines, water, electricity or fuel, many types of food, and personal supplies. Some of the solidarity campaigns are held through online chat rooms or through instant messaging. “Ah, you, from the heart of Gaza are the cowboy dancing on the Holy Land,” and simply, “Our hearts are with Gaza.” Palestinian researcher Nawaf Amir lives in the West Bank, not far in distance from his family in Gaza, but lifetimes away in his ability to see them. However, he said on Thursday morning that he still feels closely linked to them. He is one of the hundreds of people who are using SMS, IM, and chat rooms for communication. Amir told PNN that he lives through his family’s anxieties right along side them, and that by standing by his brothers in this way he feels a sense of relief. He says that these are creative means for all Palestinians to stand in solidarity and to express their anger over what is happening. Amir adds that these are the most basic things that we in the West Bank can do for the people of Gaza: short messages, art, poetry, prayer and fasting, marches and demonstrations. “The people are sacrificing their lives and we must invent new ways to bring the spirit of the people together as our cause is one in the same.”

Link: Qatar: Phone users sent 43bn New Year SMS greetings

Some 43bn text messages were sent around the world, by phone users to wish their loved ones a happy New Year, contributing to the global short text messages (SMS) traffic increasing by 30% in the 2007-08 New Year period compared to the same last year. This was announced by Acision yesterday. Acision is a messaging and charging company for over 300 network operators and service providers worldwide. According to the communique, growth was strong in both mature and emerging markets. However the most surprising growth figures came from developing markets, where India’s 220mn mobile subscribers sent over a billion text messages - a 300% increase to their day-to-day traffic levels.
The Philippines retained its title as the text messaging capital of the world - sending a remarkable 1.39bn text messages from a subscriber base of just 50mn. “Messaging represents a significant slice of mobile operator revenues, and events like New Year’s Eve demonstrate how critical it is for operators to ensure a reliable and speedy service. One of our operator customers’ infrastructure operated under peaks of 19,000 messages sent per second without congestion or delay. The New Year figures are eagerly anticipated each year and this year’s record traffic levels again do not disappoint,” said the managing director for Acision MENA region.

Link: Bahrain: Overwhelming Response For SMS Charity Appeal

The National Orphan Fund through the SMS Brunei Prihatin received a total amount of $209,356 in donation for year 2007. The positive and overwhelming figure reflects the compassion the Bruneian community has towards the welfare of orphans in the country. The SMS Brunei Prihatin for National Orphan Fund Project was held for a short period from September 7, 2007 to October 20, 2007. Out of the total amount, $169,873 was collected from DST Group Sdn Bhd and the remaining $39,483 was collected from B.Mobile Communications Sdn Bhd. The donation handover ceremony was held yesterday at the Airport Restaurant, Berakas. Present as the guest of honour to receive the donations from the two service providers was the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Daud. Meanwhile, presenting the donations on behalf of DST Group Sdn Bhd was DST Chief Operating Officer, Haji Marsad Haji Ismail and representing B.Mobile Communications Sdn Bhd was Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, Hjh Noorul Baiyinah Hj Kassim. Also present at the event was the permanent secretary and deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Director of Department of Community Development, Acting Director of Radio Television Brunei as well as senior officers from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and relevant agencies.

Link: Bahrain to promote Internet services through free zones

Bahrain yesterday unveiled a pioneering government project to benefit citizens by providing continuous free or almost free Internet services to all citizens through free zones. The project to be conducted in cooperation with communication companies will first be implemented in small villages before it is extended to all parts of the kingdom. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Attiyat Allah Al Khalifa revealed the project during his first interview with the Bahrain News Agency after being assigned in charge of the telecommunication sector in Bahrain. He said the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) was proceeding with the execution of the second phase of a scheme, which once accomplished, would create many well-paid jobs for Bahraini people. He affirmed the government’s attention to further boost the telecommunications sector, saying that the cabinet will be presented in its next session with a new national telecommunications plan that serves the same goal. The government is making its best to liberalise the telecommunication sector and make it more attractive to investors in order to render first-class services to users and subscribers and entitle the kingdom to lead in the field, Shaikh Ahmed said. The telecommunications sector in Bahrain is continuously developing in terms of performance and support to national economy as its added value has grown by 9.2 per cent and its contribution to the gross national production by 3.1 per cent, Shaikh Ahmed said, noting that the sector’s contribution is expected to increase with the launch of the second plan.

Link: UAE keen to increase investment in Pakistan

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set Pakistan well amongst its potential list of investment opportunities when it announced last year to double its endeavours to a staggering US$26 billion as trade between the two countries reaches the $5 billion mark. Chairman, Pak-UAE Business Council, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig pointed out that the UAE was making heavy investments owing to increase in oil prices which have led to additional $400 billion revenue entering into the Gulf region of which the UAE is an active member. “Last year, the UAE invested $3 billion into our country which when compared to the $400 billion is insignificant and which can triple in figures.” He added that Pakistan was their first choice as the market of the country was not saturated like that of most other countries and it being a third world country offers them better economies of scale than the western countries. Also since Pakistan is closer to the UAE and is ideally geographically placed, it benefits the Arab country to target it for its investments. He said the council was formed a year back by the foreign ministers of both the countries keeping in view the growing number of investments between the countries. Baig added that though the political instability and the dismal law and order was a major turn off for any foreign investors, the UAE was eager to continue with further investments and is searching to enter unexplored markets.As major groups continue to participate in Pakistan’s privatisation programme, the UAE already has investments worth billions of dollars in various sectors of Pakistan such as housing and real estate, telecommunication, banking, mineral exploration, oil and gas, information technology and tourism. Other UAE investments in Pakistan are in the fields of airlines, financial business, hotels and tractors.